Crossing the Lines: A Taboo Older Man Younger Woman Romance by SJ Hooks

Author:SJ Hooks [Hooks, SJ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-05-07T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Three

Later that afternoon, while I’m prepping dinner, I call Jo.

“Hey, it’s me.”

“Hey. How’s it going over there?”

“Good. I wanted to tell you, we’re staying here.”

She’s quiet for a moment. “Abbi, this isn’t because of what I said, is it? Because you’re always welcome here. And I’m sorry if I was negative.”

“No,” I say immediately. “I know you’re just worried about me, and you were right. It is a job.”

“But you like him,” she says.

“I do. He’s been really great. I mean, you should see the rooms he’s made for me and Luke. The whole weekend’s been wonderful. And it’s not just the sex, even though that’s amazing too. I like talking with him, and he actually listens to what I have to say. And he’s generous and so nice to Luke. He makes me feel beautiful and wanted and …”

“Wow,” she says quietly.

“What?” I ask.

“You really like him, don’t you?”

“Yes,” I whisper. I could spend hours denying it, listing all the reasons why that’s absurd and ridiculous to assume, but what’s the point? I know the truth and so does Jo. I’m falling for Mr. Thorne. “But he can’t know that.” I sigh. “That’s not what he wants at all.”

“Are you sure? Because it kind of sounds like he does.”

“I’m not sure about anything, to be honest. Sometimes it really seems like he does, because he cares so much about making us happy, but then other times he’s all business, sticking to the rules we’ve set out. It’s confusing the hell out of me.”

“Is it enough, what you have now?”

I pause. “Life isn’t a fairytale. He’s so good, Jo. We have a real chance here. Luke is happy.”

“But what about you?” she asks gently.

“I’m happy too. Really, I am. I feel safe with him. Plus, I thought Patrick loved me and that we’d live happily ever after, and look how that turned out.”

“Yeah. I see what you’re saying. And you know I’m one hundred percent supportive of you. Just remember that you can always come stay with us—if it doesn’t work out.”

“Thank you. How did your alone weekend with Thom go, by the way? Your mom had the kids, right?”

Jo laughs. “I’m exhausted!”

I grin into the receiver, reminding myself to offer to take the girls off her hands the next time Mr. Thorne goes out of town. I like hearing her this happy.

The night passes easily. We have a nice dinner—Luke and me in the kitchen, and Mr. Thorne in the dining room. Then it’s Luke’s bath time, storytime, and bedtime, and before I know it, it’s nine o’clock and I’m ready to head up to Mr. Thorne’s part of the house—on time. Tonight, I’m wearing a simple cotton robe and underneath a soft, pale pink nightgown with lace trim. My heart pounds with excitement as I knock on the door to his office and wait for him to allow me entry.

“Come in.”

As usual, he’s sitting at his desk, engrossed in something on his computer screen as I enter and walk toward him.

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