Authors: Niobia Bryant
Mistress, Inc. (19 page)
“No problem.”
Jessa finished feeding Delaney and changed her Pampers before she swaddled her back in her blanket and laid her down inside her crib. She darkened the lights of her room and moved to stand by the window. She felt a little light-headed from suddenly being up on her feet, but she leaned against the wall as she looked out at the night.
The press releasing the news of the baby’s delivery might have set the Halls on her ass just a little quicker. And that’s all Jessa could think about. So much of her life and her sins had been exposed, but there was more to her story that she wanted to stay in the past. Even they could stumble on the truth, even after all the years that had passed ...
What the fuck am I going to do?
And that wasn’t the only decision she had to make.
Jessa turned and walked over to the small clear crib to look down at her sleeping daughter. She wasn’t giving Delaney Eric’s last name, and giving her Marc’s last name wasn’t right either. “Delaney Logan,” Jessa said.
She loved Marc, but she had made the choice to go back to using her own maiden name as well. She wanted her and her daughter to have the same last name ... and it would kill the whole Jessa Bell/Jezebel reference.
But what about the lawsuit?
Jessa thought.
Do I have the time or energy to fight Jaime when the Halls are gunning for me?
Jessa thought.
Do I have the time or energy to fight Jaime when the Halls are gunning for me?
The door opened and another nurse came in. “We need to do an assessment of the baby.”
Jessa moved to stand in front of the crib. “Can I see your badge please?” she asked.
The nurse handed it over. “I understand completely and don’t worry, we’ll take good care of her until we bring her back.”
Jessa turned over the badge. “Could you also let everyone know that I need to give approval for anyone before they’re allowed on the unit to see me?” she asked, moving to climb back into the hospital bed.
“Of course.”
Jessa pulled the cover up to her chest and closed her eyes. The Halls were Delaney’s grandparents, but they started the war and now Jessa was playing her hand. They would not lay eyes on her daughter until she said so, and Jessa doubted she would ever feel comfortable enough for that. Ever.
Fuck them.
Fuck them.
Her job was to protect her child and the more she thought about, she didn’t know if she trusted her neighbors of Richmond Hills enough to send her daughter out among them once she was older. As she had many times over the last few months, Jessa wondered if perhaps it was time to say good-bye to the subdivision. Maybe even the state.
Yes, there were a lot of decisions Jessa had to make and she prayed to God that she would make all the right choices.
The next day, Jessa was bombarded by guests and she enjoyed every chance to show off her beautiful daughter. First Myra—before she jetted off to work. And then Lincoln—before he rushed off to court. Keegan sat with her and the baby nearly all morning before she too had a meeting that called her away.
By the early afternoon, Jessa was yawning and ready for a light nap as Delaney slept peacefully on her own.
She was just closing her eyes when her room phone rang. She rushed to grab it before it awoke the baby. “Yes?”
“Ms. Logan, there’s Eric Hall Sr. and his wife requesting to see the baby.”
Being addressed by her maiden name sounded weird to her. She’d made the change weeks ago in preparation for the baby’s birth and she was still getting used to it again. “No, absolutely not,” Jessa said finally, sitting up in bed as her heart pounded.
The line went quiet.
“They are insisting, Ms. Logan.”
“Can I speak to Mr. Hall?” she said, her hand gripping the phone so tightly that her palm hurt.
“Yes, Jessa, you cannot be serious keeping us away from the child you claim belongs to our son.”
“And you can’t be serious coming here to swoop down on my baby like a couple of vultures after the way you insulted me in my home,” she told him coldly, reaching over to stroke Delaney’s back.
“This isn’t going to make things any better, Jessa,” he said.
“Are you still planning to go forward with fighting me for custody of my baby?” she asked, as she held out hope that they would just fall back and let her be.
“Listen, we just wanted to see the baby,” he answered, dodging the question.
Jessa was many things, but dumb was not one of them.
“No, you want to play I Spy and see if she resembles Eric. So the answer, without any doubt, coming straight from my mouth to your ears is for you and your wife to get the fuck away from me and my baby.”
“Jessa, you’re far too beautiful a woman to use such language.”
His voice was warm. Too warm. Too inviting.
Again, Jessa wasn’t dumb. She knew men all too well.
She flashed back to his obvious interest the day of Eric’s funeral. “Listen, you sick son of a bitch. Grab your troll of a wife and get out of here before I have security drag your asses out of here.”
Jessa hung up the phone and massaged the bridge of her nose with her free hand.
Two seconds later, the phone rang again. “What?” Jessa snapped, still upset.
“We’re sorry to bother you, Ms. Logan, but you
did
request we call the room for approval for all visitors.”
did
request we call the room for approval for all visitors.”
“Yes, I did. Are the Halls gone?” she asked, forcing a calmness to her voice.
“Yes, they are. This is a Mr. Tyson—”
“Tyson?” Jessa gasped, her mouth falling open as she pictured the sexy captain she hadn’t seen since their one-night stand in New York.
What the hell is he doing here?
What the hell is he doing here?
“Yes,” the nurse said with a hint of impatience.
Jessa couldn’t blame her.
“Okay. Let him back. Thank you.”
Jessa climbed from the bed as her heart raced in anticipation. She went into the bathroom and made sure her long uncurled hair didn’t look too crazy before she dug in her purse and put on a light amount of clear lip gloss; then she pinched her cheeks for a little color to her caramel complexion.
She was freshly showered but wished she was in one of her sensuous nightgowns and not the hospital generic, bulky and unflattering gowns.
Then again,
she thought, turning her mirror to see her stomach still as round and full as if she was six or seven months’ pregnant. Her uterus hadn’t shrunk down yet.
Then again,
she thought, turning her mirror to see her stomach still as round and full as if she was six or seven months’ pregnant. Her uterus hadn’t shrunk down yet.
