Fixation (Magnetic Desires Book 3) Page 13

  I didn’t know how Lola felt about me showing up every day, but I’d missed too much of our daughter’s life, and although I wouldn’t push for more yet, I couldn’t stay away.

  Scooting the bike to a stop out front, I pulled my helmet off as Tia bounced down the stairs. "Hey, princess. How was your day?"

  She hopped from foot to foot, beaming. "Remy got a crayon stuck up his nose and had to go to the nurse. And—" she took a breath, "—Casey pulled down his pants in front of Ms. Matthews."

  Chuckling, I ruffled her hair. "Sounds like a busy day."

  "Yes." She giggled as I scooped her up and sat her between my legs. "I got a cupcake off Brylee."

  "Was it her birthday?"

  "It was."

  "So what are we doing this afternoon?" I pressed my lips to her head. "Do you have homework to do?"

  She gave an exaggerated groan as she glanced up at me and pouted. "Can’t we play outside?"

  I kicked the stand down on the bike and dropped her to the ground before dismounting. "I’m trying to be a good dad here. How about you help me out by doing your homework and then we’ll play."

  She kicked at the concrete with her Mary Janes. "Okay."

  "How about you go ask your mom if you can bring your homework outside?"

  Darting toward the door, she hollered at the top of her lungs for Lola. I shoved my hand through my hair and took off my jacket, dumping it over the seat of the bike before climbing the steps.

  I wondered if Lola would be alone in the house while we sat outside. Mike and Mellie had both been here over the past few days. While Mellie wouldn’t even go as far as to say hello to me, Mike would bring out a couple of beers and keep us company for as long as it took to finish one beer. Now that I knew there had been nothing between him and Lola, I didn’t mind the guy, which was good because both of us were in my girls' lives for the long haul. Lola might not have agreed with me when I told her we would be together again, but I could be patient. And when that ran out, I’d show her how damn much we belonged together.

  "Hey, Leo." Opening the screen door, she stepped out onto the verandah. She still looked haunted as she kept a hand on the door and her feet turned in.

  "Hello, sweetheart."

  "I asked you not to…" She huffed. "You can come inside. Tia’s in the kitchen getting set up."

  My fingers itched to smooth the wave of hair that fell across her cheekbone, obscuring one eye. And while I did that, it would be nothing to skim my lips over hers, to nip a little at that bottom lip of hers that stuck out at the perfect angle. She’d probably let me get real close if I got that far. Her breath would hitch…

  "Are you coming?"

  If you keep gazing at me like that we’ll both be cumming. "Sorry, yeah."

  She turned and raced back inside. Following her, I tried to ignore the semi erection I’d given myself as I pictured being with her again. It had only been a couple of weeks, but the withdrawals were hell, and the idea of being with anyone but her was not something my cock could handle. Hell, the thought of giving her up made my chest ache.

  Grasping her elbow, I tugged her back, and she gasped as I put her between me and the wall. "Do you remember the first time I did this?" I gazed into her wide eyes.

  She shook her head. "That was a long time ago, Leo. Let me go."

  Inching closer, I brought my face close to hers. "That was the start, the day you kissed me. And this isn’t the end."

  "It is," she murmured even as she strained closer, her fingers curled on my chest. "We’re too far gone."

  Sucking in a breath, I carefully skimmed her hair back from her face. "I fucked up, sweetheart. I fucked up when I let Brady get his hands on you again, and I’ve been fucking up ever since. I’m so sorry I didn’t protect you and even more sorry I wasn’t willing to hear you out when you finally made your way back to me, but I won’t fuck up again. I’m still the guy, your guy who you fell in love with back then. And you’re still my girl. I’m not going to give up on this."

  Tilting her chin, I brushed my lips over hers, a mere taste of what I wanted to do to her. Her lips parted beneath mine and I darted my tongue over her teeth to stroke her tongue. Cupping her cheek, I deepened the kiss, savoring her. She tasted of coffee and the sweetness of sugar donuts, sending my craving for her into overdrive. Our tongues tangled and danced as she gave in to my demands. When the buzz in my blood pulsed through my veins, daring me to take it further, I pulled back.

