Page 14 of Daddy's Unexpected Gift

“Gentle,” Cecelia cooed. She eased the baby’s grabby hands from my nose.

Georgie looked at Cecelia, and then back at me. Instead of grabbing my face, she petted me like I was a dog or a cat.

“Someone must have taught her that. To gently pat. She must have had a pet.”

“I feel like a cat or something,” I complained.

Georgie made a few noises. They were her attempts at talking. It took us a while, but she was able to almost say juice in a way that Wayne or I could recognize. These were different sounds than anything I had heard from her previously.

“Kitty?” Cecelia said.

Georgie repeated the sounds.

“She must have had a kitty cat.”

“I’m not getting her a cat,” I said.

“Best not. After all, you haven’t gotten her any toys. Why don’t you show me what you have managed to get her?” Cecelia said.

“You saw the highchair in the kitchen. Let me show you the bedroom.”

“Did you manage to get a changing table?” Cecelia asked as she followed me down the hallway.

“I managed to get her an entire bedroom,” I said. I opened the door to Georgie’s room and stepped aside, allowing Cecelia to step in first.

Her entire face lit up as she looked around. “You managed to fully furnish a nursery in two days?”

“It’s not my taste, but that doesn’t really matter. I didn’t have time to paint, and I felt that the white furniture went with the walls,” I said.

Cecelia crossed the room and opened the dresser. “You even managed to get clothes.”

“I have more on order. She goes through clothes much faster than I expected.”

“Don’t overbuy. Georgie will grow out of these sooner rather than later.” She smiled, and this time, it was directed at me.

The same urge deep inside that had me wanting to poke at her now preened at the attention.

“You need more diapers,” Cecelia said as she continued to inspect the room, opening drawers and dragging her fingertips over every surface, touching everything.

I suppressed the urge to growl and demand that she touch me the same way. I stepped in close behind her and inhaled her scent.

She turned suddenly. I hadn’t realized I had gotten so close. There she was. Her chest brushed against mine as she took in a sudden, sharp breath. My gaze was drawn to her lips. Every time I tried to think of what my intentions were, I found myself looking at her lips and wondering what she tasted like.

I lowered my eyelids and leaned forward.

Georgie grabbed my nose again and her fingers pressed into my closed eyes. I flinched and stepped back. My initial reaction was to lash out, smack hands. Instead, I carefully enfolded Georgie’s little fingers in my hands. “Hey, there. Careful, that’s attached.”

Cecelia leaned back against the changing table. I could see her quickened pulse in her neck, and her breasts heaved with her rapid breathing. “See, you can be taught.” She giggled nervously.

I much preferred her giggle to her scowl.

8

CECELIA

I sat on the floor with a movie on the television. I really wished I had a bigger table that would let me spread my scrapbooking supplies out. I needed to see what I had and be able to get at it as I updated and decorated my planner.

I lived by my planner. It helped me get through classes and make sure I never missed an exam. I still loved my planner. It held all my personal organizational notes, like when payday was and when I would have enough money to pay my bills. I also kept little notes like when I thought Sterling Alexander was going to kiss me in it.

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