Red Carpet Romance (11 page)

She turned the water in the sink on
warm and washed him off. Then she shed her robe and left it on the kitchen
floor. Using paper towels, she cleaned herself off, retching at the smell.

“What’s that smell?” Quinn yelled
from the other room.

“It’ll be gone in a minute.”

She stuffed all the paper towels and
her robe into a plastic bag.
Bye bye
bathrobe.
Naked, Susanna carried Junior past the living room into the
bedroom.

“What the?” Quinn muttered as she
tiptoed by.

“Don’t look. Okay? Don’t look.” She
moved faster, embarrassment heating her skin.

She diapered Junior, grabbed a
onesie, and slipped An oversized T-shirt over her body before she took him to
the living room.

Quinn measured out the liquid while
Susanna dressed the baby in his onesie. Quinn handed her the dropper, and she
gave Junior the medicine.

“Still smells. What happened?” Quinn
turned his nose up.

“Junior had a little accident in the
kitchen. I cleaned it up. Here, fill his bottle with
Pedialyte
. Meet me at the rocking chair.” She rested Junior on her
hip, grabbed a cloth diaper, and eased down into the rocking chair. She settled
him comfortably in the crook of her elbow and began to rock him. As she sang
another sweet and gentle song to him, he watched her face.

Quinn thrust the bottle filled with
Pedialyte
in her hand. She offered it to
Junior, but he turned away and wouldn’t take it. Susanna felt panic rise in her
chest. “He has to drink this! Dehydration is dangerous.”

“Do we have to take him to the
hospital?”

“If we can’t get him to drink
this...then yeah.”

“Rock him for a while. He’ll take it
when you both calm down,” Quinn advised, placing a hand on her shoulder and
giving it a squeeze. She gave him a weak smile and took a deep breath.

“I opened a window in the kitchen,”
he whispered. She nodded.

Junior looked at Quinn and
whimpered. She sang softly to the baby.

“I’d better take that bag out to the
garbage.” Quinn disappeared out the door with the smelly plastic bag.

Junior looked around, always turning
his gaze back to Susanna when she started another verse of the song. On the
next try, he took the nipple in his mouth. He drank for a bit, then he seemed
to get limp in her arms, and she became terrified. Her throat went dry, and the
song she sang became a whisper as she fought down panic.

She stood up and motioned for Quinn
to sit in the rocker. When he was settled, she handed the little slugger over
to him. “I’ll get the thermometer.”

She took his temperature, and it was
down to 101.5. “It’s coming down!” She managed a feeble smile. Junior woke up
and started to howl again. They walked the floor with him. As long as he was
moving, his cry was reduced to a whimper. First Quinn paced with him, then
Susanna, then Quinn again. They kept it up for an hour. Susanna’s nerves were
frayed, she was scared. Quinn never left her side.

“I’m calling Annie.” Susanna picked
up her phone. She confirmed with her sister that Junior was getting over the
fever. Quinn continued to walk with the baby. Finally, the medicine kicked in.

“The little slugger is sweating. Do
babies sweat?”

“Of course they sweat. They’re human
beings, Quinn.” Susanna took the infant from his hands. She mopped his brow
with a baby wipe then held him to her shoulder, where he seemed to fall asleep.
“You have an interview tomorrow. You’ve got to get some sleep. Go on. I can
handle him from here.”

The wood was cold against her bare
legs, but she rocked Junior with the bottle until she heard another deposit in
his diaper. Returning to the bedroom, she cleaned him up, put him to bed, and
then slipped into the shower.

When she came out, she spied a large
T-shirt of Quinn’s laid out on her bed.
Thanks,
Quinn.
She threw it on. Padding into the kitchen, she went over the floor
and counter one more time, making sure the smell was gone and the room was
spotless.

Returning to the bedroom, she gently
placed her hand on Junior’s forehead.
He
feels cooler! The medicine or the bath? Thank you, Annie!
The baby gurgled
in his sleep but didn’t awake. It was three o’clock now.

Exhausted and scared out of her
wits, Susanna slipped out into the hall. She took a deep breath, trying to calm
down, and instead burst into tears. Leaning against the wall right outside her
bedroom, she slid to the floor, her hands covering her face.