  Her hand fluttered over her chest, and she stared up at me, her breaths coming in tiny bursts. "Don’t... do that again. I can’t...I won’t let anything between us ruin things for Tia."

  Pushing past me, she made her way up the stairs, pointing in the direction of the kitchen. "She’s waiting for you."

  I watched her go. She was worried about hurting Tia, and I could appreciate that, especially after our reunion had caused so much damage. But didn’t she get it? We were always going to be pulled together, even after all these years, that hadn’t changed. Nothing we did would change how I felt for her or her for me, or about our daughter, and soon I’d make her realize that. Her reaction to me was proof enough she couldn’t deny the connection.

  Stalking through to the kitchen, I found Tia bent over her book with a pink pencil in her hand. In front of her sat a plate full of homemade sugar donuts. I grinned. It might not have been exactly what I wanted, but I had a sweet tooth, and I could relish the taste of Lola for a little while longer. When I located the coffeepot, I poured a cup and snagged a donut before sitting beside Tia. "So, princess, what are we working on?"

  She pushed the book in front of me to show me the picture she was drawing. "We have to do a picture of our family."

  I stared at the picture. "Who have you got here?"

  She pointed her finger at each stick figure. "That’s mommy, and Auntie Mellie, and Uncle Mike, and that’s you."

  I puffed up with pride. Who would have thought finding out I had a child would be the highlight of my life? "Could you draw me a picture like that so I can stick it on my fridge at home?"

  "Yes." She flipped the page in her book.

  "How about you do that for me next time? Didn’t I promise you we’d go play?"

  "Yes." Jumping off her stool, she raced to the back door, and I stole another donut, cramming it in my mouth as I chased after her. Sooner or later, I’d get under Lola’s skin enough to get her back, but right now, I was going to enjoy the rest of this visit with my little girl.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Lola

  Tia squealed at the sound of the motorbike in the driveway. Despite the fact it had been weeks now, the excitement hadn’t worn off. She bounced into the kitchen, her tawny hair swinging wildly about her shoulders, as she raced to the door.

  "Slow down, princess," I called out as she slammed through the fly wire door and out to greet her father. I finished dicing onions and scraped them into a bowl. Dropping a tea towel over the top of them, I smoothed my hands over my dress and followed after her.

  Her face when she saw Leo lit up as though it was Christmas morning, and I couldn’t help the tug at the corners of my mouth, or the tug on my heart at seeing her so happy. The last few weeks had passed in a blur, and true to his word Leo hadn’t pushed to take her from me even for the night. He also hadn’t tried to steal any more kisses while she was out of the room. Part of me was grateful he’d given up, but that didn’t help the rest of me, which begged for him to press me up against a wall and make me feel needy and wanton.

  I hung back on the verandah, giving them space as he gathered her up and swung her around. The grin I remembered so well had reappeared since they’d started to get to know each other, and when he gazed at me over the top of her head it was without the hard twist he’d reserved for me during our initial reunion. "Hey, Lola."

  "Hi." I took a step back as he put Tia down and took hold of her hand to mount the steps. His gaze lingered on me, drawing me in as it always had. My heart fluttered at his
blatant perusal.

  Tia drew his attention back to her, and free from his gaze, I retreated inside. The chasm between us seemed smaller when he was here in front of me, but still uncrossable. It would be too damaging when things went wrong, as they invariably would.

  When he came to see Tia, he came for her, not for me. We barely talked. Perhaps that was because there was nothing left to say, or because I made sure to find something to do that kept me from getting involved in these visits. Picking up the cross-stitch I’d started working on last week, I chuckled to myself as I sunk down on the couch. I’d never thought I’d turn into some kind of Suzy homemaker wannabe. It wasn’t in my genes, and yet I’d almost completed my first attempt with Leo’s almost daily visits.

  “Where’s Mike?” I jumped at the sound of his voice and glanced up to find him leaning against the wall studying me.

