Page 60 of Secret Baby for the Bad Boy

Lara nods, accepting my words, and I’m happy right here in this moment.

The marine educator continues her talk, and Win is completely captivated. I glance at Lara, her face illuminated by the soft light of the aquarium. She’s watching Win with so much love my heart begins to ache in the best way possible.

“Thank you for this,” she says, turning to me. “For everything.”

“You don’t have to thank me. This is my pleasure.” I love spending time with them. Both of them. And I have a lot of time to make up for. I know that’s not how things work, but I have every intention of trying. I lean in, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“Next time we should bring your mom and Damon.” She seems genuinely thrilled by the idea as she says it, and it only makes me love her more.

We both look up as Win’s laughter rings out as the educator lets him touch a ray’s smooth skin. His joy shines in his face and gives me a sense of fulfillment I never knew I needed. This is what it’s all about—these moments of pure, unfiltered happiness.

As the talk wraps up, Win runs over to us, his eyes wide with excitement. “Did you see that, Mom? I touched a ray!”

“I saw, buddy,” Lara says, hunkering down to his level.

He nods. “Dad, did you see?” he asks.

“I did!” I say with a nod. “Pretty cool, huh?”

“The coolest!” he exclaims, bouncing up and down on his toes.

Lara laughs, and I realize I love the sound. “What’s next on the agenda, Mr. Tour Guide?” she teases me.

I glance at the map of the aquarium, considering our options. “How about we check out the shark tunnel?”

Win’s eyes go even wider. “Sharks? Yes, please!”

We make our way to the tunnel, Win practically dragging us along in his excitement. As we walk through, surrounded by the graceful predators, I feel that everything has finally fallen into place. Well, maybe not everything – there are still some business matters to attend to – but this whole family life and dad role make me happy. This is my family, my life, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Win’s excitement is contagious, and I find myself grinning as he looks up. The water above us shimmers with the movement of the sharks, their sleek bodies gliding effortlessly through the blue. Lara squeezes my hand, her eyes filled with wonder and a hint of fear.

“Look at that one!” Win points to a particularly large shark, his voice filled with awe. “It’s huge!”

I love his excitement. “That’s a sand tiger shark. Impressive, right?”

Lara leans closer, her shoulder brushing against mine. “It’s amazing how peaceful they seem,” she says.

I nod, watching as the sharks swim. “Yeah, it’s like they’re in their own world.” Like we are. Our own happy little world, untouched by the stress and troubles of the outside world, if only for a moment.

Lara leans into me, her head resting on my shoulder. “This is perfect,” she whispers.

I wrap my arm around her, pulling her close. “Yeah, it is,” I agree, my heart feeling full. “It really is.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Lara

The sharp ring of the phone jolts me out of thoughts of being in Lark’s arms while he—

“Hello?” I say, taking the call as my heart threatens to pound out of my chest.

“Miss Mills?” The voice on the other end is official, professional, almost cold. “We have him in custody.”

My brow furrows as I try to figure out who I know who could be in trouble. Is it Lark? Has he reverted back to a life of crime? He better not have, I’ll be so mad.

“Who,” I ask, feeling silly, like I should know the answer already.

“The individual responsible for the intellectual property theft, Kevin Oaks. He's in jail.”

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