Quinn appeared. “Are you okay?”

“He’s cooled down. I think he’s
going to be okay,” she said, nodding to him. But she didn’t stop crying. Quinn
picked her up and carried her to her bed. He pulled down the comforter and got
in, easing Susanna onto the bed next to him. “But I…”

He motioned her silent with his finger
to her lips before folding her into his embrace. He pulled up the covers and squeezed
her hand before whispering, “Great job.” The even breathing of the baby, plus
Quinn’s strong arms and warm body, soothed Susanna. She was asleep before she
could answer him.

* * * *

The sun came in early, but the baby
slept on. Susanna curled into Quinn then opened her eyes. Exhausted from the
ordeal the night before, she was disoriented.
In bed with Quinn, wearing only a T-shirt? What happened?
He
stirred, snaking his arm around her waist and spooning her from behind. His
lips nuzzled her neck.

For a moment, Susanna forgot herself
in the safety he provided. She cuddled back against him, wrapping her fingers
around his biceps.
If things were
different. Snuggling with him in bed could lead to…so many wonderful
possibilities.
She closed her eyes for a moment, allowing herself to dream
a little about them together.

A sweet sigh escaped her lips as he
found a sensitive spot on her shoulder. His fingers made contact with her skin
as they fanned out against her stomach. Her pulse kicked up as his hand
approached her breast.

As much as she wanted him, not this
way.
He has to know it’s me, not just
some woman in his bed. Me, Susanna Barnes. God, I want him. He’s so tempting.
He
closed his fingers gently around her soft flesh, and she shuddered. Shutting
her eyes tight, she fought with herself for control.
Right now. He could take me right now. No! Have some pride!

“Quinn?”

“Hmm?” He muttered as his hand
continued to caress her.

“You do know it’s me, Susanna? Not
one of your sexy playmates.”

“Of course. Aren’t you a sexy
playmate?” The vibration of his baritone voice against her back sent a tingle
up her spine.

“I’m the nanny,” she said, pulling
down the sheets and throwing her legs over the side.

“Love you in just a T-shirt.” She
sensed his gaze on her body, and it made her warm. He rubbed his stubbly face
with one hand and stifled a yawn.

The fog surrounding her brain was
slowly lifting. Taking a deep breath to keep her voice steady she replied, “It
was a traumatic night.” She approached the crib just as the baby opened his
eyes. He gave her a weak smile. She placed her hand on his forehead. “He’s
cooler but still has a little fever.”

Quinn shoved the
covers all the way down and pushed to his feet. As he stood in his boxers,
looking so cool and gorgeous, Susanna wanted to run her palms down his chest
and kiss his neck. But a wry smile on his face distracted her. Focusing on his
lips, hers puckered slightly as if to kiss him.

“Let me take the
little slugger while you go back to bed.”

“It’s my job to
take care of him. And he’s sick. I can’t desert him now.”

“You’re not
deserting him. You’re resting so you can continue.”

Weariness seeped
into her bones. “But you don’t know what you’re doing.”

“Am I that stupid I
couldn’t figure it out after watching you?”

“Well, not stupid,
just…uninformed?”

“Not anymore. Go
on, at least for an hour,” he gave her a gentle shove, and she fell into a
sitting position on the bed then collapsed on her back.

Quinn picked up
Junior and brought him over to the dresser to be changed. Once the baby had a
fresh diaper, Quinn picked him up. “
Pedialyte
?”

“Yeah,” she said as
sleep forced her eyes closed. She rolled over and scooted up to put her head on
the pillow. The last thing she saw was Quinn chesting the baby with one large
hand as he pulled the sheet and blanket over her with the other. She muttered a
muffled “thanks.”

“Come on, little
man, time to get better.” He left the room as she drifted into slumber.

* * * *

By three o’clock in the afternoon,
Junior’s fever was down to ninety-nine degrees. Quinn was out on interviews,
and Susanna was alone in the apartment. While the baby napped, she took out her
small pad and some pencils and began to sketch. First she drew Junior, then the
palm trees from the terrace. So lost was she in her art, she didn’t hear Quinn
come in around five o’clock.

“You’re an artist?”

