18. Vivienne
18
VIVIENNE
“ O h, I’m so happy you guys came to dinner.” Nora gives me a big hug after I finish buckling Baz into his car seat. I can tell he’s half asleep already.
She gives him a kiss, and I close the door as we walk to the driver’s side. “Thank you for inviting us. I love your cooking.”
She smiles. “You know, I didn’t want to mention it in front of Sebastian, and you can definitely say no.” I smile back at her, encouraging her to continue. “I was wondering if maybe Sebastian could stay the night with me some weekend? You can say no, it won’t hurt my feelings.”
I instinctively look into the backseat and back at Nora. “I’ve never done that before.”
She nods. “And I know you may not be ready, and that’s perfectly fine. I just thought I’d offer.”
“Thank you so much. I’ll think about it if that’s okay?”
“Of course. Just anytime. My schedule is pretty open these days. I thought maybe you would like a night off with some wine and a book. Maybe even a date with a nice young man.”
I told her what a disaster my date was, but she’s convinced the right guy will come calling soon. Her words, not mine. “That is tempting. ”
“And if Sebastian wants you at any time, I’ll bring him right to you. That I promise.”
There’s really no one on this planet I trust more than Nora. I play with my car keys and tuck my hair behind my ear. “You know, it sounds nice. I’ll probably take you up on that.”
She smiles and gives me another hug. “Drive safe.”
“Thank you again for dinner.”
“Anytime.”
We say our good-byes, and I make the trip back to Lawrence, pulling into the garage, noticing a car parked out on the street that I don’t recognize. It’s not Sawyer’s black BMW. I walk to the back door, opening and pulling my sleeping Sebastian into my arms.
He stirs and lifts his head from my shoulder as I shut the door. “Hi, Mommy.”
He giggles, and I shake my head. Oh no. He’s not going back to sleep for a bit and waking him up in the morning is going to be a bitch. “Hi, sweetheart. Let’s get you to bed.”
I open up the door from the garage that goes into the kitchen and walk inside carrying Baz, making our way to the living room.
“Mommy! She’s naked!”
Oh my God. The girl my son is talking about isn’t exactly naked, but she’s straddling Asher’s lap and does have her shirt off. Thank God she’s still wearing her bra as she sticks her tongue down Ash’s throat. He pulls away from her, and I cover Baz’s eyes as he lifts her off his lap. “Viv. Baz. You guys are home early.”
The girl turns around, showing off her lacy red bra and is all attitude while she stares me down. “What the hell? You have a kid?”
Asher shakes his head and tosses her shirt to her. “No. He’s my nephew. Get dressed.”
I roll my eyes and carry Sebastian toward the stairs, fury flowing through my body as I try not to kill him and keep Baz’s face tucked against my shoulder.
I hear the girl’s whine as we head up the stairs. “Are you kidding? You’re kicking me out? We just got started.”
“Ugh.” I slam Sebastian’s door behind us as I carry him into his room and straight to his bed.
“Mommy, I saw her boobs,” he giggles .
Oh that’s just great, Asher. “Not exactly. She was partially covered.”
I pull his shirt off and tug his little jeans down, searching his dresser drawer for his pajamas as he lays on his back and giggles, “I saw her boobies.”
I’m going to kill Asher. “Stop laughing, silly.” I grab his Paw Patrol pajamas and pull them on him as he struggles with impressive strength, giving me hell, as usual. The kid does not like bedtime.
“Who is she, Mommy?”
I finally get him dressed and tucked into his bed and kneel on the floor next to him. “I don’t know. Uncle Asher’s friend.”
“Why was she on him?”
Good question. Not one a three-year-old should have to ask. “I guess she just really likes him.”
He giggles again, “I had fun today.”
I smile and kiss his head. “I did too. Will you please do Mommy a favor and go to sleep easily tonight?”
“I easy.” He looks offended, and I laugh.
“I know, honey.”
He giggles, “I not honey.”
Yeah, he’s wound up. I grab a book and read it to him and then another until he finally passes out, and I quietly sneak out of his room.
I barely make it to my room when I see Asher coming up the stairs. “Oh no.” I hold up a finger, directing him away from me and keeping my voice low.”
“Viv, let me explain.”
