Chapter 41
Chapter Forty-One
BLAKE
The sounds in the office fade to background noise as I think back on the escapades in Theo’s car and all of the days we’ve spent together since he found out about Oscar.
The way he’s been so attentive with both of us, making sure we have everything we could need.
How he touched my body in the exact way I needed him to.
The flowers and cups of coffee he brings me, just because.
He doesn’t try to flash his wealth around either; he’s happy to stay at home watching TV with Oscar or working the case with me.
A girl could get used to it.
I’ve kept Theo at arm’s length for so long, terrified of how letting him in could cost not only my own peace but Oscar’s too.
Still, the way Theo’s fought for us—trying to protect my job while asking for a chance…
it’s settled something within me. We’ve been through so many highs and lows, I can barely catch my breath.
A smile plays on my lips as I thumb through the pages of a book I’m not really paying attention to.
“Whatcha doing?” a voice whispers in my ear.
My body relaxes, and I try not to grin. “Attempting to work,” I quip without turning around.
“Mmm, sounds boring,” he says. “I have a better idea though.”
“I’m listening.”
“Grab your stuff and let’s get out of here.”
I don’t hesitate. I collect my things from the table, shoving them in my bag haphazardly. I only care about the fact that he wants to do something with me, even if it is during work hours. Just this once, I’m throwing caution to the wind and following my heart.
He gestures for me to go first, and I walk toward the elevators, a feeling of excitement running through me.
Aimee’s sitting at her desk, and her head pops up when she sees us. “Where are you two off to?” she asks, a sly grin on her face.
“Cancel everything,” Theo replies, ushering me away. “And if Frank asks, we’re researching for the case.”
Aimee salutes, a grin on her face. “Got it, boss. Have fun.” She gives a wiggle of her fingers before picking up the ringing phone.
We step into the elevator, and Theo lounges against the wall, his eyes full of lust but his posture relaxed. The gray suit clings to him, and I fail to keep my gaze from rolling over his body. He really is a stunning man, not only on the outside but on the inside too.
The doors close behind us, and he’s on me in an instant, threading a hand into my hair and pulling me into him.
His lips crash against mine, like if he doesn’t kiss me now, he’ll die.
I part my lips on an exhale, my own hands coming up to tangle in his hair as I kiss him back.
He draws me closer, deepening the kiss until I’m surrounded by nothing but him.
I feel dizzy when he pulls back as the doors open. You’d think we were having an everyday conversation by the way he walks out, yet I stumble as I try to get my bearings.
Shaking my head, I chase after him, my hair flowing behind me in my haste. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going yet?” I ask breathlessly.
“It’s a surprise, firefly,” he replies, winking.
Butterflies erupt in my stomach. “Okay, but it better be a good surprise…”
Theo laughs, and I follow behind him, realizing that I’d follow this man to the ends of the world, always.
“Okay, big guy, wanna tell me why you brought me to a funfair?” I tease, glancing around. It’s open despite being a weekday morning, and a few people are milling around.
People with bored expressions man the kiosks, some leaning against the counters and others standing with their arms folded, waiting for the next customer. The Ferris wheel stands proudly at the back, while the smaller stalls surround it.
He rubs the back of his neck, a blush appearing. “Erm, so I know this is a bit unconventional, but I’ve never taken a girl on a date before. This was always somewhere I, uh, wanted to bring them.”
It wasn’t lost on me that we’d never gone on a proper date. Maybe it’s because we’d spend the day edging each other with words until neither one of us could take it anymore and we’d tumble into bed.
But yeah, Theo and I have never been on an actual date.
“You’ve brought me on a date? In the middle of the day? Instead of working?”
“I fucked up, didn’t I?” he groans, and I laugh.
Now it’s my turn to blush. “No one’s ever taken me on a proper date like this before. It’s always something I’ve wanted to do as well.”
“Really?” he asks, his eyes wide and full of excitement.
“Yeah.” I nod. “But shouldn’t we be working?”
Theo smiles. “Another byproduct of BPD… we have impulse issues, which means once we get an idea in our heads, we can’t stop thinking about it until we’ve done it.
This has been on my mind for a few days, and it's been driving me mad.” His lips purse, and I chuckle at his exasperated expression.
