Page 17 of Bren

“She does, but I expressed some earlier for you to give her a bottle. I thought you’d like some time alone with her as I’ve had her all day. If she doesn’t want to take it, come and get me.”

“You know I’d never say no to spending time with Lexi, Bren, but I don’t want her or you to be miserable.”

Bren’s face softened at my words and her lips tilted up slightly in a smile, “I know,” she assures me. “But little miss has to get used to taking a bottle sooner or later. Both of us have businesses to run and she’ll have to go to the nursery or at least have to be left with your mum or my mum eventually.”

She wasn’t wrong, so I agree, “Okay, I’ll give it a go, but if she doesn’t like it, then I’m coming to get you.”

Bren laughs, and fuck me, but she’s beautiful when she lets herself relax. It’s like now that I’ve given myself permission to pay attention to her, I can’t help but notice all the little things I’ve missed, even though she’s been in my life since she was six years old.

“I’ll leave you two to it then. I’m going to shower, but I’ll come back and kiss her goodnight,” she says, walking away towards her room, leaving me with our daughter, who is wide awake and staring at me with her mother’s blue eyes.

“Come on, stinky girl, let’s get you bathed and in jammies. Then we’ll try the bottle,” I tell her.

It’s relaxing spending time with Lexi. If you’d told me a year ago this would be my life, I’d have laughed at you. Hell, even four months ago, but now that I’m here with her, I can’t imagine not having her be part of my life.

Tonight, of all nights when I’d have loved to get Bren so I could spend some time with her, Lexi decides to take her bottle with no problems at all, falling asleep quickly and easily. Pressing a kiss to her head, I lay her in her cot and make sure the monitors are on before pulling the door partially closed. Across the hall, Bren’s door is cracked open, and I can hear her moving about.

Knocking gently on the frame, I wait for her to answer. When she does, I’m hard-pressed not to pick her up and toss her on the bed when I see what she’s wearing.

“Fuck, Bren,” I mutter, tilting my head back to look at the ceiling, ignoring the need to adjust my rock-hard cock. Fucking silk and lace—that’s what her silky nightgown is. It clings to every curve, with a matching silk robe in a deep purple that makes her eyes pop with the colour.

“What?” she asks, sounding confused. She’s got to be messing with me, I think, but when I look at her, she seems genuinely confused.

“Nothing,” I reply, rubbing a hand down my face so hard it makes a scraping noise against my stubble. “Lexi’s down if you want to go say goodnight.”

“Thanks,” Bren says, squeezing past me and out the door. I wait until she’s in Lexi’s room before I adjust myself and take myself to my room to have a cold shower and spend some time with my hand.

The shower is pounding down my back, one hand on the shower wall anchoring me in place as I come hard to memories of my one night with Bren. It’s as I’m washing my cum down the drain that I realise there had been lots of room between me and the doorjamb. Bren had purposely brushed up against me.

I’m smiling when I get out of the shower. For the first time in months, I’m feeling optimistic.

Chapter 9

BREN

The night that one of Alec’s past fucks appeared at the café was the night that changed things between us.

Was I still hurt… damn right I was. Was I still angry… you better fucking believe it. But after that night and what I’d overheard, I started to soften.

And I had to admit that a part of me was a little bit smug at overhearing that his one night with me had ruined other women for him. It did wonders for my self-confidence.

Also, I couldn’t deny that since he’d found out about Lexi, he’d stepped up big time. When it came to her, we were a partnership, and I think most were surprised at how quickly he fell into being a daddy. He didn’t balk at anything, and those first few weeks I’d made him change every shitty nappy that I could. Also, I couldn’t deny it was nice to have someone there to help out.

It’s not like I didn’t have help before he arrived because I did; both Mum and Bev had been godsends, but knowing that Alec was just down the hall meant that I relaxed my constant vigilance and actually started to sleep better. It also meant that it was easier for me to get back to work because Alec was happy for Lexi to spend time at the garage with him when Bev was there to help out.

And Bev was always happy to help out and spend time with her granddaughter. That was where Lexi was today because I had a meeting with potential investors, or at least that’s what I’d allowed them to think.

Ellie and I were on the road driving to the factory where we seemed to be spending most of our time. I have to say that out of all my work babies, this was one that I loved being at. Crow Beauty and Spa was well run by Lana O’Shea and had been for a long time; I never had to worry about it. I’d offered to let her buy shares in the business years ago, but she said she was happy managing it, and we’d left it at that. That didn’t mean I didn’t show my appreciation by ensuring that she got a great bonus every year. I’d be lost without her.

I’m brought out of my reverie by Ellie asking curiously, “So what did you overhear?”

“Huh, when?”

Ellie snorts, “Don’t play that game with me, Bren. I’m not Ben or Sam. I won’t let you get away with it. You know when.”

Laughing because I know she’s right, Ellie isn’t one to let things go. Everyone thinks she’s away with the fairies when in fact she’s sharp as a tack and pays more attention than anyone realises. Does she have certain abilities that the rest of us mere mortals don’t? Yep, she does. It makes her special to me, and it used to piss me off when people treated her differently. Over the years, she’s become better at judging who would be receptive to her gift and who wouldn’t. She was my little sister, though, and could still be a pain in the arse when she wanted. Out of all the family, she’s been the one pushing me to forgive Alec; it made me wonder what she knew that I didn’t, but I also knew she wouldn’t say anything unless she had to, preferring to let situations play out naturally.

Before answering her, I think back to what I’d overheard Alec telling Sam, and I knew I had Ellie to thank for pushing me. She’d insisted that I go and check on them. I’d cracked the door and been about to call out to them when I’d overheard Sam say,“Nobody since Bren, huh?”

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