Kneading You
Page 21
“Good,” he said dropping the broom he was carrying and sweeping me up into a swirling hug. I couldn’t help but giggle like a girl every time he did it. “And did you get everything sorted?”
I took a deep breath of him, the warmth and spice of his body calmed my frayed nerves. “Yeah, Dad’s funeral is scheduled this Saturday.”
Strong arms pulled me in tight. “It’ll all be over then,” he whispered into my hair.
I’m not sure how I thought I could do this on my own when I first came back to Sunrise Valley. Without Thomas, and yes, even Jemma, I don’t think I would have been able to arrange everything that needed to be done.
Thomas’ help was invaluable, he was my rock. My home.
I could rely on him to be strong and hold me up when I was weak, and it was such an immense relief to feel I could be myself around him. Vulnerabilities and all.
There was something intoxicating about being true to yourself. It was freeing, and I could think of no better feeling than being accepted for who I really was. It’s what we all aspire to, all hope for, but few of us ever give others the chance for fear that we’ll be rejected.
After going through it myself, I’ll never criticize another cheesy Hallmark romance where the girl or guy runs away from love at the last moment. I understand how terrifying that is now, and I will never forget it.
“It will,” I said after a while. “Jemma’s dealing with the guest list and the gathering afterward in the Hall. She’s got a knack for handling people, far better than I thought to give her credit for.”
“It’s good that you’re reconnecting. Do you know what her plans are once the funeral is over?”
I shook my head against his chest, relishing in the way the curves of his muscles felt against my cheek. “No, but I offered her Dad’s apartment and anything else she wanted. I gave her the list of items from the estate. She said she’d think about it. Apparently, she and her latest boyfriend had a falling out. It’s why she took so long to get down here.”
“I can’t think of a better place for her to start over.”
“I’d be lying if it didn’t feel like a perfect match. Jemma and I were never very close growing up, but now we have the opportunity to get to know each other. To be the sisters we never were able to be, because I was too focused on treating her like a child.”
Thomas tilted my chin up with the curl of his finger. His coffee dark eyes lingered on mine, each time he looked at me like that my legs went all wobbly and I got butterflies in my stomach. “You did the best you knew how. What matters is that you’re trying now, don’t dwell on the past.”
“I’ll try.” I popped up onto my tip-toes and surprised him with a kiss on the lips. I took advantage of the stunned moment that followed and danced from his groping hands. I made my way to the door, holding it open. “Shall we continue this back home?”
Thomas made a noise halfway to a growl low in his throat and charged the distance between us like a wild animal. I yelped and ran out the back, sprinting up the steps.
He took them two at a time, gaining on me. Curse his long muscular legs!
Before I could get my key into our apartment he caught me around the middle and I squealed with a mixture of delight and arousal. One arm firmly wrapped around me, he fished around in his pocket to get his own set of keys.
We were a mass of groping, interlocking limbs, joined at the lips as we bumped and staggered into the apartment.
Our home.
“I love it when you call this your home,” he said with that whiskey voice that turned my insides to jelly. He trailed kisses up and down my jawline.
I could only get three words out before he hauled me into his arms like some bride-to-be and whisked me off into the bedroom. “I love you.”
Want to see more of Thomas and Claire?
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Afterword
Thank you so much for reading Thomas and Claire’s story! I hope you enjoyed this little trip to Sunrise Valley as much as I have. And we’re just getting started. I’m so excited to get to share this sleepy little town with you. There are big plans in store for Sunrise Valley, it may be on its last legs now but I wouldn’t count it out.
I fell in love with the idea of a town nestled away from everything where everybody’s fondest memories are far in the past. A town that’s seen better days and could see many more with the right care.
As Sunrise Valley wakes up to greet a brighter day, we’ll get to see more of the town and the amazing people that live there. Not to mention, plenty of drama and skeletons popping out of closets once people start poking around!
I hope you all enjoy the silly puns, expect more real soon!
Writing this has been a ton of fun and I’m really looking forward to sharing this series with you all. You’ll get to see this small town come to life with, community events and get-togethers, typical small-town shenanigans, family craziness, and a whole lot of love.
Sunrise Valley is here to stay, and I hope you’ll come along for the ride. If you loved Kneading You, please share it with your besties, your friends, your co-workers, hell even your enemies. Show them your superior taste in books! And while you’re at it, leave a review on Amazon to let everybody else know how awesome you are.
If you’re feeling super generous, come show me some love on Patreon. You’ll get exclusive rewards like access to books before they’re released (or even out on pre-order!), the ability to name characters, preview chapters, input on the creative process, and much more! It is my most sincere wish that one day I could write these stories for you full-time. Every bit goes towards making that dream a reality.
I’d love to hear what you thought about the Sunrise Valley, so hit me up on social media. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram. Interested in first dibs on preorders, exclusive bonus content and upcoming sales? Then hop over and sign up for my newsletter. I hope to see you around the valley!
About the Author
Simone Belarose writes heartwarming small town contemporary romances and romantic comedies with swoon-worthy book boyfriends that will have you fanning yourself with your kindle. Escape into Simone’s world of loyal, mysterious alpha heroes, and quirky, sassy, relatable heroines that go on an intricate journey of love and self-discovery. There’s nothing she likes better than seeing two people discover just how far they’re willing to go for love.
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Contents
About This Book
1. Claire
2. Thomas
3. Claire
4. Thomas
5. Claire
6. Thomas
7. Claire
8. Thomas
9. Claire
10. Thomas
11. Claire
12. Thomas
13. Claire
14. Thomas
15. Claire
16. Thomas
17. Claire
18. Thomas
19. Claire
20. Thomas
21. Claire
22. Thomas
23. Claire
24. Thomas
25. Claire
26. Thomas
27. Claire
Epilogue
More Sunrise Valley
Afterword
About the Author
Come Say Hi!
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