Always Only You by Chloe Liese (z-lib.org).epub

If anyone needs to be reminded that love doesn’t fade when Mommy or Daddy
leave for a while, it’s these little ones.
I glare up at Frankie who’s holding her phone with the concentration of one
filming a video, biting her tongue square between her front teeth. She always
does that, and it always stirs my body.
I’m starting to have a response that is beyond inappropriate for a children’s
hospital reading time, so I blink away and refocus on the book. After I finish
reading, we make a craft, eat some healthy snacks, and I give hugs goodbye,
promising Arthur I’ll come by soon and say hello again.
Walking down the hallway, I notice Frankie’s limp is a bit more pronounced,
but I’ll be damned if I say anything about it or offer to pull the van right up to
the exit. She’ll shove that wand of hers up my butt faster than I can open my
mouth to say sorry I asked.
“Well, that was a home run,” she says. “And I won the bet with Nicole in
PR.”
“What bet was that?”
She grins as we stop in front of the elevators and pushes the down button.
“That you couldn’t read that book with a dry eye.”
“Wow. I made you some money with my soft side, Francesca. How nice to
be used for profit.” She shoves me, and bounces backward, since my body
doesn’t budge. I catch her by the elbow and steady her. “Easy.”
Frankie peers up at me. Heat slides through my hand, as I hold her arm. She
flexes her lean bicep underneath my grip and cocks an eyebrow. “Careful,” she
says. “Don’t hurt yourself.”
I give the muscle an experimental squeeze, narrowing my eyes in feigned
concentration. “Impressive.”
Her smile fades as her gaze drifts to my mouth. And suddenly it doesn’t feel
like we’re being playful. Not anymore.
The elevator door springs open, I drop my grip, and the moment is gone.
Once we’re in the van, making our way down the 110 South toward
Manhattan Beach, Frankie disappears into her phone, muttering to herself as she
answers emails and checks in on social media platforms. Then she picks up her
phone, working her way through voicemails. I steal every possible glance I can
safely take and tell myself I can handle this. I can have the woman I’m crazy
about in my home and keep myself together. I can—
“Ren!”
I tap the brakes, look around, assuming Frankie’s seen something that I’m
about to hit. “What? What is it?”
She drops her phone. “Sorry. I wanted to stop you before we pass