Page 19 of Sterling Heat

“Hold her head and her bottom,” Trinity explains.

My arms seem to have a will of their own, lifting and taking the baby now bundled in a blanket. I’m fighting a steady tremor in my limbs, telling myself to hold still while Adara is placed in my hands again.

The moment she was born comes back to me. Covered in slime and thick with gunk and still so . . . precious.

Her entire head fits in the palm of my hand. Her bottom is buried beneath the blanket Trinity wrapped around her.

And I can do nothing other than stare down at her. I need to Facetime Enya but there’s no way I can move. Both my hands are full, and I’m mesmerized by the tiny thing before me.

She’s . . . perfect.

“Let’s move her up to your chest.” Trinity starts unwrapping the bundle while adjusting the tubes and wires attached to Adara. “Sit back. Relax a little. Keep a hand on her head.”

I don’t know how to relax. I don’t know how to move. I’m frozen in this position of bent arms and spread hands holding a tiny gem, afraid I’ll jostle her breathing tube or jiggle her feeding one.

Trinity guides my arm upward, and I bring Adara to my chest. Her little belly hits my left pec and I gasp at the contact. She’s so warm against me and my heart expands, like it’s growing inside my chest, stretching like it can hardly fit behind my ribs. I can’t breathe and yet I’m not gasping for air. I’m already . . . full.

What the hell is happening to me?

Adara makes a soft grunt.

“What was that?” My gaze leaps to Trinity. She needs to do something. Something is wrong. The baby made a noise.

“She’s listening to your heartbeat and saying hello to her daddy,” Trinity coos while smiling at Adara.

Daddy. My throat closes. I’m not her father. Some other man made this little thing. Some other man gave Enya this gift.

I’m ready to beg Trinity to take the baby back when little fingers expand and contract over my skin and curl into a tiny fist near my sternum. Sharp fingernails scratch my skin.

“What’s she doing?” I try to glance down at her as best I can.

“She’s giving you a hug.”

There isn’t any chance this gem-of-a-human is hugging me, but my eyes suddenly sting. My nose prickles. “I need to call Enya.” I need to get this over with and get the hell out of here. I’m in over my head.

“I can hold the phone up for you, or you can hold it. Just keep a firm grip on her middle now, more toward the base of her head.”

I nod like a freaking bobblehead. “Okay. Head. Hold. Got it.”

Hesitantly, I release Adara’s bottom, finding she doesn’t even move. With one hand, I thumb over my contacts. I need to put Enya in my favorites in order to find her quicker. After pressing the Facetime button, the phone rings.

“Shit,” I murmur, afraid it will disturb Adara. Then cursing again as I just swore over a baby’s head.

“Hey,” Enya greets me.

“Hey,” I whisper. “Here she is.” I hold the phone in a way that Adara is the focus. Trinity steps back allowing us some privacy.

“Hey, Cookie,” Enya coos through the speaker, her voice drizzling like icing over lemon cake. “I can’t wait to see you in person. To hold you.”

Sniffles come through the video. She’s crying again.

“Don’t cry, sugar.” She can’t see me as the phone is directed toward Adara.

“She’s so sweet.” More sniffing. “And I already love her so much.” Full sob.

“Oh, baby.” Her tears are killing me. “The nurse says she’s doing really well.” I hope it’s true.

“She’s still on a breathing tube. And I can’t nurse her yet while she has the feeding tube.”