Page 17 of Raising His Baby (The Sartoris 2)

She bent over cracking up. “For one, calm down. It’s not going to melt your skin no matter how it smells.”

“I don’t like this part.”

“Contrary to what men think women don’t like it either. Tough it out.”

“Perhaps I should hire a nanny.”

“Not on your life. Nobody else is taking care of my baby.”

He frowned, but he didn’t comment. Sonya worried they would have this argument later, but she wouldn’t give in to him. They might be stuck having bodyguards follow them and other limitations, but no other woman was going to take over responsibility of raising Arron. She couldn’t love him more if she had given birth to him herself.

Sonya felt Arron’s belly. “Much better. Come on. I’m tired out of my mind, but he’ll settle down even more if he has a bath. The warm water should relax his muscles.”

Romy agreed, and she got the bath water ready, adding bubbles to the warm water. She took Arron from Romy and placed him in the bath. Her heart skipped a few beats as the big man knelt down at the side of the tub and began fumbling with Arron’s washcloth and his liquid soap. Romy ran the cloth over Arron’s skin as if he was scared the baby’s skin might wipe off if he was too rough.

“You have to wash him all over,” she instructed.

He paled, and she laughed.

“Hand it to me.” He did, and she continued to clean the baby. Romy watched her every move as if he sought to learn each detail of how to care for his son. She had never met a man so devoted so quickly. More and more, she prayed Charlize wasn’t pulling a fast one over all of them because she began to suspect Romy’s heart would be shattered if Arron wasn’t his.

“You were right,” Romy said, his voice a bit hoarse. “He’s happier. Look at his smile.”

“Uh oh, I think my little man has captured your heart. That’s how he does with everyone he meets. He’s too cute to resist.”

He frowned. “You keep calling him your son.”

“He’s mine until we establish he’s got your blood running through his veins. Then he’s your son too. Let’s get something straight. He’ll always be my son.”

“I don’t want to take him from you.”

They stared at each other for a few minutes, and she got what he was saying. If Romy found out Arron was truly his, he wouldn’t stop at anything to get legal rights to him. Maybe that was what Charlize feared—Romy taking the baby away from her. The Sartoris were probably used to taking whatever they wanted, and if anyone put up a fight, they used their financial influence to get their way. At the end of the day, Romy was Ezio’s brother, and she could tell Ezio would be ruthless about getting his will enforced.

After Arron’s bath, Sonya let Romy wrap him in a towel and carry him to the bedroom. He ruined only one diaper before he got the procedure down, and he beamed like he had just solved world hunger. She rolled her eyes.

“If you walk with him, he should fall asleep right away.”

In less time than she thought, Arron curled tiny fists against Romy’s shoulders and drifted off to sleep. He was learning to trust his papà. She watched over Romy as he laid the baby in his crib, and then she walked him to the hall.

“Are you sure he’ll be okay?”

Sonya grinned. “He’s fine now. Trust me.”

He didn’t say anything, reminding her about his view of women. She gazed around the darkened hallway with the door of her and Arron’s bedroom shut at her back. Thank goodness no one else had been disturbed by his cries.

“Thanks for helping me with him. I’m glad he didn’t bother anyone else. He’ll be fine the rest of the night, and I’m going to give him light foods tomorrow, all the ones that don’t usually give him much trouble.”

Once again Romy said nothing. With the door blocking out the light she had turned on in the room she couldn’t see his face very well. Moonlight from a window gave enough illumination one could walk along the hall without falling down the stairs or tripping over a hall table.

Romy moved a step closer to her, and she caught her breath because she couldn’t be sure what was on his mind. He raised a hand as if he would touch her, but once again drew back. She marveled at how expressive he was. Most men hid what they were thinking pretty well, but Romy was like an open book to peruse at leisure. She liked that about him.

“I had no idea it was like that,” he breathed.

“Caring for a baby?”

“Yes, my own. Or rather I hope…” He trailed off, but she already knew what he hoped. He wanted Arron to be his.

“You can help me get him dressed in the morning if you want.” She bit her lip. This was feeling like a couple taking care of their son together, and it was misleading her emotions. She was no stranger to falling in love, but most men hated how assertive she was by nature. Maybe it had to do with her choosing the wrong type of man. They wanted sweet little women whose sole purpose in life was to chase behind them. Sonya wasn’t that type of woman.

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