The Ten-Day Baby Takeover

Sarah laughed and dropped a few plastic toys into the bath. “Told you.”

Splash splash splash. Oliver looked at Sarah, who beamed at him as if she couldn’t be any more in love with someone if she tried. She rested her elbows on the edge of the tub and leaned closer, flicking at the water with the tips of her fingers. Oliver giggled, then mimicked her in a far less delicate way. Splash splash splash. He laughed so hard his entire body shook. It was impossible not to find the fun in their game, even with water being flung at his face and shoulders, not to mention all over the bathroom.

“Is bath time always this chaotic?”

“Basically. Anything you can do to get him clean. And it helps relax him.”

Splash splash splash. Another peal of Oliver’s sweet giggles rang out.

“It relaxes him?”

“Believe it or not, yes. He has a lot of energy. This helps to get it out.” Sarah pulled out a toiletry bag and poured a dollop of golden shampoo into her hand. “Get his hair wet. We don’t have a cup, so just use your hands.”

Aiden scooped water with one hand, curling his arm around wiggly Oliver. He started tentatively, unsure if the baby would like it, but quickly learned that he took no issue with water running down his face. Aiden had a little fish on his hands. How amazing it would be to teach him to swim, then snorkel and surf, another of Aiden’s favorite pastimes. Small waves at first. It’s dangerous. He was still getting used to these parental thoughts, but he was amazed how quickly they had kicked in. Especially when the topic of his mother had come up. He hadn’t meant to impulsively take Oliver out of Sarah’s arms. He only knew that was his gut talking—and reacting. Oliver would know nothing but unconditional love from his family. He wasn’t certain his mother could offer it, and until she’d demonstrated as much, she would be kept on a very short leash.

Sarah leaned over and shampooed Oliver’s head, his blond curls becoming matted and soapy. A soft fragrance filled the air.

“It smells nice,” he said.

“It smells like baby, and that’s the most wonderful smell in the world. Well, most of the time. There are times when it gets stinky, too.”

“I bet.” Like most things, there would be both good and bad to parenting. Aiden was optimistic about more good, mostly because he and Oliver had a clean slate. Aiden would not do to Oliver what his parents had done to him. Oliver would never wonder whether his father loved him. For that matter, he would never have to wonder who his father was. Once the paternity test was done, Aiden would have that sewn up for them both.

“Turn him around, facing you. So I can rinse out his hair.”

He carefully turned Oliver in his hands, but it wasn’t easy—it was like holding on to a greased-up watermelon with moving arms and legs. “I’m trying to figure out how I’m supposed to do this by myself.”

“I ordered a seat that goes in the tub. That will help immensely. And it won’t be long before he can sit up reliably in the bath on his own.”

Now that he and Oliver were facing each other, Aiden had a chance to really study him. Oliver returned the gaze, chewing on a rubbery red fish. His eyes were so sweet and innocent, full of wonder. Aiden saw only hope, remarkable considering what the little guy had been through. As Sarah rinsed his hair, Aiden was overcome with the most unusual feeling. It was stronger than his inclination to protect Oliver from big waves. It was a need to keep him from everything bad. He never wanted Oliver’s eyes to reflect anything but happiness. Had his own father ever looked at him like this? He didn’t enjoy the role of pessimist, but the idea was implausible.

Sarah rolled a small bar of soap in her delicate hands and washed Oliver’s back, shoulders and stomach, while Aiden held on tight. Every gentle caress showed someone who genuinely cared about her charge. He’d never really seen this side of any woman aside from on TV or in movies, and it was breathtaking to watch. If he were honest, he’d never done so many things with a woman that gave him a taste of what being a couple was like. Wining, dining and seduction were not the same. This was different.

Sarah swept her hair to one side, displaying the stretch of her graceful neck, the contours of her collarbone. Her skin was so touchable, and the urge to do exactly that was strong with her mere inches away. His hands were practically twitching at the idea. He had to set his mind on another course.

“So. Tell me more about you,” he said.

She smiled and sat back on her haunches. “Not much to tell. Born and raised in Ohio, oldest of five. Moved to Boston to study fashion design, stayed for the good nanny jobs.”

“Why not go right into design?”

She plucked a washcloth from the bathroom vanity and wiped her hands. “Nannying was a detour. I grew up helping out with my siblings, so it was a natural thing to care for children. And Boston is not cheap. Nannying pays well. It just worked.”

“If you liked it that much and it paid well, how does that stop working?”

She looked down at the floor, her golden hair falling down around her face. “I burned out. Badly. Let’s put it that way.”

That didn’t make sense. She didn’t seem at all burned out on caring for Oliver. If anything, she had superhuman stamina and patience when it came to it. “And the rest? Surely there’s a special guy in your life.”

“There is.” Her face lit up so brightly that it was as if someone had sucker punched him. So much for seduction. There was another man.

“His name is Oliver,” she continued. “He’s so sweet. He doesn’t talk much. Drools a fair amount. Still learning how to walk. Exactly like I like my men.”

He laughed and shook his head. She was ridiculously charming and clever, probably why he had such a strong reaction to the idea of her with a boyfriend.

She flipped her hair back and grinned at Oliver. “But seriously, the right guy hasn’t walked into my life and I’m not about to wait. I’m too busy trying to build my business to think about stuff like that. Romance is not on my radar right now.”

No wonder he’d been feeling as though he and Sarah might be kindred spirits, even though they came from different worlds. She wasn’t looking for love. And neither was he. And with only ten days together, that might be perfect.

* * *

Sarah was ready to claim victory over bath time—Oliver was clean and she hadn’t been caught staring at Aiden. It was a miracle since she’d been doing exactly that, sneaking peeks at his chest, broad and firm with the most perfect patch of dark hair in the center. Then there were his glorious shoulders and his sculpted biceps. She’d also spent a fair amount of time studying the tattoo on the inside of his forearm—a dark and intriguing pattern, impossible to decipher.

She bopped Oliver on the nose with the tip of her finger. “Hey, mister. It’s time for somebody to get out of the bath and get into pj’s.”

Aiden furrowed his brow. “Sarah’s no fun,” he said to Oliver. “I don’t know about you, but I’m good for at least another fifteen minutes.”