Susanna jumped, dropping her pencils
and pad. He bent down and picked them up. Their voices woke Junior, who began
to cry. With a worried brow, she rushed into the bedroom, placing her hand on
his forehead before all else. He was warm but not hot.

“More medicine,” she muttered,
hugging the little boy to her chest. “Come on, little J. Let’s get you changed
and have a snack.” She returned to the living room in time to see Quinn put his
sport jacket on a chair and rip the tie off his neck. He slumped down on the
sofa and gazed out the window.

She busied herself in the kitchen,
setting Junior in the highchair while she prepared a bottle of
Pedialyte
. She injected the fever
reducer into the liquid then opened some baby applesauce. Quinn came in as she
was spooning the fruit into the tiny mouth.

“How was your interview?”

“Which one?” He ran his hand through
his hair.

“More than one?”

“Yeah. The interview was okay. I met
with two producers about the book.”

“How’d you make out?” She offered
the baby the bottle, and he sucked on it hungrily while his tiny fingers curled
around a finger of her other hand.

“Negative. Both times.” His voice
sounded weary, defeated.

“What’s the deal? You’re famous.
You’re a draw. People will come to see it just because you’re in it. Slam dunk
to me.” She turned her attention back to Junior.

“They don’t think I can pull it off.
Joe Martin image and all that crap.” He threw his tie on the kitchen table and
straddled a chair, resting his chin on the back, watching her feed the baby.
“How is he today?”

“Better. Stomach is still a
little…well, you know. But his fever is lower, and he’s crying less.”

“You were amazing last night. Knew
just what to do.” He squeezed her hand.

“Me? Hah! I knew nothing. Annie is
the one who saved us a trip to the emergency room.”

“Let’s send her flowers, okay?”

She smiled broadly at him.
“Perfect!”
Damn, he’s so nice!

“Give me the address. I’ll call
right now.” He pushed to his feet and pulled out his phone.

Susanna scribbled the address
quickly on a paper napkin while Junior fussed. “I’m coming, little one. Hang on
a minute.” His eyes followed her movements while he made a soft whining sound.

“Roses…” she heard Quinn say as she
turned back to the fretting baby. A tap on the shoulder got her attention.

“Red?” Quinn looked at her.

“Peach or pink,” She corrected.

He nodded. “Make that peach, if you
have them, or pink if you don’t. Yes. Right. Two dozen. Yes, in a vase.” He
hung up and returned to his chair.

“In a vase? That wasn’t necessary.”

“She’s got a couple of kids? No time
to arrange flowers,” he chuckled.

“How would you know?” She looked up
at him while pulling the empty spoon from the infant’s mouth.

“Taking care of Junior is a full
time job.”

“Does that mean you don’t want more
kids?” She put a spoonful of fruit in the baby’s mouth.

“More?”

“I mean, more than just Junior.” She
cocked an eyebrow at him.

“What’s for dinner?” he asked.

“Changing the subject?”

“You guessed it.” He sighed. “I’m
not as bad as you think I am.” He stood up.

When she didn’t agree with him, he
left the room. The silence was deafening. “I think I messed up, Junior.” The
baby stared at her with big, brown eyes. A line of drool dripped out of his
mouth as he made a gurgling sound. “Maybe I should give him another chance.
What do you think?” The baby smiled at her, squeaked, and then spit up down his
front. “Crap!”

Quinn ducked his head into the kitchen.
“Any word on dinner…holy hell!”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. I’m
cleaning it up.” She held up one hand as she mopped the floor with a paper
towel. Junior smiled in his seat.

“How about I order pizza?”

She let out a breath, blowing hair
out of her eyes. “That would be wonderful. Thank you.”

* * * *

Susanna set up the baby monitor on
the dining room table while Quinn doled out slices of meatball and pepper
pizza. The smell made her stomach rumble.

“Two?” He asked.

She nodded. “I’m starved. I forgot
to eat lunch. My clock was out of sync today.”

“Maybe because you were up half the
night with Junior. How is he?”

“He seems better. Still a little
feverish. When I took his temperature half an hour ago, it was 100.5…much
better than last night.”

Quinn popped the top on his beer and
opened a bottle of iced tea for Susanna. As they sat down to eat, she noticed
his gaze skim over her low-cut tank top and snug jeans. An appreciative grin
lit up his face.