Page 121 of Sins of the Father

He spins. “What did I forget?”

I crook my finger, and he leans down. I murmur in his ear, “I thought you wanted me hot.” I lick his lobe. “Wet. Begging you all night? Hmm?” I tilt my head and raise an eyebrow.

His stressed-out expression becomes cocky.

Hope wails, and I jump. “I’ll get her.”

“No. You go wait in the bedroom.” His eyes scan my body, and heat flushes my face. “Don’t remove any of your clothes.”

Hope screams louder, and he spins and goes to attend to her.

I go into the bedroom, and Steven rushes in with Hope.

“What’s wrong?”

“I think Hope has a fever.”

“What? Oh no!” I put my hand on her forehead. She’s burning up and continues to cry.

Steven puts her on his chest, but she pushes off and screams.

“Let me take her. Call Anna and see if she was acting ill tonight.”

“I don’t have her number. Where’s your phone?”

“In my clutch.”

He pulls it out, and I tell him my code. “The thermometer is in the bathroom cabinet in Hope’s room. Can you get it?”

“On it.” He steps toward the door. “Anna, it’s Steven...”

I sit on the bed with Hope. “Sweet girl, what’s going on? Is it your teeth?” I slide my finger in her mouth, and she screams. I feel the edge of a tooth. “Shhh.” I pull her up to my chest and try to rock her.

Steven comes back into the room with the thermometer. “Thanks. Bye.” He hangs up the phone. “Anna said she was fine all night.”

“I think it’s from her tooth coming in. I felt the edge of it.”

He turns the thermometer on and points it toward her forehead. His eyes widen. “Ninety-nine point eight. Do we need to take her to the hospital?”

Hope wails again and pushes against my chest.

“No. It’s not over one hundred point four.”

“How do you know that number?”

“I have other nieces and nephews.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Get changed, then you can hold her while I get out of this dress.”

He goes into the closet and comes back out in shorts and a T-shirt.

I hand him Hope and stand. “Can you unzip me?”

He quickly does it, and I put on pajama shorts and a tank top.

“So what do we do?” He frets.

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