Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83467 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83467 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
I held up Jagger to face her. “But this face makes it all better.”
She smiled at him, her face softening instantly. “Yes, it does,” she replied in that cute voice I loved.
Feeling a hell of a lot better now that that shit was over, I stood up. “Why don’t we go for a walk in the park? Maybe get ice cream. We need to get out of the house.”
Genesis’s eyes lit up. “That sounds great. I could use some ice cream.”
“I’ll change Jag’s diaper, and you go put on a bra so I don’t have to punch some fucker for looking at your tits.”
She glanced down at her boobs, then back up at me. “Okay …” She trailed off like I was crazy. Hell, maybe I was.
She didn’t wear bras a lot, and I didn’t complain. I enjoyed it. But the idea of other guys enjoying the view was bothering me.
I managed to get Jagger’s diaper changed without getting peed on and made it back to the living room by the time she was ready. I did a check to find her tits were contained and less bouncy. That was better.
“Ready?” I asked.
She held up the tiny socks and shoes she’d had me buy Jagger. “First, he needs these.”
I grinned. “Didn’t know he was going to walk around the park too. I assumed I’d be carrying him.”
She cocked her head to the side. “It’s kinda chilly. His feet will get cold.”
Ah. Good point. I hadn’t thought of that. I walked him over and held him so she could put them on his tiny feet. He kicked and fussed at her some, but then seemed fascinated by the new items on his body.
“When you’re a little bigger, I’ll get you some better shoes,” I told him.
I saw Genesis pause and felt her eyes locked on me. It took me a second to realize what I’d said. I’d spoken as if I’d be around him when he was older, but I wouldn’t be. Damn. My arms tightened around him automatically, as if someone was going to come by and snatch him away from me.
“I need to grab that little sweater we got him too,” Genesis said and spun around to go back to my old bedroom.
I cradled Jagger in my arms, and his eyes went from the shoes on his feet to my face. Fuck. I’d gotten attached. But he deserved a real family. Parents. A house with a dog and shit. My heart began to hammer in my chest. I wanted that for him. I did. I wanted him to have it all. So, why did it now sound so damn hard?
Eighteen
Genesis
Just as I finished changing Jagger’s diaper, the doorbell rang.
I smiled down at him. “Bowie is here. You get to charm him, so he’ll stop being grumpy about me being here,” I whispered, then kissed his head as I picked him up.
Kye had left to go do underworld business for the first time since he’d brought Jagger home. It had been two weeks, and I’d assured him that I could take care of Jagger while he worked. As for my job, I was managing to get a lot done when he slept, and the winter window display was good for two more weeks. Then, I’d have to go do a Valentine’s Day–themed one. Hopefully, by then, Chloe would have been told about Jagger.
Moving him to my right arm, I opened the door. Bowie’s gaze went from my face straight to Jagger. He gave me a tight smile as I stepped back for him to come inside.
“You made good time,” I said, a little too cheery.
“I was missing you,” he replied. “Can you, uh, put him down so I can kiss you?”
That wasn’t how I’d hoped he would react to Jagger, but he just needed to adjust.
“Yes, of course.”
I tried not to feel the rejection for Jagger. I walked over and laid him on the blanket we kept on the floor for him. He enjoyed the ceiling fan overhead.
Standing, I turned back to Bowie, and he was staring at Jagger with a hard expression that bothered me. This was about me putting the wedding off. Not Jagger. I had to remember he wasn’t angry with Jagger. He was angry because I had chosen to help with Jagger until he had a new home. Which I hated to think about so much that I hadn’t even asked Kye about where he was with the custody thing.
I walked over to stand in front of him and grabbed the collar of his jacket. “I missed you,” I assured him.
His eyes softened as he looked down at me. “Promise?”
Going up on my tiptoes, I pressed my mouth to his. He grabbed my waist and returned the kiss. The reassurance that this was going to be okay eased my mind. Bowie’s hand slid down to my butt, and he squeezed it hard, pulling me closer to him at the exact same time Jagger belted out a loud cry.