Ana Oliveira Part 3

"I love you!" he said, as the little one ended the hug. "Play."
Josiah looked at me, his brows furrowed, seeming not to understand what she said, trying to balance the child in his arms as she started squirming excitedly.
"She’s asking you to play," I explained, a slight smile on my face. "Grab the blocks and help her stack them..." I pointed.
He set her down on the floor, awkwardly handling the colorful cubes with his large fingers. Oh my God! It was so cute. I would surely burn in hell for having kept him from experiencing this before. For having kept my daughter from it too...
"Lu, let’s head to the kitchen?" I called, wanting to give them some more privacy.


***


Josiah stayed at my house all night. He fed our daughter, changed her first diaper—clumsily and awkwardly. It was so sweet to see him holding her tiny foot while I nursed her, relaxed on the couch beside us until she fell asleep. Later, I placed her in the crib in the upstairs room, watching as he inspected the window facing his studio, securing it tightly. He then went to the door leading to the balcony, locking it and making sure it couldn't be reopened. Afterward, he walked to the crib, leaned over, kissed the baby's head, whispered "I love you," and then walked out, signaling for me to follow him.
I turned on the baby monitor and followed him, watching him check the staircase hallway again to ensure everything was locked.
"You need to put one of those gates here too, Ana!" he pointed at the wooden staircase. "And either replace the slats on the railing or put up a screen. She’s a little troublemaker; she could get stuck in there..."
"Get a quote from the person you find for the safety screen," I asked as we descended the steps and walked to the living room. My heart was out of sync again, feeling his scent and the warmth of his body close to mine. "Also, Josiah, put curtains on that window in your studio!"
He grinned widely as he stopped in front of the front door, showing off his row of white, perfect teeth. I could imagine the satisfaction coursing through him, realizing that I’d addressed his previous teasing.
"Did you like what you saw, Docinho?" he asked, getting very close to me.
"I think you're a jerk!" I accused, taking a step back.
"I doubt you didn’t want to be sitting on me like that," he teased. "You know there’s still time, right?"
I swallowed hard, feeling a heat rise in my belly, trying not to show it. I looked away from the way he seductively bit his lower lip.
"I’m going out with Luana tomorrow night, so you can watch Julia. She might cry, so it would be good if you could stay at your mom's place."
Josiah shifted uncomfortably, leaning against the door.
"Trying to get me into places I don’t want to be, huh?"
I faced my ex, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. I crossed my arms and raised my left eyebrow, hiding my right hand under my armpit. I really wanted an excuse for Josiah to go to his mother’s house; it would make her very happy.
"Well, you can keep her at your place, but no parties or weird friends!" I warned, my gaze sour when mentioning parties. "And I still think she’ll cry. I know my daughter."
"It could be at Marta’s!" he resigned, looking me up and down and licking his lower lip. "You look nice in that dress."
Oh God! He needed to leave soon. I stared at those red, inviting lips... There were no teeth marks left. But my subconscious reminded me that he used to play these games with me, with jealousy.
"Just go!" I said, pointing to the door with my left hand.
"Hmm... My house is far. Don’t you want to play here?" he said, biting his lip and looking at my breasts as he pointed to the sofa.
"Stop the flirting!" I ordered, with a stern look. "I’m not going to spread my legs just for you to treat me badly later or show up with another woman right under my nose."
"I’m single, Docinho. I need to screw someone... And you don’t seem willing to give," he mocked, eyeing me like a predator.
I looked at the bulge that seemed ready to escape from his pants, ignoring how my mouth watered and how I had to press my legs together to control the sensations.

"I need to sleep! Just go already!"
"Where are you going tomorrow, Docinho?"
"It’s none of your business!"
"Hmm... You know you don’t have to go far to get laid. I’m always here!" he said, grabbing my waist, pulling me close, and staring at my mouth with his enigmatic eyes the color of lush pine needles. "Let me take your clothes off?"
I felt my breasts pressing against his stomach, looking up at the perfect face of that scoundrel.
"I thought you hated me..." I murmured, pushing his chest with my hands.
"And I do hate you! But I also feel other things..." he whispered in my ear, biting the lobe, causing a warm rush to pool in my panties. "Like this!"
Josiah guided my hand to his penis, squeezing my fingers around his erection. Oh God, I couldn’t fall for this temptation! I pulled away, breathing through my mouth, fighting the desire.
I walked around him, grabbed the doorknob, feeling his gaze burning into my back, and opened the door.
"Tomorrow, at 8 PM, at your mom’s house!" I explained, holding the door open for him.
Josiah smiled, walking lazily in front of me. I felt a heat coursing through every goosebumps on my body, watching him bend down to put on his shoes. Then he straightened up, gave me a more intense look, and said, "Stop teaching my daughter that Lucah is her father!"
Surprised, I took a deep breath, holding back the fury of hearing him speak that way about him. It revived my longing, the memories, the pain...
"Please, don’t talk about him like that!" I asked, with contained anger.
"I already told you!" he said through gritted teeth. "If I see her doing that, you’ll see the Josiah you don’t like!"
"He was also my daughter’s father. Lucah loved the idea of her since she was in my belly, loved every kick, he loved her before she was born... It’s fair that Júlia grows up knowing that."
"That’s one of the reasons I hate you!" he muttered, turning his back and slamming the gate as he left.