Still wide awake, he became fidgety and something drew him toward his daughter's room. He wasn’t sure what it was, but a nagging feeling told him he needed to check on her.
He stood beside her crib in the pitch black, watching her sleep. He loved how her tiny chest rose with each breath she took. He couldn’t help but feel blessed that God had given him the strength to see this through. Well, God and Paisley.
The light in the adjoining bathroom that split Emmersyn’s bedroom and Paisley’s suddenly lit up, drawing his attention away from his daughter to Paisley.
She stood facing the mirror, oblivious to the fact that Braxton was in Emmy’s room. She brushed the hair away from her face and quickly went to work on braiding it behind her head. When she was done, she rested her hands on the counter and examined herself.
Braxton remained still next to Emmy's bed, watching her. She wore a tank and boy shorts that barely covered her essentials. But something about seeing her in her underwear felt taboo, yet he couldn’t pry his eyes away.
He admired her tight ass—at least the portion of her cheeks that weren’t covered by the fabric—how her legs were toned from her daily run on her treadmill. However, his fixation to the firmness of her breasts was undeniable. He'd never looked at her in that way before. Had never really analyzed her body in the way a man would a woman who appealed to him sexually. It felt strange to find her sexy suddenly.
She watched herself in the mirror as she fondled and played with them and he stiffened in his boxers. He couldn’t tear his eyes away as she slid her other hand over her body and into her boy shorts. For the first time, he saw Paisley as a woman, not as his best friend or colleague, and what he felt had him very confused. He shouldn’t have these thoughts. At least, that was what he kept trying to tell himself.
It wasn’t long before she tossed her head back, her hand grasping the counter to steady herself as her legs began to shake. Braxton, she quietly moaned, obviously reaching her climax and enjoying the release it gave her. Hell, he was ready to explode. She rested both her hands on the counter as she hung her head, catching her breath, before she turned out the light and walked toward her room.
Wow, that was wild. Paisley. As Braxton made his way to his own room, he couldn’t help but think of his friend—no, his wife in a way he never had before. How was he going to look at her the same now that he’d seen a sexual side to her? One that he wanted to explore.
He was still hard beneath the cotton of his boxer briefs, and had a rather large wet spot from where his precum had released while he’d watched her. He knew he would never be able to sleep while still in this aroused state. He could do one of two things: either finish himself off to the memory of Paisley touching herself, or think of something so disgusting that it deflated his hard on. The right thing to do would have been the latter, but it had been months since he had been aroused by anything.
When he awoke in the morning, Braxton followed his normal morning ritual. He checked on Emmy first thing to make sure she was still asleep so that he could shower without worrying. He knew he didn’t have to worry since Paisley was with them, but the steps were still ingrained in him.
Much to his surprise, Emmy was awake when he stuck his head in her room, and he hadn’t expected to find Paisley in the glider rocking her. His movement had startled her and she raised her head to look at him. Her eyes widened and he relished in knowing she was checking him out.
“Morning, butterfly” He waited for her reply, but she just sat there, not saying a word. He raised one eyebrow. “Cat got your tongue, or did you suddenly become mute?”
Braxton pushed off the door, sauntering toward her. He knew he was making her slightly uncomfortable and he enjoyed the fact that he could do that to her after what she’d made him feel last night.
When he reached her, he bent slowly and lifted Emmy from her arms. “I’ll take it from here,” he whispered in her ear and he placed a soft, chaste kiss on her cheek before walking away with his daughter.
Chapter 23
Paisley sat at her desk her eyes fixated on a sleeping Emmy in the portable crib they’d had placed in the delicately remodeled section of her office. A waist-high wall separated Emmersyn from the foot traffic that occasionally entered. Reduced lighting filled the room along with a constant lullaby that quietly played next to her. Everything was perfect.
In the five months that had passed since she’d agreed to become Braxton’s wife, she’d fallen head over heels for this little girl. Their bond was as strong as any bond they might have shared if she had actually given birth to her. She couldn’t imagine a time when Emmy wouldn’t be a part of her life. If only things were perfect with Braxton.
Yes, she and Braxton were close, probably closer than they had ever been. They shared in decision-making when it came to Emmy on anything that affected her day-to-day life. Braxton openly allowed Paisley to be Emmy’s mother. They both referenced her as their daughter, but the only time Braxton called Paisley his wife was when it came to legal matters.
The
