Stay by Jessica Frances
Series: In Midsummer #3
Publication date: September 4th, 2020
Synopsis:
One screaming baby. One too many diaper disasters. One surprise shooter. One victim. One perpetrator. One blast from the past.
Having a surprise baby dropped at your doorstep has to be the worst kind of relationship buzzkill in history. Instead of dating, now Rocky and I have shifted into becoming exhausted parents with zero time for any kind of fun. Everything is moving so fast that something has to give. I just hope that something won't be us.
Then, when a shooter comes after Rocky and their aim is a little too close for comfort, important questions need to be answered. Who wants Rocky dead? How far are they willing to go to make it happen? How much luck can one person have before it runs out? And where on earth did Rocky put those spare baby diapers?
Will someone gunning for not only Rocky but also our relationship, one has to wonder just how many hits we can take before it all falls apart.
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Excerpt
He sighs, his gaze turning inward. "Prince is still sniffing around you, and he has a hell of a lot more to offer you than I do."
I frown, not seeing it that way at all.
"Don't give me that look!" He flicks my ear, which gets him a light elbow to his chest. "The man is rich, famous, and he clearly wants to fuck you."
"Those were all things he had before when I went on that date with him. It still didn't make me any more interested in him. I chose you. I will always choose you."
Rocky's eyes almost immediately soften. "I can't give you the time you deserve--hell, I can't even manage to fuck you how I want--and I come with so much baggage that I could have my own carousel at the airport to myself."
I turn, wanting to see him for this conversation. Then I am the one to cup his cheeks, moving my fingers over the prickly stubble. "I happen to really like the privacy of your own carousel, and in case you didn't notice, I'm still here. The first time I saw you outside that bar, you stole my breath. I was crossing the road before I even realized what I was doing. I knew I had to be closer to you. I knew I had to talk to you."
"Please don't rehash our first night together. I already hate how that ended."
"Fine, then I'll rehash the night when you took me back to yours after Lo and I stumbled on King's body. You took care of me, you cleaned me up, and you gave me the support I needed that night. I think, maybe that's when the lust I felt for you started to feel like more. And when I couldn't sleep after all that shit with those two dipshits, all I needed was your arms to feel safe. I stayed at the mansion in Henry's room, and it did nothing for me, because he isn't you."
"But I can't offer you what he can."
"No, it's the other way around. Henry can't offer me what you can."
Rocky shakes his head, already denying my words. "I have nothing to offer you."
"You're wrong. And if you think all I need in life is someone to spend stupid amounts of money on me, then you don't know me as well as I think you should."
"he's good-looking--"
"And you're the most handsome man I've ever seen!"
"He's rich--"
"In money only. You are rich in all the right places, like generosity, smarts, and bravery."
Rocky shakes his head again, but I can see I'm starting to get through to him.
"He has no attachments, no responsibilities weighing him down."
"And you're crazy if you think having River and Ryder don't add to your appeal, not take away from it. River is such a funny kid, and she's just like you--headstrong, stubborn, sweet, and bright. I love hanging out with River. Ryder is like you, too."
I can tell this surprises him. "In what way?"
I know he's expecting a joke, like me mentioning Ryder's short attention span, or the farts that have a way of clearing out a room. But I surprise him by saying, "He keeps his thoughts hidden, makes you work to figure out what's going on in that head of his, and he likes oyu to learn from experience rather than sharing the answer with you. He trusts and loves with an open heart, and he can be cheeky when he wants to be."
"You've basically just described every baby in the world."
"No, I don't believe that. Ryder is unique, and no kid is as devious as him. I don't know how he does it, but he can sense when I've just fallen into a deep sleep. And that set of lungs on him likely means he'll make a great swimmer one day."
Rocky snorts.
I frown, not seeing it that way at all.
"Don't give me that look!" He flicks my ear, which gets him a light elbow to his chest. "The man is rich, famous, and he clearly wants to fuck you."
"Those were all things he had before when I went on that date with him. It still didn't make me any more interested in him. I chose you. I will always choose you."
Rocky's eyes almost immediately soften. "I can't give you the time you deserve--hell, I can't even manage to fuck you how I want--and I come with so much baggage that I could have my own carousel at the airport to myself."
I turn, wanting to see him for this conversation. Then I am the one to cup his cheeks, moving my fingers over the prickly stubble. "I happen to really like the privacy of your own carousel, and in case you didn't notice, I'm still here. The first time I saw you outside that bar, you stole my breath. I was crossing the road before I even realized what I was doing. I knew I had to be closer to you. I knew I had to talk to you."
"Please don't rehash our first night together. I already hate how that ended."
"Fine, then I'll rehash the night when you took me back to yours after Lo and I stumbled on King's body. You took care of me, you cleaned me up, and you gave me the support I needed that night. I think, maybe that's when the lust I felt for you started to feel like more. And when I couldn't sleep after all that shit with those two dipshits, all I needed was your arms to feel safe. I stayed at the mansion in Henry's room, and it did nothing for me, because he isn't you."
"But I can't offer you what he can."
"No, it's the other way around. Henry can't offer me what you can."
Rocky shakes his head, already denying my words. "I have nothing to offer you."
"You're wrong. And if you think all I need in life is someone to spend stupid amounts of money on me, then you don't know me as well as I think you should."
"he's good-looking--"
"And you're the most handsome man I've ever seen!"
"He's rich--"
"In money only. You are rich in all the right places, like generosity, smarts, and bravery."
Rocky shakes his head again, but I can see I'm starting to get through to him.
"He has no attachments, no responsibilities weighing him down."
"And you're crazy if you think having River and Ryder don't add to your appeal, not take away from it. River is such a funny kid, and she's just like you--headstrong, stubborn, sweet, and bright. I love hanging out with River. Ryder is like you, too."
I can tell this surprises him. "In what way?"
I know he's expecting a joke, like me mentioning Ryder's short attention span, or the farts that have a way of clearing out a room. But I surprise him by saying, "He keeps his thoughts hidden, makes you work to figure out what's going on in that head of his, and he likes oyu to learn from experience rather than sharing the answer with you. He trusts and loves with an open heart, and he can be cheeky when he wants to be."
"You've basically just described every baby in the world."
"No, I don't believe that. Ryder is unique, and no kid is as devious as him. I don't know how he does it, but he can sense when I've just fallen into a deep sleep. And that set of lungs on him likely means he'll make a great swimmer one day."
Rocky snorts.
Jessica lives in Adelaide, South Australia. When she is not writing, you can find her reading, napping or watching excessive amounts of TV. Connect with her on Facebook and Goodreads.
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