Through The Flames – By SIMRAN #3
“Hey, little man.” Maxton picks his son up, hefting him in the air like a plane before bringing him down. Leo throws his arms around his dad’s neck with a laugh.
The loving smile that etches across Maxton’s face transforms his rugged features into something heartwarming.
“Leo!” another voice yells. “I’ve told you no running from Grandma.”
His mom’s here?
At the loud commotion, Millie wakes up with a cry. Her face scrunching adorably as she kicks her legs. I rock her slowly. “Shh, it’s okay. Mama’s here, Mil.”
Leo, who has his face buried against his father’s chest, twists his head in my direction. Instantly, his eyes go round with joy as he sees Millie. Without lifting his eyes off her, he asks his dad, “You bought me a baby, Daddy?”
Maxton and I share an amused glance.
“She’s not a toy, Leo,” he softly reprimands.
“I wanna touch her!”
“Who do we have here?” a woman’s voice says from nearby.
I turn, seeing Maxton’s mother, who doesn’t look a day over her late forties. Though she must be older. Approaching us, she caresses Millie’s head, who giggles. Millie loves when someone plays with her hair.
“Aren’t you a little cutie?” Maxton’s mother coos.
“This is Lisa and her daughter, Millie,” answers Maxton, stepping closer. “They’ll be staying with me and Leo. Lisa, this is my mother.”
If she’s surprised at a woman’s presence at her son’s home, she hides it well. “Hi, I’m Jolene.”
“Hello, nice to meet you.”
“Likewise. You look tired.” Concern softens her face. “Rough day?”
“Something like that. Maxton made it better though.”
“I’m glad.” Glancing at her son, who has a slight tinge on his cheeks, she smiles knowingly. “Well, I’ll be on my way then. Good night.”
Like a shooting star, she’s gone in a flash.
It’s Leo who fills the silence, pointing at Millie. “Touch! Touch! Touch!”
“She’s asleep, kiddo,” Maxton cajoles. “Maybe tomorrow.”
“It’s okay,” I interrupt softly and twist toward them. “How about you give her a little fist bump? Do you know how to do that?”
“Yeah, do!”
I bring Millie closer to him while he bends and slowly, he knocks his fist against hers. She giggles and I swear I watch Leo fall in love.
“How about we give them a tour and take Millie to her room?” says Maxton.
Leo taps his chest. “Mirrie in my room, Daddy?”
“No.” His tone is soft. “She can’t sleep without her mommy. You’ll see her in the morning. Okay?”
That seems to perk him up.
The way Maxton is so patient and sweet with his son makes me wish Millie had her father. When she gets older, will I be enough for her?
“Lisa?”
I blink at the father and son duo watching me raptly. “Yeah?”
“The guest room is upstairs. Shall we?”
LISA
Our room is right next to the master bedroom while Leo’s is across from ours.
It’s one in the morning and Millie won’t stop bawling.
The guest bedroom is spacious and stunning with the softest mattress that I’ve ever laid on, but the room isn’t soundproof. I’m worried about disturbing Maxton by being an annoying guest who can’t put her kid to sleep.
“Sweetie, please stop crying,” I murmur, swaying her side to side. First, I thought she was hungry, so I tried breastfeeding her. It didn’t work. I sang her favorite song and it made her cry harder. “Sleep, angel. Please.”
A knock sounds on my door, startling me.
“Lisa?” Maxton’s rough voice—from sleep—comes through.
“Yeah.”
“Can I come in?”
I stand from the bed and pace with Millie in my arms, trying to calm her down. “Of course.” The door opens inward and he steps inside. “I am so sorry about Millie. She’s just?—”
I look up and trail off as all the air is stolen right out of my lungs. A shirtless Maxton stands at the foot of the bed with his sweatpants hanging low on his waist and messy bedhead hair. I gulp at his washboard eight-pack abs and that ripped V.
My nipples harden under the soft material of his shirt that I borrowed. Except for my panties, I’m wearing nothing else.
His semi-nakedness makes me highly aware of mine.
Millie wails, breaking me out of my indecent thoughts. Embarrassment hits my cheeks and I apologize. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up. She usually sleeps through the night.”
“Hey, it’s okay.” I swallow when he inches closer. My heart races as he stares down at me with those soft eyes. “Mind if I hold her?”
“Okay,” I allow without hesitation.
Our hands brush—the contact electrifying—as he takes Millie from my arms. As if he’s done it a million times, he carefully lays her across his chest. Her face rests sideways against his shoulder and he massages her back while pacing back and forth, whispering soothing words to her.
It’s like watching a magic trick happen because within a few minutes, Millie’s sobs die down and she falls into a peaceful slumber.
