Page 66 of Rock Bottom

“You’re not on birth control?”

I shook my head. “Why would I be? I was pregnant and then healing and now… who has time for dating with an infant and an elderly aunt?”

“Then we’ll get you on whatever type of birth control you’re comfortable with, and even once you’re convinced it’s taken effect, we’ll continue using condoms. Will double protection make you feel safer?”

“You’d do that?” I asked in surprise.

“Of course. Sex is no fun for me if you’re nervous or afraid.” He skimmed his lips across my cheek. “But for now, I’m going to make us dinner. Then we’ll put the baby to bed.”

“And then?” I was almost afraid to ask, but I did anyway.

“Then I’m going to show you all kinds of ways I can make you come without risking pregnancy.”

My eyes fluttered closed as he lightly pressed his lips to mine.

Then he moved away, whistling as he continued chopping onions.

Like he hadn’t just gotten me all worked up.

I didn’t know what I’d agreed to just now, but he was impossible to refuse.

Ironically, Aunt Meg would be delighted at this turn of events.

I was more pragmatic.

Getting involved with him was dangerous. It would take more than a few days of conversation and generosity for me to trust him, and if I didn’t trust him, why was I even considering this?

It was a good question, but one I honestly didn’t have the answer to.

All I could do at this point was follow my gut.

* * *

Dinner was quick but delicious. Zeke fed Jeremy while I cleaned up and then we went upstairs so he could help with his bath. By the time we were done, Zeke had almost as much water on him as Jeremy, and my heart melted a bit as I watched them together. Jeremy somehow already knew his father and accepted him into the fold, always laughing and pulling at his hair. Zeke didn’t appear to have any issues with fatherhood either, taking to the role like he’d been around the whole time.

Aunt Meg seemed to be willing to give Zeke a second chance, and when we spoke on the phone a little while ago, she said that Denise had told her she thought he was a “fine young man for Presley.”

I was the only one harboring doubts and hanging on to the past.

It wasn’t so much about forgiveness anymore. It was more about self-preservation. I had almost no experience with relationships and this one had already skipped a bunch of steps because of the pregnancy. There was no option for us to go slow and see what might happen. The biggest thing had essentially already happened, so we were either going to be together or we weren’t. There was no in between for us and that was the part that gave me pause.

How did we go back to simply co-parenting Jeremy if we tried to be together and it didn’t work out? And if I was honest with myself, what were the chances it would turn into something serious? He was one of the hottest, most successful rockstars in the world. He could have anyone, and I was no prize. Not for a guy like him. I was just a regular girl from the Midwest. Not a model or actress or even a professional. I was a single mom who happened to have had his baby, and I didn’t think that was enough for us to start a real relationship.

“He’s asleep,” Zeke said softly, bringing the baby into the bedroom where I’d been putting away some laundry.

“Just put him in the crib on his back,” I whispered, walking over to stand next to him as he laid the baby down.

“He’s so perfect,” Zeke whispered. “I had no idea babies could be like this. Round and soft and happy most of the time.”

“He’s pretty awesome,” I agreed.

“Let’s go downstairs so we don’t bother him,” he said. He slid his hand around mine and we padded down to the living room. To my surprise, he sank onto the couch and tugged me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around my waist.

I wasn’t sure what to do at first but resisting him seemed like so much work when I could just snuggle against his broad, hard chest. So that was what I did. I was still exhausted, and he felt so warm and comfortable. I could fall asleep right here in his arms. That wouldn’t be the worst way to relax.

“Tired, Sunny?”

The nickname made me smile and I nodded. “Yeah.”

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