Chapter 1
My eyes shoot open as the baby monitor crackles. Please let it be a false alarm. He’s just moving in the crib, getting comfortable, that’s all. I just need a couple more hours of sleep, and I’ll be ready to go. The plush bed, soft bedding, and fluffy pillow agree with me, luring my tired eyes to close.
As if on cue, Adian starts to fuss, causing my eyes to pop open once more. I find Chase on his side of the bed, sleeping the sleep of the dead. I have to fight the urge to slap his arm and groan, ‘Tag, you’re it.’ Amelia, you’re better than that, even if just barely. Before Chase went to sleep, he did tell me he had an important meeting tomorrow. Argh, I turn and reach for my phone on my nightstand. 3 am; it’s only been an hour since I fed, burped, played, and changed him.
“Baby boy, please go back to sleep,” I plea underneath my breath.
Adian’s fussing quickly morphs into an all-out cry. My brows knit as a streak of panic forces me out of bed, putting on my robe over my slip gown. I didn’t like that cry. Maybe he’s sick, or perhaps he has pinned his arm in the crib’s bars. My heart starts to race as the many things that could be wrong play through my mind.
I rush out of the room. “I’m coming, Adian. I’m coming, baby,” I try to indulge him from afar.
I swear his cries intensify as soon as he hears my voice. Oh god, something is wrong. I open the door to find him squirming and crying as if his life depends on it. The guilt of the few extra moments spent in bed plagues me as I quickly bridge the distance between us.
“Shh, okay, I’m here,” I say just above a whisper, picking him up out of the crib. Adian continues to cry, fraying my nerves further. “Do you have a fever?” I say as I feel his forehead.
Adian doesn’t calm as I start to bounce him lightly in my arms. He’s a little warm, but is he warm enough to be feverish? How is Chase sleeping through this?! Shit, I need my kit from downstairs, and I should call the on-call pediatrician too.
I start to grab everything I think he needs, “Okay, Lil’ Man, we’ll make everything better. Let’s go downstairs and take your temp proper, call the doctor, and maybe call—”
“What’s going on?” Chase’s sleep-filled voice breaks through my babified rant. I turn to find him at the door in his pajama pants. “Amelia, is there a reason you’re holding the baby, his blankie, and the diaper bag?”
“Because I think he’s sick, and we might have to go straight to the ER,” I continue to worry, trying to walk past him.
His hand comes up, stopping me in my tracks, “Just give me a second to catch up. Why do you think he’s sick?”
My irritation plays over my expression, “Because I fed him, changed his diaper, and burped him only an hour ago.”
Chase’s brow lifts, “Okay? Maybe he’s just hungry again.”
Adian isn’t crying as hard, but he stays fussy in my arms. I turn my bouncing into a soft rocking motion as he lies his head on my shoulder, making my heart melt.
I peer up at Chase, “Adian ate a whole six-ounce bottle only an hour ago. At four months, he shouldn’t be hungry again until at least six or seven in the morning. I know he doesn’t feel well. Look at him.”
Chase obliges me, “Okay, he’s usually a little more upbeat than this, but do you think it could be that it’s the middle of the night?”
I let out an exasperated sigh, “How about we compromise, and I’ll go get my baby kit from downstairs? If he has a low-grade temp, we call the pediatrician. Anything higher than 102, we’re going to the ER.”
“I thought we’re supposed to go to ER if it’s 103 or higher?” I narrow my eyes at him. Chase puts his hands up in surrender, “Hey, you made me read the baby book too, remember? I’m just saying what it said. But we’ll go to Emergency if Adian’s temperature is 102 or higher. Better safe than sorry.”
I roll my eyes, carefully handing Adian to Chase.
“I’ll be back with the kit,” I say, completing our hand-off. Adian starts to wail. “Poor Lil’ Man, I’ll be—”
A loud, long, and extremely wet fart-turned poop comes out of Adian. The baby stops crying, but he’s not done yet as he continues to go. My face screws up. That diaper isn’t going to hold all of that crap for long. Adian is happy, though, cooing like he’s not sitting in a pile of—
“Um, Amelia? Can you take him before I’m wearing what’s reeking in his diaper, please?”
I watch an unmoving Chase holding onto Adian as if the baby will explode if he budges. I guess it’s too late for that. A giggle escapes me before I decide to let Chase off the hook, taking baby Adian.
“I guess he was just gassy. It must’ve been the pureed pears,” I say, turning towards the changing table. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.” I feel Chase relieve me of the diaper bag as I lay the baby down on the table. “I need—”
“Wipes, diaper, baby powder, and diaper rash cream, right?”
My brow wrinkles, looking down at Adian, “Shoot, I can’t remember. I think the cream is only used if he has an active rash.”
Chase comes to my side, handing me all the items I need, plus the rash cream.
“You’re trying to tell me you from all people don’t remember? Even after all the books you read?” he teases as the baby coos and laughs at us.
I roll my eyes, opening the diaper. My eyes widen as Adian kicks gleefully. For all that’s holy, that’s a lot of poop. I try to pretend I’m not as grossed out as I really am and continue my task.
I clear my throat, “For your information, I read the same book you did over the same weekend. Isn’t that right, Adian?”
