Page 24 of Stowaway Whirlwind
Davis obliges, stepping out next in crisp jeans with his T-shirt tucked in behind his silver belt buckle, his hair even messier and sexier now.
“For fuck’s sake, Davis.”
Davis
It’s torture living with Goldie—sleeping next to her since I never seem to make it to the couch, and she keeps tucking me in under the covers because she feels bad about kicking me out. I wake up half on top of her in my sleep, my dick hard and pressed against some part of her body every time Lily stirs in the night. We haven’t had a repeat performance of what happened on the couch, but it’s only because I keep my distance from her after flinging myself out of bed as soon as the sun comes up.
It’s even more torturous counting down the hours until I actually have to leave the girls and go back to work since I’m scheduled for a job that will have me out on the road for the next four weeks. It feelswrongto leave Goldie to fend for herself and take care of Lily without my help, but at least she’ll be doing so at my house, where she’ll be safe, instead of at her dad’s.
I help Goldie out of the passenger seat of my Ford and slide my hands to her hips to steady her when I set her on her feet. She’s wearing a new emerald green sweater dress that I want to slip my hands under so I can feel the bare skin of her thighs. I clear my throat and step away to shoulder Lily’s yellow daisy diaper bag that I picked up at the store, along with Goldie’s dress, last night when I ran out to get diapers. Goldie leans over to unbuckle Lily from her car seat, exposing the backs of her thighs and her juicy ass, andgoddamnit, I’m hard again.
When we sign in at the pediatrician’s front desk for Lily’s first well-baby visit, I hand over my debit card to cover the copay.Goldie passes Lily to me so she can fill out the new patient paperwork, which I could have done for her. After we’re led into a room to wait for the doctor, Goldie pulls out her phone and taps thenotesapp.
“What are you doing?”
“Adding the forty-dollar copay to my notes.”
“Why?”
Goldie shifts in her black plastic seat after dropping her phone back in the diaper bag on the floor between us. “I’m keeping track of everything you’ve spent on us so I can pay you back as soon as I can get a job.”
Moving Lily to one arm, I dig her cell phone out and demand, “Passcode.”
“I’m not giving you my passcode.” Goldie tries to take the phone out of my hand, but I hold my arm up and away from her. She scowls and crosses her arms under her delicious tits. When I ask again, she refuses to give it to me.
I drop my voice and lean in close to her ear. “Be a good girl and give Daddy your passcode.” Goldie sucks in a breath, and I raise my brow. When she finally complies after a silent minute-long stand-off, I kiss her temple and whisper, “Good girl.” From the corner of my eye, I see Goldie part her lips when I click through her phone and delete her note, then permanently delete it from her trash so she can’t recover it.
Goldie snatches her phone back and balks. “Why did you do that?”
“I don’t want you keeping track, and you’re sure as shit not paying me back.” I rub my nose over Lily’s wispy hair and coo, “Isn’t that right, Lily Jo? It’s my job to take care of you and your mama.”
“Davis…”
We’re interrupted by the pediatrician, an older woman with a short black bob who introduces herself as Dr. Bankole. It’s myturn to pull out my phone and scroll through my notes, helping to answer each of Dr. Bankole’s questions about Lily’s sleeping and nursing habits, along with diaper changes, including consistencies and color.
Goldie’s eyes bug out, and she asks quietly, “Why areyoukeeping track of all that?”
Dr. Bankole smiles wide and motions for Goldie to redress Lily once she’s done examining her on the table. “Alright, Mom and Dad. It sounds like you’re doing a great job with Lily here.”
I wink when Goldie doesn’t correct her for calling meDad. “That’s why.”
“But you’re not really—”
“Aren’t I?” I challenge as I take Lily from her. I lower a hand to Goldie’s back to steer her out of the building silently and across the parking lot, then buckle Lily into her car seat, doing the finger pinch test to make sure I’ve tightened the straps correctly.
Chapter 11
Goldie
My mood takes a nosedive as Davis rifles through his dresser drawers and closet, pulling out and folding clean clothes to pack his duffel bag. It’s been on the decline ever since we got home from Lily’s appointment, and it worsens when Davis explains how long he’ll be on the road before he gets back home.
I swallow and try to keep the nervousness out of my voice. “A whole month? That’s…that’s a long time,” I say when Davis turns off the overhead light and climbs into bed beside me. By silent agreement, we’ve given up the ruse of pretending he’s going to sleep on the couch after Lily falls asleep. I have a direct view of her in the white crib across from the bed that Davis bought the day after he brought us home. I keep my eyes on her so Davis won’t see how worried I am in the dim light from Lily’s soft blue nightlight. “Is that usually how long you’re gone for?”
We always start on opposite sides of the bed, then roll into each other as the night progresses in our sleep. Tonight, though, Davis scoots into the middle and pulls me close, facing each other. He tips my head back with his fingers under my chin, something like regret in his expression. “Longer than that, usually.”
“Oh.” There my mood goes, dipping even lower. I don’t know why I feel like this, not after a week of knowing each other. I shouldn’t feel so…bereft…at the thought of him leaving and staying gone. I’ve clearly developed an unhealthy attachment to thisstranger—sleeping in his bed, playing at being a couple, allowing him to pretend to be Lily’s dad as he pays for everything we need. It’s not right. We definitely need this time apart. Get back to a healthier mindset.
All that is thrown out the window when he sighs, slides his hand up to my cheek, and says, “I hate that I have to leave you and Lily. Hate it.” And then he kisses me. It’s just a small one—a peck on the lips. And yet, it leaves me feeling breathless. “But I need this job. I’m still paying off a few of Dad’s medical bills. And now…”
