Page 85 of Baby Daddy
Five minutes later, we were sitting side by side at the kitchen table with leftover Kentucky Fried, two glasses of milk, and a box of Oreos. Neither of us had eaten all night and we were suddenly ravenous. Along with the food, colored pencils were scattered on the table. While I drew a picture of the Tooth Fairy on a sheet of paper, Drake munched on an Oreo, eating it just the way Ty did…splitting it open and licking off the frosting first. Except when he licked the frosting, it was so damn sexy.
“You’re such a good artist,” commented Drake after devouring the cookie.
“Thanks.” I had to admit my whimsical Tooth Fairy with her purple tutu, gold crown, and magic wand was almost marketable.
Drake snagged the paper with the drawing. “Okay, now let me write the note so Ty won’t recognize the handwriting and will think it’s really from the Tooth Fairy.”
In no time, our teamwork paid off. The note, thanking Ty for her beautiful shiny tooth and commending her good brushing and flossing, was written though I made Drake add a P.S. after “Love, The Tooth Fairy” saying that since this was Ty’s very first tooth she was getting a little extra. Drake added quotes around the word “little” and then drew a funny picture of a tooth that looked like a cartoon character. As if we were two proud parents, we admired our handiwork. To say I was not touched by the care Drake put into the note would be a lie. The all-night sex we had might have been electrifying, but our joint arts and crafts project aroused me in another equally powerful way. For lack of better words, a comfy, cozy crackling fireplace kind of way. Sparks were flying between us, the heat rising. Our thighs touching, I felt closer to this gorgeous man-god than I ever had.
“How did you lose your first tooth?” I asked as he folded the note into an envelope along with the hundred-dollar bill.
“Skating. I slammed into the wall of the rink and almost knocked out the same front tooth that Ty lost. It was hanging by a thread and was a bloody mess. My father pulled it out when he got home. My mother almost fainted.”
“Eww.” Thank goodness, that hadn’t happened to Ty. I would have totally freaked.
“It looked much worse than it was. And I scored big with the Tooth Fairy,” he added with a chuckle. “What about you?”
A lump formed in my throat as the painful memory surfaced. I could still feel the sharp whack to my face as if it were only yesterday. My head involuntarily jerked at the sensation. There was no magic fairy for me. Just ugly reality.
“Dee, are you okay?” asked Drake.
I nodded, wanting to open up to him. “My mother, in one of her drunken fits, whacked me when I was five and knocked out my two front teeth.”
Drawing in a breath, I closed my eyes and saw crimson red behind them. Blood everywhere. I could even hear five-year-old me crying, my mother shrieking madly.
Drake cupped my face and I opened my eyes. His face somber, his gaze penetrated mine. “Oh, baby. I’m sorry. I wish I could make everything right for you. Trust me, Ty is never going to have to go through what you have. I’ll kill anyone who ever lays hands on her. And I mean that.”
My mind quieted and then his lips touched down on mine. This kiss. Oh, this kiss. Laced with chocolate, it was like none other. Slow and tender. Sweet and tender. Warm and tender. Giving and tender.
I could have let him kiss me all night, but I finally pulled away. “C’mon, let’s take care of this.”
“Good idea.” My eyes fixed on him as he licked the envelope with the note and hundred-dollar bill. Oh, what that tongue could do!
A few moments later, we were in the bedroom I shared with Ty. The nightlight was on, and my heart swelled with joy at the sight of my little girl fast asleep with a small smile curled on her rosebud lips. Bending down, I reached under her pillow for her tooth and then replaced the plastic baggie with the envelope Drake was holding. Before rising, I planted a small kiss on her forehead.
“Does she always wear her red cape to bed?” whispered Drake as I stood up.
“Yes. She rarely takes it off. It makes her feel safe.”
As we watched my precious little girl breathe softly, her chest rhythmically rising and falling beneath the comforter, Drake squeezed my hand.
“You’re so lucky to have her.”
“I know.”
“My mother always wished she could have had another little girl like Ty.”
My eyes widened. “But don’t you have a sister?”
“I did. Her name was Mia.”
Did?
“She died when she was five. A freak accident. A tree branch fell on her.”
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry.”
“I was only three-months-old at the time. Though my parents never talk about it, I think it was really hard on them.”