hell!”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry. I’m
cleaning it up.” She held up one hand as she mopped the floor with a paper
towel. Junior smiled in his seat.
“How about I order pizza?”
She let out a breath, blowing hair
out of her eyes. “That would be wonderful. Thank you.”
* * * *
Susanna set up the baby monitor on
the dining room table while Quinn doled out slices of meatball and pepper
pizza. The smell made her stomach rumble.
“Two?” He asked.
She nodded. “I’m starved. I forgot
to eat lunch. My clock was out of sync today.”
“Maybe because you were up half the
night with Junior. How is he?”
“He seems better. Still a little
feverish. When I took his temperature half an hour ago, it was 100.5…much
better than last night.”
Quinn popped the top on his beer and
opened a bottle of iced tea for Susanna. As they sat down to eat, she noticed
his gaze skim over her low-cut tank top and snug jeans. An appreciative grin
lit up his face.
“Junior and I had a talk about you…”
“Oh?” He lifted his eyebrows. “And
what did he have to say?” A smile tugged at his lips.
“He said maybe I should…give you
another chance.”
“Not jump to conclusions?”
She took a bite and nodded at him.
“What are you so afraid of?” He
inched closer to her. “You might like me? You still think I’m the big, bad
movie star who’s out deflowering virgins every night?”
Heat slowly rose to her cheeks. Spot on, dammit! No glib answer came to
mind, so she kept her head down and continued chewing.
“Cat…no, wait…baby got your tongue?”
A whimper came across the monitor.
Slowly it changed to a soft cry, Junior
to the rescue. She finished chewing, swallowed, and got up from the table.
“Junior calls.”
“Don’t think you’re off the hook,”
Quinn called after her.
She tiptoed into the bedroom, afraid
to wake the baby if he had fallen back to sleep. His hair was matted down on
his sweaty little head, and his eyes were open. When he saw her, he let out a
yell. “I get it. You want out. Okay.” She lifted him up and carted him to the
kitchen, where she prepared another bottle of Pedialyte.
She held him in her lap at the
dining table while Quinn ate and drank. Junior sucked contentedly on his
bottle. Susanna stroked his head. “His head is wet. Please get me the ear
thermometer?”
Quinn returned with the handy gadget.
The result was normal temperature. Her gaze connected with Quinn’s. “It’s
normal,” she whispered, smiling. The baby’s eyes began to close as his sucking
slowed. She stood up slowly and crossed the room as quietly as possible. When
she returned, Susanna plopped down on the sofa, crossed her legs, and sighed.
“Wow. He’s okay.” Tears formed in
the corners of her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Quinn took his drink
and joined her.
“Never been so scared before in my
life,” she muttered.
When he took her in his arms, her
head rested on his shoulder. She closed her eyes, taking in his masculine scent
mixed with a faint whiff of beer and aftershave. “You were amazing. I’d trust
my child to you any day,” he whispered into her hair.
“You have.”
“Dammit!” he yelled, grabbing her
upper arms and holding her away from him.
“Just kidding.” She blinked, trying
to form a convincing smile.
“Kidding?” A twinkle came into his
eye as he suddenly jerked her across his lap and smacked her bottom gently with
the flat of his hand. “How’s that for kidding?”
She shrieked and kicked her legs,
squirming to get away from him. “You’ll regret that! This means war!” Trying
not to smile, she freed herself then jumped on him, grabbing his sides, poking
and tickling.
Quinn tried to fight her off, but
she was relentless. He alternated between yelling and laughing as the two of
them tussled on the sofa, falling sideways. Quinn seized the advantage,
fastening his hands on her wrists and wresting them to her sides. He raised
them above her
“Don’t worry, don’t worry. I’m
cleaning it up.” She held up one hand as she mopped the floor with a paper
towel. Junior smiled in his seat.
“How about I order pizza?”
She let out a breath, blowing hair
out of her eyes. “That would be wonderful. Thank you.”
* * * *
Susanna set up the baby monitor on
the dining room table while Quinn doled out slices of meatball and pepper
pizza. The smell made her stomach rumble.
“Two?” He asked.
She nodded. “I’m starved. I forgot
to eat lunch. My clock was out of sync today.”
“Maybe because you were up half the
night with Junior. How is he?”
“He seems better. Still a little
feverish. When I took his temperature half an hour ago, it was 100.5…much
better than last night.”
Quinn popped the top on his beer and
opened a bottle of iced tea for Susanna. As they sat down to eat, she noticed
his gaze skim over her low-cut tank top and snug jeans. An appreciative grin
lit up his face.
“Junior and I had a talk about you…”
“Oh?” He lifted his eyebrows. “And
what did he have to say?” A smile tugged at his lips.
“He said maybe I should…give you
another chance.”
“Not jump to conclusions?”
She took a bite and nodded at him.
“What are you so afraid of?” He
inched closer to her. “You might like me? You still think I’m the big, bad
movie star who’s out deflowering virgins every night?”
Heat slowly rose to her cheeks. Spot on, dammit! No glib answer came to
mind, so she kept her head down and continued chewing.
“Cat…no, wait…baby got your tongue?”
A whimper came across the monitor.
Slowly it changed to a soft cry, Junior
to the rescue. She finished chewing, swallowed, and got up from the table.
“Junior calls.”
“Don’t think you’re off the hook,”
Quinn called after her.
She tiptoed into the bedroom, afraid
to wake the baby if he had fallen back to sleep. His hair was matted down on
his sweaty little head, and his eyes were open. When he saw her, he let out a
yell. “I get it. You want out. Okay.” She lifted him up and carted him to the
kitchen, where she prepared another bottle of Pedialyte.
She held him in her lap at the
dining table while Quinn ate and drank. Junior sucked contentedly on his
bottle. Susanna stroked his head. “His head is wet. Please get me the ear
thermometer?”
Quinn returned with the handy gadget.
The result was normal temperature. Her gaze connected with Quinn’s. “It’s
normal,” she whispered, smiling. The baby’s eyes began to close as his sucking
slowed. She stood up slowly and crossed the room as quietly as possible. When
she returned, Susanna plopped down on the sofa, crossed her legs, and sighed.
“Wow. He’s okay.” Tears formed in
the corners of her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Quinn took his drink
and joined her.
“Never been so scared before in my
life,” she muttered.
When he took her in his arms, her
head rested on his shoulder. She closed her eyes, taking in his masculine scent
mixed with a faint whiff of beer and aftershave. “You were amazing. I’d trust
my child to you any day,” he whispered into her hair.
“You have.”
“Dammit!” he yelled, grabbing her
upper arms and holding her away from him.
“Just kidding.” She blinked, trying
to form a convincing smile.
“Kidding?” A twinkle came into his
eye as he suddenly jerked her across his lap and smacked her bottom gently with
the flat of his hand. “How’s that for kidding?”
She shrieked and kicked her legs,
squirming to get away from him. “You’ll regret that! This means war!” Trying
not to smile, she freed herself then jumped on him, grabbing his sides, poking
and tickling.
Quinn tried to fight her off, but
she was relentless. He alternated between yelling and laughing as the two of
them tussled on the sofa, falling sideways. Quinn seized the advantage,
fastening his hands on her wrists and wresting them to her sides. He raised
them above her
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