Page 16 of Seeking Salvation

Walking towards him, she tested the temperature of the bottle on her wrist and handed it over. Ti sat at the table and positioned Tyrique in the crook of his arm before offering him the teat. Her beautiful nephew watched his father with wide, intelligent eyes as he sucked down his milk like he’d never been fed and Ti looked equally as smitten.

“He looks like you.”

Titan looked up, a smile playing on his full lips. “You think so?”

“Uh-huh. He has your eyes.”

“He seems small. Is that normal?”

Maya laughed. “He’s not small. He’s on the ninety-ninth percentile. Which I’m pretty sure is also down to you.”

Ti cocked his head. “I don’t know what that means.”

“It means that out of all the babies of his age, he’s bigger than ninety-nine percent of them.”

“Oh, I see.”

Maya continued to observe as Tyrique finished his bottle and Ti gently placed him over his shoulder before rubbing a big slow circle on his son’s back.

“You’re a quick study.”

Ti shrugged but looked pleased with the compliment. “I did this for my friends’ kids. Never had to deal with the business end before today though.” He shivered with disgust and she couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her. He wasn’t what she’d expected, although she hadn’t been entirely sure who Rose might have gotten mixed up with. Her sister hadn’t had the best taste in men. A knot of pain twisted in her gut as she thought of how her sister had died, and it was swiftly followed by anger at her for all the stupid, selfish decisions she’d made, which cost others, and ultimately herself, her life.

“You get used to it.”

Ti shook his head vehemently. “Nope. Not ever getting used to that. When do they get potty trained?”

“Around two to three years old, depending on the child.”

“Shiiiz,” he said, changing the swear word at the last second.

“Yeah, something else you need to learn is that they pick up every word, but you have a little time yet.”

“You talk like I’ll be having custody of Tyrique. Don’t you want him?”

Maya swallowed the lump in her throat as she looked at the child who meant the world to her. “I’d very much like to be involved in his life if you’ll allow it, but I need to make it safe for him first.”

Maya jumped as Ti took her hand in his much larger one. Her gaze clashed with his deep browns and she had the sudden desire to sink into their depths and stay there.

“Maya, you don’t know me, but I can assure you, if it comes back that Tyrique is mine, I’ll want him with me, but that in no way means shutting you out. If there’s one thing I have learned, it’s that the more people who love him in his life the better. I want you involved as much as you want and you won’t be making him safe. We will.”

“It’s dangerous. I don’t want to drag you into this.” Her attempt to dissuade him was half-hearted and was met with the steely look she’d been expecting.

“You didn’t drag me. I’m walking in with my eyes wide open.”

Maya cocked her head as she met his gaze and saw the truth in them. She wasn’t sure anyone could force this man to do anything he didn’t want and she was so exhausted carrying this fear alone, that the temptation was too much. “Okay.”

“Good girl.”

Ti gave her a smile that would end wars, it was so stunningly beautiful that her belly somersaulted, a cascade of butterflies taking flight as she almost purred with pleasure. Yet her natural defensiveness wouldn’t let her take the compliment, so she rolled her eyes at him.

Ti stood abruptly, with a smoothness a man his size shouldn’t possess, and she fought the instinct to step back, instead standing her ground as he moved into her space, stealing the air from her lungs.

The air thickened around them, making it impossible to draw breath. His head moved closer as he bent until his jaw skimmed her cheek and his breath feathered against her ear.

“The next time you roll your eyes at me, it had better be in ecstasy, Maya.”

She thought she felt his lips skim her ear but it was so light it was hard to decipher, but then he was gone, moving back towards the living room door and leaving her holding on to the back of a chair to stop her limp legs from going out from under her.

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