Page 154 of Say I Do

I looked at the bed and shook my head. “We’re leaving that for Benito.” I wiped one hand with some diaper wipes and grabbed her bath stuff.

She had a bathroom ensuite connected to her room. I rocked her the entire time I ran the bath water. I put the rubber duck thermometer in the water to check it.

“I’m going to murder Benito. You would like to see that, wouldn’t you, Emica?” It wasn’t his fault, but I was sure I’d feel better after.

She blinked up at me. I could have sworn she cracked a smile.

“No one covered in feces should be so cute.”

She smiled again, and my stupid heart flipped. I was pretty certain Benito had broken something in my head. There was no way I was at home, sleep and dick-depraved, and coddling an infant. What in the fuck had happened in my life to lead me to this point?

“Do you have the answers? I used to be a badass, and now I’m cleaning yours.”

Emica didn’t say anything, but I didn’t expect her to. I placed her on the changing table and stripped her out of her soiled clothes and diaper. I tossed my shirt to the side as well. The sooner I got the smell off of us, the better. Her bottom was a little red, and I made sure to take out the ointment and place it on the side for when she was all clean.

She fussed a little as I placed her in the water, but she settled down pretty quickly. I sighed in relief as I leaned over the tub. Emica wasn’t a bad baby; she loved baths and being in Benito’s arms. She was turning out to be a daddy’s girl. Five days and it was plain to see where this was all going. I only had one option.

Either we kept Emica and raised her as our own or my father took her. The latter would never be okay with me. Just as I protected Lorelei, I’d do the same for her daughter. Although I was pretty certain I wasn’t cut out to be a parent, I couldn’t fathom the idea of abandoning her either.

“You’re going to be spoiled, aren’t you?” I cooed in actual baby talk.

What the hell is my life coming to?

Once Emica was all cleaned up, I filled her baby tub once more and let her sit in the water. She enjoyed it, and it was one of the few times I didn’t feel like a fumbling idiot.

“What happened in there?” Benito asked, surprising the shit out of me.

I jumped and glared over my shoulder at my husband. He gave me a stupid smile as he sauntered over to us. I got a kiss that made my stomach flip and my body come to life. It didn’t matter how exhausted I was; I wanted Benito all the time.

He kissed Emica on the forehead, and she wiggled in the tub.

“It smells in there.”

“Yes, she decided to redecorate with her shit.”

“Language.”

I rolled my eyes. “She can’t even understand us yet.”

“It’s all about the tone. She will pick up on it. I refuse to be the parents with a kid shouting shit in the middle of a grocery store.”

I glared up at my husband. “You do know that’s not happening, right? We don’t grocery shop.”

“Not the point.” Benito went to the towel warmer and grabbed Emica’s pink and red towel. He fluffed it a few times as I fished her out of the tub. He swaddled her with ease.

“Are you sure you’re not the devil?”

He grunted at me as he cooed at Emica. Yeah, this was the only option. After finding out Benito had always wanted children, I’d come to the conclusion I was willing to do anything for him. Even face being a parent.

“What time are we meeting the lawyer?” I asked as I emptied the tub again. I grabbed her clothes and lotion and met him at the changing table.

“In three hours.” He took one look at me and frowned. “Your eyes are bloodshot.”

“Thanks, tell me how fuckable I look.”

Benito smirked at me as he laid Emica down. “You always look fuckable.” He made sure to whisper the last part.

I groaned. “It’s been days.”

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