Page 41 of Grand Love

“Hey, baby!” Leaning in, she takes him from my arms. He clings to her, bouncing in excitement. “Mummy has missed you.”

My eyes drop down her body, taking in her yoga pants and baggy tee. It’s not sexy, or it’s not supposed to be. But Nina, natural and in her comfy clothes, it does something to me. My mind goes back to the night before and the way she touched herself.

“Was he okay? Sleep okay?” she asks, looking up at me.

“Yeah, he was great. We took him to the park yesterday.” I shake off my wayward thoughts. “Me and the guys.”

“You went to the park?” she asks Ellis playfully. She looks back up at me again, biting on her full bottom lip as she openly stares.

“Did you want to come in, Mason?” she eventually asks, uncertainty lacing her voice.

I pause for absolutely no reason. I already know what I’m going to say. “No—”

“Nina!” I turn to find Joey walking up the steps behind me, making his way towards the door. “You left your bag.” He waves it in the air. “I worried until I saw you had your keys.”

Nina looks to me and then back to Joey. Ellis sits watching us on her hip. “Oh, yeah. Thanks, Joe.”

Is she for fucking real?

“Mason.” Joey holds his hand out for me to shake.

I place a foot in front of him, leaning across and kissing Ellis. I don’t say anything else. I don’t tell her I’ll be back Wednesday, because I can’t promise that I will be.

I leave and don’t look back.

“Mase?”

* * *

Nina

“And then he just left?”Ashley asks, licking her finger as she pries the paper apart.

“It was so awkward, Ash. I think he hates me. He definitely thinks something is going on between me and Joey. He’s asked Lucy in the past.”

She pops a brow at me. “Sounds like you care.”

I close my eyes, completely confused with the way I feel. “Of course, I care. He is Ellis’s dad.”

“But you said you could never be with him again. After…”

“I couldn’t.” Could I?

“You need to get laid.”

I roll my eyes and give her the finger. “Fuck—”

“Nina!!!” Rochelle hisses. “My office. Now!”

“I’m so sorry,” Ashley mouths as she cringes.

I close my eyes and shake my head, not shocked that the universe is fucking with me this hard. My eyes burn into the back of Rochelle’s head as I follow her into her office. I drop down into the chair and wait for her to round the table, but she stands. It makes me feel small.

“This is your second warning. The first was verbal. I will have it in writing by the end of the day. You will have some damn grace when you are working on the reception. We don’t go flipping people off in front of guests.”

“There wasn’t any g—”

“Let’s make one thing clear!” she speaks over me. “I don’t like you, Nina, and you don’t like me. Do your job and do it well, and you won’t have any issues with me. Got it?!”

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