Read Online Her Baby's Bodyguard by Ingrid Weaver - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ingrid Weaver
Ads: Link
mittens and moved her as gently as possible to the pouch in the center of the carrier. “Trust has nothing to do with it, Sergeant Norton,” she said. “This is a matter of expedience.”
“Call it what you like as long as we get moving.”
She eyed his height. “I’ll be able to manage this better if you sit on the bed frame.”
He complied and held his arms out at his sides. “Now what?”
“Hold her while I fasten the ties.”
He brought his hands in front of him palms-up. “Okay, lay her on me.”
The baby stirred when she was transferred to the sergeant’s grasp. He held her stiffly until Eva put her hands over his and guided them toward his chest. “You need to keep her close. She likes feeling secure.”
He spread his fingers over Katya’s back and brought her against the front of his sweater. She snuffled, cuddled closer and settled back to sleep without opening her eyes.
Eva was surprised. Katya had calmed quickly the last time Sergeant Norton had held her, too. It hadn’t been that way with Burian. The few times he’d picked her up, his daughter had begun fussing immediately. Eva leaned down so she could bring her face to Katya’s. “What a good girl you are, kitten,” she whispered. “I’ll be right beside you. We’re just going for another ride.”
“You don’t need to, uh, feed her again, do you?”
Eva could feel her cheeks heat at the mention of what had happened earlier. It had been a natural function, she reminded herself. It hadn’t been sexual. So she shouldn’t think about how close she was to his body. The fact that she was still holding her fingers over his didn’t help. She grabbed the top set of straps and tied them behind his neck. “Not for a while.”
“Because when you do, just let me know. I’ll find you some privacy from the guys.”
She blew her hair aside so she could focus on the knot she was making. “Thank you.”
“No problem.”
She put one knee on the bed frame. Taking care not to brush against him, she leaned behind him to bring the remaining set of straps behind his back. They barely met, so it took longer to tie them together. Finally, though, she managed to secure the carrier to her satisfaction. “There. That should hold,” she said, pushing herself back to her feet.
He stood carefully, still cradling Katya with his hands. The ribbons from one of her mittens trailed over the back of his knuckles. He was obviously ill at ease holding the baby—like the other men, he’d be more accustomed to carrying weapons than children. Yet instead of looking awkward, he looked…endearing.
Eva scooped up his coat and held it out. “It’s all right. You can let go of her now.”
He took his hands away slowly, watching as the cotton carrier tightened with Katya’s weight. “Man, she’s tiny. Hard to believe she can make as much noise as she does.”
“My daughter is the perfect weight for her size and her age.” She thrust his coat at him and then retrieved her own and put it on. “And I think we already had the conversation about her healthy lungs.”
“Easy there, ma’am. I wasn’t insulting your kid.” He zipped the front of his coat over Katya. “I just don’t know anything about them.”
Neither had she, until she’d had a baby of her own. She’d never envisioned herself as a mother, either. Her ambitions had involved having her own research project, not her own family. She placed her hand over his to stop him from closing his coat all the way so she could tie the loose ribbon on Katya’s mitten. She pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head, then straightened up and looked around. “Have you seen my hat?”
He splayed his hand over the bulge Katya made as he stooped to reach beneath the bed frame. “Here.”
She twisted her hair to cram it under her hat. “Let me know if you feel her begin to wake up. She’ll often calm down when she hears my voice.”
“Sure.” He brushed a strand of stray hair off Eva’s cheek
“Call it what you like as long as we get moving.”
She eyed his height. “I’ll be able to manage this better if you sit on the bed frame.”
He complied and held his arms out at his sides. “Now what?”
“Hold her while I fasten the ties.”
He brought his hands in front of him palms-up. “Okay, lay her on me.”
The baby stirred when she was transferred to the sergeant’s grasp. He held her stiffly until Eva put her hands over his and guided them toward his chest. “You need to keep her close. She likes feeling secure.”
He spread his fingers over Katya’s back and brought her against the front of his sweater. She snuffled, cuddled closer and settled back to sleep without opening her eyes.
Eva was surprised. Katya had calmed quickly the last time Sergeant Norton had held her, too. It hadn’t been that way with Burian. The few times he’d picked her up, his daughter had begun fussing immediately. Eva leaned down so she could bring her face to Katya’s. “What a good girl you are, kitten,” she whispered. “I’ll be right beside you. We’re just going for another ride.”
“You don’t need to, uh, feed her again, do you?”
Eva could feel her cheeks heat at the mention of what had happened earlier. It had been a natural function, she reminded herself. It hadn’t been sexual. So she shouldn’t think about how close she was to his body. The fact that she was still holding her fingers over his didn’t help. She grabbed the top set of straps and tied them behind his neck. “Not for a while.”
“Because when you do, just let me know. I’ll find you some privacy from the guys.”
She blew her hair aside so she could focus on the knot she was making. “Thank you.”
“No problem.”
She put one knee on the bed frame. Taking care not to brush against him, she leaned behind him to bring the remaining set of straps behind his back. They barely met, so it took longer to tie them together. Finally, though, she managed to secure the carrier to her satisfaction. “There. That should hold,” she said, pushing herself back to her feet.
He stood carefully, still cradling Katya with his hands. The ribbons from one of her mittens trailed over the back of his knuckles. He was obviously ill at ease holding the baby—like the other men, he’d be more accustomed to carrying weapons than children. Yet instead of looking awkward, he looked…endearing.
Eva scooped up his coat and held it out. “It’s all right. You can let go of her now.”
He took his hands away slowly, watching as the cotton carrier tightened with Katya’s weight. “Man, she’s tiny. Hard to believe she can make as much noise as she does.”
“My daughter is the perfect weight for her size and her age.” She thrust his coat at him and then retrieved her own and put it on. “And I think we already had the conversation about her healthy lungs.”
“Easy there, ma’am. I wasn’t insulting your kid.” He zipped the front of his coat over Katya. “I just don’t know anything about them.”
Neither had she, until she’d had a baby of her own. She’d never envisioned herself as a mother, either. Her ambitions had involved having her own research project, not her own family. She placed her hand over his to stop him from closing his coat all the way so she could tie the loose ribbon on Katya’s mitten. She pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head, then straightened up and looked around. “Have you seen my hat?”
He splayed his hand over the bulge Katya made as he stooped to reach beneath the bed frame. “Here.”
She twisted her hair to cram it under her hat. “Let me know if you feel her begin to wake up. She’ll often calm down when she hears my voice.”
“Sure.” He brushed a strand of stray hair off Eva’s cheek
Similar Books
