Blaze's Second Chance (The Sinclair Men) (10 page)

“He may be part of Francesca, but he’s also part of you.” She touched her hand to his chest.

“Daddy, why do you have that lady in your lap?” Blaze and Cassie broke apart when his son spoke.

“Hi, son. Did you have a nice nap?” Blaze took her hand and led her over to his son. He wanted them to get to know each another.

“Hello,” she said.

“I’m Blaze, and I’ll be three this year,” his son said and stuck his hand out.

He blew out a breath as they seemed to hit it off.

Chapter Ten

Dinner was a tense affair. Cassie did a quick check and was thankful no one sported any bruises, broken bones, or blooded lips. She saw David constantly stared across at Molly, who was staring at everyone and everything but her husband.

Blaze Junior sat opposite her, and he kept pulling funny faces making her giggle. Cassie loved how he was oblivious to the tension in the room.

“How was shopping?” Chris asked.

Cassie stared at her friend and tried to see the type of man Erica had described at lunch. Chris was a different man from what Erica described. Whenever he was in her company, he spent most of the time trying to find the perfect couple.

“Good,” she replied and took a bite of the beef.

“How’s Erica?” he asked.

She looked at him and thought about everything little detail her friend had said. If this man knew about the pain he’d caused her, not the physical but the emotional, it would break him. He didn’t know he’d fathered a child or how she’d lost it.

“She’s good.”

Cassie stared down at her plate to show there would be no more talk. The rest of the evening went by uneventfully. She ended up playing on a game with Blaze Junior in the play room set up at the back of the house.

“You’re funny,” he said when she did a little victory dance at winning a race.

“Nice of you to notice.” She sat down and sipped from the soda can Blaze had brought in.

“My dad doesn’t spend any time playing games. My nanny does, though.”

Cassie glanced at the small boy. He looked so much like his father.  It was unbelievable.

“I guess he’s really busy. What’s your nanny’s name?”

“
Tracy
. He’s always busy. Even when mummy was around.” She heard the upset in his voice
,
and going on instinct she brought him to her lap and hugged him.

“Sometimes, adults have to do some really important jobs before they get time to play,” she whispered.

“But I just want him to play with me,” he sobbed.

Cassie hated being in this position.

“He will. One day.” She held him for a few more minutes until they went back to playing a game. It was like the whole world forgot about them until Blaze walked in some hours later.

“I thought you were in bed, little man. It has gone past eight o’clock.” He scooped up his son, and Cassie turned and packed away all the games.

“Wait, I want Cassie to read me a story,” he said.

She stared at Blaze.

“I don’t mind,” Blaze said.

She accompanied him up to bed and helped tuck him in. Blaze left, and she settled down to reading Blaze Junior a story. By the second page he was asleep, but she stayed to read the entire story before kissing him and leaving the room quietly.

Blaze sat across from the room.

“Do you want some tea?” he asked.

Cassie nodded and followed him down to the kitchen. She sat at the counter while he walked around getting the cups. He still had a really great ass to look at.

“You’re great with kids,” he told her as he pressed the button on the kettle to work.

“Hardly. I wouldn’t know what to do with a kid. Blaze is nice though. He’s friendly.” She smiled at him.

“I heard what he said. About me not playing.”

Cassie stared down to her lap where her fingers interlocked. “That’s got nothing to do with me. He seems like a great kid. It sounds like he gets lonely sometimes.”

She wasn’t trying to pry into his life at all. Blaze carried over the steaming cups of tea and sat opposite her.

“Life with Francesca was complicated. To be honest, it was a total disaster from the start,” he said.

“I don’t need to hear about it,” she said.

“No. I want to tell you. In truth I should never have married her. I did it because my dad told me to. It’s what we men do. Stick by the women we give our children.” Blaze sounded a little bitter in the last part.

Cassie sipped her tea and listened to his heartache and the pains that had joined him along the way. She learnt Francesca had given birth to Blaze Junior and then pretty much disappeared from his life. She was always off spending money or flaunting a new lover to the tabloids.

“I didn’t care. I sometimes wonder if that’s half the problem, my lack of caring.”

“Does she see him at all?” Cassie asked. Even with her career she’d want to see her son.

“No. All she cares about is the next pay
-
check I’ve got to pay,” Blaze answered.

She reached across and took his hand. “I’m sorry you and your son have to go through that. He’d a sweet kid.”

“I don’t get to spend as much time with him as I like. I’m a shit father, but from looking at the scene tonight I didn’t have a great role model.”

Cassie shook her head. “You shouldn’t think like that. Our parents don’t make us who we are. We do. Our strengths and weaknesses. Blaze Junior loves you, and you can see that.”

The clock struck in the hall way. She stared at the man she loved and wished they were in their own house and putting their own son to bed.

