Just as Legend grips the bottom of my shirt and starts to tug it over my head, Ryder lets out an angry cry from the other room.

“No…” I whine as Legend groans, his forehead falling against mine.

“Cockblocked by my own son,” he mutters, but I can hear the amusement in his voice.

I laugh and gently push him away. “Go get him, Daddy. I'll fix his bottle.”

He lifts his head and steals one more quick kiss before swaggering down the hallway to the bedroom. And me? I sit here, watching him go and admiring the way his sweatpants hang low on his hips as he swaggers away.

It should be illegal to be so damn sexy.

Not even a minute later, Legend strolls back into the room with Ryder in his arms, and I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face. Our son is wide awake with his tiny fists waving in the air as he fusses.

“Someone's hungry,” Legend says, crossing the room.

I hop down from the counter and grab the bottle I was fixing before Legend got handsy. “Here, I'll take him.”

Legend’s eyes come to me, and he shakes his head. “Nah, I got this. You sit down and relax.”

My eyebrows shoot up. Having someone to help with Ryder isn’t something I’m unaccustomed to. “Are you sure?”

He nods, already moving to sit on the couch. “Yeah, I want to learn how to do all of this shit.” We’re going to have to work on his cussing, but I’m so happy that he’s going out of his way to prove that he’s all in.

Following him to the couch, I sit down beside him and show him how to position Ryder and the bottle. “Make sure to keep the bottle tilted so he doesn't suck in a bunch of air,” I advise.

Legend’s face is a mask of concentration as he situates Ryder in his arms, but quickly changes to surprise when Ry lets out an angry grunt before latching onto the nipple. “Jesus, son. Nobody’s gonna take it from you,” Legend chuckles, amusement evident in his voice. He then glances over at me, his brows raised. “He don’t play around with his food, huh?”

Legs folded under me, I lean into Legend’s side and smile. “I told you. He’s a little porker.”

Legend’s body shakes as he continues to laugh at our boy. “I can't believe I could have missed all of this.” The words are spoken under his breath, but I hear them. He’s been clear about his regrets, but we can’t go backwards. If he’s serious, which I believe him when he says that he is, we have to look forward.

Placing my hand on his arm, I give a gentle squeeze. “You're here now, babe. That's what matters.”

He turns to look at me, his blue eyes intense. “Yeah. I’m here now.” The sincerity in his voice makes my throat tight.

We sit in silence, both of us lost in our thoughts as Ryder finishes his bottle. When he's finally done, Legend hands him to me to burp while he takes the empty bottle to the kitchen.

“So,” I say, patting Ryder's back, “what's the plan for today? It is Christmas, after all.”

Legend comes back into the room and leans against the doorframe. “Well, the club's having a Christmas dinner later. I want you both with me so I can introduce you and Ryder properly.”

I bite my lip, suddenly feeling a little overwhelmed. His club is his family. “I don’t know, Nico.” I grew up in foster care, bouncing from one group home to the next. If my own family didn’t want me, why would his?

He shoves off the wall, comes around the couch, and squats down on his haunches in front of me so we’re eye to eye. “What did I tell you last night?”

I shrug.

His eyes narrow. “You and Ryder are mine. I know this is all happening at light speed, but baby, we're a family now, and I want my club to know that.”

He’s saying all the right things, but a lifetime of experience is making it impossible to shake my nerves. I’ve always wanted what he’s offering but… “What if they don't like me?”

Legend's face softens. He knows my history and how hard holidays are for me. “They're going to love you, baby. And even if they didn’t—which they will—it wouldn't fucking matter. You're mine, and that's all there is to it.”

I nod, wanting to believe him. “Okay.”

He grins, leaning in to kiss me softly. “Good. But first, presents.”

My eyes widen. “Presents? Nico, I didn't get you anything. I didn't even know if I'd find you.”