Page 43 of Devil's Last Dance

She had come to love his company. Each night at the bar, she looked forward to seeing him, and then overnight, after having mind-blowing sex, it all just ended, and that had stung.

The last two weeks, she had pushed aside that betrayal and enjoyed him. She hadn’t held against him the fact he left and never answered her call.

She didn’t want to keep dwelling on the past. Luke was growing every single day and even though he had yet to reach one year, she knew without a doubt that her life was bound to Antwone’s.

There was no getting away from who he was, or who she was. He made sure she was cared for, and it had taken some getting used to, seeing the guards carrying weapons, but now she was fine with it, in a strange way.

It was easier to accept Antwone, because even though there had been pain, she still loved him. Even when she wanted to hate him, she knew deep down that would be impossible, because of how she felt about him.

“I’ll be back later and I expect you to wear that red number I got you,” Antwone said.

They were in his bedroom, where she had taken up residence the past two weeks. It was close to Luke’s room.

Antwone had suggested they hire a nanny, but she refused. She didn’t want a stranger taking care of her son, and seeing as she didn’t have to work and there wasn’t anything for her to do, she was going to dedicate her time to taking care of Luke.

“I’ll try not to fall asleep,” she said.

“You’ll be here?” he asked.

“Of course. There’s nowhere else for me to go.”

“No, I don’t mean leaving the house. I mean, here, in this room?”

“Oh,” she said. “But what if you don’t get in till late?”

Antwone cupped her face, his thumb running across her bottom lip. “Then I would love to find you in our bed. This room is yours, Candice, as much as it is mine.” He kissed her hard, then it turned, and he sink his fingers into her hair, and she felt breathless.

He was amazing.

He broke the kiss first but he didn’t step away. “There’s something I want to tell you tonight.”

“Tonight? Why not tell me now?”

“Because I don’t want to tell you and then leave. This is something I’ve got to tell you in person.”

She glanced down at her hands where they lay on his chest. “Then tonight, I look forward to it.”

Candice was also a little nervous. What could he want to tell her? She watched him leave. For several minutes, she stood in the main bedroom, glancing around Antwone’s room.

He wanted her to be here.

She didn’t know if she should move her stuff into his closet, or what it meant. Rubbing at her temple, she felt the start of a headache, but rather than try to debate what his words meant, she grabbed her baby monitor and went to Luke. She had already done his morning routine, and he was laid on his back, feet in the air, looking so adorably cute.

“Hello, my gorgeous boy. Who is so handsome? Who is so handsome?” She reached down, stroking his feet.

She wasn’t entirely convinced that each time her son smiled at her, it was because he was passing wind. The books could say what they wanted, she was pretty sure her baby boy could smile. She lifted him into her arms and kissed his cheek.

“I think it’s time we go down for breakfast, isn’t it, little man? I know you’ve had your breaky, but I have yet to eat. I hope your daddy eats on the way. Yes, I do. Yes, I do.” She held him close, kissing his head, and couldn’t resist breathing him in. She loved this little guy so much. “And I love your daddy, yes, I do.”

Carrying him downstairs, she was careful, and also aware that the guards kept a close eye on her. There had been one occasion where Luke had kept her up all night, and she missed a step. If it hadn’t been for the guard, she might have dropped her son, and she had been thankful to him. She had told Antwone, and she did believe the guard had been rewarded for it. Since then, all the guards kept a close eye on her.

She walked toward the dining room, knowing an assortment of breakfast would be waiting for her. Antwone had introduced her to the chef, as she insisted, because she didn’t want any bad vibes between them. On meeting the chef, they had talked, and she shared her love of cooking, some of her mother’s memories, and together she knew they’d be able to live harmoniously.

Candice didn’t want to make waves in Antwone’s life. As much as she loved cooking, and she did, since Luke came along, she had been thankful for the rest.

Stepping into the dining room, she came to a stop when she saw Draven. His presence was so unexpected. No one had told her he had come.

“Draven,” she said. “If you’re looking for Antwone, I’m afraid you missed him. He has gone.”

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