Page 27 of Worth the Fall

"Actually," I admit, "I'm terrible at cooking. Your daddy's blob shapes are probably better than anything I could manage, but I am always happy to try sometime."

"That's okay." She pats my hand consolingly. "We can practice together. Daddy needs lots of practice too."

The rest of lunch passes in a blur of chicken nugget diplomacy and shared smiles over Felicity's increasingly sleepy declarations about proper royal dining etiquette. By the time we finish, she's fighting to keep her eyes open.

"Someone definitely needs a nap now," Miguel says softly, lifting her into his arms where she immediately curls against his chest. The sight does something to my insides that I'm not ready to examine too closely.

"No nap," she protests weakly. "Miss Mia hasn't seen my unicorn collection yet…"

"Maybe another time, princess," I say, surprising myself again with how much I want there to be another time.

"Promise?" She peers at me through heavy eyes.

"Promise."

"Good." She yawns. "Because you make Daddy smile the nice way. Like in Disney movies."

Heat floods my cheeks as Miguel clears his throat. "Okay, definitely time for someone's nap."

We walk to his car together, Felicity now fully asleep, her head flopped over Miguel's shoulder. The afternoon sun catchesthe silver at his temples, and I have to shove my hands in my pockets to stop myself from reaching out to touch.

"I had fun today," I say softly, not wanting to wake Felicity.

"Yeah?" His free hand catches mine, pulling it from my pocket to link our fingers. "Even with the princess protocols and dinosaur nugget politics?"

"Especially with those." I squeeze his hand, gathering courage. "Though I should probably brush up on my pancake-making skills if I'm going to meet the royal breakfast standards."

His eyes darken at the implication of future mornings together. "I don't know, I'm pretty attached to my blob shapes."

"Daddy," Felicity mumbles against his shoulder, apparently not quite as asleep as we thought, "you should kiss her. That's how Disney movies end."

This time we both flush, but Miguel doesn't let go of my hand. "Always with the princess advice, huh?"

"The unicorns told me." She sighs, drifting off again.

Miguel's thumb traces circles on my palm, sending shivers up my arm. "She's not wrong. About the Disney endings."

My heart pounds as he steps closer, careful not to disturb Felicity. "Miguel…"

"Have dinner with me tonight?" he asks softly. "Just us? Her mom is coming by later to pick her up. I know a great place that serves excellent legal documentation along with their pasta."

I laugh despite the butterflies in my stomach. "Are you trying to make our date sound professional?"

"Is it working?"

"Maybe." I bite my lip, watching his eyes track the movement. "Although, we should probably discuss those contracts at some point."

"Right. Contracts." His voice has dropped lower, making heat pool in my belly. "Very professional. Seven o'clock?"

"Seven works," I manage, hyper-aware of how close he's standing despite Felicity sleeping between us. "I'll bring the documentation."

"Perfect." He leans in, pressing a kiss to my cheek that feels anything but professional. "Though, maybe we skip the office this time. My place? I promise to attempt cooking something more successful than blob-shaped pancakes."

The thought of being alone with him, no professional pretense, makes my pulse race. "Should I be worried about your cooking skills?"

"Probably." He grins. "But I have excellent take-out connections. And a fire extinguisher."

"Very reassuring."

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