sleep.”
“Okay, Mommy,” she said, snuggling beneath the blanket. She still had her comfort blanket tucked under her pillow and she reached for it as she settled down.
“Goodnight, sweetie,” said Serenity. “I love you.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
She stood up and passed Sebastian on the way out. Their arms brushed, sending her heart racing. That he could still affect her in such a way after all this time was crazy. She almost resented his ability to elicit such a response. Whether it was the drop of blood she took once a month that kept such a strong connection between them, she didn’t know, but whatever he did, she never seemed to stop wanting him. Glancing back over her shoulder, she watched him take her place on the edge of Elizabeth’s bed, the sight of him with their child melting her heart.
Serenity left the room and paused outside of the bedroom door, listening to Sebastian’s low murmured tones, followed by their daughter’s high-pitched giggles. She wished the relationship between her and Sebastian could be as easy. With Elizabeth, there was never any question about how they felt about her. It was a love that asked for nothing in return.
For the past year, she’d believed the same to be true of her relationship with Sebastian, but the last twenty-four hours had set her emotions in a whirl.
She stood waiting, knowing Sebastian would be able to hear her—the thump of her heartbeat, the inhale and exhale of her breath. He’d even sense the warmth her skin gave off. She didn’t know if having so much intimacy, even when apart, was a good or bad thing.
Within a few minutes, he backed out of the room and closed the door behind him.
“She’s sleeping.”
Serenity smiled. “That’s good. I think she’s had a rough couple of days.”
“I guess that’s another thing I screwed up on, huh? Convincing you to let her go to camp.”
She shook her head. “You had no way of knowing. And anyway, she wanted to go. She probably wouldn’t even be speaking to me right now if you hadn’t convinced me.”
“Perhaps sometimes we need to remember we’re her parents, not her friends.”
She looked up at him. “ Is wanting to be both so wrong?”
Sebastian didn’t answer.
With a rueful sigh, she headed back downstairs to the kitchen, Sebastian following. A few dishes, left over from the simple meal of scrambled eggs and toast she’d made for Elizabeth’s dinner, were left in the sink. Feeling like she needed to busy herself, she walked over and started to fill the sink with fresh water and soap. The dishes weren’t enough to make a full load in the dishwasher.
Sebastian stood close behind her, his presence like a physical force against her back. Sometimes she felt as though she couldn’t think with him around. He seemed to own a piece of her mind, snatching her attention whenever he was near.
From behind, his cool fingers made contact with her neck and he swept her hair away from her face, trailing it down her back. She wanted to sigh and lean into him, feel his strong arms around her, lose herself in his protection again, but their earlier argument still went unresolved. Instead, she jerked away and focused on the dishes, lifting a highball glass out of the water and putting it on the drainer before attacking a chopping board with the ferocity she felt toward their situation.
“Serenity…” he started.
“Just leave it, Sebastian.” She rinsed off the chopping board and propped the heavy wooden slab on the drainer. “I need some time—”
The board slipped and knocked into the tall glass. Serenity stared as the glass flew off the draining board.
Sebastian reached out to snatch it from the air, but he moved too slowly and missed. The glass shattered on the floor with a crash, shards scattering across the tiles. Sebastian froze, his eyes wide. She caught sight of the confusion on his face and frowned. Sebastian didn’t miss things. He moved faster than gravity could pull an item to
“Okay, Mommy,” she said, snuggling beneath the blanket. She still had her comfort blanket tucked under her pillow and she reached for it as she settled down.
“Goodnight, sweetie,” said Serenity. “I love you.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
She stood up and passed Sebastian on the way out. Their arms brushed, sending her heart racing. That he could still affect her in such a way after all this time was crazy. She almost resented his ability to elicit such a response. Whether it was the drop of blood she took once a month that kept such a strong connection between them, she didn’t know, but whatever he did, she never seemed to stop wanting him. Glancing back over her shoulder, she watched him take her place on the edge of Elizabeth’s bed, the sight of him with their child melting her heart.
Serenity left the room and paused outside of the bedroom door, listening to Sebastian’s low murmured tones, followed by their daughter’s high-pitched giggles. She wished the relationship between her and Sebastian could be as easy. With Elizabeth, there was never any question about how they felt about her. It was a love that asked for nothing in return.
For the past year, she’d believed the same to be true of her relationship with Sebastian, but the last twenty-four hours had set her emotions in a whirl.
She stood waiting, knowing Sebastian would be able to hear her—the thump of her heartbeat, the inhale and exhale of her breath. He’d even sense the warmth her skin gave off. She didn’t know if having so much intimacy, even when apart, was a good or bad thing.
Within a few minutes, he backed out of the room and closed the door behind him.
“She’s sleeping.”
Serenity smiled. “That’s good. I think she’s had a rough couple of days.”
“I guess that’s another thing I screwed up on, huh? Convincing you to let her go to camp.”
She shook her head. “You had no way of knowing. And anyway, she wanted to go. She probably wouldn’t even be speaking to me right now if you hadn’t convinced me.”
“Perhaps sometimes we need to remember we’re her parents, not her friends.”
She looked up at him. “ Is wanting to be both so wrong?”
Sebastian didn’t answer.
With a rueful sigh, she headed back downstairs to the kitchen, Sebastian following. A few dishes, left over from the simple meal of scrambled eggs and toast she’d made for Elizabeth’s dinner, were left in the sink. Feeling like she needed to busy herself, she walked over and started to fill the sink with fresh water and soap. The dishes weren’t enough to make a full load in the dishwasher.
Sebastian stood close behind her, his presence like a physical force against her back. Sometimes she felt as though she couldn’t think with him around. He seemed to own a piece of her mind, snatching her attention whenever he was near.
From behind, his cool fingers made contact with her neck and he swept her hair away from her face, trailing it down her back. She wanted to sigh and lean into him, feel his strong arms around her, lose herself in his protection again, but their earlier argument still went unresolved. Instead, she jerked away and focused on the dishes, lifting a highball glass out of the water and putting it on the drainer before attacking a chopping board with the ferocity she felt toward their situation.
“Serenity…” he started.
“Just leave it, Sebastian.” She rinsed off the chopping board and propped the heavy wooden slab on the drainer. “I need some time—”
The board slipped and knocked into the tall glass. Serenity stared as the glass flew off the draining board.
Sebastian reached out to snatch it from the air, but he moved too slowly and missed. The glass shattered on the floor with a crash, shards scattering across the tiles. Sebastian froze, his eyes wide. She caught sight of the confusion on his face and frowned. Sebastian didn’t miss things. He moved faster than gravity could pull an item to
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