Up In Flames (BWWM)

Chapter Three

"Maybe he's been watching my parent's house! I don't know Daniel! But he's threatening to bring this into the divorce proceedings if I don't meet him for dinner tonight!" I yell, not sure why I'm raising my voice at him. It's not his fault his brother is an asshole.

"Why does it matter if he brings it up? I'm glad he knows. In fact he should've been taking notes on how to wax that ass properly," his grin lights up the room and he reaches for my waist.

I slap his hands down and move out of his grasp making his smile drop.

"You're playing around and he's plotting on how to take my kids Daniel! This isn't a fûcking joke. If he can prove I've been unfaithful I won't get a dime of the money I was promised in the pre-nup. I need that money to get a place for me and the kids and pay bills until I can get on my feet. If he takes that money away I become an unfit mother and he can take away my children!" I'm in full blown hysterics by the end of my rant and my mind is racing with all of the possibilities.

"Fûck," he starts, "I-I didn't know. I've never done this before...I'm sorry. Had I never come over-"

I hold my hand up to stop him.

"There was no way I would've been able to stay away from you," I walk over into the place I feel safest, his arms, "I missed you too, so much. He would've found out eventually."

He nods but doesn't speak and we stand there forehead to forehead in silence.

"So," I sigh but try to put on a smile, "show me these renovations of yours."

He walks me through his cabin style home for the next hour, stopping to tell me every single detail of the changes he made. The look of absolute joy and delight on his face makes me happy. I love seeing how passionate he is about what he does and I know it brought him so much joy to be able to use his trade on his own home. The tour stopped at his bedroom and somehow we didn't leave until hours later.

*

"Stop kissing me," I say in between returning his kiss, "He's probably watching right now."

He pulls me tighter and grips my ass in his massive hand.

"Ooh kinky," he grins making me slap his shoulder and glare.

"I have to go," I kiss him one last time and tighten the belt on my jacket. It's been unusually cold outside all day.

"Fine," he groans, letting me go, "but text me when you get there and when you leave. I have to know you're safe."

I nod and smile, blowing him a kiss as I walk down the pathway to my Lexus.

Getting in I turn on the heated seats and let the car warm a bit before pulling off. Dan's house becomes a tiny brown speck in my rearview before I know it and that's a task. Although he doesn't like to flaunt it, Daniel's doing very well for himself. Not only does he own his carpentry business, he and Dave's parents left them each a ton of money when they passed away.

That spoiled lifestyle growing up did nothing for Dan but Dave on the other hand took it all to heart. Dan said he didn't shed a tear when they were told the news of their parent's plane crashing. The second they turned eighteen Dan invested his money but Dave went about throwing it at beautiful women and buying expensive cars. Apparently he was a bit of a cut up in his heyday.

Before we started seeing each other Dan and I would talk about the past. He told me when Dave met me was the first time he had seen him happily docile in years. I was all he talked about, all he thought about. He said he wanted to marry me the first time he saw me and when he found out I was pregnant with our children he didn't even hesitate. Those stories were what I held on to through years of mistreatment. For all intents and purposes he loved me, he wanted a life with me, wanted me. I don't know what changed.