Carly is cradling a baby against her, rocking back and forth in a soothing gesture. She makes soft shushing sounds as she slowly moves from side to side. I watch helplessly as the baby whimpers for several minutes while her mother tries to soothe her back to sleep. Together, in the soft moonlight glow of the room, they form a picture more beautiful than anything I’ve ever seen before.
When I take a step inside the room, my movement catches the baby’s attention. Her head whips up and she stares at me. Big green eyes burn into me as she takes in my presence in the room. Dark hair the same color of her mother’s, an olive complexion, and a slightly upturned nose. The only thing that doesn’t match are those deep green eyes.
Realization slams into me with the force of a Mack truck. Fucking hell.
Suddenly, the little girl reaches for me, tears glistening under dark eyelashes. With two arms extended upward, Carly turns to see my presence in the room for the first time. Shock registers on her face as I step forward, towards the outstretched hands of the tiny child. Like a beacon in the night, I’m guided towards her. Though somewhat reluctantly, Carly allows me to take the girl from her arms. She’s standing shocked still, watching as I pull the little girl against my broad chest.
I start to move, mirroring the way that Carly tried to soothe the upset baby. She nestles against my chest, relaxing against me. How she’s able to relax, I’m not sure. I’ve got more tension and fear running through my body than an inmate walking towards the execution room. Surely she can feel my heart beating the shit out of my chest as if trying to burst through. After a few minutes, she relaxes completely until she’s dead weight; not that she weighed much to begin with.
I have no clue what just happened. One minute I’m sitting on the couch, talking to the woman I haven’t been able to eradicate from my mind, and suddenly I’m holding a baby. The most perfect, delicate little girl who already owns my heart.
My baby.
Chapter Thirteen – Our Daughter
Carly
Watching Blake take Natalia from my arms and cradle her against his big, strong chest stole every ounce of breath I possess. He mimics the rocking motion I was just doing like a professional, as if he’s done it for years. Hell, I don’t know anything about this man. For all I know, he has kids at home somewhere. Though, that doesn’t feel right. I sense that Blake is hiding something, but a secret family isn’t it.
When she appears to fall back to sleep, I get her crib and blanket ready. He follows my lead and walks over, placing her gently down on top of the mattress with such delicacy, you’d think she were a rare china doll. His big exhale of breath when she’s completely down is the only indication that he’s as affected by this situation as I am. He turns those questioning green eyes on me, and I know that our conversation has only just begun. I quickly cover up Natalia with a blanket and head towards her bedroom door, Blake in tow.
Neither one of us speaks as we walk into the kitchen. I head straight to the cabinet above the fridge and pull out the first bottle I can reach. Grabbing two small glass tumblers from the other cabinet, I turn my attention to Blake for the first time since we exited Natalia’s room. With a firm nod, he takes the bottle from my shaking hand and pours two fingers in each glass. Without a word, he slams back the glass, gulping down the dark liquid in one big drink. He adds just a little more to his glass and finally turns his attention to me.
I shake my head yes, confirming what he already suspects. You can’t look at those green eyes and not see it. Still without words, we slowly make our way towards the couch. I take one side while he falls down onto the other. Sipping the alcohol in my glass, I feel the burn slide down my throat, instantly warming my stomach. I just pray that it actually stays down now. Between the alcohol and my nerves about the pending conversation, I’ll be lucky to not throw up all over the damn place.
“You’re sure?” he finally asks, piercing me with those stunning green eyes that haunt my dreams and consume my days.
“I’m sure.” The confirmation registers quickly. Blake gives me another nod and takes a long pull from his glass. “I didn’t know how to contact you. Hell, I don’t even know your last name. It was supposed to be one night, right? We both knew the terms.”
“One night turned into a hell of a lot more for you,” he says with a pointed look. Gone is the shock of finding out he’s a father. The look he’s giving me now borders on pity, like he’s just now registering what my last two years have been like. Blake clears his throat, never letting those eyes waiver. “What’s her name?” he asks.