Chapter 8 #2
“Because this is beyond weird. You’re a complete stranger…
okay, not a complete stranger, but a stranger, and we have a kid.
I’m worried about what you think about me.
I’m nervous about what you think about my place because your son lives here and I don’t want you to think I can’t provide a good home for him.
I do…provide a good home that is. I make a decent living and Remy has everything he needs.
But maybe you’re loaded and to you, my place looks like a hovel.
I don’t know. And I’m worried about what you think of my job.
I work in a bookstore and I narrate romance books.
I work hard, and Remy doesn’t suffer because of it, but sometimes when I’m on a deadline, Tally or Letty will take Remy overnight so I can work in the studio.
But that doesn’t happen often. And my parents are dead, so Tally, Michael, Letty, and Kiki are our only family…
scratch that, no Kiki. I’m also worried you think I’m slutty and I wouldn’t blame you if you did, but you’re my one and only one-night stand and I certainly haven’t done anything like that since.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I took it.
So I’m nervous about all of that and more stuff I can’t think of.
But above all, I’m worried about Remington and how we tell him.
I mean, what do we tell him, and when? I’m rambling, sorry. ”
Brooklyn pressed her lips together and sat perfectly stiff.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I took it.
I liked that a helluva lot. I liked she cared what I thought. I liked she hadn’t changed and just like our night together she hadn’t held back. Yeah, I liked that.
But before I got into how much I liked all of that, we needed to get the rest squared away.
“That’s a lot to be worried about, Sugar.
We’ll start with the easy stuff. Your job.
I don’t give the first fuck what you do for a living.
Although you might care about what I do and I’ll explain that later.
You needing help with Remy so you can work and reaching out to people who you trust and who love him is a given.
And I’m happy you have good people to help you.
Soon you’ll add me to that list and I’ll kick in and spend time with him while you’re working.
Now, your house. You gotta sweet setup here.
Close to work, nice neighborhood, it’s warm and inviting, and I like seeing Remy’s pictures on the wall and his toys scattered around.
It says a kid lives here and he’s comfortable playing where he wants and his mom’s not uptight about where he leaves his stuff.
“As far as what I think of you, I’ve thought a lot about you over the years.
I’ve thought about your smile, your voice, your pretty eyes.
I’ve wondered where you lived, how you were doing, if you’d found a man and were married.
I’ve thought about what would’ve happened if I’d asked you to stay.
I’ve wondered about your name. And I’ve thought about the things I knew about you, none of which would help me find you.
Never once in all the times I was thinking about the beautiful woman I spent one night with did it ever cross my mind to think you were slutty.
That’s total bullshit. I was right there with you that night.
I saw you and knew it was going to be a good night.
Even if all I got to do was sit across from you and share a drink.
How the night proceeded was outstanding.
And not just the sex. All of it, Brooklyn.
Every minute we shared is seared into my memory. I remember everything.”
I stopped but only to lift my hand and cup her ruby cheek.
The blush was something I’d never seen on her pretty face.
The night we’d shared had been wild, and not once did I see her cheeks tinge pink.
Not when I ordered her to sit on my face so I could eat her.
Not when her lips were wrapped around my dick and I’d toyed with her pussy until she moaned her orgasm around my shaft.
I’d fucked her every way I could fuck her in the limited time I’d had.
I’d tasted every part of her and not once was she shy or embarrassed.
The opposite actually. I’d never met a woman who sated my every need and still wanted more.
“Every second was phenomenal,” I went on.
“Straight up honesty; that wasn’t my first and there were others after, but none came close to what I felt that night with you.
Part of that is because you’re seriously good in bed, you’re gorgeous, and you have a fantastic body.
But more importantly, it was the way you looked at me with those beautiful eyes.
The way you felt pressed against me whispering about your life, shit that was so meaningless but really it was everything.
In my life, in my job, I see shit so disturbing it’s hard to turn it off.
But for six hours with you, I felt a peace I’d never known.
That was everything to me and that was what I wanted to explore.
More honesty for you; I still wanna explore that connection.
But before we do, we’ve gotta get you through what’s going on with Kiki.
I gotta get with my team and find out what game Desi’s playing and if Kiki’s involved.
If she is, I’ve gotta help you get the Welshes through that.
We’ve also got to come up with a plan about how we introduce me to Remy.
That’s something I don’t want to delay but we gotta do it smart so that’s gonna take time.
And with that, I’m gonna have to follow your lead.
You’re his mom, you know him, and I trust you’ll make the right plays to smooth our way and make this good for him.
