Page 28 of Callahan

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Adam

I wanted to be that man.

In fact, the idea of another man coming along and raising Conor while giving Lainey orgasms every night pissed me off.

And I knew I had zero right to feel that way. Hell, I was leaving town in… I switched arms holding the baby so I could look at my smartwatch, nine hours.

Lainey wasn’t my girl and Conor wasn’t my son—he was Shawn’s.

My friend’s.

The guy who’d died coming to save me.

I’d told Shawn at the cemetery I probably wouldn’t be back this way, but now I wasn’t so sure. This little dude in my arms and I had bonded last night over poop, vomit, and sleep. There was no way I’d be unable to resist checking in on him from time to time, or his hot mom.

I could do that while still honoring my friend.

Chapter Thirteen

Lainey

I couldn’t believe Conor was still sleeping as I got ready for my day at the bakery. I guess his bath was going to have to wait until tonight.

After leisurely enjoying a cup of coffee at my tiny kitchenette in the quiet of the morning, it didn’t take long for me to wash my face, put deodorant on, get dressed in a pair of jeans, a t-shirt with the bakery logo on it, and my comfy tennis shoes, then slap some mascara on, and throw my hair up in a ponytail and tucked it under my ballcap that said, “Beaumont Bakery” on the front.

I walked into my son’s room, still affected by the sight of shirtless Adam holding Conor. Whoever landed that man was going to be a lucky woman. She’d probably be pregnant once a year for twenty years.

“I’m going to have to wake him up. I have to get to the bakery soon and won’t have time to feed him in the middle of the morning rush.”

As he handed over my child, the little guy began to fuss. Finally, now that he was out of his warm Adam cocoon, his empty tummy was talking to him.

I noticed Adam glance down at the clothing on the floor and wrinkle his nose.

“Do you have any laundry pretreatment I can put on his pajamas? And my shirt?”

I laughed out loud.

“It’s in the cabinet by the front door. My washer and dryer are downstairs in the bakery, but you can rinse your shirt out in the kitchen sink.”

“What about his pjs?”

“Just toss them in his hamper. They’ll be fine until I do laundry tonight.”

I was in the glider nursing Conor when Adam poked his head around the corner.

“Do you mind if I hop in your shower?”

“Of course not. Towels are in the linen closet in the bathroom.”

Seconds later, I heard the water turn on and envisioned him stripping off the rest of his clothes and stepping into my shower naked. A whimper may have escaped my throat as I pictured the water droplets streaming down his muscular body.

I really needed to find time to go on a date with my vibrator and watch a little porn. I hadn’t gotten myself off since before Conor was born. But at my last appointment, my doctor had given me the greenlight to have sex, and I assumed that included with myself.

I was sure that was the only reason I was lusting after Adam. I had some pent-up sexual frustration that simply needed to be released.

Unfortunately, he was fully dressed in a new pair of jeans and a black, vintage Led Zeppelin t-shirt when he appeared to lay Conor’s wet pajamas over the edge of the hamper.

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