“Tell you what. I’m free tomorrow. Why don’t we go to the zoo or the movies or something?” she asked.

“With Blaze Junior?”

“Of course. Has he ever been to the zoo?”

He shook his head.

“Then it’s a date.” Cassie shook his hand. “I’m going to head on up. Don’t fret about that scene today. Everyone has them.”

She left him to his thoughts and walked upstairs. Before going to her room she checked on Blaze Junior first to make sure the little scamp was still safe.

Chris waited for her in her room. She glared at him and left the door wide open. “I didn’t invite you in,” she said.

“I’m not a vampire, so that’s a plus.”

“Making with the funny. Say what you want, and then leave, please.” She brushed past him and moved to the bed where her suitcase still lay.

“I thought you were leaving.” He came to stand beside her.

“Thought about it. But decided to stay.” She moved the bundle of clothes to the empty dresser. “Your family is a hoot. I didn’t know the men got off on hurting women.” She paused and cursed herself. The promise she’d made to Erica was forgotten by her loose tongue.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

She pushed the suitcase under the bed and turned to face him. Her hands folded over her chest.

“Erica, she told you everything.” A red blush stained his cheeks.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said. She tried to keep the promise the other woman had asked of her.

A silence descended on the room. Chris stared at her, and Cassie tried with all of her might to look him in the eye. She’d promised to keep her secret. What kind of friend was she if she couldn’t do something as simple as that?

“She told you,” Chris said. He walked closer and cupped her shoulders staring into her eyes.

“Don’t do this,” she asked.

Chris cupped her cheek and tilted her head back. “There is nothing you can keep from me, Cassie. I love you like a friend, but I also know the pain I caused Erica.”

Seeing no other alternative she pulled out of his arms and glared at him. “Why did you do it?” she asked. Cassie decided she’d wear the world’s worst friend badge.

“When it comes to me and Erica I suggest you stay out of it,” Chris said before leaving the room.

Bewildered, Cassie went outside her bedrooms door to stand on the balcony overlooking the gardens. Everywhere was so calm and silent. She couldn’t believe only a few short hours ago a father and son had been prepared to throw punches. The night sky looked beautiful and calm. She thought about Blaze and all of her encounters with the man she’d fallen in love with.

Three years was quite a time gap since they’d seen each other. Yet her heart continued to race in his presence, and her pussy creamed thinking about being spread over his office desk. Time didn’t compare to the love she felt inside her heart. Cassie placed a hand over her chest and thought about everything to do with that man.

He was divorced with a son. She adored the little boy and could clearly see he craved the affection he’d missed. Francesca must have caused some heartache in her quest to gain authority in Blaze’s life. A true woman, a caring woman, would stick by her child.

Cassie left the cold night air and moved to have a quick shower. On a vacation life was supposed to be relaxing. She hoped the next two weeks went by a lot better than the last two.

Chapter Eleven

The following day Cassie went with Blaze and his son to the zoo. They found one not too far from the beach house with a theme style park attached. Blaze Junior stayed by her side, holding her hand. She loved going through the different sections of each animal species.

Cassie wasn’t surprised when Blaze Junior loved the reptile section. She cringed and held in her screams when she glanced at all the freaky looking animals. Not that she had anything against them. She’d just never be left in a room with one of them.

“Did you see that snake? It’s huge with big sharp teeth.” Blaze made a hissing sound between his teeth.

“Yeah. Let’s forget all about the poisonous snake who’d kill us in a heartbeat.” Cassie froze when she realised what she’d said. Blaze gave her a funny look, and his son raised his eyebrows.

“You talk funny,” Blaze Junior said and shrugged.

“And what is that supposed to mean?” she asked, instinctively defending herself.

“You
do
n
’
t like big snakes. My daddy will protect us. I will
,
too. I’ll roar.” Blaze Junior then began to let out an almighty roar.

She ruffled his hair and laughed. Nearly three and already competing for dominance. He’d be the same as his dad when he was older.

“Let’s keep that talk for another time. I’m hungry. What do you say to a burger?” She took his hand and headed in the direction of food.

“You eat burgers?”

Cassie stopped and stared down at the little boy. “Yes, I eat everything.” It wasn’t a shock. Look at the size of her.

“I didn’t know girls ate burgers.”

Instead of looking at the little boy for an explanation she stared at the other adult in her presence.

“Francesca and her friends never ate, or at least only ate salads.”

What a good topic to ruin a lovely day. Cassie stared at Blaze and wondered if he saw some hungry disgusting pig. She’d go insane at this rate. She never knew what he was thinking or feeling.

“I’m hungry.”

They walked to the nearest burger bar and ordered a burger and fries for all of them. They sat toward the back and out of the sun. Cassie’s heart melted when Blaze Junior pushed the chair closer to her and climbed up.

Blaze smiled and leaned back in his chair.

Was that man up to something?