Chapter 28
Rhodes
“Daddy. When can we go get a cat?” Opal asked as she snuggled down into her covers after we’d read three books.
“Soon.” Sweeping in for kisses, I gave her a little squeeze. “I promise. Let’s just make sure we’re all settled in first so we have the very best home for a new kitty.”
“Kitties.” Her hands pressed my cheeks together. “Two Daddy. You love me, right?”
Ah, the little manipulator. Making the duck face she wanted, I kissed her again. “One. And I love you lots and lots. More than unicorns, but I’m not getting two.”
“We’ll need to talk about it, Daddy.” Opal mock-frowned at me as I tucked her in and then laughed. “I had fun today. Can we have dinner and fairy parties all the time?”
“As many as we can. I had fun too.” She nodded sleepily, sliding her hands under her cheek, her curls brushing against the pillows. “Love you, Oppie.”
“Love you the mostest.”
Sliding the control down on the lights so they were dimmed all the way, I paused for just a second to be thankful. Some days had seemed so hard that I never would have imagined I could be here, looking at such perfection or knowing what it was like to have my daughter in my life. Damn, I was lucky.
Sage was still downstairs finishing up the kitchen, even though I’d told her we’d do it together when I came down.
“She fell asleep, okay?” Sage asked.
“Yeah, she did. She had a great night. She loves your family. I do too. Having them here was really nice.” That was an understatement.
She looked unsure now, as if she wasn’t clear on the boundaries between us.
I didn’t like that. Sage made me want to be the man who deserved her—not just the protector, but the one who could let her in.
But first, I had to make this place safe.
No more fuzzy edges, no more threats slipping through, and that meant I needed to figure this shit out.
First things first.
Sweeping her up in my arms, I slammed my lips onto hers, gripping her hair and breathing in her scent while my tongue swept against hers until we both breathed heavily.
“I’ve been missing you for hours.” The words were the hard truth. Watching her at a distance had been torture all night long. “Just so you know, I have no problem with your family knowing that we’re seeing each other.”
“Wait … what?” Her eyes widened in surprise, her fingers gripping against my shirt. “Seeing each other? Is that what we’re doing?” Her mouth tipped into a smile.
Yeah, that’s what needed to be crystal clear. “Me. You. Together. That’s what we’re doing.” I pressed my mouth back against hers.
“Is that right?” Just as she was hooking her fingers into the loops of my jeans, someone knocked on the door.