by Tonya Brooks
Sounding very weary, Doreen offered, “I was just doing my job, Mr. Lassiter. My only concern was Bryce's well-being.” She handed over a canvas tote bag and added, “If it's any consolation, in spite of their living conditions, she seems to be a wonderful mother. Had it not been for the complaint...”
“I'll be looking into that complaint,” he interrupted and accepted the bag filled with his son's meager possessions.
“Bryce is an exceptional child,” she said with a genuinely fond smile as she watched him and his mother. “Our psychologist believes his IQ is bordering on genius.”
If he'd needed further confirmation that Bryce was his, that would have done it. Reece was a certified genius with an off the charts IQ. It seemed his son had inherited more than his eyes. He wondered if he'd gotten his volatile temperament as well. If so, Jolie had her hands full keeping him entertained and out of mischief.
When the woman stepped back into the elevator, Reece pressed the down button and turned to watch his wife and child. His wife 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. Just having them there, in his home, was almost more than he could bear.
Jolie
“Who dat?” Bryce asked when he noticed Reece standing on the other side of the room. Her son had been amazed by the view of the city, and she had spent the last several minutes pointing out various landmarks to him while reveling in holding his little body in her arms again.
Since she had never anticipated 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 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 wiggled 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.
Her ex 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 dammed if he didn't look scared half to death.
“Reece, this is Bryce,” she introduced him evenly.
The father of her child squatted down to the boy's level and said, “Hi, Bryce.” The tremor in his voice confirmed it. He was nervous alright. 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 finewy 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 your 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 than 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 she saw them together. Bryce might have her coloring, but he looked so much like Reece that it was obvious they were father and son just by looking at them. They even had some of the same mannerisms, shared an 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 son 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 the office, grabbed a notepad and pen, and curled up on the couch again. She began to make a list of things she wanted to be included in the agreement and fully intended to hold Reece to his promise to give her anything 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 EIGHT
Dane
“Unca Dane!”
Dane could only stop and stare incredulously when his nephew’s joyous cry sounded from the living area. Holy fuck. His brother really must be a wizard because he would have bet his last dime that Jolie would have refused to take him back. But there she was, curled up on the couch where she belonged.
“Hey, buddy,” he said in surprise as the child made a mad dash for him. He scooped the boy up and tossed him into the air while Bryce giggled happily.
After catching him and delivering a miniature version of a bear hug, the child said in obvious excitement, “You were wight, Unca Dane. My daddy woked up!”
“Woke up?” He queried in confusion.
“I had my eyes opened,” Reece clarified as he rose lithely from the floor.
“Ah.” He had told the boy on several occasions that one day his father would open his eyes and come see him. Bryce must have taken it literally and assumed that Reece was sleeping. He bent over and placed a kiss on top of Jolie’s head as he passed her. “Hey, Sis. It’s good to have you home again.”
“Don’t get used to it,” she responded dryly even though her smile was filled with affection. “This is temporary at best.”
Which meant his brother had managed to convince her to move out of her barely habitable apartment, but not back in with him permanently. At least it was a step in the right direction. And they were someplace safe, thankfully. He’d had nightmares about her former accommodations.
After he settled onto a couch, Bryce sat in his lap and explained all about the afternoon he’d spent with his father and it sounded as if the child was thrilled to finally meet him. Thank God. At least that was one battle his brother wouldn’t have to fight. If the distance separating the couple on the other couch was any indicator, Jolie wasn’t nearly as excited.
When the boy commented that his day had been a whole lot more fun than his big adventure, Dane asked, “What kind of adventure did you have?” Bryce launched into a tale that had him looking at the boy’s parents questioningly. Jolie shook her head and his brother merely glowered his fury in silence.
He could understand their reticence to discuss it because it damn sure sounded as if his nephew had been in the care
of CPS. An experience Dane was all too familiar with, unfortunately. Though for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out how such a thing had occurred. Sure their living conditions had been terrible, but Jolie was an exemplary mother.