“Wow,” I whisper, jaw slack. My hormones go into overdrive at the picture they both paint. I’ve never been as painfully aware of the absence of a father figure in her life until this moment.
“Sometimes the skin-on-skin contact helps,” says Maxton, gazing down at her.
“Thank you. I think she was missing her crib and stuffed unicorn.”
Rounding the bed to my side, he bends and passes her back to me. I lay her in between the mountain of pillows I organized to guard her during the night. Covering her with a blanket, I press a kiss on her forehead and turn toward Maxton.
Heart dropping, I still.
He’s still leaning over, putting our mouths a fraction apart. His minty breath mingles with mine, stirring desire in my belly. Glancing away from Millie’s sleeping form, his gaze locks on mine and they darken at my expression.
Mine drops to his lips and I lick my own, imagining his on them.
He abruptly stands and runs a hand through his messy locks. “I can build you Leo’s old crib, if you’d like.”
I swallow the ball of lust. “That would be amazing.”
“I have tomorrow off. I’ll get it ready in the morning.”
“Could you also take me shopping, please?”
The question draws his attention to my clothes, or rather lack of. My toes curl as I feel the heated caress of his gaze. Is it slutty of me that I don’t hide my hardened nipples? Can he notice them? Why am I suddenly so hot and bothered?
“Yeah, we can go shopping.” His tone is thick and raspy. “You should rest. I’ll go. Good night, Lisa.”
“Night, Maxton.”
His back muscles ripple and shift enticingly as he turns and leaves.
MAXTON
Why am I so awkward?
She wanted me to kiss her, right?
Or did I imagine the lust in her eyes when our faces were inches apart? I didn’t want to be wrong and scare her away by being a creep and coming on to her. I certainly don’t want her to think living here comes with strings attached.
I need to tone down my rapidly growing feelings for her. It’s been a few hours in her presence and I’m all but ready to get down on one knee and ask her to be mine.
Shit. I’m going mental.
Before I heard Millie’s cries, I was tossing and turning in my bed. The excitement of having Lisa under my roof felt like a dream, pumping adrenaline in my system. That brief touch against her skin when I passed Millie to her, it’s all but guaranteed no sleep in the near future.
I’m fixing myself a glass of milk when I hear feet shuffling behind me.
“Can’t sleep?”
Lisa’s melodious voice floats to me and I face her, unable to help myself from roaming my gaze down her body. Except for her shapely legs, I can’t make out anything else. Yet she’s the most beautiful and sexiest woman I’ve ever seen because she’s wearing my shirt.
A territorial beast roars to life inside my chest.
“I hope it wasn’t because of Millie,” she utters with a wince after stepping closer to the kitchen island.
“Not at all.” How can I sleep when the woman of my dreams is right next to me but not in my bed? “What’s keeping you up?”
I catch a watery sheen in her eyes before she glances away. Her distress making my chest hurt.
“You can talk to me, Lisa,” I murmur. The Lisa I remember was chatty and open.
“It’s hitting me now that I’ve lost everything today. I’m jobless, homeless. If I don’t get a job soon, then probably be penniless. It’s just a lot, you know.” Her breath catches as a lone tear slides down her cheek. “I have my baby girl to take care of too. All by myself.”
“Look at me.” I wait until she does. Pinning her with a look, I say, “You are not alone, Lisa. My home is yours for as long as you want it. I talked to one of my buddies and he said some floors in your building didn’t have extensive damage and the belongings can be salvaged.
Before going shopping, you and I can go check out your apartment.
Whatever you’ve lost today, it’s all temporary, and you’ll get back on your feet in no time. Until then, you can lean on me.”
Her lips part as soft eyes search my face like I’m a puzzle she can’t solve. “Why are you helping me, Maxton?”
“Because you became my friend when no one else would and I was at my lowest. When you looked at me, you saw me rather than looking through me like everyone in high school did. You taught me kindness, Lisa.”
“You’re an amazing man and Leo is lucky to have you as a dad.”
“And you’re an amazing mother, don’t forget that.”
A smile spreads across her face, making it glow. Leaning on the island, she says, “Can I ask you a personal question?”
“Yes.” I can talk to you all night if you ask.
“Were you married?”
I didn’t expect that. “No.”
“So, Leo’s mother?”
“She isn’t in the picture.” Surprise and curiosity flickers in her eyes. “It was a one-night stand and she didn’t want a child. So, she gave me full custody of Leo.”
“Has she never come back?” Disbelief is evident in her tone. Lisa would never do what Renee—Leo’s mother—did.
“No. I could never understand giving up my kid either. I still respected her decision. I’m just glad she told me and gave me a choice without taking a drastic step.”
“And you raised Leo all by yourself?”
“I had help from my parents.” Without them, it would’ve been difficult. “What about you? Is Millie’s dad in the picture?”