Page 12 of My Demon Manny

I might need to go back to my therapist and have an honest conversation with her to figure this out.

Or maybe I was blowing it out of proportion. Maybe it'd just been a fluke. It could happen, right?

I hadn't had sex in...wow, I was pretty sure Gunner's mom was the last person I had sex with. That meant it'd been around fifteen months since I last had sex. It was the dryest spell I'd had since college. No wonder my cock was reacting to Lux's voice. It was just like when I watched porn and something one of the dudes did turned me on. It had nothing to do with the man himself, and simply a reaction of my body.

Yeah, that had to be it.

Six

Lux

It was Monday again,Archer's first day back at work. It'd been three hours since he left, and so far he'd called me three times and sent me close to a dozen texts. I didn't mind, though. I could only imagine how difficult this separation was for him, and I was happy to help him in any way I could.

Which was why I'd magicked up this baby wrap I saw on TV, something that allowed you to cradle the baby to your chest and walk around with zero risk of dropping him.

I spent every free minute of my morning practicing wrapping it around my torso, using one of the many stuffed toys inGunner's nursery as a makeshift baby. The wrap thing was basically a very long, soft and stretchy cloth, and when you wrapped it around yourself properly, you could carry your baby around without using your arms. It was a great way to walk around with the baby, and I thought I might take him on short strolls around the neighborhood once I had Archer's permission. I figured he'd enjoy doing it too, and might even decide to take Gunner to work sometime if he felt like it.

As soon as I had the thought, an image of Archer in the three-piece suit he wore this morning with baby Gunner wrapped around his chest popped into my head, and it was all I could do not to grin at just how adorable they'd both look.

Archer could be working at his desk with Gunner patting his cheeks or rubbing his hand over his beard. Judging by how much Gunner enjoyed petting it, I imagined it was pretty soft.

Gunner started crying, and I blinked back to the present as I rushed to him guiltily. Had I just been daydreaming of running my fingers through Archer's beard to test how soft it was?

Scowling at myself and then immediately turning it into a smile as I picked Gunner up from his crib—where he'd been sitting and gripping the slats of the crib while he stared at me with his teary baby-blues—I told myself in very firm words to stop thinking about Archer that way. He might be my mate, but he was my boss right now, and I needed to respect that.

"Oh, Gungun, is your diaper making you angry?" I asked, testing it with a pat and discovering it was pretty full. "Come on, then. Let's get you changed."

I carried Gunner to the nursery and quickly got rid of the explosive diaper, wiping him down with the wet wipes as I pointed a finger at him. "Don't you dare pee on me, you hear me, kiddo? I know where all your toys are. Remember that."

Gunner giggled at my threat, and I smiled as I powdered him and wrapped a new diaper around his bottom before zipping up his onesie.

Picking him up, I cradled him against my arm, and he tucked his head into my neck with a cute little sigh.

Carrying the precious cargo to the living room, I simply stood there for a few minutes since Gunner seemed completely content to just lie against my chest, and it made me not want to put him down just yet.

As if knowing we had a moment to spare, my phone started buzzing. It was a call from Archer, so I declined and video called him back.

"Hey, Archer!" I greeted, holding the phone far enough that he could see us both.

"Hey, Lux. Hey, little guy. Are you two having fun without me?"

"Oh yes. We just got a fresh diaper and now we're trying to decide what to do next. Right, Gunner?"

Gunner reached out toward the phone as Archer spoke to him, and I smiled. This kid absolutely adored his dad, and it was such a sweet thing to see.

"Are you doing okay?" I asked Archer when he went quiet, and his eyes slid to me as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"I'm pretty distracted," he admitted with a laugh. "I know you're taking good care of him, but I guess I just miss him."

"I understand," I said with a soft smile. "Feel free to call again if you want to see him."

Archer winced. "Sorry. I know I've been calling a lot."

"Not at all. It's not a problem. I'm here to make your life easier, remember? And this is all part of it. If I can relieve your stress even a little, I'm happy to do it."

Archer was silent for a long moment, his eyes searching mine, and then the moment broke when Gunner started making what I called his 'hungry noises.'

"Looks like someone needs a bottle."

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