Page 265 of In Love with a Cruel Billionaire

"Matthijs." A warning threaded with helpless amusement interrupted him, and father and daughter turned to see the lovely Mrs. de Graaf standing by the doorway, hands planted on her hips.

"It's possible he could've stopped by a McDonald's first," he drawled. "That's all I wanted to make clear."

"Uh huh."

"Ye of little faith," he mocked. "I'm starting to wonder why you agreed to be my wife when you keep thinking the worst of me."

The words, however, only earned him an eye roll as Tilda's mother retorted, "Loving you doesn't make me blind—-" Her words ended in a shriek as Matthijs suddenly yanked her down and caused her to fall onto his lap.

"Matthijs!"But her voice was breathless, and all the love in the world was shining in her eyes as she looked up at him.

He kissed her on the nose, saying under his breath, "I love you."

Her expression softened, and she nuzzled up to him, a tactile response to his words.I love you, too.His chest eased, but there was still the slightest reluctance in him as he let his wife go and let her settle on the other side of the bed, their wide-eyed daughter sandwiched cozily between them.

"So..." His wife's voice was light. "What's our bedtime story for tonight again?"

"How Grandpa went to heaven," Tilda answered promptly.

"A good choice," his wife said softly. "Or rather...it's a good time as any to talk about it."Because it's been weeks, and you still haven't let yourself grieve.

Albeit unspoken, the message in her knowing gaze was all too easy to hear, but his expression remained bland. He had kept telling her it was nothing, that she was making a mountain out of a molehill, but she always did like to worry.

Well, only time would show which one of them was right.

But for now...

He glanced down at his daughter. "Shall I start?"

Tilda nodded eagerly. "Yes, please."

"Alright then." Deepening his voice in an effort to sound like Liam Neeson asAslan,he said slowly, "Once upon a time, there was this horribly—-" Seeing that his wife was shooting daggers his way again, he readily changed track, finishing, "—-handsomeman who didn't know what love was. And he would never have known it at all if not for this girl..."

Her

All You've Got To Do Is Fall In Love by Benji Hughes

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