“I asked Oscar the other night if he’d want to go, but he said no, it wasn’t his sort of thing. ”
“He doesn’t like crowds of people,” I reply, then add, “It has nothing to do with you or spending time with you.”
“How did you know I was thinking that?” he asks, gazing down.
“Because my needy Viking needs reassurance, and I’m more than happy to give that to you,” I reply, stepping closer. “We all have our burdens to bear, Theo. If we’re going to try this out, I need you to know I’m not hiding from you. I see you, I see your demons, and I want to help.”
His eyes become glassy before he clears his throat. “I really don’t want to be bawling like a baby, so enough of that for now, please,” he admonishes jokingly.
Theo grabs my hand and pulls me along to the ticket office, my laughter echoing around us.
“Where to first?” I ask once he’s paid a god-awful amount in entrance fees.
“I’ve always wanted to have a kiss at the top of a Ferris wheel.” He winks.
“How original.” I roll my eyes, but my insides scream, yes. I’ve always wanted to do that too. So many memories of watching films as a teenager flash through my mind—all those wild, over-the-top things the guys did to win the girl. Maybe I’m about to get my own big romantic gesture?
We stroll through the fairground, hand in hand.
It’s lunchtime now, and the fairgrounds are beginning to fill up, the atmosphere taking on a more positive aura rather than the sullen one it had when we arrived.
Small children run around screaming in delight while parents run after them, completely frazzled and sleep-deprived.
Squeezing my hand, Theo lets out a gasp. I swing my head to where he’s pointing, his face lit up.
I begin laughing. “You’re adorable, you know that, right?”
“But look at it, Blake,” he gushes, smiling widely. “It’s perfect and would go on my office shelf perfectly.”
Theo pulls me along to the stall, my laughter echoing around us. He stops, offering the man some money before he picks up one of the balls, tossing it between his hands.
“You think you can hit them, big guy?” I tease.
He turns to me, a devilish look on his face. “Oh ye of little faith.”
In a move I didn’t know he possessed he throws the ball while his gaze is firmly locked on me. I hear the thud as it connects with the wooden board and my thighs clench.
Shit. Why was that so hot?
His grin widens as he picks up another ball, doing the same thing again. I step closer, still caught in his web, my own smile growing. Deciding on making this slightly harder for him, I bring my hand down to his dick, my body hiding the movement.
Caressing him gently, I say, “Okay, hot shot. Try it now.”
Theo’s hand falters and the ball drops back into its slot.
“Minx,” he growls, picking the ball up again.
My hand cups him firmer this time and I watch as a bead of sweat begins pooling at his temple. He swallows, his eyes darkening, but I’m enjoying this far too much to stop.
Taking a deep breath, he brings his arm up and throws.
“You win whatever you want,” a bored voice grumbles from the booth.
Drawing back and shaking my head of lust, I pout. “Damn it.”
“Nothing will ever come between me and something I want, firefly. You should know this by now.” He laughs and turns toward the young kid. “I’ll take that one, please.”
Theo squeals after he receives his prize, clutching it to his chest like he’ll never let it go.
“It’s a stuffed toy.” I chuckle.
He glances up, his mouth agape. “A toy? A stuffed toy? Firefly, this is Thor. The greatest Avenger ever known.”
Shrugging, I say, “Oh, I don’t know. I was more of a Loki girl.”
“Take that back right now,” he exclaims, eyes wide.
“Never.”
Quick as the God of Thunder himself, Theo hauls me into his arms, nuzzling his head into my neck. “You really love pushing my buttons, don’t you?”
I hum, my head tilted to allow him access. “That’s half the fun.” A child screaming in excitement brings me back to my senses and I pull away. “Come on, there’s a corndog with my name on it over there.”
Climbing into the Ferris wheel cart, I shift over to let Theo in. It wobbles unevenly, creaking under his large frame. My body slides of its own accord as the weight moves to one side. His arm wraps around my shoulder, and I lean into him.
The guy manning the ride closes the gate, trapping us in.
I panic for a moment, knowing we’re going to be high in the air, and vertigo hits me before we’ve even moved.
Theo, apparently sensing my internal freakout, pulls me closer, placing a kiss on the top of my head, and my body instantly relaxes in his hold.
We spent the afternoon walking around, teasing each other and laughing until it hurt. Theo played a few more games while I kept him distracted. Eventually, we settled on a bench with hot chocolate, snuggled close as we watched the world drift past.
