17. Lake

LAKE

Even after a month,my belly fluttered with anticipation.

As I walked toward the front room where I might find Bronson stretched out on the couch sleeping, maybe watching television as he waited for Stormi and me to rise or making breakfast in the kitchen, I wondered what it would be like to actually wake up next to him.

If I felt giddy just seeing him first thing in the morning, I could only imagine that waking up next to him in bed would knock my socks off. That's if I wore socks to bed. Which I didn't because just eww, sleeping with something on my feet would drive me batty.

When I didn't see him and everything was quiet, my heart sank. Had he left? I shook my head at myself, knowing that was an idiotic question. Bronson would never go anywhere without telling me. He'd been spending any free time he had with us. Plus we had plans.

Besides, the man was uber protective.

If he didn't have to work he probably wouldn't just so he could control every waking moment making sure we were okay and no harm came to us. After being alone for so long, you'd think it would annoy me, but I found it to be oddly opposite from that. It was endearing.

And there was also something sexy about his alpha ways.

I did find myself wondering if that was how he had been with all the women he had relationships with. I'd always known how mindful he could be when it came to watching over others, but somehow this felt different. Or was I just another female in a long list? Afraid of the answer I might receive, I didn't have the nerve to ask.

His response could have my heart sinking deeper than the Titanic.

With my thoughts heavy, I checked the kitchen and didn't find the man who seemed to be scrambling my brain lately. Our friendship had bloomed faster than the Blue Flag Iris I loved so much that lined the shore by the lake around my home.

Everything I knew growing up was present in my life again with Bronson around. The joking, the laughter, the ease at which I could tell him what I was feeling. But that was not all. There was something new between us.

The flirting, the gentle touches, the way he looked at me with not only desire in his eyes, but also a gentleness that made me melt, and I couldn't forget the stolen kisses. God the kisses. They set my body on fire and calmed the loneliness inside me.

Being a mother was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to me in my life and Stormi made it richer than all the money in the world ever could. But losing Bronson, my parents, and being on my own before I was even twenty, left a gaping hole inside me. I didn't think it would ever be filled, but Bronson returning was doing that little by little.

Hearing the front door open, I spun around in the threshold of the kitchen, startled. At first, when I realized it was just Bronson, I relaxed knowing there was no threat. Then my gaze roamed the eye-candy in front of me and I became aware that the threat was very real.

To my lady bits as Capri had called them at the party.

A tingling sensation began and then turned into a full-fledged throbbing as my panties dampened with desire. He was beautiful. If he could read my mind, he as a man would probably want me to use a description much more manly and Lord knows I could come up with a million ways to describe how sexy he was, but he was beautiful to me so he'd have to live with that. If I ever told him so.

Bronson, however, might like to hear how he was affecting me, yet something in his eyes told me he knew it without me uttering a word.

He stood, his hulking frame taking up the entryway, clad in only a pair of basketball shorts, his smooth bronzed skin shining as bright as the morning sun at his back. Sculpted abs, muscular arms, and tattoos begged my lips to run over them and not let up until I finished kissing every inch of his perfect body. And don't get me started on his bare feet again. Why they did it for me I had no clue, but damn my heart was pumping hard just looking at them.

My gaze traveled back up the work of art that if painted, could probably sell for more money than the original Mona Lisa, to meet Bronson's stare. He raised a brow and flashed me a mischievous smirk that emphasized the light stubble on his face.

What would that feel like against my—

"If you go there this thing between us is going to be moving a whole lot faster than it has been, sweetheart." He rubbed his hand over his chin which only made my mind go right back to where it had been before he interrupted the beginning of my fantasy. "You can't eye-fuck me like that and expect me not to reciprocate."

Holy cheeseballs, he did not just say that.

"Only it won't just be my eyes doing the work." He ran his gaze up and down my body. "You can bet my mouth will cover every inch of your lush body and my cock will have you screaming my name."

Yup, he said all that.

Where was my sweet best friend and who was this dirty talking sex god?

When he said cock, it was like a beacon in the night and my orbs snapped to his impressive package that tented his shorts, making my mouth water. My tongue with a mind of its own peeked out, sliding across my lips.

"You're playing with fire, Cupcake."

That was all he got out before a pitter-patter of feet sounded against the hardwood floor and Stormi called out.

"Where is Bronson?"

All the desire fled from his handsome face, replaced by panic, and the man himself turned, fleeing fast, my laughter following him out. Bronson was a born athlete. As quarterback of the football team in high school and captain of the basketball team as well, he was quick on his feet, but I'd never seen him run like he did just then, with the hounds of hell chomping at his heels.

