Lost in my own thoughts, I watch them sleep for several more minutes before I decide it’s time to put Brooklyn in her own bed. I start to slip my arms underneath her body when Maddox startles awake. His eyes lock on mine, arms protectively wrapping around Brooklyn. “Sorry, I guess we dozed off.”
“It’s okay. She needs to rest. I want to take her temperature again, get another dose of medicine to make sure the fever is still coming down, and then get her in bed.”
“I’ll help you,” he says as he stands with her tucked securely in his arms. We walk to the bathroom where I use the ear thermometer to take her temperature again. Down to one hundred one point two.
“Much better,” I say as I pull the infant Tylenol from the cabinet. I squeeze out the right dosage in the little syringe administrator that comes with the bottle as Maddox goes about waking her up. She stirs a little but doesn’t fully wake up.
“Wake up, sugar. Your mommy has a little medicine for you to take,” he says as he rubs her forehead and back. She opens her eyes which are still glassy and sick looking, and opens her mouth for her medicine.
“Good girl,” I say.
“Maddox take me nigh-nigh.”
He walks her across the hall and lays her down in her bed. He starts to cover her up, but I interrupt. “Only the sheet. I don’t want her to get too hot and spike her fever again.” He gently lays the sheet over her little body and bends down to kiss her forehead.
“Good night, Bean.”
“Nigh-nigh, Maddox.”
I walk over and crouch down next to her bed. “Mommy’s going to wake you up in a while for more medicine so you better get to sleep.” I bend down and kiss her little lips. “Night, Brooklyn.”
“Nigh-nigh, mommy. I wove you.”
“I love you too, sweetie,” I say as I stand and start to walk towards Maddox who is standing in the doorway.
“I wove you, Maddox,” she says as she drifts off to sleep. Maddox and I stand there, watching each other for a few moments, not really knowing what to say. We walk back into the living room and he slides up behind me, arms around my waist, pressing his soft lips into my neck.
“What more do you have to do before you can go to bed?”
“Nothing now. I’ll have to get up in four hours to check her temperature again.”
“You’re exhausted. Let’s go lie down.” He grabs me by the hands and starts pulling me towards my room at the end of the short hall. I’m wearing a comfy pair of yoga pants and a well worn concert t-shirt. He slides my pants down, lifting my legs one at a time to have me step out, and removes my t-shirt and bra. He leaves my underwear on which isn’t even a cute pair since I hadn’t had the time to change yet before Maddox arrived. Maddox basically just saw me in my mom panties. He slips off his own jeans, socks, and t-shirt but takes his t-shirt and throws it over my head. I slide into his still warm t-shirt which smells deliciously like him, all masculine soap and deodorant.
He takes me by the hands again and leads me towards my bed. “Come on, let’s go to sleep.” As we slip into bed and snuggle up close, my head resting on his chest, leg thrown over his leg, I can’t help but think about how comfortable this whole evening was. How content I am in this moment. “Good night, babe.”
“Night, Maddox.”
*****
My alarm goes off at one-thirty in the morning so I can take Brooklyn’s temperature again. I disentangle myself from Maddox’s warm, sleeping body, head into the bathroom to grab the thermometer, and go to Brooklyn’s room to take her temp. One hundred two point seven. I head back into the bathroom to grab the Motrin. Once I’m able to rouse her enough from sleep to take the medicine, I head back into my room, resetting the alarm for five-thirty.
“What’s her temp?” Maddox whispers without even opening his eyes.
“One oh’ two point seven. I dosed her and she’s already back asleep.” I snuggle back up against his hardness. He’s so toned and muscular with broad shoulders and strong arms, chiseled face and strong jaw; it’s like snuggling with a Greek God. I could get used to sleeping like this. I’ve never slept with anyone like this before. I never got to experience this when I was dating Drake. He hated to be touched while he slept.
“Good. Come here, you,” he says as he rolls over, cradling my body underneath his. He bends down and gives me a tender kiss. My body responses to his touch immediately. It doesn’t take long before our kisses turn needy, passionate. His hands roam under his t-shirt that I’m wearing to my bare skin underneath. I run my hands up and down his back, feeling the muscles tighten with my touch. He places his knees between my legs, spreading them apart wider to accommodate his large body. When he presses his body down on top of mine, I feel how ready he is for me, and I moan at the contact. His lips are back on mine hard and with a fury, an urgency. I can tell he’s close to losing control.