The cart creaks as we ascend, climbing higher and higher.
The wind blows, making me shiver, but I don’t feel cold.
Not when I have the giant sitting next to me giving me his warmth.
The city comes into view, and I can imagine how magical it would be to see all this at night with the lights on and the night sky twinkling.
I let out a sigh of contentment. Not having felt this way for such a long time, it’s a novel feeling.
I know I shouldn’t get used to it, but I no longer want to fight it either.
I don’t have the energy to anymore. Theo promised me my job would be safe and no one would find out.
I have to trust that. Trust in him that he won’t let me down again.
“I had a thought about Oscar’s birthday party and wanted to ask your opinion,” he says, bringing me out of my thoughts.
“Oh yeah? What’s that?” I reply, snuggling further into him.
“I’d love to give him what he asked for the other night at dinner… you know, with all the superheroes and stuff.”
I sit up and look at him. “As much as I’d love to, we don’t have anywhere to hold all that,” I tell him, upset that I can’t give my son the one thing I know he’d love. “You live in a penthouse, and it’s not really designed for a ton of small children running around,” I point out.
“That’s where James comes in.” He smiles. “He has a garden big enough for what we need. I’ve already got Raven and Lauren on board with the organizing.”
If I didn’t love this man already, I think this would have been the tipping point. “Really?” I gush, an excited feeling hitting me. “He’d love that so much.”
“That’s what I thought,” he replies, smiling. “Lauren and Raven said to give you their number. They want you to be involved so you don’t think they’re taking over everything.”
“Of course. Thank you.” My voice becomes hoarse. I’m not used to people helping me or doing things like this for Oscar and me. It’s hard to accept, but Theo wants to be a dad, and I want him to have that.
They’ve formed a bond I could only dream of. Watching them together the last few weeks has soothed me in a way I didn’t realize I was missing until I felt it. I think it’s the same for Oscar as well; the way he lights up when he knows he’s going to see his dad is a beautiful thing to witness.
We get to the top of the wheel, and the cart lurches as we come to a stop. I breathe in the moment, enjoying the wind in my hair and the sounds below.
“We still have a few hours left before we have to get back for Oscar,” Theo says, his tone low.
My clit throbs with his underlying meaning. At least, I really hope that’s what he means. “We do,” I reply breathlessly.
He leans in, giving me a soft, slow kiss that has my toes curling.
Finally, something to tick off my bucket list—a kiss at the top of a Ferris Wheel.
“Come back to mine?” he asks, placing his forehead against mine. His voice is a demand, but his eyes are unsure when I glance up at him.
“What about the case? Shouldn’t we be working on that?” The thought of going back to the office library doesn’t seem as appealing though.
He brushes a runaway hair behind my ear. “It’ll still be there tomorrow. Harper’s doing well according to my contact,” he replies, giving me another quick kiss.
I arch an eyebrow. “You ever gonna tell me where she is or who this mysterious contact of yours is? I thought you said I could have access to them?” I let out a huff, pouting playfully.
“All in good time, firefly.” He winks.
Knowing him, that’s all I’m going to get, so I drop it… for now. I have my ways of making him talk.
The cart begins descending slowly, and I know our time here is up. This has been one of the best dates I’ve ever been on. “Thank you for today. I had the best time.” My cheeks flush with my admission.
“Me too,” he replies. “Thank you for being the best first date ever.”
“First date?” I ask, confused. “I’m not the first date you’ve been on. And if I was, why am I only just hearing about it now?”
He shrugs. “I guess it just never came up. But yes, firefly. You’re the first girl I’ve ever taken on a date.”
My heart soars and my cheeks flush. Will I ever get used to the things he says to me? The sincerity in his words tells me it’s the truth, and I can’t help but love that I’m the first person he’s ever done this with.
We reach the bottom, and Theo gets out first before extending his hand to help me. He doesn’t let go as we wander through the now hordes of people. He’s steady and firm by my side, and I move closer to him, basking in the energy he gives off.
Settling myself into his car, I watch him move gracefully around the front before sliding into the driver’s seat.
He starts up the engine and then immediately reaches for my hand again, almost like he can’t bear to go a minute without touching me.
I squeeze his hand, trying to give him the comfort he needs as we make our way through the city and back to his place.