I knew it wouldn't have been good for my daughter to catch him in the state he was in right then. A very impressive state that was for sure, but not one Stormi needed to see. I still couldn't help the laughter bubbling inside me at his facial expression. It was something I would tease him immensely about for a long time to come.

Hopefully forever.

Floatingon the lake with Bronson brought back so many memories.

Stormi was eating up all his attention as he and she fished off the small boat while she chattered on faster than the birds happily chirping from the trees around us. It was almost a replica of summer days with Bronson and me, except for one thing.

My daughter didn't cry her eyes out or try to throw the fish she caught back in the lake. She happily put it in the bucket and played a new game of twenty questions, asking how they cook it. I shivered at the thought, attempting to not look at the poor wiggling little creature. When my gaze landed on Bronson a knowing look twinkled in his eyes.

And he took pity on me.

Somehow with ease, because this was Bronson and my child adored him, he convinced her to let the fish go. I would have never asked her to do that, she needed her own experiences and to find her likes as well as dislikes. They didn't have to be the same as me. I wanted my beautiful girl to be her own person and explore anything her heart desired.

Well, within reason that was.

Bronson turned and gave me a wink and my insides turned to goo. He'd done that for me just like he had so many times before and my heart turned at the thought that maybe, just maybe, it was truly possible we not only had our friendship back but could be something more.

Yet, all the what ifs still played on repeat in my head, worried I'd get hurt again.

"Mom, look!"

Turning to Stormi, I followed the line of her finger as she pointed at something.

"It's your best friend's house. Let"s go look and see if he's home yet." She looked at me, dropping her hand, a hopeful, but empathetic expression on her face. "Then you won't be sad he's gone anymore."

A deep intake of breath grabbed my attention and my head snapped over to look at Bronson. So much was going on in my mind but I could tell it was his as well. We'd been having so much fun, I didn't think any of us paid attention to where we were at but had made it around the bend in the lake.

There we sat smack dab in front of his childhood home, the one he had never stepped in since leaving for the military. Along with that, my daughter shouted out my feelings as if she had a Bullhorn to her mouth and wanted the whole world to hear.

But the one person who had heard was the only one that mattered.

Bronson kept his gaze on mine. Turmoil, regret, and sadness swirled in their depths.

I shared so much with my daughter about my time growing up, but when Bronson came back into my life, I never told her he was the best friend that I missed so much; she had no clue that blurting out what she had would affect both Bronson and me. I may have said at Capri's he was my best friend, but I didn't think she had put two and two together.

He looked over at Stormi. "Your mom was and is my best friend. I shouldn't have ever left her and I hope she will forgive me."

Not having taken my eyes off him, when he looked back up, I nodded. "I forgive you," I whispered.

He let out a sigh, but tension still lined his face.

"That's awesome. You can be my best friend too," Stormi announced. "After mommy, though. She is always my best friend first."

My heart fluttered with pure happiness at how damn sweet my daughter was. She was on a roll though and wasn't done.

"Now can we go to your house?" she asked Bronson. "I'm sorry about your daddy." She reached out and took his hand. "But we are your best friends now so we will be with you and you can go home."

Tears slipped down my cheek as she made her speech. Stormi had so much to give and she was giving it to him.

And he was receiving it loud and clear.

Carefully, so as not to tip the boat, he pulled Stormi into his lap. "You know what, sweet girl, I think you're right. With your mom and you by my side, I think I can do anything."

Emotion clogged his throat and a single tear of his own slid down his handsome face. "You two are the best things in my life. Let's go see my house."

Staring at him, my eyes widened. I couldn't believe after all this time he was going back. My girl certainly had a way with people and it looked like she was helping move mountains.

"She was right. We'll be right there with you."

A small heartfelt smile lifted his mouth.

"No matter what happens, I'm never leaving you two. I—"

I cut him off, shaking my head wildly. "Don't make promises you can't—"

And then he cut me off right back.

"I can keep it and I will. I promise you and Stormi I will always be here for you." He hugged Stormi close and she snuggled in. If it was me, I'd have done the same thing and how I wished I was in his arms right then, but if I tried we would definitely find ourselves overboard.

"Let's go check out my house."

"Yeah, let"s do that," I replied.

More tears slipped freely down my cheeks.

I couldn't believe this was happening.

It felt like some of my dreams were coming true.