Jessa quickly checked on Delaney before climbing back in bed and arranging the covers neatly around her body.
“Well, hello stranger,” Tyson said as he strolled in the door carrying what had to be two or even three dozen long-stemmed pink roses.
He completely changed the energy in the room and Jessa felt breathless from seeing him again. Maybe it was the surprise of his appearance or just simply how sexy he looked in his navy blazer, white shirt, and jeans.
“Hi, Tyson,” she said. Her heart pounded as she smoothed her hair behind her ear.
He set the floral arrangement in the windowsill next to the ones she received from the church, Henry, Lincoln, and Myra. He towered over them like trees over bushes.
Jessa watched his every movement and remembered every technique he used on her that night. Then, like now, everything about him spoke of power and strength.
Big dick self,
she thought, letting her eyes drop down briefly to take in his imprint against his jeans.
she thought, letting her eyes drop down briefly to take in his imprint against his jeans.
“You’re a hard lady to find,” Tyson said, coming over to stand by her bedside.
Jessa briefly noted that he hadn’t even looked down at her baby in the crib. “Um, yeah ... well, I can be reached when I want to, and obviously you can find me when you want to.”
He reached down and stroked the back of her hand.
Jessa got chills as she forced herself not to free her hand from his touch.
“You been on my mind since that night in New York,” Tyson said, looking down at her. “I thought I left enough of an
impression
for you to call me.”
impression
for you to call me.”
Jessa leaned back against the pillows and slyly cut her eyes up at him. “So what are you doing now, putting in your bid for the first one to get the post-pregnancy pussy?” she asked.
Tyson shook his head and laughed, his white teeth flashing against his bronzed skin. “Still sassy as hell I see.”
Lord, this man is fine.
Jessa said nothing as she continued to look up at him even as her heart beat so loud that she wondered if she would be able to hear Delaney if she cried.
“I heard on the news you had the baby and I figured this was my chance to reconnect with you and let you know I’m still interested.”
“Right now?” she joked, with a horrified expression.
Tyson held up both of his massive hands with his eyes wide. “Nooooo. No. No. No.”
Jessa laughed huskily.
He joined her in her laughter. “That’s what I like about you. You’re fun and sexy and you know how to make a man feel good. You know?”
In truth, Jessa had thought a lot about Tyson and the night they shared over the months that passed, but she knew being around him was a threat to her promise to stay celibate—and her even bigger promise not to have sex while pregnant with another man’s child.
Jessa wasn’t looking for strictly a lover, and with all the chemistry they shared—and now that she was no longer pregnant—maybe they could see if more could develop. Maybe God was sending her the man to fulfill all her wishes.
“You look beautiful,” he told her, his voice deep and low.
“Listen, once I get settled down with motherhood and get my body back together in bikini shape, maybe we can go on a couple of dates and see what happens,” she told him.
Being alone when she went into labor and all through the birth made her realize just how much she hated being alone.
“Does that mean I can have your number now?” Tyson asked teasingly.
Jessa shrugged. “We’ll see,” she said, flirting.
Delaney began to stir in her crib and Jessa climbed out of bed to check to make sure she didn’t need a diaper change. She found her daughter’s eyes open wide. They were big and bright. Jessa bent down close to her and nuzzled her cheek. “Who loves the baby? Hmm? Mama loves the baby?” she cooed softly. “Mama loves Delaney?”
She leaned up just in time to see a soft smile spread on her daughter’s face. Jessa giggled, feeling the innocent joy like that of a child again. Something she hadn’t even felt as a child after her mother left.
“Look, she’s smil—”
Jessa words faded as she looked up and saw Tyson in the opposite corner quietly talking on his cell phone. She looked back down at Delaney, who was lying quietly and sucking the side of her hand.
“Oh my God, I love you so much, Delaney,” Jessa sighed, feeling her love for her child burst in her chest. It was better than the other love she even thought she had for her own mother, Eric, or even Marc.
Deciding to fight the urge to hold Delaney and spoil her, Jessa climbed back in bed and pulled the crib close to its side.
“Okay, reschedule the meeting for the morning and make my apologies,” Tyson said in a no-nonsense business tone, before ending his call and sliding his iPhone into the inside pocket of his blazer.
Jessa let her eyes take in his swagger as he came back up to the bed on the side opposite from where she had the crib. He had just reached down to stroke soft circles onto the back of her hand when the door opened and Henry strolled in.
Jessa’s face lit into a big smile. “Hi, Henry,” she said, genuinely pleased to see her friend. He was on her list of approved guests and so no call ahead was necessary. She looked down at Delaney. “Look, it’s Uncle Henry.”
Henry eyed Tyson for a few seconds before he nodded in greeting and made his way straight to the crib. “Mornin’, morning’, Delaney,” he said in his big booming voice.
The baby smiled again.
Jessa looked on as he went to the bathroom to wash his hand and then rubbed them to warm them before he scooped her right up into his arms with ease. “I guess having all those brothers and sisters paid off,” Jessa teased, enjoying the way Henry walked back and forth around the room holding the baby.
“Jessa.”
She tore her eyes away from them to look at Tyson. “Yes?”
“Maybe I should come back,” he said.
Jessa shook her head. “No, Henry is like family. You’re fine.”
Henry looked over at Tyson. “That’s me. Henry the family friend,” he said, his voice slightly odd.
Jessa eyed him, but he was busy eyeing Tyson.
Then she turned her head to eye Tyson, but he was just as busy eyeing Henry back.
She eyed Henry. Then Tyson. Then Henry again.
Jessa bit her bottom lip.
Jessa knew men. Well. And standing before her were two men eyeing and shaping each other up like primal animals who sniffed out their first piece of tail and was ready to spar for it.
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