16. Little Sunshine
“Hazel, honey, Gage has something to say. Are you finished with your breakfast? Do you want more toast?”
“No mommy, I’m full.” She looked at Gage smiling, waiting for him to speak.
“So, your mom and I have been talking, the last couple of days we’ve been getting closer. Friendlier. And I wanted to get to know your mom better, date her, and get to know you better too. Would you like that?”
“You want to be mom’s boyfriend?”
Gage was a bit startled when the four-year-old girl knew about the concept of boyfriends. But he put himself together and replied calmly. “Yes, but only if you agree.”
“I like my mom happy, so only if you promise to make mommy happy. My daddy didn’t make mommy happy.” The little girl adoringly bit her lip and looked at her mom.
“I’ll try my best to make her happy and you can keep an eye on me, how’s that?”
She giggled and told him that he was silly. “Okay, now, can we go swimming?” Her cheeky smile was contagious, her eyes widening in excitement making Gage pick her up carrying her up to his shoulder like she weighs nothing. Bree’s little sunshine shrieks loudly, clearly no one ever picks her up that high and she instinctively hugs Gage’s head for balance.
The man held the little girl’s back and held out his other hand to Bree, he willfully pushes back his happy tears and blink a couple of times when Bree finally took his hand and they went to Hazel’s room to go get her changed.
“I didn’t bring your swimsuit, how about some shorts and a fitted tank-top?”
“Yes. Yes. The pink one mommy!” Gage left her to go get change telling her he’ll do the same.
The man grabbed his phone the second he was in his room, checking in with the club, Rockford, and browsing his emails before he went to get change and put his phone away for a couple of hours.
Bree was showing off her supple legs as she bounced Hazel on her thighs. The hot single mom was wearing her shorts and tank-top. Though the mom and daughter duo matches in color, Bree’s ensemble made him look at her twice, okay, maybe thrice and Gage held his gaze a couple of seconds longer making her cheeks all flushed.
The boss man was wearing his swim trunks as he walked his way towards the pool and noticed Bree’s eyes scanning his naked upper body. Gage had never been a gym rat, but he does lift weights regularly at the gym just to keep himself fit and healthy. And the way she looked at him, made Gage thank himself for working out.
“We should go out tomorrow and buy some pool floats.” Gage declared as he takes Hazel’s hand in his. She was small, the feeling was so foreign that it quickly burrow into his heart. Yep. Walls down. Just like that.
“Gage, we won’t be here for long,” Bree replied to his words quickly. She didn’t want Hazel to be lured with stuff, she didn’t like that Gage was making her daughter like him by buying her stuff.
“Why? you need a place to stay, and I have rooms.”
“Ohhhhh… can we mom? can we?!” her little sunshine asked with too much enthusiasm that made Bree gives Gage her deathly stare.
“Hazel, you said you want to swim? we should start then before the sun gets too hot.” Bree managed to divert her thoughts elsewhere and the little girl forgets about the floats and the staying part.
On the other hand, Gage definitely forgot about what he just said because his mind went blank the moment Bree stepped into the pool and got her body wet. Her tank-top was soaked and the cotton material stuck to her body like a second skin. Gage quickly followed her into the pool carrying little Hazel with him.
The man was a bit surprised when he learned that the little toddler was a good swimmer. And that was when Bree told him that Hazel had learned to swim before she even took her first step. “Daddy had a pool, bigger than this. But I like this pool better mommy! we just need to add a slide.” Her demand masked in compliments made both of them laugh.
“Hazel is so bright, you know that right?” Gage asked with a huge grin on his face as if he was proud of the little girl. He was resting by the edge of the pool to Bree’s side, his eyes were on Hazel keeping himself aware of her every move.
“I know she is,” Bree replied also while looking at Hazel, she always starts her swimming by letting her go freely before she starts giving her simple swimming lessons.
“Her daddy taught her?”
