Page 39 of Wildflower and Whiskey
“I’m willing to try though, I mean, if that’s what you want,” he stated.
“I mean, I wouldn’t want you going from my bed to another lady’s bed,” I replied, feeling my heart twist. What was I thinking? That Phoenix would be head over heels in love with me. That it was love at first sight? I stopped believing in fairy tales a long time ago, so why did he feel different?
“That’s not an issue. You’re the only lady I want, Elyna,” he stated just like that. The way he was watching me made me feel unhinged, like he could devour me in one shot. Like him just looking at me would make me come all over again.
“I have Cindy covering my shift tomorrow,” I blurted because my heart was galloping in my chest, and I didn’t know what to make of it. I was feeling things with Phoenix I had never felt before. Things I had no right feeling, and it was scaring the living daylights out of me.
“Okay,” he said calmly. “Is something wrong?”
“No, with Luc and Izzy heading back to school, I don’t have a babysitter anymore. I don’t want to bother Angela. She’s been kind enough.”
“She wouldn’t mind helping. She loves Braden. I’ve heard her gush.” He grinned, and it wasn’t often I saw Phoenix smile. It brightened his whole face and touched his eyes. He was already impossibly handsome and that just added to his appeal.
“He’s ten months old now. He’s practically walking. There’s a local daycare that’s licensed. It’s the right thing to put him there. He can socialize with other babies and they have good security,” I explained. I hope he didn’t find it odd I was worried about security, but with Riley in my not so distant past, I had to be.
“Okay, well, you know what’s best for your son. I’ve seen you with him, Elyna, and you look like a really good, loving mom,” he said and my heart gushed.
“Phoenix, you’re being too complimentary right now. I don’t know what to do with you in this state,” I said playfully.
He shifted and pinned my hands above my head. My nipples hardened from the cold air in the room and his gaze.
He noticed. “Don’t worry, I’ll warm you up.” His tone was filled with lust and promise.
“I don’t doubt that,” I said with a shiver.
“Lie back, honey,” he said, his voice firm and controlled in that Phoenix way.
I did as he said, and I was rewarded as he made his way spreading soft kisses from my nape to my breasts and down my stomach. Yup, I was in trouble with Phoenix Thorne. Very big trouble.
CHAPTER 21
Phoenix
I’d never thought much about daycare before. Kids and parenting weren’t something that was a part of my world. But after Elyna told me she was putting Braden in a licensed center; I spent half the night scrolling articles.Separation anxiety. Mom guilt. First-day meltdowns.
What stuck with me was how many single moms said they felt like they were abandoning their kid, even when they knew it was the best thing. That the first week of drop-offs was harder on them than on the baby.
That sounded like Elyna to a T. Strong as hell on the outside but carrying storms no one knew she was carrying. It made me think of all the times she tried to hide her father’s behavior, and made me wonder what this amazing woman had survived. Growing up, I remember Dad trying to figure out if her and Luc were okay. But Elyna was good at putting on a smile and saying everything was good, and Dad wasn’t in a position to push any boundaries when he had five kids of his own to worry about.
Now I planned to get to know Elyna. It felt like we had done things out of order. I’m guessing it was because we had this underlying attraction going on since we were teenagers.I wanted to wine and dine her but not in the traditional sense. She deserved something warmer, something that didn’t scream “seduction.” Instead, I grabbed a still-warm pan of apple crumble from the brewery kitchen that was made with Maple Valley orchard apples. It was a recipe Eric had perfected. A comfort food that tasted like home.
The brewery didn’t feel the same today without her here, and I had plenty of time on my hands to think while running the place. With Bean and Luc gone things felt quieter. We were back into our regular routine around here. I crossed the driveway and saw the stroller folded against the porch. A lump formed in my throat as I imagined her walking away from the daycare, forcing her back straight, even though everything inside her wanted to turn around. I knocked lightly. She answered in sweats and a loose bun, eyes rimmed red though her chin was high.
“Hey,” I said, lifting the foil-covered pan. “Thought you could use this.”
She blinked. “Apple crumble?”
“From the brewery. Orchard apples.” I shrugged. “Figured you could use a homemade dessert.”
Her mouth wobbled before she smiled. “You actually thought this through, didn’t you?”
“Maybe.”
She stepped aside and let me in. What I noticed most was the silence. Braden wasn’t cooing or fussing.
“Did you pick him up already?” I asked and I watched a lazy smile spread her lips.
She blinked and nodded. “They tired him out in daycare. He’s fast asleep,” she said. “Passed out the second we got home,” she added softly. “They said he did great. He played, ate, and napped. By the time I strapped him into the car seat, he was out. He’s been asleep ever since.”
