Chapter 41

Something swelled in Thomas’s chest the moment his wife spoke. Her words—a soft confession of devotion—settled over him like a warm sunrise, and without realizing it, he curved his lips into a smile. “Thank you for being my wife, too,” he murmured, his voice husky with sincere gratitude.

Cassandra only held him tighter, pressing her body against his, her arms wrapped around his neck as she nuzzled at the nape of his neck. Every so often, she stole a gentle kiss just behind his ear, as though her lips could trace out reassurance in invisible ink. To her, it was pure tenderness—an expression of love that flowed naturally from her heart. But Thomas, feeling the stir of desire coil through him, recognized it as something deeper: seduction. His pulse thundered at the thought. If his parents weren’t looming at the window just beyond the curtains, he would have claimed her mouth in a fierce kiss, devoured her there on the couch like he’d imagined doing all weekend. Yet parental inter