by Tonya Brooks
Reece parked in front of her building and held up a finger, his way of asking her to give him a minute to finish the call. Knowing from experience that it was never that easy, she shook her head and opened her door. By the time he was off the phone she would have completed the task and be back in the car again.
Glancing back to grin at the scowl he wore, the door to her building opened and she walked into a solid wall of flesh. Arms wrapped around her and hugged tightly as a familiar voice exclaimed, "Jolie, Luv, where have you been? I've been worried sick about you."
"Gavin," she said in surprise as she looked up at his handsome face just before his lips covered hers.
***
When a blonde man grabbed Jolie, a snarl tore from Reece's chest. The phone sent flying, in his haste to get to her, he practically tore the door off before he exploded out of the car. At the sight of another man kissing his mate, his vision turned to black and all pretenses of being civilized vanished.
"Get the fuck off of her," he snarled in a guttural tone and flung the other man aside before advancing on him with murder in his eyes.
Suddenly small hands were pressed against his chest, shoving at him, trying to block him from his intended target. A golden aura appeared in his vision and Jolie's face came slowly into focus. In that second his entire world was reduced to nothing more than her face. Her beautiful face… twisted with fear.
His focus began to clear and his rational mind returned. He could hear himself growling like the enraged beast he was, smell the stench of rotting garbage and urine on the street around them. In his peripheral, he saw the blonde man lying on the sidewalk, staring at him as if he were completely insane.
But his entire being was centered on the woman before him, pleading with him to stop. And she was afraid. Jolie, his beautiful sunshine girl, was afraid. Of him. The knowledge eviscerated Reece and he swayed on his feet. Trembling hands reached out and gently grasped her upper arms as he rasped, "Did he hurt you?"
"Jesus Christ, Reece! Are you crazy?" Jolie shouted as she moved away from him and knelt down beside the other man. "Gavin, I'm so sorry. I don't know what got into him," she apologized and that amped Reece's anger back up again.
"Who the fuck is he, Jolie?" He growled, hands clenched into fists at his sides, claws extended and ready to rip the other man to shreds.
"Bryce's pediatrician," she snapped as both she and the other man stood.
"You kiss all your patient's mother's?" Reece snarled and took a step toward them.
"No," the man denied in amusement and shot her a playful wink. "Just Jolie."
Reece was going to kill him.
His intent must have been obvious because his mate darted back between them. "Reece, don't you dare touch him again," she insisted.
"Are you lovers?" He demanded in a guttural snarl and saw her pale.
And there it was.
Confirmation that his mate had a lover. Like this situation wasn't already fucked beyond redemption, to begin with. Reece was walking a fine line between fury and insanity, his legendary self-control precariously balanced on a razor edge. Lifting eyes filled with all the fires of hell to the other man, he vowed, "You're a fucking dead man."
***
Since he'd already warned her what he would have done to her lover, the blood drained from her face in fear for Gavin. A denial hung on the tip of her tongue until she recalled that Clarice Duvall claimed she was pregnant with Reece's child. Then her temper ignited and she stood toe to toe with him to give him hell.
Quite a few of the neighbors came out to view the spectacle and offer their opinions as well, but right then she didn't give a damn. "You goddamn hypocrite," she shouted furiously. "You fucked half the women on two continents and got your last lover pregnant. It's none of your damn business who I sleep with!"
"Uh, uh!" A woman leaning out of a window on the floor above them exclaimed.
"You tell him, girl," a hooker located on the corner called out encouragingly.
"The hell it isn't," Reece shouted right back at her. "You're my mate!"
"Man, shorty be playin' you," a man jeered as he leaned out of the second floor window next to the woman.
"You bettah whoop that bitch's ass," the pimp to their right suggested seriously.
"You threw me out," Jolie accused viciously. "And divorced me the same day I had your son!"
"No, he di'int!" The first woman said in shock.
"Playah, you ain't right," the hooker said in contempt.
The fight seemed to drain out of him and Reece admitted, "I was a fucking fool."
"Aw, hell, no. Don't be backin' down," the pimp insisted.
"Bitch got him whooped," the man above them laughed.
"I'll show yo ass whooped," the woman warned the man in the window beside her.
"You're acting like one now," Jolie assured him as a shouting match ensued between the two neighbors over who was whooped.
"Because seeing you with another man rips my guts out?" He demanded.
"Shorty is a prime piece," the pimp interjected.
The pain in his eyes clawed at her heart and Jolie had to fight a battle with herself before she admitted that she'd never had sex with Gavin. "You gave up the right to care, Reece," she reminded him in a more reasonable tone. "That includes who I sleep with."
"I know that's right," the hooker agreed.
***
Reece could not deal with this shit.
Knowing that Jolie had a lover was killing him. His heart was completely shredded and his head really was going to explode. Because she was right. He'd been the one to end their marriage, and in the cruelest way imaginable he'd just discovered. He'd had no idea when George had delivered the divorce papers, but his lawyer would pay for that mistake. Dearly.
And he needed to clear up the misconception that the multitude of women he'd been seen with since their divorce had been his lovers. They had been a smokescreen and nothing more. But he knew that Jolie did not indulge in sex without being emotionally involved. That meant she had to care about the other man. And that was the part he could not handle.
