Page 88 of Second Chance with Seth

I haven’t had a day off since River was born, and that hardly qualified. Adjusting to having a newborn baby to care for was hardly the most restful thing I’ve ever done. That said, I’m not expecting tomorrow to be entirely peaceful, either. But hopefully I’ll catch up on a few chores and maybe get to understand River’s new routine… assuming she actually has one anymore.

It’ll also give me a chance to miss Seth even more than usual, and as I contemplate the day before me, I really wish he could be here, because I know it would be so much more fun with him around.

“Come on, then,” I whisper to River, carrying her up the stairs to my apartment. It feels quiet up here, but rather than dwelling on that, I get on with her bath. She’s tired, and doesn’t seem to enjoy it as much as usual, so I don’t hang around and wrap her in her towel, making her bottle as quickly as I can and then carrying her up to her room.

She wriggles her way through the process of putting on her diaper and then grizzles while I try to put on her sleep suit.

“You’re not helping,” I murmur, struggling to get her foot in as she kicks against me. I can tell she’s desperate for her milk and her bed, but she’s just making it take longer… not that I expect a three-month-old baby to understand that.

Eventually she’s ready and I sit in the chair, enjoying the calm while she drinks her milk. She’s practically asleep by the time she’s finished and I zip her into her sleep sack and kiss her goodnight before going downstairs, putting her bottles into the sterilizer, stacking the dishwasher before I set it running, putting on the laundry, and finally opening the refrigerator to see what I’ve got for dinner, just as I hear someone knocking at the door downstairs.

“Who the hell is that?” I mutter to myself, closing the fridge again, and heading down the stairs, my heart stopping and my mouth dropping open when I see Seth standing in on the doorstep in front of me. He’s wearing dark blue jeans, a white button-down shirt and his black leather jacket, and I can barely breathe.

He gazes into my eyes and, without a word, pulls me into his arms, dips his head, and kisses me. His lips are crushed to mine, his tongue delving into my open mouth. I feel his hands slide down my back, one stopping at my waist to hold me up while the other rests on my ass as he pulls me on to him. His arousal presses into me, long and hard, and I sigh as he flexes his hips into mine. My body tingles, shuddering into him, needing more, my legs barely supporting me. He groans, changing the angle of his head, his tongue sweeping deep into my mouth, claiming me… taking me.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for days,” he says, pulling back eventually, my head still spinning, although he doesn’t let me go. He’s breathing hard, but so am I, his eyes still locked with mine.

“You’ve been gone for so long.” I break the stare, letting my eyes wander to his lips, taking in the rest of his face and running my hands up and down his arms, just to make sure he’s real.

He is, I’m pleased to say, and he smiles down at me. “I had a lot to organize,” he says. “But it’s done now.” He glances behind me, looking up the stairs. “Is River still awake?”

“No. I’ve just put her to bed. Sorry.”

He shakes his head. “It’s okay. I half expected you to say that at this time of the evening, but I thought it was worth a shot.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll see her during the night.” I stop talking, realizing what I’ve just said.

He moves closer, crushing his body to mine. “I hope so, babe,” he whispers and kisses me again. I cling to him, needing his support, and he gives it, taking my weight in his arms as he grinds against me, pushing me back against the doorframe, until I can’t take it anymore.

“St—Stop,” I whisper and he pulls back.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. I just need to breathe… and to stand on my own two feet.”

He chuckles. “You really don’t. Well, you need to breathe, but as for standing on your own two feet…” He doesn’t finish his sentence, but lifts me into his arms, kicking the door closed before he carries me up the stairs.

I wonder if he’ll head straight for the bedroom, or maybe the couch, but he doesn’t. He slides me down his body until my feet hit the floor, right by the kitchen. That feels like a shame, because while I know we’ve got a lot to talk about, I had plans which would have worked perfectly in the bedroom, or on the couch.

“Have you been okay?” he asks, holding me close, tracing a line around my lips with his fingertip, which is very distracting.

“No.”

He shakes his head. “I’m sorry I left.”

“Promise it was necessary.”

“It was very necessary,” he says, smiling. “And like I say, it’s all done now.”

I nod my head, letting out a sigh, just as the sterilizer beeps, letting me know it’s finished. The noise makes Seth jump, and he glances over to the kitchen before looking down at me again.

“How’s River been?” he asks.

“She’s been fine.”

“I’ve heard ‘fine’ from you all week,” he says. “But what’s really been happening?”

“She’s been waking up later, which has meant the mornings have been chaos, and she’s decided she doesn’t need to sleep so much during the day anymore, which has caused a few problems in the coffee shop.”

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