15. Staying
“Morning.” Gage greeted the beautiful woman lying next to him by kissing her forehead softly.
“Ugh, is it morning already?” Bree groaned from her side of the bed, then she took the comforter with her and continued seeking warmth by burrowing under Gage’s arms.
The man smirked, amused by her little quirks as he had been watching her for the last hour since. Bree had taken over the cover, bundling herself, keeping herself warm like a cozy burrito while leaving Gage naked and a bit cold from the morning air.
He put on his pajama pants and got out of bed. “I’ll fix us some coffee. I don’t know what time Hazel usually wakes up but I’ll go check in on her also.”
“Oh, my… Hazel!”
The mentioning of her little girl’s name made her eyes wide open, body alert, and quickly sit up, but then shriek finding her naked body under the cover. Then she gasped when she looked at half naked Gage, though she stopped for a second to admire his physique.
“Oh, god… I’m naked!”
Gage laughed and gave her one of his clean t-shirts from his drawers as he takes one out for himself. Her dress from last night’s date had been scattered on the bedroom floor along with her lacy underwear and Gage’s clothes.
“Go, check on Hazel, I’ll make coffee.”
“I… uh, okay…” Bree was still pulling her morning brain, trying to convince it to cooperate. But then she blushed deeply remembering last night and the greatest sex she ever had. No wonder she overslept, it’s not in her nature to sleep late, not since she had Hazel.
The single mom decided to gather her clothes and underwear from Gage’s bedroom floor and headed straight to the guest bedroom beside Hazel’s.
Gage house was a spacious house with two guestrooms, one home office, a modern-looking kitchen and dining area, a beautiful foyer, a very cozy living room, a nice size of an outdoor pool, and a master bedroom for himself. The day he took her for a tour of his house she knew she liked it.
It was a beautiful one-story house, homey and well-lived unlike her previous house with Everett. Which just felt big, too big, like a house for show instead of to be living in. She did not decorate it, he had an interior designer make the house look all grand and a bit too corporate for her taste.
Bree did her morning routine and folded his t-shirt neatly before she changed to her clothes not wanting Hazel to ask questions about it.
“Mommy!”NôvelDrama.Org exclusive content.
“Hey, baby, you’re up already? give mommy a kiss?” she giggled and wiggled down from the sofa where she was talking animatedly with Gage. He looked at Bree and then get up to the kitchen, giving her privacy with Hazel.
The coffee scent filled the room and she took Hazel’s hand after her morning dose of kisses and chatter. They both walked into the open plan kitchen space next to the living room.
“Mommy Gage said I can try out the pool later after we have breakfast. Can I mom? please… please… please?”
This is actually why Bree didn’t want to stay at Gage longer than she needed to. She didn’t want Hazel to be too attached to Gage, a lot of consideration had played in the back of her mind.
Gage smiled at her inviting her closer by putting her cup of coffee on the kitchen counter in front of him.
“Sunshine and laughter are good for her healing process, right?” Gage asked, carefully holding himself back while all he wanted was to pull Bree in for a deep sexy kiss.
“Yeah, okay, but just for an hour okay? I don’t want you to get too cold. We’ll have breakfast first then play in the pool.”
Hazel leaped into Bree’s arms and gave her another tight hug. Looking at the two made Gage’s chest tighten, this was how it would’ve felt. Maybe. Suddenly he missed his late wife, he could already feel the heat in the back of his eyes and that’s when he excused himself and hurriedly went to his bedroom.
Bree set Hazel in her chair and put her toast and peanut butter jelly on her plate. “Hazel, honey, I’m going to go check on Gage. I don’t know what he’d want for breakfast. Stay here and finish your breakfast, then we can go swimming okay?”
“Yes, mommy!” Her little sunshine giggled and started munching on her toast. Bree caressed her soft hair and then follow Gage to his bedroom.
She saw it, the sadness in his eyes. And after last night Bree felt as if she needs to at least make sure that he was okay.
“Gage?”
Bree found him looking out the window of his bedroom, the view was amazing. Gage’s house was located on the hillside of the terrain, and his window overlook the city landscape. But Gage didn’t look like he was enjoying the view.
“Hey, sorry… I didn’t want to interrupt.”
“You’re not, and don’t give me that lame excuse. Here I thought you said you want to date me and get to know me better. Didn’t the intention apply to you too?”
“Yes, of course, I’m sorry. It’s been a while,” Gage looked at Bree and rubbed his face with his hand, looking emotionally drained.
“My kid would’ve been about Hazel’s age if she was alive. Seeing you two happy, it’s… fuck, I’m so sorry.” Gage took a deep breath and roughly wiped his rouge tears away. But Bree pulled him into her arms, hugged him, and told him that his baby is in heaven.
“… so is your wife, they both would’ve wanted you to be happy.” Bree rubbed his cheek and pull him down for a kiss, it was sweet yet intimate.
It’s been so long since he let himself feel the intimacy, last night he wanted to be kissed and somehow Bree had cracked his walls. Now her little Hazel will be the one who’s going to make him break down his walls completely.
“You know what? I’ve changed my mind.”
Gage tensed to her words, he didn’t want his little emotional moment to make her stop whatever was happening between them. He just got a sneak peek at their beautiful morning together, he’s not ready to end it.
“Relax Gage, god… I can see you clenching your jaw from here.” Bree giggled, somehow it made him calm down a bit.
“I’m saying I want to try this, with you. I want to let go, somehow it’s weird that I want to make you happy by bringing Hazel into whatever it is we’re starting.”
That, what Bree said had just made the back of his eyes heated once again.
“Damn it, Bree, come here,” he pulled her tight into his hug the second Bree was within his reach. “You do make me happy, and thank you for sharing Hazel with me. You don’t know how much it means to me.”
“Oh, Gage… just be sweet to her and stop bribing her with dessert.” She lay another kiss on his lips but ended quickly knowing Hazel should be done with her toast by now.
“Come on, you’re telling Hazel about us.”
“Me?” Gage asked, not sure how to tell the little girl that he intended to sex his way into their little family of two. Because at that moment sex with Bree couldn’t come soon enough.
“Yes, you… what? you think I’m going to make it all easy for you?” Bree winked then strut her way out of his bedroom and headed back to the kitchen where Hazel await.
No, he didn’t want it easy, he thought. He wanted to be happy again.