“I’m so sorry. I should have called ahead. Oh shit.”
Spinning on my heels, I run from the house.
“Reese, wait,” Brandon calls, his footsteps getting closer.
I’ve just pulled the door open when he catches up to me. His warm hand wraps around my forearm and I still.
“Don’t go.” I don’t like the roughness to his voice that the woman who’s probably still laid out on his sofa caused. Something I don’t like bubbles up in my belly and makes my eyes burn even more.
“No, you’re busy. It’s okay.”
I go to step forward, but his grip tightens and he pulls me to face him. His eyes widen and his chin drops when he gets a look at my face.
“Reese, what’s wrong?”
“It’s…” My chin wobbles as I fight to get the words out without totally breaking down. “It’s nothing. I’ll leave you to... that. Maybe call me when you have a few minutes?”
I go to step away and this time he lets me, although I can tell by the conflicted look on his face that he’s not happy about it.
“Brandon?” a female voice purrs from the living room doorway and my stomach turns over.
He looks between the two of us before nodding at me. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, yes.” I shake my hand at him. “Go see to your guest, she’ll be wondering what’s happening.”
“Look, I’ll just deal with, erm, this, and I’ll call you later, okay?”
The second he shuts his front door, a sob bubbles up my throat.
Can today get any worse?
I hurry until I’m a few streets away from his house and then it takes forever to find an available taxi. By the time I get home I can hardly keep my eyes open. Dragging my exhausted body up to my flat almost takes more energy than I have. I practically fall through the front door, drop my bag to the floor and head straight for my bedroom. Basically the sooner this day ends the better. Sleep can’t come fast enough.
I pull off my loose-fitting dress, that I hoped covered my small bump at work, in favour of a pair of maternity leggings, and t-shirt with preggers written across the front that was in the hamper. It wasn’t so long ago that I wouldn’t have been seen dead in something like this. But right now, I really don’t give a fuck. The most important thing is my baby, and he or she couldn’t give a crap about what I’m wearing.
Pulling the duvet back, I crawl between the covers and curl myself up into a ball. It’s only then, when I’m alone in the safety of my apartment, that I let it all out.
I cry for what I’ve lost. I’ve worked myself to the bone for that company and when things get hard it seems I’m the first to go. I cry for the clients I’ve made promises to and I cry for all the promises I’ve made my unborn baby that I’m not going to be able to fulfil without a well-paid job. But most of all I cry because of Brandon. We’d not talked about us dating or even about what might or might not happen between us. But seeing him with someone else... well, it hurt more than I ever thought it would.
I’m just drifting off to sleep when I hear something. Turning over, I try to drag myself back to consciousness.
“Reese? Come on, open up. Please. I need to know that you’re okay.”
Fuck, Brandon is at my door.
11
Brandon
“Reese? Come on, open up. Please. I need to know that you’re okay.”
I’m banging on her door and I don’t care if the whole block comes out to see what’s happening. Why did I let her go upset? What the hell is wrong with me? Why didn’t I get her to wait inside? I called a cab for my date and then came straight here because I’m a complete moron.
Eventually she opens her door and a red-rimmed, puffy-eyed Reese opens it. She’s wearing the top I got her that says preggers and is just so un-Reese like but sweet.
“Reese, I’m so sorry.” I step forward and clasp her in my arms. “What the hell happened? Is the baby all right? I’m sorry about tonight. I wasn’t expecting to see you and it threw me for a loop.”
She nods and a large exhale leaves me. “Yeah, the baby is fine. But I wasn’t and for some reason I just thought you’d be the one who might understand everything that’s happening to me, because I’m struggling.”
“Come on. Let’s go sit down and you can tell me what’s going on. Unless you need to rest, in which case I’ll wait down here for you while you sleep. Just tell me what you need.”
I’m not expecting her answer.
“I need you, Brandon. It must be the hormones. Please?”
She looks so vulnerable in that moment. So not the Ice Queen and I wonder when the icy mask started and who Reese Connors really is underneath it all. She’s thawing in front of my eyes, and me, well, I’m currently drowning in her. I pick her up and carry her towards her bedroom.
After laying her in her bed, I quickly strip out of my clothes and climb in beside her under the sheets. I remove her top revealing her pink rosebud nipples on perfect breasts. Reaching a hand to touch them, she says, “Be gentle. They’re really sensitive and a little sore.”
“Okay.”
Leaving her breasts, I reach for the waistband of her leggings and pull them down and off. Lying at the side of her I run my fingertips between her legs. She’s soaking and gasps as I touch her.
She’s so ready. I ask her to move so her back is to me. That way I can hold her breasts so they don’t move too much and hurt. I position myself behind her and then I push inside. She pushes back against me. She’s so wet I slide inside her with ease. Her breath hitches and soft mewls escape her mouth as she begs me to fuck her. I’m not one of those men who thinks my cock will touch the baby’s head but I am mindful that I want to be gentle, so I move in and out of her slowly. It’s exquisite. Usually my fucking is fast and hard, a means to an end, but right now I’m savouring the moment and listening to how much pleasure I seem to be bringing this woman.