He suspected that was the reason why Reece interrupted with, “Bryce, do you mind if I borrow Uncle Dane for a few minutes?”
“Okay,” the boy agreed easily as he slid off of his lap. “Mommy, I’m thirsty.”
“Then let’s go raid the fridge,” Jolie suggested as she stood and led him into the kitchen.
Dane followed his brother into his home office and closed the door behind him. Before he had a chance to say a word, Reece rounded on him with fire in his eyes and bit out, “Why the fuck did you let my wife and son live in abject squalor?”
Oh, hell no. He wasn’t the one who’d kicked Jolie out, and he damn sure wasn’t going to shoulder the blame for any of it. Dane folded his arms over his chest and replied evenly, “That was your fault, Reece, not mine.”
“You could have done something,” the oldest insisted and didn’t bother to argue over where the fault lay.
“I did all she would let me,” he admitted. “And you’d damn well better believe I tried to do a hell of a lot more.”
“Why wouldn’t she accept your help?” Reece demanded in frustrated confusion.
“Because Jolie saw the black eye you gave me when you knocked me out,” he explained. “She knows how close we’ve always been, and didn’t want to come between us any more than she already had.”
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Reece bit out and scrubbed his hands down his face. He fixed Dane with an anguished look and said, “She suffered so we wouldn’t.”
“That’s exactly what she did,” he confirmed and then demanded, “Why did CPS have Bryce?”
By the time his brother finished explaining the situation, Dane was equal parts alarmed and furious. To think that someone had been deliberately tormenting Jolie all this time was infuriating. And scary as hell. “She never said a damn thing to me about any of this,” he complained.
“Because she thought it was me,” Reece said heavily.
“Well, that explains why she stayed away from her friends,” he deduced.
“What do you mean?”
“After she refused numerous offers of a place to live, I suggested she move in with a friend and share expenses,” he explained. “Jolie said she didn’t want to bring that kind of trouble to their door. If she thought you’d had her bosses business foreclosed, I guess she assumed you’d hurt anyone who tried to help her.”
“Fucking hell,” Reece breathed harshly. “I want that bastard found and dealt with.”
“What about the PI you used to follow Jolie?” Dane suggested. “He’s familiar with the case.”
“I already hired him,” his brother confirmed, and then in a rare moment of vulnerability, Reece held his gaze and said, “Thank you for watching over my family when I was too fucking stupid to do it myself.”
Dane flashed his devil may care grin and confirmed, “That’s what brothers are for.”
Reece
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. But now that he'd met him, he'd walk through the fires of hell to be the father that he deserved.
His son idolized Iron Man and was overjoyed to discover that he could watch it on demand whenever he wanted to. After Dane left, the two of them joined Jolie on one of the couches, and they settled in to watch the movie. He'd been shocked when the boy clambered up onto his lap and settled comfortably against him.
Choked with emotion, Reece had to fight the urge to crush his son against him and never let go. It appeared the boy's boundless energy had finally run out and within minutes, Bryce was sound asleep. In no rush to relinquish him, he just sat there holding him and staring down at his face until he realized that the movie had ended. Glancing over at Jolie, he saw that she had fallen asleep as well.
He carried his son into the master suite and settled him into the middle of the bed, unable to resist trailing his fingers down the boy's tender cheek and over his silky hair. Bryce looked so much like him except for his mother’s blonde hair and brilliant smile. That was when it occurred to him that the amazing little human being was the best of both of them.
A perfect pairing of the love they had shared.
And would one day share again, he hoped.
Going back into the living area, he lifted Jolie effortlessly and returned to place her securely beside their son. She instinctively turned onto her side, her body curled protectively around the sleeping boy. Bryce squirmed even closer in sleep and a contented smile curved both their lips.
Reece just stood there staring at them in the moonlight. His wife and son. Those dammed emotions that he had shut himself off from for so long bombarded him again, and he was unable to bear the onslaught. Love, happiness, and a sense of peace stole over him, and he bowed his head in reverence, his tearful gaze practically worshipping them.
