Page 10 of A Secret Promise

"A sign of human weakness, finally," he said mockingly.

"Oh, stop," Vixen protested with a laugh.

"It's reassuring to know you haven't everything figured out yet."

Vixen shook her head. "I have a lot of unanswered questions myself—-"

"Such as?"

"Why is it so hard for my mom to see what I see?"

Ah.

"Is it selfish that I want to have a cat when I already have Salt and Light?"

None of her questions was something he could have anticipated, and he should probably have expected that—-

"And is what we have between us worth pursuing?"

—-since Vixen had always been completely unpredictable....and terrifyingly good at catching him unaware, just like what she was doing now.

Mischief sparkled in her eyes, which he knew now to be a mesmerizing shade of green.

"Uh oh. Did I just take your breath away?"

"You know you did."

Her smile faded at the brooding tone of his words. "I was just teasing—-"

"There's something I've also wanted to tell you for sometime now," Rule said tautly. "And how you'll take it is likely the answer—-"

"Are you married?" Vixen blurted out.

"No."

Vixen was visibly relieved. "Then—-"

"But I do have a daughter." His jaw clenched at the way he saw Vixen pale, but he forced himself to continue, knowing that there was no going back after this. "She's just turned seventeen. Her mother and I tried to make it work for years, but we eventually separated. We were never married—-"

Rule's body turned rigid with tension when Vixen suddenly jerked.

Was this it then?

Was she going to tell him there was no way she would date a single dad—-

"Can I just ask..."

Ask what?

For him to leave and never to darken her doorstep again?

Because if she did, then she might as well tell him to lose all hope—-

"—-if your daughter's name happens to be Riley?"

Three

A NIGHT MARRED BY RESTLESSNESSand unanswered questions still wasn't enough to keep Rule in bed the next day.

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