Reese moves my hand from her right breast and guides me down to between her legs. I stroke her clit as I move a little faster inside her. She starts to moan and writhe back and I guess she’s getting near her climax. So am I. I quicken things up a little and thrust a bit harder while I strum her clit and then she bucks against me as a hard climax squeezes my cock and sets me off. I release my load inside of her, pumping until I’m spent.
She sags back against me. “Thank you, Brandon. You’ve no idea how much I needed that.”
“My pleasure. Use me for sex all you like.” I laugh.
Pulling out of her, I head to her en suite to clean myself up. When I return she’s fast asleep.
I’ve still no idea what upset her so much, but for now I climb in at the side of her, deciding to stay so that in the morning I can make sure she’s okay.
Are you sure that’s all that’s happening here, Brandon? I ask myself.
But the truth is I don’t know what the hell is going on right now.
When I wake up the next morning there’s no one at the side of me. I panic that she’s gone to work and left me in her apartment alone, but then I hear the sound of someone moving around and a low bass hum from music playing. I dress quickly, visit the en suite to freshen up and go in search of Reese. My eyes take in the apartment in the light of day. It’s immaculate, apart from the bed I just vacated. There are bottles lined up on her dressing table. Her nightclothes folded and resting on her pillow. Her perfume hangs in the air.
She’s in the kitchen, sitting at a high gloss countertop island with a slice of toast and a glass of water.
“Morning. Any chance of a coffee?”
“Morning. Sure, I’ve a machine. Let me put a pod in. Latte okay?”
“Fantastic.”
It’s all very polite and not the conversation you’d expect of two people having a baby or two people who just fucked. I decide to focus on discussing what was wrong yesterday.
I climb up onto a stool and watch as she makes my drink. She places it in front of me on a coaster and sits back on her own stool
facing me.
“If you want some breakfast, I can make you toast?”
I shake my head. “I’m good, thanks. I’ll grab something on my way home.”
She nods, then looks away.
“What happened yesterday?”
Her cheeks heat.
“Not last night, but why were you so upset?”
She sighs. “I got made redundant and I’m positive it’s because I’m pregnant.”
I’m genuinely shocked. “You lost your job? But you said you were being lined up to be made a partner?”
She shrugs. “I thought so, but yesterday something changed. The boss let me go.”
“Can’t you take them to court?”
She shakes her head sadly. “No, because I’d not told anyone I was pregnant, so I can’t say that’s the reason. They found a way to get rid of me anyway. I suppose at least I have some redundancy money to tide me over, although God knows what I’m going to do. I’m unemployed and pregnant.”
Oh fuck. I put a hand over my mouth, then drop it. “I sent you the morning sickness parcel to work. I’m so sorry. It’s just that’s the only place I expected you to be able to accept delivery. Did someone see it?”
“It doesn’t matter now, does it?”
I reach out and take her hand. “I’m glad you came to me. That you felt you could reach out to me.”
She snatches her hand back.
“Yes, well, that didn’t go as I expected seeing as I found you all over another woman.”
I scratch the stubble on my chin.
“The thing is… we haven’t really defined what we are, and so I was continuing to date. But after last night…”
It’s like I can see the ice set around her body as she tenses. “Nothing’s changed. I was in need of an orgasm and you provided it. Carry on dating.”
I bite on my lip for a moment before releasing it with a pop. “But I don’t want to.”
“Y- you don’t?” Reese looks vulnerable again. I’m beginning to see that the Ice Queen is a protection mechanism for the real woman underneath.
“No. I want to get to know my baby mama and satisfy any urges she might have.” I waggle my brows at her.
“So… we could be friends with benefits?”
I nod. “Yep, for now. Friends with benefits sounds good.”
She smiles and I notice once more how damn beautiful she is.
“Now. I know you didn’t seem keen on the idea, but let the lease go on this apartment and come move in with me. Let me look after you and your needs and then we can take care of our baby together. Once things are a little more settled after the baby’s born then by all means move back out if that’s what you want. But for now, please move in, although I have no idea where we’re going to put a baby AND your shoe and bag collection.”
“Okay.”
“Pardon?” I can’t quite believe that she’s agreeing.
“Okay, I’ll move in. The thought of having someone look after me and potentially give me an endless supply of orgasms is too good to turn down right now.”
I laugh. “You want to move in because of my cock?”
She laughs as well. “Well it is a pretty perfect cock.”
We agree that I’ll sort out some packing boxes and we’ll move her in slowly over the next few days.
“God, what is Jack going to say? He’s still being a bit off about the whole thing.” Reese’s lips turn down.
“Jack can’t accept his kid sister has grown up. I’ll talk to him. Let’s not tell him we’re fuck buddies, hey? As far as everyone else is concerned, we’re madly in love and have moved in together, ready for our journey to parenthood.”
“Okay. I can do that. I can pretend to be madly in love with you. It’s worth it to shut Jack up and my parents will feel happier.”
I feel unsettled and can’t explain it. Maybe it’s all the acting? I’m fed up of pretending to be this lothario stud. When I brought that woman back to mine last night, I was just about to stop things and ask her to go home anyway. This whole ‘player’ act is childish and ridiculous. I just want to be myself, albeit a clean version. Inviting Reese to live with me is a way to put being a ‘player’ back in his box and nail the damn thing shut once and for all.