I shake my head and shush him, pointing to Sebastian’s room as I whisper angrily at him, “Don’t bother. Baz is asleep. I’m going to bed.”
I turn away from him and go into my room, surprised when he follows me and closes the door behind him.
“Excuse me, what the hell are you doing?”
“We’re going to talk about this. We live together, Viv. I’m not letting you walk around here pissed-off at me for days until you finally let me explain.”
I roll my eyes and kick off my shoes as I sit on my bed, crossing my legs at the ankles and gesture in front of my body for him to go on. “Please, explain.” Before he speaks, my anger gets the best of me and I climb off the bed and walk closer to him. “Explain to me why a half- naked girl was on your lap in the living room and not in your bedroom?”
“Please, if anything she was only a quarter-naked.”
“You think you’re funny?” I fold my arms, pissed-off beyond belief. “I have what, two rules? That’s it. And you can’t follow that one?’
“It wasn’t what it looked like.”
“Jesus, Asher I haven’t had sex for a long time, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know what it looks like, and that’s exactly where you were headed.”
His eyes darken, and his jawline hardens as he takes a step closer to me, his head dipping down so I have to look him in the eyes. “Is that why you’re so fucking mad, Viv? Huh?”
I drop my arms to my sides and tip my chin up, not looking away. “What are you talking about?”
His pouty lips are way too close to mine, his cologne invading my senses as he studies me intensely. “I think you’re pissed that some random girl was on my lap tonight because you wanted it to be you.”
I scoff, but the heat rising to my cheeks is inevitable. “You have some balls.”
“I do.” His gaze does wild things to my body, and I don’t like it. I can feel my nipples pebbling under my bra, standing at full attention. “Admit it. You’re just pissed-off because I won’t fuck you.”
He’s changed in the mere weeks we’ve lived together. I can’t place it. I don’t know how to describe it really, but that dark edge Nora told me about is creeping its way to the surface. “I’m pissed, because I had two rules, Asher. Two. No parties and no girls out in the open where my son can get an eyeful. I never wanted to know about the first time my son saw his first pair of unrelated breasts, but I certainly didn’t think he would only be three.”
“She had her fucking bra on. Relax.”
“No.”
He laughs, but it’s not his normal laugh, it’s angry and cold. “Of course. I forgot who I was talking to.”
“What the hell is your problem?”
He walks past me, and the asshole actually takes a seat on my bed. I watch him as he smooths his hand over the stubble on his cheek and chin, then drops his hand. “I’m sorry, okay. I didn’t bring her here to sleep with her.”
I roll my eyes and fold my arms over my chest again, annoyed by my own body for being weak and attracted to him, hoping he doesn’t notice my nipples through my sheer, light pink blouse. “Right. I suppose you were just studying.”
“We were.” Now his natural smile is back as he shakes his head. “I swear. She’s in my algebra class. We were supposed to be studying, and she hopped on my lap and started kissing me.”
“And her top just flew off.”
“I got lost in the moment.” His eyes meet mine, but they aren’t as cold as they were a moment ago. “I know that’s not something you do often, but come on, Viv. Even you’ve been there.”
I’m starting to think I never should have told him the personal details of my hookup with Colt. I know I overreacted, but I don’t want to admit it.
“Sebastian is three. He doesn’t need to be exposed to that.”
“I swear it wasn’t planned. I was about to take her downstairs.”
I swallow, not liking the feeling in my gut thinking about him taking that girl down to his room. “Fine. Please don’t let it happen again.”
“I won’t.”
“Now get out. I need a shower.”
He stands up, walking to me, way too close, his eyes exploring mine, making me feel exposed, wondering what he’s thinking because he’s not saying anything.
His voice is a gruff whisper, his eyes locking onto mine. “I’m really sorry.”
My throat goes dry, my brain unable to form a sentence as I stare at his lips, wondering what it would be like to kiss them. They’re so full and pouty, kind of girly but so incredibly sexy, and the rest of him is masculine as hell. “I was too harsh.”
He smiles, the smirk crooked and so sinfully appealing. “You can’t ever be too hard on me, Viv.” His voice is back to the whisper as his mouth slides to my ear. “I like it.”
I feel a shiver through my body as I try to keep my breathing normal, watching him open my door and exit my room.
This is bad. Maybe he was right, and I am, in fact, jealous.