Page 16 of A Very Daddy Christmas

Unspoken words hang between us. Thoughts that transpire through stolen glances and fleeting touches. Something is happening here, something I may not be able to control.

“Come on, let me show you to your room,” Sebastian says, pulling me out of my naughty thoughts. “You’re going to love it.”

Boy, do I ever.

It’s huge, almost as big as my entire apartment above the bakery. My bags sit next to the dresser, and I can’t help but laugh.

“I didn’t bring enough clothes and shoes to fill these things up,” I point to the dresser and the giant chest of drawers next to it. “Hell, I don’t think Iownenough clothes and shoes to fill even one of them.”

“If you need more things, we’re happy to get them for you,” Waylan says, casually leaning against one of the windows, flashing me a soft, flattering smile. It makes my stomach tighten.

“I… well, no. I mean, thank you, but there’s no need,” I awkwardly reply.

I’ve never relied on anyone except my parents and my sister until I turned eighteen. Even while I was in Paris, I took a bakery job to secure a cash flow of my own. So when a man like Waylan suggests buying me clothes and shoes, I’m subconsciously programmed to lean into my hyper-independent side.

“You’d look stunning in white silk,” Riggs adds. He stands on the other side of the same window, while Sebastian’s hand lingers on the small of my back. “How do you like your room?”

“It’s gorgeous, I love it,” I reply.

“There’s a key in the door,” Sebastian says. “In case you need absolute privacy. But this is your space, Cora. We’ll never come in without your permission. Not even while you’re out. Just so we’re clear.”

“Thank you, I appreciate that.”

Riggs chuckles softly. “You’re nervous.”

“It’s a little awkward yet,” I admit, putting on a smile.

“You’ll get used to us soon enough.”

“I still can’t believe I’m doing this,” I say, my gaze wandering around the room as I register every detail. “Again, thank you all, so much.”

“You’re helping us,” Sebastian kindly reminds me.

“So, you all live here, huh?” I ask.

The air shifts. Something changes. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I can almost see the tension morphing from awkward to something infinitely sweeter, spicier, and more intense.

The way they look at me changes too, and I find myself hopping along for the ride, my muscles relaxing as I slowly lean into Sebastian. He doesn’t seem to mind. If anything, it prompts his hand to slowly move around my hip.

“We do, yeah,” Waylan says. “It’s been our home for ten years now.”

“And Dario? How does he like it?”

“He loves it. He really loves his room. Granted, we redecorated and proofed every corner of it. He’s got everything he needs in there,” Waylan replies. “I had a child psychologist work with us throughout the entire process. We understood that Dario would need a safe space to be in, so I brought in a team of designers to make sure we got it right.”

“His room is right across the hall from yours,” Sebastian adds.

“It’s odd that you’ve been here for a decade and we’ve never crossed paths until the other day. I mean, Madison isn’t tiny, but it’s not exactly a metropolis, either.”

“We traveled a lot before Dario came to live with us,” Riggs says. “We’re patrons at the Levine Bakery, though.”

“I actually found your names in our online database.” I chuckle softly. “You guys really love our breakfast and brunch baskets, huh?”

They laugh and exchange sparkling glances, then Sebastian gently pulls me closer, his massive frame making me feel small and fragile, yet at the same time, wanted and protected.

“It’s a great place,” he says. “We want to see it survive people like Orson St. James. We honestly want to see you thrive, Cora. You deserve it. You showed us kindness and helped us with the simplest yet most important thing that day at the fair. Most people assume we just pay to have our problems resolved. But it’s not like that.”

“There are some solutions money can’t buy,” I whisper.

---