Chapter 13 #2
“This is not the time nor the place.” He resisted the urge to back away from her.
“I think I deserve to know.” She rested a hand on her hip and tilted her head to the side.
“You don’t.” His tone was firm because he meant it. They were no longer together, and she didn’t need to know anything that was going on with him.
“But you spend so much time together. How do I know you two haven’t been seeing each other behind my back?” Her jaw clenched. Her eyes flicked over to where Tachina was laughing with her cousin, Christina. Her gaze was filled with resentment.
“She’s the mother of my son.”
“That doesn’t mean you need to talk with her or invite her over. Don’t you think that is weird?”
“You need to respect my relationship with my son’s mother,” he growled.
He stepped closer to her, eyes narrowed while his anger rose swiftly.
This woman had never understood that two people who shared a child could get along.
“Tachina and I have never done anything behind your back. I was honest with you from day one about my relationship with her.”
“Yeah, you fucked her a couple times then got her pregnant,” she muttered. She rolled her eyes while an unladylike scowl graced her face. “But the moment I mention having kids—”
“Enough.” He kept his voice low and glanced around, hoping no one was paying them any attention. They had already had this conversation. This was one of the catalysts for Sydney breaking it off with him. “Just go.”
“Vic,” she started.
But he already had turned away from her. He stalked off, unable to believe she’d try this shit at his son’s party.
“Vic!” Tachina called out. “You coming to throw or what?”
He smirked. This was just the distraction he needed.
He ignored Sydney’s gaze and couldn’t care less if she stayed or left.
He arrived where Tachina and her family were standing.
The Captain America Shield Toss game was set up, and it looked as if the adults were having more fun with it than the kids.
He accepted the foam shield, weighing it like a weapon. He could do this.
“Be careful. She’s on a hot streak.” Christina laughed. She stepped back to stand with her son who was about ten years old.
Tachina’s other family members were watching them with knowing grins on their faces.
“You ready to lose?” Tachina teased.
Her infectious grin brought his out. No longer would he think of Sydney. This woman right here had his full attention.
“It sounds like it’s time to humble you,” he shot back.
Her family cackled and tossed out bets on who would win between the two of them.
“What?” Tachina snorted. “Please. What are we gonna wager?”
He had forgotten how competitive she was. Anytime Kian played any sport, she was front line, rooting for him with her full chest.
“Not sure.” He shrugged. “What do you want?”
“Well, there is this purse I’ve been eyeing…” She tapped her chin.
“A purse? I’ll just buy it for you,” he said.
If it was something that she had been wanting, she should have said something. The woman was too damn stubborn for her own good.
“Can I get a purse, too?” Christina called out.
“Me, too?” Another cousin, Vic didn’t know her name, laughed and raised her hand along with Christina.
“Ah, no. Back away, skanks. This is my son’s father. Not yours.” Tachina stuck her tongue out at her cousins.
“Try something else. More worthwhile.” He winked at her.
Her lips curled slowly as she thought, then a wicked gleam appeared in her eyes.
“Okay, fine. If I win, then you have to pay to have my kitchen renovated.” She rested her hands on her hips. “I want something fancy like yours.”
“Full renovation?” He nodded. He could do that. Whatever she wanted, she would have.
Tachina responded with a ‘yup’ at his question.
“Fine,” he said. “If I win?”
“What?” She braced herself as she waited for him to answer.
“You come with me to Greece for a friend’s wedding.” A buddy of his was getting married, and they had chosen Greece for the ceremony. He’d already sent in his RSVP and had a plus-one down back when he and Sydney had been together. Now, he needed that plus-one to be filled.
“Greece?” Her eyebrows shot up.
“That’s my wager.”
She stared at him for a moment, then something flickered across her face. He couldn’t get a read on it, but then also her family was listening to their wagers.
“Fine.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and grabbed her foam shield. “I just hope you know how to lose graciously.”
“Ladies first.”
Her family cheered and clapped as they took their marks a distance away from the contraption they were to throw their foam shields at. Tachina stepped forward and nailed three bullseyes in a row.
“What the hell?” Vic blinked, unable to believe what he’d just witnessed.
Her cousins cheered and danced around Tachina. She moved away from them and sashayed over to him.
“I have talents, Vic.” She grinned at him and tried to look innocent.
“Whatever. Move out the way.” He rolled his shoulders and got ready for his turn. He managed to hit two of the three which was respectable for a guy who was fighting a hard-on for the woman standing next to him.
Two of three meant…
“Looks like you owe me a new kitchen.” Tachina jumped up and down, celebrating. She ran over to her cousins for hugs.
He grinned and laughed at her antics. She pushed away and came back over to him. She held out her hand for a shake. He took her smaller one in his while a grin lingered on his lips.
“Well played, Mr. Maxwell.”
“I’ll build you the best damn kitchen you could ever dream up.” Which was saying much, since she was a designer. He was sure she had already drawn up specs and had everything in mind on what she wanted.
Her smile faltered, and something shifted between them. She pushed his shoulder playfully and slipped her hand out of his.
“Don’t be trying to flirt your way out of losing,” she teased.
“I wasn’t flirting,” he huffed.
“Liar.”
They stared at each other. He didn’t care that her family was close by and paying attention to the two of them. He ached to pull her to him and kiss her, but he knew that wouldn’t be appropriate at the moment.
“Vic! We need you for photos!” Logan called out.
Vic turned around and raised a hand to acknowledge his brother.
“I gotta go,” he said.
