Page 15 of Boss with Benefits

Brady quirked an eyebrow at her. “What is a Zoomazium?”

“It’s the bestest most funnest place in the world,” Axl said.

She rolled her eyes. “It’s an indoor place for little kids to play, and I’m afraid I did promise him before I knew you were joining us. Kids can go in through this little circle door, while lame adults have to use a regular door, and that’s just the start of the fun.” She turned to her son. “Honey, I don’t think Brady wants to go there. We can do it some other time.”

Axl appeared on the verge of pitching a major fit.

“It’s okay,” Brady said. “We can go.”

She shook her head and scoffed. “You do not want to go in there. Trust me. There is always a huge crowd of kids, and they scream at the top of their lungs.”

If Brady didn’t like being around kids now, he would hate it after going inside the Zoomazium building. She didn’t wanthim to dig in his heels and never have a child because of something she did. It was the last place he needed to see.

“I’ll get my camera out of the car and take some photos out here while Axl has fun,” he said.

“But you don’t like photographing animals in captivity,” she said.

He made a face. “No. I prefer them in the wild where they belong, but it will be a good challenge for me, trying to get a decent photo of them behind bars. You two have fun, and I will meet you in an hour.”

He picked up three fries covered in dripping red and stuffed them into his mouth. He chewed and smiled at the same time. How could a man with ketchup on his lips be so sexy?

As soon as they were done eating, she took Axl to the Zoomazium. Ice cream turned out to be a bad idea. The sugary treat had him running in literal circles around them even after an hour spent in the Zoomazium. They decided to revisit his favorite animals again, so he could run off some energy before getting into the car with them.

∞∞∞

Poor little guy went to sleep almost instantly. He was completely out before they escaped the crowded parking lot. The steady hum of the engine and the rhythm of the road threatened to take Jessica down as well. Her eyes drifted shut a few times, but she fought to stay awake. It wasn’t fair to make Brady drive the whole way without any company. He eventually told her to get some rest, and he turned the radio on.

She drifted off within seconds.

When she opened her eyes again, they were home. Her home. Brady insisted on carrying Axl up to her condo so shewouldn’t have to wake him. The sweet gesture surprised her. He looked good holding her son in his arms. Natural. Even though he insisted he never wanted children of his own, she surmised he was born to be a father.

After they put Axl to bed, they went to the living room and sat on the couch. They drank iced tea, lots of ice. She felt sweaty, dirty, and ready for a cool shower. But she didn’t want to rush Brady out the door. He at least deserved a cold drink and some polite conversation.

“Thank you for driving today,” she said. “I hate dealing with traffic.”

“No problem,” he said.

She sipped her tea. “And thank you for being so kind to my son. He adores you.”

“It wasn’t a hardship.” Brady looked amused. “You don’t have to keep thanking me, you know. I had a great time, and I think Axl is a good kid.”

“He is.” She tried to smile, but her face crumpled. Tears filled her eyes as reality hit her. There was a possibility she might lose her son in the near future.

She turned away and blinked them rapidly. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to spoil such a perfect day by thinking about what might happen.”

Brady put an arm around her. She settled back against him, and he held her for a moment without talking. For someone who was allergic to commitment, her partner sure knew how to comfort a woman. He didn’t try to tell her what to do or act like she was making a big deal out of her problems when she shouldn’t.

He pressed his lips to her temple. “Do you want me to go?”

“Not yet.” She placed her hands on the arm looped around her and held on. “Can you stay a while?”

“I’ll stay as long as you want.”

She sighed and rested back against him. It would be so easy to stand up, take his hand, and walk him to her bedroom. But that would make things worse. She needed to focus on her son. If she was being followed by a private eye, spending any time alone with Brady was a bad idea.

“You should go,” she said, realizing how it would look to someone watching from the parking lot if he didn’t leave. “But thank you again for giving Axl an amazing day at the zoo.”

She walked him to the door. He bent down a few inches to give her a kiss on the corner of her mouth. His teasing grin made her want to pull him back into her condo. She squelched the urge as soon as it sprang to life.

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