Page 10 of Fierce-Michael

Yep, didn’t want to know. “Stop,” he said. “You spend your money your way and I’ll spend mine my way. If I have to start bringing food with Ty, then tell me that.”

“It wouldn’t hurt.” She was batting her eyelashes at him.

“Fine. Done.”

He emptied the rest of the bags on the counter.

“You bought me ice cream,” Electra said. “I love strawberry ice cream and Tyson doesn’t like it.”

He remembered she ate a bunch of it when she was pregnant. He’d started paying for most things once he found he was going to be a father. He wanted her and the baby healthy and then when she was pulled out of work, he just took over the bills until she returned and got on her feet.

He could have had her move in with him but refused. There was no way they were getting back together and if he let her in the house, he might not be able to get her out.

It was for the best.

If he was stretched thin on funds, he dealt with it.

Now, money wasn’t an issue in the least.

“We were in the aisle, so why not?” he said.

“Did you want to try to work things out with us?” Electra asked. “Is that why you did it? To soften me up?”

“No,” he said. She’d brought it up a few times. It was never anything serious and wasn’t now with her hand running down the front of his chest.

All they had was sex before and it was all she would want now.

She’d tried that game for years with him. He was stupid enough to fall for it months after Ty was born, to just tell himself he was going to give it a try.

He was the only one trying and all she wanted was fun. She wanted him to get a sitter for their son so they could go out like they had when they were dating.

There was no talking to her about the fact life would never be for just the two of them anymore. They had a child and it’d be trying as a family.

She’d put a sexy pout on her face and told him he was no fun and then giggled while she started to lift her shirt over her head.

He’d walked out the door with his son and she hadn’t tried again after that.

But she sure liked to push his buttons doing shit like this.

“I thought maybe you were lonely,” Electra said. “We know it doesn’t take me much to want to get you naked.”

He wanted to growl. “You don’t bring men here when you have Ty, do you?”

He’d been very clear about his feelings on this with her. “No,” Electra said. “I don’t. I wouldn’t. I don’t have him enough that they just come over when Tyson leaves. He’s only here two nights a month and a few hours during the week. I’ve got some discipline. Though you liked it when I didn’t.”

She only reiterated the words back to him he’d said to her after he’d found out she had men here last year.

“Enough,” he said, putting his hand up. “Ty. I’m leaving. Come kiss me.”

His son came running out of the room and into his arms for a hug. “Bye, Dad. You’ll get me in the morning?”

“I will,” he said. He always dropped his son off and picked him up. Even when Electra had Ty during the week, he left work for thirty minutes to get his son from daycare and drop him off. He didn’t always trust Electra’s driving or her beat-up car. A car he’d paid a few repair bills for so she had something to get to work.

Everyone told him he was an idiot.

In his mind, it was his son’s mother. He was trying to do what was right.

He was never going to change her, but he could try to not stress her out more. He wanted Electra in Ty’s life but not if she was going to be full of drama. He’d do the right thing to keep that at a minimum for his son’s sake.

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