Page 20 of Treasured
I pressed my hand to my chest. “I’ll be fast.”
Then I walked her to her car and helped her with the stroller and baby seat. Once her baby was secure, I quickly claimed her lips as my own.
Mary was an angel who I needed to keep in my life. Her kiss set my skin alive and awake as adrenaline raced through me. She was mine—now, forever—if she would have me.
Chapter Eight
Mary
I came home. My son had woken up in the car but slept for most of the ride, so it had been easy to put him in his crib. Then I quickly put the washed dishes away, cleaned up the room, and took a sixty-second shower to wash myself without wetting my hair.
Any second, Dwayne would show up, so I applied moisturizer. My skin still buzzed from his touch, and I’d caved in letting him come here.
Bruce was young enough to not remember much, and honestly, Dwayne’s touch made my knees weak.
As I finished ensuring my spare bedroom was clean, my stomach did a little flip. This was about to be real, and where I’d have to show him if we—no, when we—honestly, I couldn’t even say the words, but that night we were going to repeat our night in the hotel.
There was a knock at the door as the moon appeared in the sky, and I checked the peephole.
The huge guy with sexy dimples on the other end was all mine.
I swallowed and flung open the door. Then his lips met mine. I rose up higher on my toes and held onto him.
Once the kiss ended, I invited him in, and he offered a bottle of wine.
I double-locked the door and put the bottle down to grab glasses for us. Dwayne explored my living room but was clearly looking for something.
I left the kitchen and pressed a finger to my lips. Then I opened my bedroom door and waved for him to follow me.
We stood over the crib, and I said, “Normally, he sleeps with me in my room.”
I motioned for us to leave, and I closed the door.
“We can go in your bedroom later. Is this going to be his room?”
My body softened at his words as he pointed to other room. I took his hand and opened the door. “Yeah, but it has a bed for when my brother stays here, for now.”
We left the door open and stood outside, but Dwayne asked, “Do you call him over often?”
Almost a year ago, I’d had to learn to live all by myself, with a baby. When I’d signed the lease, I’d been nervous. My face heated when I started to explain. “At the beginning of moving here, yeah…”
The front door rattled like someone wanted to get in. Dwayne crossed his arms and asked, “Who’s that?”
My heart twisted in my chest as fear inched through my body. I trekked forward to look as I said, “No one I invited… give me a second…” At the door, my stomach clenched, and I stepped back.
Why was he back? Ice raced up my spine. I wasn’t sure what to do.
Dwayne then took my hands, and the world became full of color again when he asked, “Who is it?”
Heat rushed through me, changing me and centering me back in my body. I pushed my hair behind my ear and said, “Arthur. My lawyer said the restraining order goes into effect at midnight.”
Dwayne led me back to my living room and rubbed my arms as he asked, “He’s your ex?”
I placed my hand on his chest. These men were so different, and honestly, Dwayne was double a man’s normal size, yet his heart under my palm somehow didn’t scare me. I swallowed and said, “I hadn’t seen him until yesterday.”
His face darkened, and he patted my shoulder. “Stay back. I’ll have words with him.”
I tugged on his arms. “Don’t. It’s my battle.”
