Tied Bond (Bonded Duet 2)

e call, but knowing I had to because I needed to pay full attention to the target. “Sleep tight,” I finished, and then ended the call.

Tonight, I’d do my job and get all the intel I could on my target, but tomorrow…tomorrow would be all about Belle and me, and I could finally tell her exactly how I felt.

* * *

BELLE

“I have nothing to wear,” I groaned, throwing things out of my closet and onto the floor. I’d gone through each item twice, and there was only one viable option, and I couldn’t even do the zipper up on it. “I should call and cancel.”

I turned around and went to grab my cell off my bed, but Aria yanked it away before I could get to it. “Oh no, you don’t.” She tutted and shook her head at me. “You’ve been waiting for this for years, and you are not going to pull out just because you can’t find anything to wear.” She raised her brows at me and then glanced down at Leo, where he lay on the bed between her legs. His little arms were moving, and as soon as she ran her finger down his chubby cheek, his legs joined in on the action. “We’re not letting her, are we, Leo? Nope, Auntie Aria is putting her foot down because Mommy and Daddy need to go out on this date so we get our alone time, isn’t that right?”

I rolled my eyes at her and planted my hands on my hips. “What do you propose I do, then, Aria? I have nothing that fits me.” I screwed my nose up. “My hips aren’t mine anymore.”

“That’s what happens when you have a baby,” Mom’s voice interjected, and I turned to stare at her in the doorway to my room. “You did that to me too.” She shrugged. “It’s your fault my jeans didn’t fit afterward.”

I growled. They were being no help. Ford would be here in a couple of hours, and I had no idea what I was going to wear. Not only that, but I didn’t have time to even go to the mall to try and get something new. I saw leggings in my very near future. They’d accept that as the appropriate dress wear at the fancy restaurant in town, right?

“So, what should I do?” I asked.

“Well…” Mom stepped forward. “I have this dress that I got last month for one of your dad’s events he gets invited to, but it’s too small for me. I think it’d fit you perfectly.”

I tilted my head, skeptical of what she was saying. “What’s it look like?”

“It’s hanging in the bathroom. Why don’t you go try it on and see?”

“Fine.” I was aware I was acting like a sulky teenager, but this night had to be perfect. We were already in the middle of December—nearly a year since our first kiss—and finally, we were going on our first date.

I closed the bathroom door behind me and stared at the clothing bag hanging on the side of the shower. Its white material covered whatever was inside, and I hesitated. This was my last option, and if it didn’t fit, then I wouldn’t be able to go.

Stepping forward, I bit down on my bottom lip and then started to pull the zipper down. Bright red appeared behind the zipper, and I slowly pulled the dress out. Instead of staring at it, I tried it right on, not getting my hopes up until I knew if it would fit me or not.

I shucked off my leggings and T-shirt, then stepped into the dress and pulled it up. The halter neck pushed my boobs up, and thanks to breastfeeding Leo, they filled it out perfectly. I stared down at the side zipper and whispered, “You better do up.” I held my breath and slowly pulled it up, and it didn’t get stuck.

My eyes widened, and I darted my attention to the mirror to take a proper look at the dress. The red was bright, a complete contrast to my skin tone, but it worked. The halter neck was flattering, and so was the way it pulled me in at the waist. And the hips that I’d been moaning about looked way better than they ever had, giving me an hourglass shape. For the first time since I’d started showing when I was pregnant, I felt pretty.

“Well?” Mom’s voice sounded outside the bathroom door. “Does it fit?”

“Y-yeah,” I croaked out, not able to take my eyes off the dress. It was perfect. But I didn’t want to show Mom and Aria, not yet. I wanted to wait until my hair and makeup were done, so I undid the zipper and pulled it off gently, then placed it back into the clothes bag.

My nerves lowered now that I knew I had something to wear, and I finally had high hopes for the evening ahead. I opened up the bathroom door to a waiting Mom and Aria, who was holding Leo, and they both frowned.

“Do we not get to see?” Mom asked.

“Nope.” I walked past them and back into my bedroom. “You’ll have to wait.”

Aria rolled her eyes. “Your mommy is a drama queen.” I snorted, but she wasn’t wrong.

“Do you need help with your hair?” Mom asked as I sat down at my desk, which I’d used as a makeup station since I’d found my love for the stuff. I met her gaze in the mirror and slowly nodded. It had been years since my mom did my hair, but she always knew exactly how to tame it.

“I’m gonna head downstairs to Cade and share Leo with him for a while,” Aria announced. “He’ll get jealous if I hog him all to myself.”

“Are you sure you’re okay to have him overnight?” I asked, biting down on my bottom lip as Mom took a brush to my hair. “I can call you when the date is over and—”

“We’ll be fine,” Aria interrupted. “You’ve pumped all the milk he needs, and you’ve checked his bag several times.” She walked toward me and placed her hand on my shoulder. “We’re good. I promise.”

“Okay,” I whispered, my shoulders drooping. “His car seat is in the kitchen, and his bassinet is in the living room.”

“Got it.” Aria turned.