Page 11 of My Ex's Brothers

When we make it inside, I get us a table on the patio since it’s a lovely day.

Only once the waitress has brought us our drinks and we’ve opened our menus do I ask, “So, how long are you in town for?”

Mia twists her lips, taking the bottom between her teeth as she chews on it. I cross my legs, letting out a frustrated breath, because fuck if that isn’t the hottest thing I’ve ever seen a woman do.

I won’t lie and say that my divorce wasonlybecause of the fact that I don’t want kids. I know there were other factors too.

Like my…niche desires. Desires that Ellyn never seemed to want to reciprocate.

Yeah, I know abreeding kinkis a bit of a niche thing, especially for a man who doesn’t want children. But that’s why I got snipped to begin with. I knew in my twenties that I didn’t want to have kids, and I hate condoms. A little slice here, and a little slice there, and I could have all the cream pies I wanted and then some.

But for Ellyn…she couldn’t have her pie if she couldn’t eat it too.

She wanted what I couldn’t give her.

What I didn’twantto give her.

I think what hurt the most was knowing she didn’tcarethat I didn’t want the same things. Knowing she’d whittled me down to this one thing—this one decision—after fifteen years stung like a fucking bitch.

“Oh my God, Richie, is that you?” As if my worst nightmares could come to life, I turn slowly in my chair to see her.

Ellyn. Standing before me in a flouncy blue dress, her auburn hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. But it’s not her perfectly done makeup or her voice that really draws my attention, no. It’s the swell of her stomach.

She looks to be about five or six months already, which just pisses me the fuck off. I know it shouldn’t, but…

Instinctively, I draw my chair closer to Amelia, reaching across the table as if to guard her from Ellyn’s vicious gaze.

“Who else would it be, Ellyn?” I bite as the waitress brings our drinks and some bread and oil appetizer.

“Oh…and you must be Dex’s mistress. How…quaint,” Ellyn says with an evil grin.

“I’m—”

“I’ll handle this, Mia,” I snap, shooting Ellyn an angry glare. “Ameliais family. And you of all people know how seriously I takefamily.”

Ellyn crosses her arms as Mia sets her hand on my arm, and I have the strangest desire to get up right here and take her back to my car.

The size of her tiny hand on my forearm is not lost on me. She’s a little thing, always has been, and something about that sets a fire in my damn cock.

But I’m not here to fantasize about stuffing my big cock in my brother’s ex’s pussy. I’m here to make sure myniece’s mothergets a little bit of time to herself and gets something to eat. After all, I can’t imagine that traveling up from Florida by yourself in the midst of a scandal is an easy thing for anyone.

Let alone with a baby in your back seat.

“Right, of course,” Ellyn says as she massages her stomach. I make a point to focus on Mia. Nothing Ellyn is going to say or do will make me change my mind about anything.

I’m done. I’m done giving a shit about Ellyn and our marriage, when it was clear I never really mattered to her to begin with, because if I had…

No, don’t go there, Rich.

“If you’ll excuse us, Ellyn, we’re a bit…busy right now.”

5

AMELIA

I watchwith heavy lids as Richie tosses his credit card down before I can protest.

“Don’t even think about it, sweetheart,” he says as the waitress takes the check away. “You’ve earned an afternoon off.”

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