“Vic, wait.” Tachina slid next to him and walked a short distance with him. “Are you sure you want to pay for my kitchen renovation? That seems a bit much for just a childish game.”
“Tachina, what don’t you get? I have been trying to do things for you ever since Kian was born. This is the first time you have ever accepted anything from me that didn’t pertain to Kian.” He paused and turned to face her.
She swallowed hard and shrugged. “I don’t want you to think I’m using you. I think most of your family already thinks that—”
“No one does, and if they ever make you feel that way, tell me and I’ll straighten them out.
” His jaw tightened. That couldn’t be the farthest thing from the truth.
The woman wouldn’t even allow him to increase the child support payments he sent to her monthly.
He stared at her because there was more he wanted to say, but he held back.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
He glanced over at Kian who was standing with his parents. There was a professional photographer hired for the party to capture highlights. He turned back to her, needing to get something off his chest. It had been bothering him for a while now, and he just needed to know.
“About that date…your friend, Charles. You planning a second date?”
Her eyes widened at the question. She gave him a playful, skeptical look.
“Are you asking because you care or because you are being nosey?”
“Just want to know. Since we made the agreement and all,” he said.
Her features softened, and she smiled. “It was just a date. A plus-one to an event.”
“It didn’t look like just a plus-one?” He bit back a grimace. Now he sounded like a young teen boy questioning his school crush, not the forty-two-year-old man he was.
“You were jealous!” She stepped closer to him. Her smile widened into a full grin.
“I wasn’t jealous.”
“Liar.”
“Maybe a little.” He swallowed hard. Heat stirred in his belly as he held her gaze. This woman caused all sort of emotions in him that he didn’t understand.
“And who was the one in my bed that night?” She raised an eyebrow at him. Her sassiness was out, and she had had the nerve to accuse him of flirting.
Who was flirting now?
Before Vic could answer, Kian barreled toward them.
“Mommy! Daddy! Auntie Addie said we have to take pictures and cut cake!” Kian arrived in front of them. He grabbed both of their hands and tugged them toward the cake table.
Time flew by. Before long, all of the guest had left, and the only people who remained were the clean-up crew that Addison had orchestrated. Vic walked through the house and exited via the side door where a seating area overlooked the driveway. He sat on the stairs and blew out a deep breath.
The yard was now quiet. Kian climbed into his new toy Jeep from Vic’s parents.
The kid was still sailing high on all of the junk and candy he’d had at the party.
The door opened behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and took in Tachina exiting the house.
She smiled and arrived to sit next to him.
“Mom! Dad! I’m going to drive to California!” Kian declared.
“Oh, okay. Make sure you have enough gas, boo,” Tachina said playfully with a grin.
Vic smirked at his son. Kian turned the vehicle on and guided it down the driveway back toward the garage.
“You okay?” Tachina bumped him slightly with her shoulder.
“Yeah, you?” he asked.
Her big brown eyes watched him for a second, then she looked over in the direction their son had traveled. They had lost sight of him, but Vic could still hear the engine of the little vehicle.
“Tired. Happy.” She sighed.
“Same.” He swallowed hard and glanced at the sky.
It was starting to get dark out. The lights that lined up the driveway cast shadows along the concrete. Silence stretched between them, but it was not empty, loaded. It was deep. Thick with things that had been left unsaid.
He should give her space.
Be responsible.
“I liked…” He hesitated, wanting to choose his words wisely. “Being with you and Kian today. Having our families together. It was nice.”
“Oh, Vic.” Her eyes softened.
He leaned in and tipped her chin upward and kissed her.
It was gentle. Tachina leaned into him, a breath escaping her.
He cupped her face, his lips molding to hers.
He tilted his head and deepened the kiss.
She immediately responded—as she always did.
Her tongue taunted him, inviting him into her mouth.
“Look! I’m a real driver!” Kian’s voice interrupted their moment.
They broke away from each other as if they were teenagers being caught by a parent. Kian came flying around the corner in his ride with the widest grin on his face. They both laughed at him as he came to park in front of them.
“Did you see me?”
“I did, buddy. You are fantastic driver. I’m going to start making you drive me around from now on,” Vic said with a chuckle. He wasn’t sure if Kian had seen them kissing, but hell, Vic didn’t care if he had. They were his parents, and right now, something was going down between them.
“I could! I can drive you to work,” Kian said, hopping out of the Jeep. He shut the little door then ran to them.
Tachina caught him as he launched himself at her. She rained down kisses all over his face while he squealed.
“Mom! I’m five now!” he bellowed in between his giggles.
“That doesn’t mean anything. You can be fifty-five and I’m still going to kiss you.” She kissed him long and dramatically before letting him go.
Kian was all smiles as he situated himself between them on the stairs.
“You have fun today?” Vic asked. He ruffled his little—big—man’s curls.
Kian turned to him with his infectious grin. “Today was the best day ever!”
Vic’s eyes met Tachina’s over their son’s head. Kian went into a summary of all the games he’d played, but Vic didn’t hear a word he said. She was following what their son was saying and commenting.
He agreed with his son.
Today had been the best day ever.
There was no denying what he felt every time he looked at Tachina.
Not anymore.
Maybe he hadn’t wanted a true future with Sydney. Not marriage. Not children. He had never been able to give her a real reason why when she’d questioned him.
But maybe he’d been waiting on the right person.
He’d been waiting for her.
Tachina.
As she glanced up and caught him staring at her, something inside him whispered the one truth he had never been ready to admit.
He was falling.
Hard.
And he didn’t think he wanted to stop.