The Anti-Boyfriend

“Where’s Kendra?”

“She went back to her place.”

“She left because of the noise?”

“She…had to get up for work early in the morning, so she went home to sleep.”

“Sunny totally cockblocked you tonight. I’m sorry.”

I really wasn’t.

He waved his hand dismissively. “It’s alright.”

“When this is over, you can get me back—fuck someone’s brains out nice and loud.”

I’d expected him to laugh, but instead he looked at me with concern. I immediately wished I could take my crass joke back.

“Did you try giving her a cool bath? I’m no expert, but wouldn’t that bring the fever down? I remember my mother doing that for my brother when he was small and had a temperature.”

It seemed so obvious, but it hadn’t occurred to me—or to the damn nurses I’d talked to apparently. “You know what? That’s a good idea. I think I’ll go start a bath right now. Do you mind holding her while I run to the bathroom and set it up?”

Deacon looked anxiously around the room. Was he trying to come up with a reason not to take her from me? “Uh…sure,” he finally said.

I handed Sunny to him and took a few seconds to admire how cute it was to see Deacon holding her, bouncing her up and down gently.

I rushed to the bathroom, not wanting to freak him out too much. I’d already disrupted his night enough. Running water in the tub, I tested the temperature, so it was cool but not too cold. When I finally shut off the faucet, I noticed something odd: silence.

For the first time all night. Sunny wasn’t crying. My first instinct was to be alarmed. Had she passed out?

I darted back out to the living room, but before I could utter a word, Deacon held his index finger to his mouth.

“She just fell asleep,” he whispered.

Somehow, I was still concerned. “Are you sure she’s breathing?”

“I’m positive. I can feel it and hear it.” He swayed from side to side. “I’m afraid to stop this motion, because that’s how I got her to sleep.”

As I watched him rock her back and forth, my ovaries felt like they were about to explode. This man was sexy when he wasn’t holding a baby. Now? Off the charts.

“I don’t get why I couldn’t get her to sleep, and then you hold her for five minutes…”

“Can’t say I understand it, either.” Looking down at her, he said, “I gotta be honest, though. I kinda wanted to run for the hills when you first asked me to take her. But she made it easy.” Deacon shrugged. “Not bad for my first time holding a baby, huh?”

My mouth fell agape. “Ever? You’re kidding me.”

“Nope.” He laughed.

“That figures.”

She looked so comfy in his big arms. No wonder she’d fallen asleep. It must have been like lying in a warm, king-size bed compared to the usual fold-out cot with uncomfortable springs.

“I think you’ll be okay if you stop rocking. Normally, once she’s asleep, she stays asleep.”

His voice was low. “Should I put her down?”

I’d enjoyed watching him hold her too much to suggest that myself.

“Let’s try putting her in the crib, yeah.”

Deacon followed me to Sunny’s room. He carefully placed her on the mattress, and at first it seemed he’d been successful.

We tiptoed out of the room, seemingly in the clear until we heard rustling.

Shit!

And there was the crying again.

“Damn it,” he groaned. “I thought I was careful.”

“You were. Not your fault. She somehow sensed it. The same thing’s happened to me before. She must be super sensitive tonight because she’s sick.”

I went in to get her, but once again, she wouldn’t stop crying. It was just as it had been before.

“Should I try rocking her again?” he asked.

“I can’t make you do that. This is not your—”

“It’s no problem, Carys. Honestly.”

Deacon held out his hands, and I placed her in his arms again. He walked back out into the living room and this time sat down on the edge of couch, still rocking.

Slowly but surely, over the next several minutes, her crying slowed until it was non-existent. Sunny fell asleep again in her king-size bed.

I shook my head in amazement. “She definitely likes being in your arms.”

He smiled down at her. “Anything you want to do, go do it. Because I don’t think I’m getting up anytime soon.”

“You can’t just sit there with her all night.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s late. Don’t you have to sleep yourself?”

“Sleep is overrated. Plus, don’t forget I work from home, so I can sleep in tomorrow if I need to and catch up on work later.”

After sweating from nerves all night, I needed a shower badly. I normally bathed each night before bed, but with Sunny being upset, I hadn’t been able to. Would it be terrible if I took him up on his offer? I hated feeling like a charity case, but if he wasn’t going anywhere for a bit, why not take advantage?