  “He’s at work. I told him he didn’t need to keep changing his hours to suit me.”

  “Oh, and your sister. I know she doesn’t like me.”

  “That might be an understatement. She’s keeping her distance I guess.”

  “It’s just you and me then?” He moved closer, and I clutched the cloth between my hands.

  “And Tia.” I glanced around him. “Where is she?”

  "She’s out in the backyard. I told her I needed to talk to you for a minute."

  A minute was a lifetime while he advanced on me and I imagined him pulling me into his arms. I scooted further into the corner of the couch. "What do we need to talk about?"

  He sat down beside me and took my hand in his, inspecting my palm. There was almost no sign of the damage we’d done that night, at least not on the outside. "They're looking better."

  "They’re still a bit tender. It will take a few more weeks to build up the calluses again."

  He kept hold of my wrist, drawing circles on my palm with his finger. "I truly am sorry."

  Tugging free of his hold, I gazed straight ahead. "I’m not. All I wanted was for Tia to know her dad. We couldn’t have kept going the way we were."

  "No," he admitted, clasping his hands together in his lap. "The madness had to stop."

  "We were always madness." I picked up my cross stitching again. "Nothing more than lust gone wrong."

  "I don’t believe that."

  Shaking my head, I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. "So, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

  "I want to take Tia to my mother’s for lunch on Sunday. She’s dying to meet her granddaughter. Birdie and Drake will be there. You should come, too."

  Taking a deep breath, I exhaled. I’d known the day would come when he would want to take her away from the house. My stomach flipped all the same, but he’d given me no reason to think he wouldn’t bring her back. "She can go with you. It’s fine."

  "What about you?"

  "No, that’s your family."

  Shifting quickly, he cupped my cheek to turn my head so he could stare into my eyes. "We’re family, sweetheart."

  "Our daughter doesn’t make us family, Leo."

  He cocked his head, bringing us closer. "Kid or not, you will always be my family. I’m going to prove that to you."

  My breath hitched in my throat as he closed the gap, his lips whispering over mine, and I fought the instinct to move with him, to wind my arms around his neck and shift closer. Heat pooled in my core at the slight squeeze of his hand on my knee while his tongue lingered in slow torturous caresses against mine. He slipped his palm up my thigh with gentle control that buzzed over my nerves and made me whimper into his mouth. I shifted, leaving a gap between my legs that was more invitation than I meant to give. Would my body ever stop wanting him? His fingers tightened on my thigh. Aware of my desire, he was desperate to take me up on it, but controlled enough to fight when it would be so easy for him to claim what was his. Breaking the kiss, his lips dallied against mine for a little longer while we both tried to catch our breath. I clenched my thighs together to let him know it had been a moment of weakness and to dull the ache he created.

  "Next time, I’ll take you up on that invitation, sweetheart."

  "It won't happen again."

  He grinned as he stood up and straightened his shirt. "It will. You and I are never over. We’ll take our time, but when you let me in again that will be it. Neither of us will be going anywhere."

  Then he was gone, back to Tia, leaving me trembling and wondering if I could ever get over him. I picked up the needle but the pattern wavered, intermingled with images of us intertwined, and I pressed my fingers to my lips, where I could still taste him. The smell of him seemed to cling to my skin. Abandoning the cloth on the couch, I went to the kitchen window. He lay on his back in the grass with Tia’s head on his stomach and she giggled as he tickled her side.

  It would be easy to let him in. Hell, it had always been easy to love him, but it didn’t do any of us any good, not when he only wanted to fix things for Tia. I stalked up the stairs for a shower, needing to cool down.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Leo

  "Are you sure you don’t want to join us?" I asked, while I waited for Tia to get her things together. She’d greeted me at the front door, her excitement barely contained as she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, her pigtails flying. Like my mother who had called me every half hour since seven this morning, Tia couldn’t wait to meet the family I’d told her about. My heart ached when I thought about how many years she and Lola had struggled through, only the two of them. I didn’t know if I would ever forgive myself for not being there, but I would keep trying for the rest of my life.