“I know, I’m just giving you shit. Adian shouldn’t be the only one allowed to.”
I continue to clean him as Chase looks on, but not too closely.
“I’m not the one that got peed on,” I joke.
“Oh, your turn is coming. At least that’s what J told me.”
I peer down at the handsome, smooth brown-skinned ball of joy, sucking on his fingers. His cuteness overload almost makes me want a baby of my own… almost.
“J and Naya make the most beautiful babies,” I muse over Adian.
“They do, but I can’t believe they waited this long to have another one. Cassie is nine, and Jasmine is seven. I just thought they would’ve closed down the baby factory.”
“But how can you deny a face like this one? Wait, did he get poo on his sleeper?” I ask.
“Shit on sleepers is one reason to opt-out. Here,” he says, handing me clean pajamas from Adian’s bag.
“You see how your godfather talks about you? I think you need to continue peeing in his face to teach him a lesson.”
“Or more like solidify one,” Chase continues to tease, or at least I think he’s teasing.
Chase has a point, though. Those are significant age gaps, but they’re such great parents, and J finally got his little boy. I know Naya’s done ‘spawning,’ as she called it, but she’s smitten with her little man too. I can’t believe it’s been three years. Time flies, and thirty is just around the corner. The thought makes my throat tighten just a tad. Chase and I never talked about us having kids. I’m not sure if I even want any, but… I let the thought slip out of my mind, knowing it will only lead to others, and I want to get some sleep tonight.
I finish up, snapping Adian’s sleeper shut. Adian begins to rub his eyes sleepily as I take him towards his crib. Chase and I stay until Adian settles in, closing his eyes. Hopefully staying asleep this time. We creep out, shutting the door behind us.
Chase starts towards our room, shaking his head, “I still can’t believe you put together a whole nursery for an overnight babysitting gig.”
“I did not. I only got the essentials so Naya would feel comfortable about leaving him with us.”
Chase goes into the bathroom while I strip and drop my robe on the floor before lying down in the bed.
“A crib and a changing table are necessities?”
“It’s a travel changing table. I can easily fold it up and store it for the next babysitting gig.”
He comes out of the bathroom, “The next what?” I playfully narrow my eyes at him. Chase sighs, getting into the bed. “Anyway, the crib isn’t portable, is it?”
I give him a half-smile, “Well, I couldn’t find one that didn’t look flimsy, but no one comes to stay in our guest room anyway, and it turns into a toddler bed for when Lil’ Man gets older.”
Chase props his head up with the pillow, “How many of these gigs are you thinking of taking? And for how long?”
I lightly slap his arm, “Stop. I’m shocked, actually. We should be proud that J and Naya trusted us to take Adian in the first place. I mean, we’ve never kept kids before.”
“You were moments away from taking him to the ER,” he pauses for dramatic effect, and I scoff at his dig. “I’m just messing with you. They couldn’t have asked for a better babysitter.”
“Huh, is that why you wanted to get a whole nanny scheduled?”
He shrugs, “That was for you. Not many people would be ready to babysit after coming back from a long business trip like yours.”
I know what he’s referring to, and suddenly, the exhaustion takes over, or at least I let Chase believe that. A huge yawn leaves my mouth.
“I’ve been back from Elbarde for two weeks now.”
“Yes, and you ran yourself ragged out there visiting some sites that weren’t supposed to be on the docket until next year. Then you come home and put the labs to work, keeping the momentum going. So, I thought you wouldn’t mind the help with baby Adian.”
Memories of my work in Elbarde bubble up in my mind, as well as Ethan. No. I promised myself I wouldn’t think of Ethan again after leaving Elbarde. Though, my brain doesn’t seem to care what I want.
Ethan’s deep brown, almond-shaped eyes flash through my thoughts. Think of something else, Amelia. His eyes melt away, replaced by the way he raked his fingers through his dark brown, thick curly hair that faded nicely into his sharply groomed beard. I slightly shake the thought away before new images of Ethan’s warm, olive skin emerge.
Chase breaks through my thoughts, “Are you getting one of your headaches?”
“Huh?”
“You look like your head hurts.”
My brows furrow, “Oh. No, I’m just thinking.”
“Thinking about what?”
I search his bluish-green eyes, causing everything about Ethan to slip into the ether. An involuntary smile spreads over my face.
“I’m thinking about how much I want you.”
Chase arches his brow, “Hhmm, how exactly do you want me?”
Playfully, I bite my bottom lip, “Deep inside me,” I purr.
A crooked smile flits across his face before he takes a more serious expression, clearing his throat.
“I believe that can be arranged, but there’s one caveat.”
I feign seriousness, “And what’s that, Mr. Billionare?”
“You can’t wake baby Adian with your throes of lusty fulfillment.”
Did he just say…? I let out a laugh from the gut. He smiles before going back into character.
“I’m sure I can contain myself enough not to wake up Lil’ Man,” I tease as I pull him towards me. “Let me show you,” I say as I go to kiss him, but he friskily pulls me on top of him instead.
A whispered moan leaves me as I lift up and gently grind my sex over his. Chase’s hardening member chases the last thoughts of Ethan away. He raises up, wrapping his hand into my shoulder-length waves, bringing me down with him.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Puddles.”
