Page 13 of Slow Burn
5
LEVI
Think Brynn and I needed to chat about her lying to me. Firstly, the girl was about as transparent with me as glass. Secondly, the little lies she fed me hardly had the desired effect. The lies were really just about deflection. Brynn was hiding something because she thought it might change the way we saw her. Nothing could change how I saw this woman.
Like how fucking perfect she looked right now. In my place, cuddled with my daughter in my favorite chair. Her thick red waves were tangled in a cute braid that Amelia would not leave alone. Her face was free of makeup, like it usually was, but her lips were full and pink and fuck, I wanted to kiss them. I watched as she pressed them lightly against the baby’s head. Brynn’s pretty jade eyes fluttered when she breathed Amelia’s sweet, fresh scent in.
“Always wonder why babies smell so good. They all smell the same, too. I mean, soon they get their own scent, your house, the shampoo you use, detergent. At first though, they all smell this way and it’s one of the most comforting smells ever.” Brynn trailed off, as if being so open had been an accident. I watched it though, saw her features soften, her voice go honey sweet and Jesus, it was beautiful.
“I don’t know if I ever smelled a baby before now. You are right though. Something about it is very comforting. Amelia seems to like how good you smell too.” I chuckled when her freckled face flushed soft pink.
I liked those freckles the moment I saw her at Hunter’s parent’s place. Brynn had fair skin, but it was creamy and perfect and those freckles were sprinkled just so across her nose and the apples of her cheeks.
I knew from experience not just the sun made them pop out. I knew if she got shy, or got turned on, they were impossible to miss. I spent three days doing adoring those spots and all the ways that made them show up. Brynn hated that they gave her away, I knew, like litmus on her skin.
Right now, they were prominent but no more so than the lovely pink tone to her creamy skin. Amelia nestled into her neck, fists clutching at the top she wore, face pressed into Brynn’s neck. Damn that sight, that beautiful woman holding that adorable little baby, my daughter, did shit to me I never expected.
Yesterday, it made me want to see Brynn pregnant. Crazy, maybe. Now I could almost see her belly round, tits swollen, perfect glow on her gorgeous face. The woman drove me crazy and I don’t think she had a clue.
“Don’t mind the cuddles, I can’t lie.” Brynn is in fact glowing, her smile wide and eyes bright.
I sink into the couch across from her, nodding towards the mostly unpacked baby haul from last night. I don’t know how to set up Amelia’s room, and truly wanted her input. Something tells me Brynn will set it up better for Amelia than I ever could. Bonus, I get her in my place for as long as I can make this task last. It’s a win-win.
“Think we can turn my spare room into something good enough for the nugget?” I smile when said nugget cooes up at Brynn.
“I for one, am willing to try. Because every little Princess needs her own domain, right? Hmm, Princess?” Brynn talks to her like they understand each other, and when Amelia giggles back, I think maybe they do.
“Got her bassinet set up in my room for now, and the spare room is mostly empty. If you want to feed her, I can finish moving what’s left to the garage. Then we can start with a blank canvas.” Brynn nods, twisting the baby on her lap and cradling her just so.
I bring the diaper bag to her, where there’s plenty of diapers, wipes and two bottles I prepped just before we left. I might not have a clue about how to be a father, not yet, but I’m a smart guy and just a little research told me how to prep that Owl diaper bag Brynn picked out last night. Baby steps, I can handle.
“Look at you Captain Prepared. I am impressed, Levi. Let me feed her then maybe put the little Princess down for a nap.” Brynn suggests, and I love that idea. I like having my nugget around, even though it’s all brand new, but a little alone time with Brynn sounds fucking awesome.
“Little thing does like her sleep. Think I got lucky with her.” I watch Brynn smile at me, a bright, full smile.
“Most guys might not agree, Levi. You are an interesting creature, aren’t you?” I lean forward towards her from my perch on the low, wide ottoman.
“You know I am, baby.” Our eyes meet, but I take in her reaction. The way her breath catches, the way her eyes darken just slightly. I love it. Love that look on her.
“Behave.” Brynn is still smiling as she settles back into the recliner, tucking her long legs beneath her.
Amelia takes the bottle Brynn offers eagerly. For a moment, I just watch them. Brynn clearly has some idea what she’s doing, more than me. I know part of this thing is selfishness on my part. I hope I can earn a second shot. But, seeing them together, I can’t help but feel it’s good for both of them, too.
Brynn softens the moment she sees Amelia, and my little nugget latches right on to Brynn. I might have said it as a way to convince her to stay, to angle myself that second chance, but I meant it. Amelia needs Brynn.
It takes some willpower, but I leave them be for a while. I began emptying my spare room last night, so there’s little left to do. I’d used it as a home gym before, a weight tier and a weight bench, a few free weights and a heavy bag took up the space.
It got little use and I was kind of looking forward to changing the space into Amelia’s space. Brynn didn’t know it yet, but this was her show now; I trusted her and hoped she could help mold not just this space, but myself into the right place for Amelia.
After my last trip to the garage, I found Brynn in the newly empty room. For a moment, I got to watch her without her realizing it. I savored it. Brynn tried so hard to be guarded, often failing with me, so to see her so open was beautiful. I could see her thinking, considering, creating the room that would be Amelia’s in her mind.
“Tell me what we should do, Brynn. Do we want to paint? I saw you kind of chose a theme, it would seem.” I nodded to the bags of baby items they had chosen yesterday.
Though I stood back and let them make most the picks last night, I paid attention. I might not know what some of it was, but I knew they thought we needed it. By the second aisle of shopping, Brynn had silently taken over the choosing of items.
There was an obvious Owl theme in her choices; the diaper bag, for instance, the pink and brown bedding she picked for the crib. I liked the idea that Brynn wanted to decorate how she saw fit. Didn’t make sense that I liked it, but I did. I’d tear the walls down and put them back up however Brynn wanted, for Amelia.
“Could we paint?” Brynn spun in the center of the room to face me.
