Me: We need to talk about consistent rules between your house and my house. Are you open to having a discussion?
Alexis: No. My rules are my rules. If you wanted consistency, we should have stayed married.
Frustration rippled through my muscles. I picked up my glass and prayed the whiskey relaxed me on the way down.
Me: We have a kid. Marriage isn’t the issue. It’s parenting. I’d like for us to get on the same page with the rules.
Alexis: I said what I said, Van. Go fuck your nanny and stop bothering me.
I tossed the phone down and ran my palms over my face. Alexis had a special talent for getting under my skin. No…it was worse than that. She worked her way under my thoughts. She became my frustrations and pet peeves.
When Xari came back into the den, I had my nose in the laptop and a glass of whiskey in my hand. “Frankie is gonna come apologize so…be nice.”
“I’m always nice,” I grimaced, lowering my brows on my forehead.
“Right. Like how you snapped at me before I went upstairs with Frankie? Or how you brushed me off earlier before you got in the shower. So nice.” She rolled her eyes and I flared my nostrils.
“I apologized.”
“You did.” She bit her bottom lip and swayed back and forth a little. The fire in her dark eyes made me want to fuck her where she stood. Nobody ever looked at me with so much passion before.
Xari was bursting at the seams with it. It was her life force and I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t inspiring. She might have been spoiled and a little immature in her day-to-day life but when it came to her passion…the woman was unstoppable. She had everything planned down to the hour.
“Daddy, I’m sorry for acting like a jerk,” Frankie said with a soft sigh. I hadn’t even heard her come in the room I was so busy staring at Xari. Shit. I had to get myself together. I couldn’t let Frankie see how much I wanted her nanny. I knew my kid. She’d object and I would get the silent treatment.
“I forgive you, Frankie. I don’t like what you did though. You know the rules here. I don’t want to hear about what Alexis lets you do.” I tried not to sound annoyed because it wasn’t her fault Alexis didn’t want to get on the same co-parenting page. Frankie was just being a kid and trying to bend the rules. I expected her to act like a child. I didn’t expect Alexis to act like one too.
“I know. I’m sorry.” She shot a look at Xari then at me. “I’m ready to go to bed.” I stood and wrapped her in a hug before kissing the top of her head. With her face scrubbed clean, she was my little girl again.
She went to Xari next and hugged her then went upstairs.
“Is it bad that I want to go up and tuck her in?” I asked, shaking my head.
“It’s cute, Evander.” She walked over and rubbed my shoulders. Her hands were strong working the knots out of my muscles.
“I know something else cute.” I grabbed her hands and kissed the backs of them.
“I am cute,” she smiled. She sat on the couch and plucked my glass from the table, bringing it to her lips. She looked so damn sexy.
“Why don’t you tell me about going viral…with your cute ass.”
“Well, turns out Damon Philips’s fiancé, Nicole wants me to play at their wedding in DC. I’m gonna do it because they’re willing to pay for my flight and hotel. She wants me to email my contract to her but I don’t have one.” Her words hung in the air. I let out a small chuckle and nodded my understanding.
“You’d probably need a lawyer to draft one for you…huh?”
“That would be nice. I mean, if I knew a lawyer.” She batted her lashes at me and I pulled her close. I liked the way she felt in my arms.
“Maybe I can help you.”
“You’d do that for me?” She curled her pointer finger, hooking it under my chin so she could pull me closer. Our lips pressed together and her eyes shut immediately. I watched her for a few beats before closing my eyes too.
“Absolutely. You gotta promise to come to bed with me though.” I stole her bottom lip, trapping it between my teeth then I moved to her chin…her neck…her shoulder. She was butter beneath my lips.
“As long as I wake up in my own bed, right?” She said. Her tone danced on a line between sarcasm and something sour that I couldn’t put my finger on.
“You know we can’t have Frankie seeing you in my bed in the morning.”
“I know, Evander. I was just being extra.” She was hiding something. I didn’t dwell on it though.
“I’m proud of you for taking the Damon Philips wedding. You’re going to do great.”
“Thank you. I’m a little nervous but I mostly can’t wait to play for them. They want a mixture of classical and R&B.” She smiled when she got excited. She smiled so much that my eyes were stuck to her dimples.
That’s not all the way true. I noticed the animated motion of her hands and the way her eyebrows lifted when her excitement reached a fever pitch. I wanted to take her features and paint them on the pages of my next novel. I wanted to stitch her into my words.
“What’s that look in your eyes?” She quizzed, tipping her head to the side.
“Do I have a look?” I chuckled.
“You do. You look like you’re studying.”
“I am. I’m studying you.” Maybe my words were too honest. Xari blinked a few times and cleared her
