Push

55. He Made a Proposal

❤️ Content Warning ❤️
Shmexy times... Coarse language...
Mentions of past assault...
Murder-y discourse with the snark meister...
Just another day in Bondi, right? 

TOBY

Tiny fish soaps jiggled in the dish on the vanity.

The mini earthquake was my fault. Water pelting from the showerhead muffled the moans, but even with my hand braced on the wall and the other gripping Gwen's ass, I was straining to stop her tumbling to the floor as I rocked into her. She was slippery with steam and a glisten of sweat. My pants were tangled around my ankles, and the angle I needed to hit her just right was burning my quads. The cramped ensuite wasn't an ideal sex spot—even for a desperate midnight quickie.

Gwen's fingertips dug into my back. "I'm glad the doctor... said... I'm fine," she gasped against my shoulder.

"Fuck." Were we finally having this conversation now? "Me too."

Truth. 

When the doctor signed Gwen off with an All Clear, I could finally breathe again. Her phone call had torpedoed through an uneventful coffee with Zach and the foot-stomping, babyccino aficionado, Josie, and blown up my entire world. There were moments in life when you knew exactly what mattered. My friend helping me out. My son in safe hands. My wife. 

Now, I just needed to make sure nothing like that ever happened again.

Gwen nibbled on my neck. "I thought we weren't solving our problems with sex anymore?"

"Shh." I stopped her teasing with the type of deep, feverish kiss that made her toes curl. "We'll make an exception just this once."

"I have no objections to this plan."

"Good," I grunted. "Now, hush up, and let me finish taking care of my wife."

When she was breathless and begging me for no more, I gently lifted her off the vanity and carried her to the shower.

"My legs are wobbly," she said, her palm pressing flat on the tiles to steady herself.

Grinning like a fool, I stripped off my clothes to clamber in the shower with her. She accepted one kiss before wriggling away to twist under the water. Her face scrunched. I glanced down. The scrapes up her leg were still raw and uncovered. I bet that stung like hell.

Shuffling her away from the stream of water, I murmured, "Let me take care of you." I soaped up the washer, and Gwen watched me with her teeth nibbling her bottom lip when I dropped to my knees to dab soft, smooth strokes up her legs, avoiding all the broken skin.

"You don't need to do this," she said quietly.

I smiled up at her. "Yeah. I do." I kissed her thigh and got back to work.

After she was all clean, I patted her dry, tugged an oversized T-shirt over her head, and carried her back into the bedroom. Eyes dropping closed, she slipped under the sheets with no complaints.

"I'm going to grab some water," I whispered as I tucked the floral comforter up to her chin. "Want one?"

Gwen's eyes didn't flutter open. "N..."

"Love you."

I threw on some clothes, peeked into the bassinet to check on Noah, and skedaddled along the darkened hallway, down the stairs, and straight past the kitchen. The water was a tiny white lie. I had a different destination. I was heading for the shadow sitting in the pergola.