The last thing I want is Remington’s life disrupted in a way that causes harm. ”
One of Brooklyn’s hands came up to cover mine and then she leaned into my touch. And some of my lingering trepidation melted away. The rest of it was wiped clean when her other hand hit my chest and she gave me a gentle smile.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
“Not sure why you’re thanking me.”
“You’re really not mad.” When I started to interrupt, Brooklyn’s fingertips dug in.
She rushed out, “I know you said you weren’t, but I’m a mom and it’s my job to worry.
I want you to get to know Remy, I don’t want to wait to start on that.
From there we’ll watch him and adjust accordingly.
He’s a smart kid, and I’m not just braggin’ because he’s mine.
He’s got this way of watching what’s going on and he asks a lot of questions.
After he saw you at Smutties he asked who you were.
I told him you were a friend. He asked why he looked like you.
I didn’t know what to tell him so I changed the subject.
Luckily for me, he’s smart but easily distracted by the promise of his Gram’s dessert.
He might only be four but he won’t let it go for long.
I’m going to need to tell him sooner rather than later. ”
I wasn’t surprised Remy had asked about me. I saw it in the kid’s eyes. I knew, just like I had the moment we’d seen each other.
“He knows, Brooklyn. All you need to do is confirm it.”
“What?”
“You might’ve missed it, but he knew just like I did. He doesn’t just look like me—he’s a carbon copy.”
“I know. I was praising the Lord above when he came out with your dark eyes and a head full of black hair. Then he turned one and I started to see more of you in him. By the time he was three, he looked so much like you I knew God loved me. I couldn’t have you but I had him.
And like you said he’s a carbon copy, so every day I got to look at my son and see you. ”
At Brooklyn’s words, my breath left my lungs in a whoosh, my muscles tightened, and then I felt it—the warm peace I felt that first night. The rush of excitement mixed with calm forming the perfect storm inside my chest. A feeling I’d fight to keep.
“Fuck,” I rasped.
“Rhode—”
“Fuck,” I repeated. “You’ve got no clue, baby, but you’ll learn.”
“Learn what?”
“How much what you just said means to me. How hard it’s been to do the right thing.
Shit timing, everything going on. You’re not at a place where I can take us where I want.
And we got Remy in the mix, so I gotta go extra slow for him and for us.
But warning you, Brooklyn, you say more shit like that, slow will be a memory. ”
“Maybe we should talk about us,” she whispered.
“We will. But right now we gotta get to your girl and tell her what’s going on so I can get to the hotel and talk to my team.”
“But—”
“Up, baby.” I didn’t wait for her to follow my instructions. I stood with Brooklyn in my arms and kept my arms around her as I settled her on her feet. “We’re running out of time before you gotta pick up Remy.”
“Rhode, really, we need to talk about us. This isn’t smart.”
“You’re right it isn’t smart. It’s fuckin’ brilliant.”
I leaned forward, brushed my lips across her forehead, down her temple, and let my mouth linger at her ear where I murmured, “I’ve waited a long damn time to find you.
I’ve spent years dreaming about you. If you think now that I’ve found you I’m gonna let you go, you’re crazy.
If you think I’m gonna let this opportunity slip by, you’re wrong.
Seeing you was a shock. Finding out I had a son I didn’t know I had, learning I’d missed four years of his life, was a blow so painful I felt that stab in my soul.
It’s gonna take time for that wound to heal.
Time I’m gonna spend getting to know my son.
Time I’m gonna spend getting to know you.
Time I’m gonna spend getting me and you to a place where we’re an us.
So for now that’s all that needs to be said. ”
“Rhode.”
Christ.
Brooklyn saying my name breathy and sweet. I’d heard that before and hearing it again reminded me we were alone and I couldn’t do what I wanted to do to her so we needed to leave.
“We gotta go,” I reminded her.
“Before we do, I need you to promise me something.”
“What’s that?”
“Promise that if you get to know me and don’t like what you find…that even if there’s not an us there…there will still be a you and Remington.”
I had no doubts, thus it was an easy promise, so I made it.
“I promise.”
“Swear it, Rhode. Swear to me that you won’t leave Remy.”
I shifted one hand from her hip, glided it to the middle of her back, and put pressure there until Brooklyn was pressed tight against his chest.
“I swear it, Brooklyn. I won’t leave Remy.”
Her body sagged in relief and her arms wrapped around my back. I took a moment to soak in the feel of Brooklyn’s arms around me and I let the healing begin.