“Oh, god no. Everett never had time to play with her.” Bree said almost in a whisper not wanting Hazel to hear it.
“I was the captain of my high school swim team, I love swimming, and Hazel too. She was six months old when I took her swimming. She always slept better, and had a bigger appetite afterward.”
Bree and Gage talk and swim around her, splashing water and letting Hazel screams her lungs out in excitement, while Bree and Gage laughed so hard until it was time for them to go back up.
“Thank you, Gage, mommy was so happy. She’s never been this happy.” Hazel gave him a hug while he carried her in his arms all toweled up while Bree fill the bathtub with warm water.
“My pleasure, baby bear.”
“Oh! I’m not a bear!”
“No? How about little pudding?”
She started to giggle as they enter the bathroom. Bree was smiling at their closeness, but the little girl wiggled in his arms reaching out to her mommy.Text © owned by NôvelDrama.Org.
“Mommy! Tell Gage I’m not a pudding.”
“No? How about cupcake?” He kept on going before Bree had the chance to reply causing Hazel to giggle, and he continued, “… pumpkin pie? No? Look, why don’t you take your nice warm bubble bath and I take a quick shower then I’ll make all of us some hot cocoa.”
“With marshmallows?”
“I don’t think I have those, you should make a list, buttercup.”
She giggled again at his latest nickname for her and Bree smiled at him, liking that Gage made an effort and seemed to genuinely like her little sunshine.
An hour later all of them were fresh from their shower and bath, and Hazel was back to watching cartoons in front of the television with her two favorite teddy bears and a cup of hot cocoa.
“Bree, make a list of the things you both need I’ll send someone to do the shopping. Come here,” Gage held out his hand for her and she took his and followed him into the kitchen, where she have a good view of Hazel who was still watching cartoons.
“I’m needed downtown, I have a couple of business meetings. I want you to make yourself at home. As always, this is my alarm code, punch it in once I’m out the door. This is a gated community so you’re safer here, this is just another precaution, nothing to be worried about.” Bree had been staying there for a couple of days, she had heard the same speech but he kept on repeating it and she kept on listening to him patiently.
“Gage, I can’t stay here every time you’re out.”
“Bree, I trust you. Do you trust me?”
“I do,” Bree replied softly, she wants to say more when he put a finger on her lips.
“Then let me take care of you. Please?”
“I want to get back to work, I can’t rely on you, look where it got me with my ex.”
Gage stayed silent for too long and Bree was getting antsy until he cupped her face and lay a kiss on her lips.
“I haven’t kissed anyone since my late wife. I didn’t want the intimacy, every time it felt like I was betraying her. But with you… everything feels right, Bree, I want this. I want us.” He backed away from their kiss, his forehead was to hers and they stay that way for a while. Up until his phone buzzed and he said a quick goodbye to Hazel and kissed Bree on her cheek.
Gage didn’t give any response to her words when she said that she wants to keep on working. Because Gage knew he wouldn’t want anyone to see her strip any more, not after her last incident and not after he had her in his bed.
He was a selfish man, he wanted her all for himself. The question is, will Bree want Gage badly enough knowing that he won’t let her work, just like her ex did? Will the early feelings that they have stayed longer?
Their feelings were so new and she was betting her new life and Hazel’s for a relationship that might go down the drain in the future. But Bree decided to try when Hazel came up to her the second Gage was out of the door, heading out to his meetings.
“I like Gage, mommy. He makes you happy.”
“But, do you like him?”
“I think he’s nice to you.” Hazel’s simple words hit her hard. Bree knows her little toddler had watched many times how Everett treated her like trash. His verbal abuse was the most Hazel had witnessed, and she would ask about her bruises.
He knows Gage was a kind man, the girls at the club had known him for years, and Bree knew Jade even dated him and still works there. Bree thought Gage would at least treat her the same as Jade and let her back at Babes once their relationship ended, she thought Gage was at least mature enough to do so.