“This might be the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.” I admit.
“Oh, yeah?” Ryan drops my book, his hands sliding into my hair to pull me down before he kisses me so deeply I can feel its intensity in every nerve of my body.
He moans into my mouth and the desperate sound has me moving against him. Ryan being vocal and unrestrained with the noises he makes, is part of what makes him so sexy to me. He’s confident and unafraid to let me know the effect I have on him.
My hand slips under his shirt, but as soon as my palm touches the warmth of his skin, a knock sounds at our front door.
“No,” I disagree against his lips. “Not happening. You’re leaving for four days. Do not answer that door.”
He laughs into me.
The knock sounds again.
Rolling my eyes, I climb off his lap and fall onto the couch beside him, letting him stand to answer the door.
“That’s weird that David didn’t call up,” Ryan says as he looks through the peephole. “Oh, it’s Kai.”
And it’s no wonder Dave didn’t call. Kai lives in this building too.
“Hey, man.”
“Hey.” Kai waves to me. “Hey, Indy.”
“Well, if it isn’t baseball’s very own Clark Kent. To what do we owe the honor?”
Standing in the doorway, a sly smile slides across his lips at the nickname. Kai Rhodes is a looker. Wildly tall, dark wavy hair, and black-rimmed glasses. Not to mention, the charming grin that would melt most women on the spot. Those things, and the fact he’s one of the top names in baseball, have always had me confused on how the hell he’s single.
And I haven't even mentioned the adorable baby he’s got slung over his hip who is hands down my favorite visitor.
“I have a huge favor to ask of you two. We have a preseason dinner with some of the season ticket holders tonight and I fired my nanny.”
“Again?”
“Yes, again.” Kai avoids eye contact because this is the sixth nanny he’s fired and that’s just since I’ve known him.
Ryan, Kai’s coaches and agent, including the rest of his team, have been on him to find a nanny he trusts enough with his son not to fire them after only a week. And now, with baseball season starting, it’s even more imperative he finds the right fit. He needs someone willing to travel with the team for the MLB’s insane schedule since Kai is a single dad, and to be honest, I’ve lost a bit of hope he’s going to find the right person for the job.
“I’ll be back in less than two hours. I’ll make it quick. Max will be asleep most of the time,” Kai continues.
Ryan looks back to me, awaiting my input. Even though our night was about to look a whole lot different, I jump at any chance to hold Max.
“Yes!” I say for us from the couch. “We’d love to watch him. Take all the time you need, Kai.”
“You guys are the best.” He slings the diaper bag off his shoulder, handing it to Ryan. “Everything he needs is in there. He’s ready for a bottle in an hour, and after he eats, he will probably be asleep until I get home. Please call me for any reason. If he’s not eating or sleeping, I’ll come right home. There’s a list of emergency contacts tucked in the diaper bag, but please call me if—”
“Kai.” I stand from the couch. “He’ll be fine. Go to work and don’t worry about us.”
I’d like to add that I was born to do this but saying anything to that extent would most likely freak Ryan out.
“I need my fix.” Holding out my arms, Kai passes his sleepy son to me.
“Call me,” Kai begs.
Ryan reassures. “We will. See you later.”
Closing the door, Ryan sets the diaper bag on the kitchen island as I bounce on the balls of my feet, hoping to keep Max from getting fussy now that his dad is gone.
“Well, this isn’t exactly how I pictured our night going.”
I give Ryan an understanding smile because he’s about to be gone for four days and the man fully expected he’d be getting laid tonight. Multiple times.
As I cradle Max’s head and continue to bop around the apartment, Ryan pops a kiss on my temple. “I’ll make us some dinner.”
It isn’t more than ten minutes into Ryan cooking, that Max begins to wail his high-pitched cry. I attempt to soothe him, quietly speaking in his ear, rubbing his back, but it’s no use. He’s upset.
Ryan looks over his shoulder while standing at the stove. “Want me to try?”
We’ve watched Max a few times since I moved in, and Ryan has never once held him.
“Really? I kind of thought you were afraid of him.”
Ryan exhales a sharp laugh. “Please. The only reason I’ve never taken him from you is because I know how much you love having him, but I babysat Max on my own multiple times before you moved in. I’m not afraid, Blue.”
I truly have no idea how many times this man will continue to surprise me, but it’s just like Ryan to stay quiet until needing to say something.
Max wails once again, and as much as it pains me, I’m not who he wants right now.
Reaching out, Ryan takes him from me, situating Max’s head on his shoulder. Effortlessly, he holds him up with a single forearm and continues to cook us dinner as if nothing has changed. The softest singing voice echoes throughout the kitchen as Ryan sings into Max’s ear, and I swear to God my ovaries are on high alert because Ryan Shay holding a baby while cooking me dinner has got to be the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.
He soothes him, placing soft kisses on his head between lyrics and within a minute or two Max is fully content snuggled into the crook of Ryan’s neck.
My boyfriend shoots me a mischievous smile over his shoulder, infinitely proud of himself and I’ve got to admit, I’m right there with him.
Ryan continues to cook as I watch the two of them, and there’s even a couple of times that he pulls a sweet giggle from Max. I offer to help, but Ryan refuses, saying he’s got it handled and I don’t need much convincing that he does. He’s a natural with him, and the only thing that understanding does is cause a rush of realization that I want this life with him.
I’ve always wanted to be a mom. Clearly, the whole reason I moved in in the first place was to save enough money in order to make that dream a reality. But it’s no longer this innate desire to parent. Instead, I want to parent with him.
This might be horrible to admit, but in a way, I was selfish in wanting kids. I wanted to be a mom. I wanted to have children, and for the first time in my life, there’s someone else I picture right alongside me while I do it.
We take our food to the couch and when I offer to feed Max his bottle while Ryan eats first, he refuses. He feeds him and insists I eat while my food is still hot.
Max passes out asleep before his bottle is fully emptied, just the way his dad said he would and Ryan repositions himself back on the couch, allowing the sweet baby boy to sleep on his chest while he eats his now lukewarm dinner.
Taking a forkful of pasta, Ryan smiles at me with his mouth full and a sleeping baby on his chest.
I want to speak. I want to say something about how natural he looks or how sexy it is to see him so confident with a baby, but I keep my mouth shut. I’m so afraid to scare Ryan away, to give him any reason to question me. The man abstained from sex for years because he didn’t want to give someone the chance to take advantage of him.