Because if she loved the doctor, he didn't have a hope in hell of getting her back.
"Can we continue this discussion without an audience?" He forced himself to ask as calmly as possible since half the goddamn neighborhood had gathered to hear them air their dirty laundry.
"Can you behave like a civilized adult?" She challenged.
"Don't push it," he warned and would not make any guarantees. Not when his wolf was this close to the surface and his control was hanging by a very frayed thread.
Jolie sighed in exasperation. "Stay right there and don't you dare interfere," she warned and walked over to where the other man was leaning against the building as if he didn't have a care in the world.
Reece glared sheer venom at his enemy, but the bastard ignored him as he smiled at Jolie and they carried on a conversation that was impossible to hear over the din around them. The son of a bitch had no idea how lucky he was. If Jolie hadn't stopped him, he would have killed him. His wolf was still ready to rip his throat out.
***
"I take it that's your ex," Gavin said in amusement.
"It is," she admitted wearily and rolled her eyes. "Reece is… insane."
"Insanely jealous you mean," he grinned and then his expression sobered. "Are you all right, Luv? I've been calling you all day."
"I forgot to charge my phone," Jolie confessed. "I'm sorry if I worried you."
"Worrying about you has become a habit," he responded with a worried expression. "Is there anything I need to know?"
"We're not reconciling if that's what you're asking," Jolie denied.
"Does he know that?" He asked doubtfully.
"Oh, he knows, but knowing and accepting are two entirely different things," she pointed out.
"A man would be a fool to give up on you," Gavin said seriously and trailed his fingertips down her arm. How she wished his touch could p
roduce half the sensations that her ex-husbands did. "I'm a prime example of that."
She and Gavin had met when Bryce was born and he'd been determined to win her over from the start. The man was tenacious as hell and she'd finally agreed to have dinner with him a year ago. Their relationship had never progressed into intimacy mainly because only one man could melt her with a look. The one man she could never trust.
The same man who looked like he was about to lose his shit again.
"Reece is helping me find a place to live, so I'm just here to pick up a few things," she explained. "I'll call you as soon as we're settled."
"Thank God you're getting out of this place," he said in genuine relief and had offered to help her find something more suitable countless times. And she'd refused multiple offers to move in with him as well. "If you need help just let me know."
"Thank you," she smiled and kissed his cheek. The sound of Reece growling again had her hurrying into the building before her ex's wolf made an appearance. She had known that he would follow her and the fury rolling off of him was palpable as they climbed the stairs. Jolie unlocked the door but it refused to open.
***
Reece gently moved Jolie aside before he kicked the door off of the hinges. A single piece of wood held in place by the locks was all that remained. He looked over at his mate's astonished expression and growled, "I needed to break something."
"You need anger management classes," she snapped before stepping into the apartment and walking over what remained of the decimated door.
"Had 'em. They just pissed me off," he admitted and followed her inside. The place looked even worse in the light of day. Or at least what little light he could see filtering through the grime covering the outside of the window.
She grabbed a duffle bag from beneath the bed and began to stuff their meager possessions into it. From the quick glimpse he'd had, the serviceable plain white undergarments she'd packed were a far cry from the erotic lingerie he had bought her, and taken great pleasure in removing from her body.
Without a word, Jolie shoved the duffel into his arms and walked across the door on her way out. Yeah, she was pissed. Well, so was he. They were going to have a serious conversation about her relationship with the doctor, but he needed to get his shit together first. Like that was going to happen anytime soon.
He wanted the rip her clothes off and make love to her again and again until he'd wiped every other man who'd ever touched her from her mind. His wolf wanted to mark her and cover her in his scent to warn other males away from their mate. With the mood she was in, the chances of either one happening were getting slimmer by the minute.
When they were back in the car he asked, "Is there any place else you need to go or can we go home now?"
"Your home. I don't have one," Jolie reminded him as she settled into the seat and folded her arms over her chest.
"Mi casa es tu casa," he replied without thinking and received a withering look. Yeah. It was probably a good idea to keep his fucking mouth shut until they reached the penthouse. They made the remainder of the trip in tense silence, both knowing that an epic battle would rage as soon as they arrived.
Having retrieved his phone from the floorboard, Reece cursed under his breath when it started ringing as soon as they stepped off of the elevator. Intending to switch the Do Not Disturb setting on, a glance at the display informed him that it was the doorman calling. Answering the call, he demanded impatiently, "Yes?"
"I'm sorry for disturbing you, Alpha Lassiter," the man said nervously. "But you have a, um, delivery."
Reece didn't recall ordering anything and right then he didn't care what it was. "Just keep it at the desk for me," he ordered.
"B… But…" the doorman stammered nervously. "It's a… a child."
He stopped mid-stride, heart in his throat and demanded, "Say again?"
"The woman claims she's delivering a child. To you," he explained as if the situation were too bizarre to be real.
"Bring him up immediately," he insisted and turned to see Jolie scowling at him, hands on her hips and ready to give him hell. Well, hell. It looked like their showdown might be postponed, but at least he was finally going to meet his son. "Bryce is on his way up," he informed her.
