Chapter 14 #2
The music was slow, soft, and her body fit against his as if they were made for each other, like two pieces of a puzzle.
His palm settled at her waist, warm and firm.
She slid her arm around his shoulders before she realized she’d moved.
They swayed, barely moving, yet somehow her heart was racing as though she’d just completed a marathon.
It felt like a memory from the future. One of those moments where people admit to knowing everything had changed at a certain moment.
That moment was now.
And it scared her.
She stiffened, unsure what was happening between them. She pushed slightly at his chest.
“Vic—”
“What are you running from?” He didn’t let her go. He held on to her tighter.
Her breasts were crushed against his firm chest. She had to fight back a moan that threatened to spill from her. This felt too right. She hadn’t meant for things like this to happen.
“Nothing. I just—”
“Why are you shaking? What’s the matter, Tachina?” His voice dropped low when her name rolled off his tongue.
Her eyes burned. She didn’t want to talk. Not right now. Not when her emotions were running rampant.
“Maybe this is all too much. Too fast. We are dancing along the edge of something, and I don’t know if we should.” She blinked and tilted her head back to meet his gaze.
He took her in. A small smile appeared on his lips. “What’s wrong if we do stop pretending there’s nothing between us?”
Her heart dropped to the depths of her belly. She didn’t even know how to respond. All those years ago, they had agreed to just fun. A few nights rolling around in the sheets. Never did she think that would amount to what she had today.
An almost perfect life.
“It’s been there since before Kian,” he said. “This isn’t new. We just need to stop running from it.”
Her heart decided to work again, and this time it was back in overdrive.
“What about Sydney?” she blurted out.
He’d been with the woman for a long time.
If she was coming around to get back with him, didn’t she deserve something?
Tachina couldn’t believe she was thinking this.
But it was the honest truth. Could two people who had cared enough about each other just walk away after having been together for years?
She wouldn’t want to stand in the way of another woman fighting to get her relationship back.
“What about her?” His voice nor his eyes didn’t waver.
“She’s coming around for a reason, Vic. I think she wants you back,” she admitted. She dropped her gaze to the base of this throat. She inhaled sharply and blew out a deep breath.
“And you care what she wants?” he countered gently. “Tachina, I don’t want Sydney. That ship sailed a long time ago. She did the both of us a favor.”
“What do you want?” she whispered. She couldn’t believe she’d just asked this question. It had been burning in the back of her mind for a while now. Did she really want to know the answer? She couldn’t look at him. She was trembling harder and fought to get her body back under control.
His hand tightened at her waist, while the other tipped her chin up to force her to meet his gaze.
“You. Kian and the future we keep pretending we’re not building.” He lowered his forehead to rest on hers. His hand slipped around to the front of her belly. “And the baby we are trying to make.”
Heat flooded her.
This man would ruin her. She knew that without a doubt. Maybe that was what she’d known all those years ago.
“Vic—” Her voice cracked.
“Let me love you, Tachina,” he murmured. “Just let yourself feel what you’ve already been experiencing.”
Unable to speak, she jerked her head in a nod. She had told herself that she would live for the moment.
It was time she stopped running.
The next morning, sunlight spilled into the room. Tachina blinked awake, warm beneath the blankets, her back against Vic’s chest. His arm was securely around her waist, his face nuzzled into her hair.
“Mom?”
They both jerked upright. Kian stood in the doorway, hair wild, dragging his blanket behind him. His eyes were still filled with sleep, and he looked like a tiny sleep zombie.
“Did you have another bad dream? Do you need Mr. Blankie?” he asked.
“No. No bad dream. You can keep Mr. Blankie.” She cleared her throat.
Vic’s body pressed behind her. He pulled the blankets up to ensure they both were covered.
“Morning, buddy,” Vic said.
Kian stared at them curiously. He strolled into the room and crawled up onto the bed. He lay down at the foot of the bed and propped his head in his hand.
“Are you two gonna get it over with?” Kian asked.
Tachina’s soul left her body at that moment. Vic choked on air while they both just stared at their five-year-old son.
“What?” Tachina’s voice squeaked.
“Where did you hear that from?” Vic asked.
“People at the party. They kept saying it. They said my parents should just get it over with.” Kian shrugged.
“Oh my Lord.” Tachina slapped a hand on her chest. She was sure those ‘people’ were her cousins, Christina and Shondra. Those two had been on her for years to go after Vic. They were worse than Addison when it came to conversations about her unusual relationship with her son’s father.
“Some grown-ups say things they shouldn’t or talk about things they don’t understand,” Vic replied, using his Dad tone of voice.
She glanced over at him and for some reason found that way of speaking sexy. She blinked. This was not the time to be finding his dad mode to be sexy.
“I’m hungry,” Kian said, obviously done with the conversation.
She smirked. Of course food always ruled her son’s thoughts. Especially first thing in the morning.
“Let me take the two of you out for breakfast,” Vic offered casually but with something heavy beneath it.
Tachina hesitated for a moment. She was still feeling vulnerable after their conversation last night. Breakfast felt as if it made them official.
“Yay!” Kian flew forward and burrowed between them, giggling and warm.
Vic’s fingers brushed her hair from her face, and he met her gaze. His eyes offered a quiet reassurance.
Everything was going to work itself out.
“It would be nice to not have to cook for once,” she said.
Kian hopped up and jumped to celebrate.
“Good.” Vic leaned over and placed a kiss on her lips.
Her eyes widened. They had never shown affection in front of their son. Everything was moving fast between them. Vic rested an arm around her shoulders and drew her into his chest.
“Eww…Dad, why’d you kiss Mommy?” Kian stopped jumping. His face was scrunched up as he looked at them.
Tachina laughed at their son’s expression.
“Because I can.”