Page 66 of Dissonance

But I want to do this right. And if I don’t stop now, I won’t stop at all.

I force myself back, both hands gripping the edge of the tub, knuckles whitening as I try to get a handle on myself.

Thea blinks up at me, lips kiss-swollen and parted, eyes unfocused, breathing unsteady. I can’t help it; I lean forward again, pressing my forehead to hers, hovering just short of her mouth.

“So help me God, Thea,” I mutter, the words a rasp, barely contained. “I’m trying so hard to do this properly.”

She moves back slightly to look at me and nods, still catching her breath, water lapping around her waist. I stand, thrusting a hand through my hair, nodding toward the door.

“I’m going to dish up dinner.” Grabbing the towel, I set it on my chair. “Take your time.”

I pull the door behind me and lean against it, my head dropping back to the wood. Only then do I notice how completely soaked I am. Denim clings to the front of my thighs, my shirt plastered to my chest. I strip as I walk into my bedroom, pulling on a clean t-shirt, catching myself in the mirror as I shove my legs through dry pants. My hair’s wrecked, eyes wild, pulse still hammering at the base of my throat.

Scrubbing a hand over my beard, I sigh. “Fuck.”

One kiss should not have the power to do this to a man.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Lockie

“Well, look who it is,” Mae croons from behind her desk, chin resting on her laced hands. “Your girl’s been working herself into the ground all morning.”

My jaw tightens, and I inhale, filling my lungs before releasing it slowly. “Still in there?”

She glances at the closed door. “Hasn’t moved.”

Knocking once, I push it open. Thea doesn’t look up, face half-hidden behind her laptop, hair twisted in a loose knot that’s half fallen out, a pen tucked behind her ear.

“Lass?” She glances up, eyebrows pulling together, her frown easing when she realizes it’s me. “You ready?”

She checks her watch, and her eyes widen. “Shit, I lost track of time.”

I cross to the coat stand behind her door, lift her jacket from the hook, and hold it open. She slips her arms through, still distracted, still mentally inside whatever she was working on.

“You alright?”

She blinks back into focus. “Yeah, sorry. It’s just Tyler.”

My jaw ticks at the mention of the kid’s name. “What about him?”

“He’s been offered a brand partnership, an underwear campaign, but the contract’s a mess. They want all these exclusivity clauses that would block him from the endorsements he already has lined up and any future ones.” She lifts a hand to her hair, fingers brushing the pen. Pulling it out, she glares at it before dropping it onto her desk. “They want an answer by today.”

“Sounds like their problem,” I say, hand going to the small of her back as I steer her toward the door.

“It becomes my problem if Tyler signs something stupid.”

“You two heading out?” Mae asks, looking between us like she’s watching a live episode of her new favorite show.

“Appointment,” Thea says, looping her bag onto her arm. “I’ll be back soon.”

Mae’s eyes drop to Thea’s stomach, then back up, expression softening. “I’ve got things here. Don’t rush back.”

Steering her toward the elevators, I stand aside for her to go first. She exhales through her nose, lips pressed into a thin line, clearly still thinking about that contract.

“I’ve redlined half of it twice already, and they’re pushing back on every change,” she mutters, rubbing at her temples.

I stop in front of her, hands cupping either side of her neck, thumbs lifting her chin to look at me. “Work will still be there in an hour.”