Page 23 of Only You

CHAPTER 14

Tayla

Iseductively walked around the dance pole I’d installed in the basement. I’d installed it in the downstairs bedroom so that it could be shut away if needed, without requiring me to remove it. The bedroom was oversized for a basement and held a king-size guest bed. Brice didn’t know it was down here, or that I learned how to pole dance. I’d been dancing for about three years and had managed to keep it a secret. I primarily danced for fitness, and with the injuries to my core, I’d been using it to regain my strength.

Dancing on it made me feel sexy and powerful. I hadn’t snapped back from my pregnancy and wasn’t trying to; I was in love with my newfound curves. However, when I looked at these scars, thanks to Nina, I needed to do something to regain my power. So I ordered myself a new pole. Brice would be pissed if he knew I’d started working out before he thought I should. On days when he worked, I found my way down here when Bryson was asleep.

I jumped, grabbing the pole near the top, and positioned my hands to hold my weight. Once there, I flipped my body upside down, splitting my legs around the pole, and spun in a circle around it. As I neared the end of the move, I righted myself to an upright position and locked my knees to maintain it, allowing me to roll my body and engage my core. Before I released, I locked my leg around my arm and did another split as I traveled around the pole.

Amid my workout, I heard rustling through the baby monitor.

Shit, Brice!

Although I had the music playing low, I hadn't heard him come in. He would usually come straight in and head directly to the shower before finding me. Which meant that if he’d already gotten Bryson from his crib, he would be looking for me next. I quickly cut off the music, grabbed the monitor, and hit the lights before I ran up the stairs. And into the bedroom to grab one of Brice’s oversized graphic tees.

It had been six weeks since I’d been shot. All the tenderness was gone, and I felt nearly one hundred percent. I also missed my kids at the center. Brice still took Bryson several days a week, while I healed. However, I still hadn’t returned in any capacity. Ms. Denise had called and all but cussed me out after being sure I was doing fine. Devin had also told me to take as much time as I needed. The job was still mine, but he wanted me to tie up all the loose ends before returning because he didn’t want to bring any of it around the center. I understood.

I wasn't surprised when Brice told me Devin had passed the position on to him and Steph. Most couldn’t see it, but I’d seen the danger lurking beneath the surface of Devin’s business and family-man appearance the day he stared me down in the parking lot. I was trained to. Everything about the last few years was starting to make sense. That was also the start of Jourdan and Brice’s mistrust towards me. The fact that it was such a short amount of our lifetime together made forgiving easier. Besides that, I’d almost died, and I didn’t want to live the life I was lucky to keep with spite. I was ready to move forward fully.

I tried not to think too far into that time as I sat on the sofa, as close as I could get to Brice. I wanted to be in his skin. Then I began watching Brice bounce Bryson up and down on his lap. He was giggling to his heart’s content.

“You were asleep?” he asked, looking at me as if I’d been caught with my hand in the cookie jar. I glanced down to notice the light sheen of perspiration that covered my skin.

“No, I was just reading while he was down,” I answered, shaking my head.

“Hmph, yeah, ok. You look like you were having some ‘you’ time.” My face immediately became flushed with embarrassment, but I played it off.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he said, shaking his head and returning his attention to Bryson. He’d been the doting father and partner since I’d been here. He’d cooked, cleaned, and ensured I didn’t have to lift afinger even after pulling his shifts at the hospital. I’d been trying to do more but was told to sit my ass down on numerous occasions.

Now that I was healed, I was ready to return to my grind. That and the other thing he’d alluded to crossed my mind as this perfect man’s arms flexed with every ascent of our baby. He was once again shirtless. I didn’t know when he found time to hit the gym. He didn’t have an ounce of fat on his smooth, bronzed, brown skin, as shown by the definition of his pecs. I could also count all six of his abs even as he sat. Before I realized my finger had gone to my mouth, I bit it at the scene before me.

“Daddy,” I purred, and paused. Brice stopped bouncing Bryson. Then he slowly licked his lips and looked at me with hooded eyes before continuing his bouncing. I knew what I was doing, and so did he. I was going to make him give in tonight one way or another.

“You may want to stop. You just fed him, and he’s going to throw up on you.”

“Nah, Breezy wouldn’t do me like that. Ain’t that right, B. Daddy’s Sonshine wouldn’t do him like that,” he goaded. Brice affectionately nicknamed him Breezy because he wasn’t a fussy baby. As Brice lifted his arms, Bryson upchucked his milk all down Brice’s chest. I laughed.

“Bryson, I thought we were better than that,” he said as he stood. Bryson’s tiny giggles could still be heard.

“Hey, go shower and get dressed. I want to take you out tonight. You’ve been in the house too long,” he said.

“Brice?”

“No, Tay, Baby, do what the hell I just said,” he commanded as he took my chin between his fingers. His thumb reached up to brush down my bottom lip as he stared into my eyes. He inhaled and exhaled deeply before turning and walking away. He disappeared into his bedroom before I finally stood to follow his command.

Yep, To! Night!

As I sat on the edge of the bed, I began to think about tonight. Brice had left about an hour ago to drop Bryson off with JoJo. He told me that I’d better be ready when he returned.

Brice and I's relationship had always been strictly platonic until that night. He claimed that he was drunk, but nothing about the way he had fucked me all night said that he was. We were currently in this awkward situation where we tiptoed around each other. I didn’t even know what we were anymore other than being parents. Of course, we were friends, but it didn’t feel the same. We weren’t even sleeping in the same bed anymore. Even after that night, we would still sometimes share a bed.

We continued as if it had never happened, even though I would never forget it. He’d told me he loved me as more than a friend. If he did, I sure as hell couldn’t tell. Our only moment of intimacy had been the night we first professed our love, and then in thekitchen weeks ago when we’d almost taken it there before Breezy woke up. I wanted him inside me so badly that night.

Tonight, I planned on changing that because I was horny as hell. I hadn’t had sex since the last time I’d been with him. The product of that night was out in the open, and now I wanted my legs to be out and open. Pent-up was an understatement because I would crash out if I saw Brice again without his shirt on or only in a pair of boxer briefs. I was on the verge of acting like a rabid lynx if I saw his dick print again.

I stood in the small guest bedroom closet, staring at the selection of dresses before remembering that he said dinner and a movie. I approached the dresser, grabbing a black, lacy body suit. It was demi set and pushed the girls up high with a deep V-plunge that went down the center. It was sexy but safe enough to pass as a top because it wasn’t sheer. Over it, I threw a pair of medium-wash distressed high-waisted shorts that passed a little below my ass. For a jacket, I walked over to Brice’s room, pulled down one of his white dress shirts, and let it fall off my shoulders. I finished the look with a diamond bracelet and a layered necklace that hung down into my cleavage. My ears held simple diamond studs. On my feet were a pair of lace-up strappy black heels that I left untied until I was ready.

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