AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She cupped his face and covered it in kisses before he could break out in hysterics as only an almost two-year-old could. “Sorry, kiddo. You’re going to the park first. How are you supposed to ride on the swings with these on?”
He slapped his hands on his chubby knees. “Okay.” His voice was sad.
She smoothed his rumpled red curls out of his face. “How about you put these in your bag?” She caught him at the back of his shirt before he went face first off the bed. The kid was going to be the death of her.
The blue and white water wings went down with him. He picked them up off the floor. “Swim.”
“Swim!” She made her voice sound way more excited than she was. At least he’d be tired out this afternoon. And maybe she could get a nap in before they came home. Small favors. “Put them in the bag.”
He held them up and waddled to the bag, his face bright with smiles again.
He raced to the door and put the blue water wings into the big yellow beach bag, then returned for her. He tugged at her hand. “Go! Go, Mama.”
She laughed. “Okay, okay. Let’s go.” She swung him up onto her hip and the bag over her shoulder.
“Lori!” His screech as they went down the stairs cut through her brain like a laser. Her kid had a set of pipes on him for sure. He bowed out of her arms to get to Lori.
She was very lucky that Lori was so good with him, even if it made her chest hurt to see her son laugh and clutch at her friend’s neck. Chloe never felt like she could enjoy time with him. On her days off she was catching up on everything else.
Her dad cupped her shoulder. “They’ll be fine.”
“I know.” She patted his hand. “Mama’s gotta get to work.”
Axl waved a chubby hand in the air, his fingers backwards as he waved at himself. “Bye.”
Chloe went over to her son and kissed his fingers. “Bye, bud.” She grabbed her purse, rushed out the door, and down to her dad’s Toyota. Her dad came out a few minutes later.
“You okay?”
She unearthed a pair of sunglasses from her bag. “Just tired.”
“Are you going to let me in on some of this?” He sighed. “I know you’re very independent. And I try not to pry, but there’s a lot going on.”
“I know, Dad.”
“But married, Chloe? It’s so not like you.”
“I’m trying to figure everything out. His manager was working on a solution, but I haven’t heard from her.”
“And a solution involves you getting naked with this boy?”
Her cheeks heated. “I don’t know what’s going on between me and Michael. It’s not like he’s a complete stranger. I know him through Nicky.” Sort of. How was she supposed to explain any of this to her dad when she didn’t know how she felt about any of it?
Last night had been just as confusing. She shouldn’t have gone to the show, she shouldn’t have gotten caught up in his music and his stupid, perfect mouth that kissed her like she was his oxygen. She should be doing everything to get herself detangled.
Didn’t the clusterfuck of reporters last night prove that?
Or the chaos at his show? What if something had happened to her? Who would be here for Axl? She knew Nick would take care of her baby—knew it with a complete certainty that kept her from losing her mind some nights—but that didn’t mean she had to run headlong into stupid situations like she had lately.
She lifted her chin resolutely. She had to go to work, and she had to get herself back together for Axl. She couldn’t keep subjecting him to the insanity of Michael and the ever present paparazzi that swarmed him like he was dunked in the most delicious of bee pheromones.
You like those pheromones.
She wanted to snarl at that little voice. Mostly because it was so damn truthful. There was something about him that drew her close. His sultry voice? The effortless way he talked to her like she was the most precious thing on the planet? Or was it simply because he was paying attention to her?
No.
No, that definitely wasn’t it. She’d had men pay attention to her. Being a bartender put her in the crosshairs a lot. She could easily shoot down jerks at the bar. Michael was different in so many ways. His sweet talk didn’t sound forced, or like he’d used it a million times.
