Page 26

NYLAH

Zoey is pretty engaged for the first two books. She loved A Fly Went By , so I’m glad I bought it with me. But when I started reading The Cat in the Hat , she got restless and squirmy. I gave up halfway through and soon had her bundled up in bed.

Her big blue eyes were sad and glassy as I laid her down. She was obviously missing her mommy, so I rubbed her back and sang her the lullabies Mom used to sing to me until her eyes were drifting shut.

I stayed where I was, stroking circles on her back until I was sure she was asleep.

And the second I crept out the door, closing it softly behind me, Carson was there. He must have been waiting on the landing. And by the hopeful, kind of desperate look on his face, I can tell that I’m not gonna get any of the studying I brought with me done.

Of course you weren’t going to get it done. You were counting on it!

I bite my lips together, laughing on the inside as I tiptoe toward him. As much as I want to make him suffer for leaving me on the street with barely a word, I also don’t want to waste this stolen moment with him, so when he holds out his hand, I take it.

When he guides me into his room, I follow.

And when he flicks the door shut, then boxes me against it, I let him.

The heated look in his eyes is an instant turn-on, and we don’t have to say a word before his lips are crashing against mine.

His fingers curl around my neck, his thumb resting on the tip of my chin while he devours me, and I happily let him.

When he squeezes my hip, I thrust toward him, and when he starts sucking my neck, I tip my head back for easier access because I am helpless to stop this.

I don’t even want to.

When he picks me up and presses me back against the door, I grind against his erection, losing my breath as his kisses step up a notch. The passion. The fire. It’s all so addictive. I want this man. All of him.

My body has been yearning for more since Sunday afternoon, and I’m about ready to tear his clothes off and go to town. I want to explore every inch of him, feel those taut, ripped muscles, wrap my fingers around his cock and?—

A scream jolts us apart. It’s followed by a high-pitched wail, and Carson quickly lowers me to the ground and nudges me away from the door. Wrenching it open, he bolts across the hallway to Zoey’s room.

She’s crying like she’s in pain, and I’m quickly chasing after him.

“Hey, Zo. What’s up?” Carson reaches into her crib, lifting her up to check she’s okay.

With a little whimper, she opens her mouth and promptly pukes all over Carson’s chin, neck, and shirt.

“Oh…” He starts dry retching but doesn’t drop her, and now I’m panicking that I’m about to have two pukesters on my hands.

“Take her to the bathroom,” I quickly order as I flick on the light and check her crib.

Yep, there’s puke in that too. No wonder the poor thing was restless and off tonight. She isn’t feeling well.

Still, I don’t want to ruin Sienna and Zander’s date night just yet.

Running down the hall, I follow Zoey’s cries and find Carson sitting on the edge of the tub, rubbing her back.

His jaw is clenched and he’s gritting out the words, “It’s okay, kid. It’s just a little puke. Everybody does it.” His body convulses like he’s battling upchuck reflexes, and I seriously have to get him out of that shirt.

Walking around him, I lift the back and pull it up to his shoulders, then gently maneuver Zoey so I can roll up the front and lift it over his head without getting vomit on him. It doesn’t quite work, though, and I manage to smear some across his cheek.

“Sorry.” I wince, dumping his shirt in the tub behind him before scrambling through the vanity for a facecloth.

I find one and start to run the water, willing it to warm up quickly. Checking on Zoey, who is still crying, I notice that she’s now resting against Carson’s chest. Now that he’s free of puke, she can snuggle in, and yeah, I’m totally right.

That boy is cut!

Holy shit, he’s gorgeous.

Averting my gaze, I squeeze out the cloth and kneel beside Zoey. She’s crying and wiping her mouth, obviously scared by what’s just happened. I don’t know if she’s ever thrown up before, but it’s horrible no matter how many times it’s happened to you.

“It’s okay, baby,” I croon, wiping her face while Carson supports her weight against him.

He gives me a worried frown, and I ease his nerves with a smile, wiping his face with the other side of the cloth.

“She’s gonna be okay. Don’t worry.”

Resting my palm against Zoey’s forehead, I check how warm she is. There’s a little heat there but nothing alarming.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“Not sure. She might have just eaten something bad, or her body is fighting off a bug.”

“What do we do?” His eyes are bright with concern.

I cup his cheek and press my smile briefly against his lips. “We look after her.”

And that’s what we do.

He helps me get Zoey into a fresh pair of pajamas, then sits on the bed, cuddling her on his lap while I clean up her crib.

Zoey’s little hand rests on Carson’s belly, tracking the lines of his six-pack until her hand goes limp and she falls asleep against him. Her cheeks are now slightly red and flushed, so I check her temperature again.

She’s a little warm, so I grab a cold cloth and rest it over her forehead. The poor little thing probably has a headache brewing. All I can hope is that she sleeps between each puke.

Carson strokes her hair, watching her with a worried frown. In fact, he doesn’t take his eyes off her the entire time she’s on his lap, and my heart goes all soft and squishy every time I glance his way.

I manage to find fresh crib sheets and remake Zoey’s bed, but when I go to put her back in it, Carson shakes his head.

“She’s sleeping,” he mouths.

I smile and head down to the kitchen, rummaging through the cabinets until I find a puke bowl. It’s a stainless-steel mixing bowl, just like the one Mom used to put by my bed when I got sick.

Creeping back up the stairs, I take a seat beside Carson, resting my head on his shoulder and waiting for the inevitable.

Which happens about twenty minutes later.

Thankfully, we’re fully prepared, and while Carson turns away and tries not to puke himself, I catch Zoey’s vomit and wipe away her tears.

She manages to drift off to sleep a little quicker the second time, but after her third bout of sickness, I start to worry that Sienna will be mad at me that I didn’t let her know.

So, as much as I don’t want to disturb their date, I slip out of the room and make the call.