The hell he'd lived through in the first twelve years of his life had turned him into a completely ruthless beast filled with rage. He had learned to control it by shutting down his feelings and over the next seventeen years, he had become a cold, emotionless bastard. Then Jolie had come into his life and made him feel things he hadn't realized he was capable of.
And now he had her back. Not like he wanted, but at least she was back in his life again. She was giving him a chance to earn her trust, to prove that he was more than the bastard who'd hurt her. A chance to get to know his son. Jesus. He had a son. His chest swelled with so many emotions he couldn't contain them.
Reece slipped quietly from the room, walked over to the bar, and poured himself a measure of scotch. Moving over to the wall of glass, he looked out at the view of the city. A million lights twinkled all around him and blurred by tears they took on the hazy appearance of snowflakes. He closed his eyes and welcomed the memory that played through his mind.
He and Jolie had been practically inseparable for weeks, and she had shyly invited him to attend the production’s opening night. He had been completely entranced by the stunning performance that she had given. Well versed in the arts, he recognized true talent when he saw it and Reece knew that with his connections, he could easily get her a role on Broadway.
Once he finally had the guts to tell her who he was.
Right then he was still enjoying the anonymity far too much to even think about confessing the truth. For the first time in his life, he'd found a woman who saw him as a man and it was obvious that she liked what little she knew of him. The thought of revealing the truth and destroying that sent a cold chill down his spine.
Once the performance was over, Reece made his way backstage and saw her dance partner with his arm around her. The way she leaned so comfortably against the other man assured him that they were close, their bodies familiar with each other. Were they lovers, he wondered jealously and everything male within him rejected that idea.
Seeing the other man's hands on her while they danced had been hard enough and the raging beast he kept a tight leash on threatened to rear its ugly head. When it came to Jolie, he was far too possessive and territorial to share her with anyone else. She was his.
When she saw him, a brilliant smile lit her face, and she broke loose from her dance partner to hurry across the crowded room to him. The gesture appeased his anger immensely and Reece pulled her into his arms for a searing kiss, publicly displaying his claim of ownership for everyone to see.
Jolie melted against him like warm honey and her eyes were glazed with desire when he finally ended the kiss. “You were incredible,” he said huskily.
“Wow,” she breathed. “I'll have to dance for you more often.”
“How
about dancing with me instead,” Reece suggested and knew the time had come to reveal his identity. Being rich and famous might give him an edge over her dance partner, and he was not above exploiting his reputation to get what he wanted. The ruthlessness that had propelled him to the top of the heap was too deeply ingrained to ignore.
“Dancing?” She asked and those big blue eyes sparkled with life and vitality.
“After dinner,” he added and lifted her hand to his lips to feather kisses across her knuckles. “Let me show you off.”
Seemingly bemused, Jolie had agreed and while she changed, he'd called for his car. Once his driver arrived, he'd led her outside, and she'd stopped on the sidewalk to stare up at the snowflakes falling around them in delight. He thought he had misheard her when she invited, “Dance with me.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Dance with me in the snow, Reece,” Jolie had laughingly invited. “It's so beautiful.”
Thinking her to be drunk on euphoria over her performance, he'd indulged her whim and swept her into his arms to begin waltzing her across the sidewalk to where his car and driver waited. Jolie had laughed happily and the absolute joy shone on her face and in her eyes. That was the moment he lost his heart forever.
Reece twirled her round and round, snowflakes falling all around them, dusting her hair and melting on her flushed cheeks. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. So perfect and pure, filled with such joie de vie, and he knew that he was hopelessly lost in the wonder of her. He also knew that he would do anything to make her his.
Forever.
When they reached the car, his astonished driver held the door open, and he seated Jolie inside before sliding in beside her and pulling her back into his arms where she belonged. As of yet, she hadn't paid any attention to the limousine and was staring up at him in something akin to adoration. He wanted to see that look on her face every day for the rest of his life.