“Once we’re settled in a week or so, why don’t we invite Jack and Rhian for dinner? Let them see we’re okay?” I suggest.
“You just want me fawning over you all night.” She giggles.
“Hey, I’ll have to do the same with you. Ohh, I know! We need to think of pet names for each other.”
“Hmmm, yours can be snookums.” She’s laughing even harder now.
“Oh yeah, well you’re now known as cupcake.”
She snorts.
“So, cupcake. I’m going to grab some breakfast and some packing boxes and I’ll be back later. Okay?”
“Okay, snookums.” That’s it. A bout of complete hysteria sets in. I leave with Reese having tears down her face again, but this time from laughter.
Over the course of the next few days Reese moves in. One thing becomes very apparent. She has far too much ‘stuff’. Her shoe and bag collections are vast. Her clothes could fill a whole room (which they did in her apartment as she had a walk-in wardrobe), but there just isn’t that room here at mine. With me having items of completed furniture in the house too, something needs to happen and fast.
“This mess is giving me palpitations,” she confesses.
“Look, you are going to have to get used to things not being perfect soon. Kids are kind of messy things.”
“Yeah, I know.” She looks at her belongings. “I’m going to have to sell some of these things though, aren’t I?” She pouts.
“It might not be a bad idea.”
Reese is sat curled up on the living room sofa. It took a professional cleaning service to get rid of the vomit smell and staining from behind the sofa and I thank God that she seems to be past the puking stage now she’s thirteen weeks pregnant.
She taps into the laptop on her knee. “I’ve sold a few things on eBay in the past. I’ll do that again. Then anything I make I can add to my redundancy money for me and the baby.”
“Once you’ve got rid of some of this stuff, we’ll ask your brother around, but I want us to look more settled before that happens. I’ll get to the post office today myself with all these orders I have ready. I’m going to pick up a lockable storage unit for outside. That way, once I have orders complete, they can wait there instead of in the house. That’ll make things even tidier.”
It was strange having Reese share my bed at night. We had yet to have sex again, but I kept waking up to find us snuggled close. My feelings were all over the place. Was I in lust, or falling for my baby mama? Whichever, for now things were best staying as they were. We didn’t need love complicating things.
12
Reese
Waking up in Brandon’s house with him in bed beside me that first morning was bizarre. But strangely enough, it also just felt right. It was that feeling that had me swinging my legs out of bed to get away from him.
I didn’t need to be getting attached to him. That was sure to end in disaster. The sooner I could get a new bed delivered and move into his spare room the better.
His presence and kindness is fucking about with my pregnancy hormones and making me think crazy thoughts about our future.
We don’t have a future. We’re just being civil for the sake of our unborn child.
Once I’ve eaten, I sit on the floor in what will soon be mine and the baby’s room—that is once I’ve got rid of some of this stuff. I didn’t think I had all that much when it was all housed in my walk-in wardrobe. But seeing it all here in boxes, I’m actually a little embarrassed by the amount. I’m also ashamed that I spent most of my hard-earned money on all this shit when I could have put it to much better use. I could have bought my own place instead of spending out crazy amounts each month on my rent. I could have invested for my future. But no. All I’ve got f
or my years of work are a few designer items that I’m now listing on eBay for a fraction of what I paid for them.
“I’m sorry, bean. I promise to be more sensible from now on. We’ll sell all this and buy you a crib or something a little more useful.” I say stroking my stomach.
I snap pictures of each item before boxing or wrapping them back up and moving onto the next. By the time I’m done, my camera roll is full of my beautiful shoes, handbags, and clothes and my back aches from the awkward position I was sitting in.
Standing, I go to stretch out my sore muscles when movement by the door catches my eye.
“Holy shit, Brandon. You scared the crap out of me.”
“Sorry,” he says, his cheeks brightening a little.
“Were you watching me?”
“I’m still a little gobsmacked by how much stuff you have.”
“You carried it all in here, you should be more than aware.” I try to laugh it off but the way he’s looking at me right now has a weird knot twisting my stomach and an ache in my chest I don’t think I’ve experienced before.
He’s standing in a pair of grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt. It’s simple and not the kind of thing I’ve ever found particularly sexy on a man, but right this second it’s all I can do to stand here panting with need.
My eyes zero in on the slight bulge behind the fabric and images of him giving me what I needed the other night fill my mind.
I was inconsolable when I laid on my bed that night as I tried to accept my fate, but the second I opened the door to him, everything just got that little bit better. I’ve no idea what happened to the other woman, and in that moment I didn’t really care because more than anything, I needed to be in his arms.
When I’d told him what I’d needed he didn’t even bat an eyelid in stripping off and giving it to me. I’d expected him to fuck me, to give me exactly what my body was craving and to get the hell out, but that was the opposite of what I got. Because the reality was much more gentle and passionate.
The Daddy Dilemma: A Brother's Best Friend Enemies To Lovers Romance (Hot Daddy Book 3) Page 8