  "No, I don’t belong there, Leo. You enjoy this time with your family." She wandered into the kitchen, pulling a mug from the cupboard and filling it with coffee and sugar.

  My gaze landed on the packet of paper lying out on the counter. I shifted closer while her back was turned and my gut somersaulted. I'd threatened her with divorce papers, and Mellie had threatened me. Hell, I'd deserved it, would deserve it if she signed them and scrubbed me from her life, but it ripped me apart that she was considering it. "They want you to come. I want you to come."

  Her brows drew together and she pursed her lips, her gaze drawn to the envelope on the counter before she headed back to the living room to stare out the window. "Nice truck. Did you borrow it?”

  "I bought it so I can drive Tia, since we agreed she’s too young for the back of the bike."

  "Oh. I need to get a car. Mike's been lending me his truck for far too long."

  "I'm sure he's only too happy to let you." I touched her shoulder. "You’ve had enough on your plate."

  "Maybe." She winced and drew away.

  "How about you come to lunch, and then afterward we’ll look at cars."

  "Why are you pushing this, Leo?"

  I shoved my hand through my hair. "Because… you’re important to me."

  "Important?"

  Because I got a glimpse of those divorce papers on the counter when we wandered into the kitchen, and I damn well can't let you sign them. You’re the love of my life. You’re so far inside me that even after six years and losing myself in anger, I still need you. I still need you to forgive me for letting you down. I still need you to make me a better man. "You’re the mother of my child. You’re a huge part of my life and always will be."

  "I don’t know."

  Maybe I should have blurted out what I was thinking, but the thought of her clamming up and pushing me away made me guard my words. I had to remember to be patient and not push her too far, but it was so hard to do when I ached for her to be home, in my arms, where she belonged. "So how about it?"

  She ran her finger over the windowpane and studied the dust on the tip. "I need to clean the windows."

  "Oh, the hell you do." I growled and pulled her into my arms. Tia was still thumping around in her room, and I wondered if she was packing everything she owned for this short trip to Grandma’s. "I’m not going to take no for an answer.
The minute our daughter comes down I’m going to tell her her mother is coming, too."

  "You wouldn’t dare."

  I sniggered. "Of course I would. Don't get me wrong, I don’t want to use Tia to get what I want, but you’re using her to keep us apart."

  "I am not." She hissed and tried to disentangle herself.

  "Dad, I’m ready." Tia chose that moment to burst into the room, and I had to bite my tongue. Of course she was using Tia to keep me at a distance and I didn’t blame her, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to let it continue.

  "Good, princess. Your mom’s decided to come, too."

  Lola glared at me.

  "Yay." Tia clapped her hands. "When are we leaving?"

  Lola pushed past me and headed for the stairs grumbling, "I’ll go and get changed."

  Tia lugged her backpack over to me, and I crouched down to her level. "So what have you got in there?"

  She smiled and unzipped the pink and purple bag to reveal a collection of stuffed animals and books. "I wanted to show Grandma my favorite things."

  I chuckled. "Me, too."

  Standing up, I took her hand and led her out to the truck, fitting her into the car seat I’d bought on my way over.

  Lola came out a minute later and stalked across the yard. Dark sunglasses pushed up on her nose hid her eyes, but couldn’t hide the firm line of her mouth or the tension with which she carried herself. I opened the door for her, and she climbed in. Shutting it behind her, I raced around to the driver’s side.

  The trip to Carlton was short. Somewhere around the time we hit the outskirts of town, Lola forgave me for dragging her along. Her whole body eased and she played I spy with Tia. My heart swelled with pride at having them both with me, but it didn’t help the unease underlying it. This was a moment, not the norm.

  I pulled up in front of the old house. Drake’s motorcycle sat out front and I jumped out of the truck and helped Tia out as my mother, brother, and Birdie filed out onto the porch. Lola came to stand behind me and I wanted to offer her my hand to support her, but she crossed her arms over her chest.