Maid for Him.

Chapter Fifteen

Tess lay peacefully in her hospital bed catching up on some well-earned sleep. How someone could shut off and nap after what she just went through, he couldn't understand. Cole watched her for a moment. The early morning sun streamed in through the gap in the curtains, softening the stark, sterile room. Her chest rose and fell and a small smile played on her lips. Such beauty, even after all that trauma. What he'd witnessed last night had made the trauma of his horse-riding accident a few months ago seem inconsequential. And despite the harsh reality of birth, it ended well. In fact, perfectly.

The little bundle in his arms wriggled and drew his attention back to the baby shrouded in a blue blanket. It was difficult to tell who he looked like just yet as his little face was still puffy and discolored. The baby blinked up at him, with one eye open slightly more than the other. A small frown crossed his son's face. Who knew they could frown already?

Cole ran his fingertip down along the baby's nose, the skin was unlike anything he had felt before. Almost like satin, or felt, no, something totally new to him. So soft and unprotected. This little guy was exposing him to new things just hours after his birth. He sure was in for an adventure, one that would last many years. He snuck another peek at Tess, he'd made a decision. After all the excitement had settled down and he had time to sit here with himself, he knew. He would do anything in his power to keep them a family.

Not just for the good of the baby, if he was honest with himself, he needed her in his life. He wanted her in his life. A dull life, full of flitting between business meetings and the ranch had consumed him since he was 18 years old. It was what he'd come to expect and what he thought he'd wanted. Until Tess. She barged into his life, a dripping wet mermaid and turned him upside down.

Chaotic, spontaneous and now possibly crazy, she added color to his bland existence and without her, he'd be gray again. It was what she feared for their child and he understood that now. He completely got why she ran away when she discovered she was pregnant. After all, why would she want a boring suit like him? She could have any man she wanted. An exciting man.

She deserved better and he would do whatever it took to become that man for her. Hell, he'd jump out of a plane, run a marathon or swim with sharks if it kept her with him. She shifted her weight, stirring under his gaze. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him.

"You're still here." She said, her voice raspy.

He stood and slowly crept his way over to her and gently placed the baby in her arms, slowly sneaking his arms out from under the tiny boy. "I'm not going anywhere." He replied.

He reached out and poured her a glass of water, opened a fresh straw and placed it in the cup. He held it up for her and she leaned forward and drew back hard on the straw over and over until the final bit of water slurped loudly in the bottom.

He propped himself on the end of the bed and watched as Tess fed their baby. She was everything their little boy needed. The child gulped away like he'd been doing it for years. Babies were unbelievable, how did they just know how to do stuff? Maybe his son was just advanced for his age. Tess didn't seem to mind him watching the baby feeding, she was a natural.

"Tess, we really need to talk." He ran his hands through his hair and ran them down over his face. He rubbed his eyes before facing her again.

Tess barely glanced up from the baby in her arms. "Uh-oh, nothing great ever starts with, we need to talk."

"Well, I'm kind of hoping you will think this is pretty good." He said the words but he didn't believe them. The fear she would run again, terrified him. He squeezed his hands into fists to stop them from shaking. Million-dollar business deals didn't faze him, but asking Tess to be a proper family had his stomach in knots.