Page 52 of Claiming What's Mine

“Like what?”

Shrugging her shoulder, she talked with her toothbrush in her mouth. “I don't know, I won't know until I see it.”

“I'm not making any promises.”

“La—”

Throwing up my finger, I stopped her from saying the full word. “Not another word, just brush your teeth.”

Bliss rolled her eyes playfully with a smile. “Fine,” she said, turning to go back into the bathroom.

I couldn't help but smile as she disappeared. Bliss was my everything. It's true when your parents tell you that there are things you won't understand until you have a child of your own. And I hated to admit they were right.

I knew love before, but not this level of love. I understood after having my daughter why my parents freaked over Jayden and me. When I thought about Bliss being in my shoes, it turned my stomach and made me feel ill.

It's not always easy to admit when your parents were right, that they did actually know what was best for you.

I apologized to them a week after Bliss was born, because it all finally made sense.

I never stopped having feelings for him, even though my father said the pain would go away.

Parents weren't always right. . .

Sometimes they were very wrong.

* * * *

“Can I get some marshmallows?”

“No,” I said swiftly, pushing the cart up the aisle. “We're getting fruit, remember?”

“Ooo, Mom,” she cooed excitedly, grabbing a bag off the shelf. “Can we get these cookies? They look so good.” Holding the bag up by her cheek, she was trying to give me puppy dog eyes.

“Nope, put them back.”

Those eyes might have worked once upon a time, but not anymore. My mom backbone had hardened, making it easy to tell her no.

“But—”

“No, Bliss, we're only here to get the fruit for—” Taking the corner, I crashed head on with another cart. “Oh, I'm so sorry,” I said immediately, before I even moved my eyes to the other shopper.

My breath hitched as my eyes slowly followed the wall of muscle in front of me. With a huge smirk on his face, Jayden was staring down at me, his eyes lingering for a moment on my lips.

A tingly sensation buzzed across my mouth as if my lips were remembering the feel of his. Running my tongue across my mouth, I could taste him on my skin. My cheeks flushed crimson as my skin heated from memories of his hands around my face, and his thumb stroking my jaw.

Chills shot down my spine, making my toes curl in my shoes. I couldn't look him directly in the eyes, afraid that he'd see the excitement on my face and body.

It was unsettling how being near him made my body react. He shouldn't have that kind of power, not anymore. Yet he did, and it didn't seem like there was anything I could do to shut it off.

Jayden's smirk deepened, as if he could see me shivering beneath the skin. Biting his bottom lip, his lids lowered as his eyes licked me up and down.

“Hey,” I said as casual as possible. “Never expected to see you here.”

His lips peeled back to reveal a bright, white smile. That damn smile made him look so innocent, but I knew better.

Jayden Henry was far from innocent.

Chuckling, he leaned forward on the handle of his cart and braided his fingers together. “Long time no see. How are you?” he asked teasingly, bouncing his brows up and down.

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