Page 75 of Saving Summer
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
His shoulders plantedagainst the door in the small exam room, Jamie couldn’t peel his eyes off Summer. With the rosy blush of her cheeks, and her pink-tipped curls wild and messy, she looked like she’d been thoroughly fucked.
And by Christ, had he wanted to fuck her.
Twenty minutes later, his dick was still semi-hard.
She bent over the exam table to brush Halia’s red face with gentle kisses, and he had to fight back a groan. Her ass at perfect height, if he stepped behind her, he could—
“Last one, sweetheart.” Straightening as Doctor Baelish approached with the baby’s third shot, Summer kept her hand on Halia’s stomach. A natural mothering instinct to protect her child from the danger of falling.
The jab quick, Halia’s cry grew louder, and the worst was over. “That’s it, all done,” Doctor Baelish announced, removing the needle from the baby’s arm, and disposing of it in the nearby safety bin. “She’ll need a second dose of Hep B in four weeks. I’ll have the nurse schedule another appointment.”
“Thank you,” Summer replied, making quick work of getting Halia into her sleeper before scooping her into her arms.
“And how’s Mom doing?”
“Oh, I’m fine,” she said, playing her role perfectly. “A little tired, but I’ve got plenty of family around to help.”
“That’s good. And how about sexual relations? You two back on the bandwagon yet?” The doctor looked between them and then settled her gaze on his fake wife, who shook her head. “Well, it’s been two months, no reason not to be. What were you using for birth control before getting pregnant?”
Summer didn’t hesitate. “Condoms.”
“Are you interested in a shot of Depo-Provera since you’re here? It’s more than ninety-nine percent effective, and there’s no risk to the baby if you’re breastfeeding. Plus, there’s zero chance of user error.”
“Ah…I hadn’t thought about it, but it sounds like a good idea. Does it cost a lot?”
“It’s covered by Medicaid, as well as most insurance providers. But if you don’t have insurance, I charge my patients four hundred dollars for the four shots of Depo, no admin fee to keep the cost down.”
“That’s kind of you.” Swaying back and forth, Summer kept up with the back-patting, and Halia settled down. “So four shots? How does that work?”
“Each shot prevents pregnancy for three months. I’d administer your first one here and give you three more to take home. It’s a small, pre-packaged needle you inject into your thigh, so it’s easy to use.”
“Side effects?” Jamie asked.
“Possible side effects include nausea, headache, weight gain, sore breasts, and depression. These are rare, and studies show they diminish over two to three months as the body gets used to the hormones. As a bonus, most women see a reduction in menstrual bleeding, while fifty percent stop having a period altogether. Totally normal and safe. The only thing it doesn’t do is prevent sexually transmitted diseases, so if you’re planning on having intercourse with more than one partner, I’d recommend keeping the condoms handy.”
“There won’t be more than one partner.”
Summer turned her head his way and cocked a brow at him. Yeah, he’d heard the possessiveness in his tone. Nothing he could do about it now. Not like he could take it back.
He couldn’t erase the kisses either. His only regret? He hadn’t asked her if she was in a relationship before planting his mouth over hers. He hadn’t thought so, and she’d never mentioned one, but if she was using condoms for birth control, then maybe…
No. No way she had a boyfriend. Not possible. Not with the way she looked at him. Not with the way she kissed him back. Hell, she’d practically crawled into his lap. God damn, his little vixen could do things with her tongue.
“What do you think?” she asked, and he couldn’t tell if she was still playing the part of his loving wife and pretending to care what he thought or if his opinion really mattered to her.
“Your body. Your choice,” he replied, trying his best not to influence her one way or another. Or picture her naked and beneath him while he pounded his cock into her bareback. Yeah, despite his momentary lapse in judgment, Depo shot or not, there’d be no fucking.
Christ, he was trying to get her to leave. Not give her a reason to stay.
Her grin made his balls tighten before she stole her gaze away to address the doctor directly. “I’d like to get the shot.”
“Great. Why don’t you hand Halia over to her daddy, and we’ll get this done in a jiffy.”
Fear cut a straight path to his spleen, and his spine snapped to attention as Summer approached. He hadn’t held Kosamina’s daughter before now. He’d wanted to, but guilt, regret, and a hefty dose of anger had kept him from reaching out.
He was the reason she had no mother. The reason she’d go through life wondering who she was and where she came from. And despite what everyone else thought about the matter, he had no business being anyone’s daddy.
