Free Season of Second Chances by Brighton Walsh

had been happy with Claire. More so than ever before. And he’d thrown it all away. He wished he could go back and do it all over again. There were so many things he’d do differently.
    Pushing off from the door, he headed into the living room, finding Claire on her phone, scribbling something down at the breakfast bar. He listened as she ended the call, then stared at whatever she’d written, a small frown tugging the corners of her mouth.
    “Hey.”
    She jumped, looking up to him with widened eyes. “Oh, hey. You scared me.”
    He offered her a grin and moved to stand in front of her. “Sorry.”
    “It’s okay. Sophie go down all right?”
    “Yeah, she’s pumped up on excitement, though.”
    “I bet.” She smiled at him, but the happiness didn’t reach her eyes.
    “I’m going to take her in the morning to see them.” He paused at her nod, glancing down at the paper, seeing a bunch of numbers, and his stomach tightened. “Is that...did you get a flight out?”
    She lifted her head, looking straight into his eyes. He wasn’t sure what she was hoping she’d find there, but he looked at her the only way he knew how—like she was his everything. “Yeah. Leaves tomorrow at 4:35. I’ll have a cab come get me around 1:30, I think, to make sure I have enough time to get through security.”
    He scowled. After he took Sophie to the hospital tomorrow, he had to get back to work. He’d let things accumulate enough with his time off because of the storm, but he didn’t like the idea of her catching a cab, not when taking her himself was an option. He could handle a lot of issues remotely from his laptop and phone. He could go in later and work into the evening. He’d manage to figure this out—he’d show Claire work didn’t always come first.
    “I’ll take you.” He knew his tone was harsher than it needed to be, but he couldn’t seem to control it.
    “That’s okay, Logan. You’re taking Sophie in the morning, and I know you need to get back to work. I’ll be fine.”
    “I know you’ll be fine, but I don’t care. I’m taking you.” He blew out a breath, running his fingers through his hair before he grabbed her hands and tugged her to him. He leaned against the counter as she practically fell into him, standing in the open space between his legs. With his thumbs running circles on the backs of her hands, he continued softer, “I want to take you. I’ll drop Sophie at the hospital and come back here. We can grab lunch and then I’ll bring you to the airport, okay?”
    When she said nothing, simply stared at him, her all-knowing eyes seemingly trying to burrow their way right into his brain to figure out what he was thinking, he squeezed her hands. “Please, Claire. I want to do this. Let me do this.”
    “Okay.” Her quiet agreement was all he needed, and he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. She felt so perfect against his chest. Feminine and warm, with lush curves he’d never been able to get enough of. He could spend hours worshiping her body. He recalled every ticklish spot, every place that made her squirm or moan or give that breathy laugh he loved so much. He remembered the way his thumbs fit perfectly in the twin dimples above her ass, the three freckles that sat on her right hip, the small birthmark she had under her breast.
    He wanted to map them all with his fingers, then his tongue. He wanted to memorize every inch of her. When they’d been together the first night of the blizzard, they’d been frantic and crazed, and he hadn’t taken the time to love her properly. And he needed to. He needed to get lost in her body, needed to show her how much he still loved her, even if she didn’t want to hear it from him, even if he knew he’d broken her heart and he absolutely didn’t deserve another chance with her. And, if she was smart, she’d never, ever give him another.
    But even still...he had to try.
    “Come to bed with me, Claire. Please.”
    With the look she