Page 42 of Baby Daddy
In a few heartbeats, all three of us were in the car, Tyson sitting in front of me next to a jubilant silver-haired grandma and Drake sitting next to me, the safety bars lowered.
“Cupcake, are you okay,” I asked Tyson, tapping her back and feeling terribly guilty that I wasn’t sitting next to her.
She looked over her shoulder. “Yes, Mommy. I can’t wait! It’s gonna be so much fun.”
The grandma, who turned out to be Drake’s parents’ neighbor, gave me an aside. “Bubala, trust me. It’s as fun as shtupping. No need to vorry shmorry.”
Her enviable fearlessness, like Ty’s, did nothing to soothe me. “Drake, I’m scared!”
Laughing, he squeezed my hand. “Seriously, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Driving in a car is way more dangerous. And the ride will be over before you know it.”
My stomach tightened. I didn’t believe a word he said. I wanted it to be over…now! Before it even started.
“Here we go!” shouted Drake, a fiendish smile on his face as the car chugged into motion.
Oh shit!
“YAY!” squealed Ty.
Oh, dear Lord! We hadn’t even gone twenty feet or picked up speed, and I was already freaking out. In no time, we were making our climb up the first steep incline. Chug. Chug. Chug. Chug. Though the ascent was slow, every muscle in my body tensed. Butterflies swarmed my stomach.
“Dee, you’re going to love it!” shouted Drake when we were almost at the apex.
“No, I’m not!” I gripped the safety bar so tightly my fists hurt.
The car paused at the very top. I looked down. Oh, God! The drop was formidable. My heart thudded so loudly I could hear it in my ears. Drake’s voice broke into my fear.
“Dee, look at me.”
Hesitantly, I did as he asked and on my next rapid heartbeat, my head was cradled in his hands. As I stared at him breathlessly, his lips slammed into mine.
Don’t ask me what happened next. The car hurled down the slope at some ungodly speed as Drake gave me a kiss that sent my heart racing. My eyes squeezed shut, every organ in my body free-falling. I didn’t know what was sending my heartbeat into a frenzy and turning my stomach upside down more—this extreme thrill ride or this extreme kiss that was consuming my breath and every cell in my body. Ty’s joyous screams roared in my ears. My mouth smothered by Drake’s, I screamed along silently.
I lost all track of time, and when Drake pulled away, we were now whipping around sharp curves. Before I could catch my breath, I was screaming at the top of my lungs.
“That’s it, Dee, scream all you want. I love hearing you scream. In fact, scream as loud as you can.”
My stomach lurched forward and my neck hyper-extended. I felt like I was getting a severe case of whiplash.
“I’m going to fall off,” I cried out as the coaster made another hairpin turn. Drake laughed at me. “You won’t. I’ve got you.” He wrapped his sculpted arm around me, drawing me closer to him.
Hold me tight! Don’t let me go! You feel so good!
Though I felt safer with him holding me, I continued to scream my guts out, and as we whooshed around the serpentine track, the frantic sounds came out in loud pants.
“Look at the great view,” Drake yelled out.
My eyes glimpsed the Pacific Ocean far below us for a brief second, and it made me even dizzier. In front of me, Ty was screaming at the top of her lungs, her arms raised high. Just like her octogenarian companion.
“Oh my God, Drake!” I blurted in a panic, the air rushing in my face. “She’s going to fall off!”
Drake laughed. Insensitive man! He let go of me and mimicked Ty’s actions.
“Look, Mom, no hands!” he yelled out with mockery, lifting his arms into the air.
Oh God! Please hold me!
As if he heard my desperate plea, he lowered his arms, this time removing one of my hands from the safety bar and placing it on his lap.