Jolie gave him a venomous look and marched back over to stand in front of the elevator. When the doors slid open, she dropped to her knees and held her arms open. The most brilliant smile covered her face and just like that, his sunshine girl was back.
"Mommy!" A childish voice exclaimed happily as a miniature blonde tornado flew forward and flung himself against her. The doorman gave them a perplexed look and pushed the down button.
"Bryce," she said joyously as she hugged his little body against hers. "I've missed you so much."
"Missed you, too," the child exclaimed as he looked up at her and his smile was every bit as full of sunshine and happiness as his mother's.
"Did you and Jeremy have a big adventure?" She asked and kissed his cheek.
"'Venture's are 'posed to be fun," Bryce complained. "Din't haf fun wifout you."
"Then you and I will have a big adventure together," she assured him as she stood with their child in her arms.
Reece felt his heart stutter before it kick-started into high gear as he watched his mate and child. His mate and child. Emotion swelled so tight in his chest that he could barely breathe. Tears filled his eyes and he had to blink several times to clear his vision. The knowledge that they were here, in his home, was almost more than he could bear.
***
"Who dat?" Bryce asked as he noticed Reece.
Since it had never occurred to her that the two of them would ever meet, she hadn't told Bryce anything about his father. Now Jolie wasn't sure what to say. Turning, she saw the abject longing on Reece's face and was stunned by it. If she'd ever doubted that he wanted his son, his expression would have wiped that misconception away.
"That's Uncle Dane's brother," she admitted and reluctantly put him down when Bryce wriggled to be set free. "Would you like to meet him?"
"Yes, pwease," the child confirmed as he took her hand and led her over to his father.
Reece looked at her and she could have sworn she saw fear in his eyes as they approached. Was he nervous about meeting his son? Jolie supposed that was a normal reaction, but Reece Lassiter had never been nervous in his life. The man had too much innate confidence and downright arrogance. But damned if he didn't look scared half to death.
"Reece, this is Bryce," she introduced evenly.
Her ex squatted down to their son's level and said, "Hi, Bryce." The tremor in his voice confirmed it. The supreme alpha was nervous all right. About meeting a three-year-old. The idea was almost comical and she had to fight a grin of amusement.
"Your eyes are wike mine," Bryce announced as he stared at his father intently. "Unca Dane said I haf my daddy's eyes. Are you my daddy?"
Jolie stifled a gasp and bit her lip anxiously. Bryce was so smart, she should have known he'd figure out who Reece was without having to be told. However, she had no idea how her ex would respond and that made her nervous as hell.
Reece had jolted in shock at the question before his shoulders stiffened in determination. "I am, " he replied firmly.
"Did you fine'wy get enough sweep?" The child asked hopefully.
His father blinked a couple of times and glanced up at Jolie in confusion. She shrugged her shoulders because she didn't have a clue what their son meant either. "Sleep?" Reece guessed.
Bryce nodded seriously. "Unca Dane said one day you'd open youw eyes and come see me," he explained. "You been sweepin' a wonnng time."
Both adults grasped the child's logic, but whereas Jolie had to fight a smile, Reece's eyes filled with tears. "Too long," he answered solemnly. "Looks like we've got a lot of time to make up for."
That was all the invitation that Bryce needed. Her son had an inquisitive mind and he fired question after question at his father. With more patience th
an she would have believed possible, Reece answered every one of them and even managed to ask quite a few of his own. Watching the two of them get to know each other was a revelation in itself.
Jolie had never realized just how alike they were until right then. Bryce might have her coloring, but he looked so much like Reece that it was obvious they were father and son. They even had some of the same mannerisms. And the same unquenchable thirst for knowledge as well as insatiable curiosity.
When Bryce complained, "Mommy, I'm hungwy," he and his father decided on pizza and Reece ordered delivery.
Jolie was content to just sit and hold her son while the two of them became acquainted. Every child needed a father and her baby was basking in the undivided attention that his was providing. She couldn't help wondering how different Bryce's life would have been if Reece had been there from the start.
Since she still didn't trust him, her biggest concern was that her ex would lose interest in the boy when the novelty wore off. Although at the moment such a possibility did not seem likely. The two males were fascinated with each other and had basically forgotten that she was even in the room.
After dinner, Bryce and his father sprawled out in the middle of the floor and were having an animated discussion about her son's idol, Iron Man. Entertaining the boy was a full-time job that she loved, but for the moment she decided to take advantage of the situation and use the free time wisely.
Jolie went into Reece's office, grabbed a notepad and pen and curled up on the sofa again. She began to make a list of things she wanted to be included in the agreement and fully intended to hold him to his promise to give her whatever she wanted. If he was serious about being a part of Bryce's life, he'd damn well have to keep his end of the bargain.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Reece was amazed at the amount of energy the child had and awed at his son's easy acceptance of him. The boy was just as cheerful and loving as his mother and did not seem to harbor any resentment toward him for being absent his entire life. Bryce was such a precious gift and he didn't deserve him any more than he did Jolie.
