Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

I wake up to the sound of the shower running. I shove the blankets to one side of the bed and drag myself off the cushy mattress. The portable crib Mrs. Valentino set up is empty. I look to the bathroom door.

Did Orlando take Sebastian into the bathroom with him?

The door has been left ajar. So I peek through the opening and my jaw drops. Orlando didn't just take Sebastian into the bathroom. He took Sebastian into the shower.

Orlando is naked, completely buck-ass naked, in the shower with my son. Our son. Sebastian is giggling. He's such a water baby. He loves it so much.

"You can come in. You don't need to creep," Orlando says.

I push the door open, and my face heats up as I walk inside. I look everywhere but through the opaque glass. "I wasn't creeping. I was looking for Sebastian," I say as my eyes flick to the diaper bag and towel on the floor.

"He peed all over me when I tried to change him," Orlando explains.

"Uh, yeah, you gotta be quick," I tell him.

"You know there's nothing here you haven't already seen, right? We did get naked together when we made Seb," Orlando says.

"Seb?" I turn around and do my best to keep my focus on Orlando's face and not let my eyes wander to other parts of his body.

"Sebastian is really long, and we both know this kid is going to be way too cool to not have a cool nickname to match, so Seb it is."

It worries me how calm Orlando's being about this whole becoming a father thing. I feel like the other shoe will drop at any moment and he's going to tell me he doesn't want to take this on. I'll be ready when that happens. I'm not going to let myself get my hopes up. He's a seventeen-year-old rock star—oh, and a mafia prince. Why on earth would he want the burden of a child?

"Do you want me to take him?" I ask while grabbing a clean towel from the shelf on the wall.

Orlando shuts off the water. "No, just pass me the towel. You're sick, Aleeka. You should be in bed."

"I'm feeling better," I tell him honestly. The sleep really helped.

"You're still sick. Give me the towel. Is he going to pee on me again? Like, how quick do I need to be at getting him dressed?" Orlando asks.

"He shouldn't," I say as I pass the towel over. "Bring him to the bed. I'll get you some clean clothes for him."

I walk out of the bathroom, dig through the bag, and pull out a clean onesie. It's one of my favorites. It's green with the words "Momma's boy" across the chest. I set the clothes out on the bed, then pull out a diaper just as Orlando enters the room. He's completely naked and dripping wet. Meanwhile, Sebastian is bundled up in a fluffy towel.

"Why are you still naked?" I ask him.

"I couldn't figure out how to hold him and wrap a towel around myself. I'd rather he be warm than me." Orlando shrugs.

Do not swoon. I will not swoon. I am not swooning.

I shake those thoughts from my head before gesturing in front of me. "Lay him down on the bed and please, for the love of God, put some clothes on."

"I love it when you're bossy." Orlando smirks as he sets Sebastian on the mattress. He makes quick work of drying himself off and then wraps the towel around his hips. Low around his hips. I can see that V that I used to love to run my hands over.

Damn it. Nope. He is my son's father. I'm not going to complicate things by being anything but platonic.

At the sound of Orlando clearing his throat, I look up from where I was very much ogling his body. "What? I can appreciate art when I see it." I pick up the diaper and turn Sebastian around.

"Stop. Let me do it." Orlando climbs onto the bed and shifts Sebastian back around to face him. He then holds out a hand. "I need to get used to doing this."

I pass over the diaper and watch like a hawk as Orlando unwraps the towel and carefully picks up Sebastian's legs before sliding the diaper underneath. "You need to pour a little of that on him," I say, pointing to the bottle of baby powder I left next to the clothes.

"Got it." Orlando says while holding the top of the diaper over Sebastian's parts. I guess he really doesn't want to get peed on again. "Where do I put it?"

"On his… you know, inside the diaper." I watch as Orlando pours way too much powder out and then fastens the diaper.

"See, Seb, I got this. It's not so hard when you're not pissing all over me." He slowly gets Sebastian dressed, being extremely careful of how he's moving our son around. Then Orlando scoops him up and places him in the rocker that's by the bed. "I'm just gonna go put some clothes on, unless you'd prefer I didn't?" he questions, while raising his brows up and down suggestively.

This whole not being tempted by him thing is going to be harder than I thought. "Nope, I'd very much rather you did," I say and watch as Orlando retreats to the closet.

When he comes back out, he's dressed in sweats and a shirt. I'm not sure it's any less attractive than seeing him naked though.

Orlando picks up Sebastian and sits next to me on the bed. "How are you feeling?" he asks.

"Better," I tell him. "Thank you… for helping me. With him."

"You know, I would have been there for you. If I knew. I never would have let you do this on your own for so long," he says.

"I know," I whisper. "I wasn't on my own. My dad helps a lot. He takes Sebastian to work with him so I can go to school."

"What are your plans for college?"

"I don't think college is in my future. What about you? Where are you going?"

Orlando's head snaps in my direction. "You're going to college, Aleeka. You're way too fucking smart not to go," he says.

"I have a child. I need to get a job. I can't live off my dad forever," I tell him.

"You won't have to. I can look after you. Both of you. I have enough money for all of us."

I shake my head. "I don't want your money, Orlando."

"Too bad. You're going to have it. He's my son, Aleeka, my responsibility too. I'm not some deadbeat asswipe."

"I didn't say you were. I just… I don't need money from you. I can do this."

"But you don't have to do this alone. Let me help. You know I'm going to anyway. We could just get married. Then whatever I have is yours anyway." Orlando smiles at me.

My eyes widen. "We are not getting married."

"Yet," he says. "It'll happen, little ghost. You'll see." He smirks.