Page 32 of Landlord Daddy's Girl

I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve the kind of love he gives me. Most days, I battle with the feeling that I’m actually not worthy of it and the fear that one day, he’s going to wake up and realize it as well. But every single day, I’m proven wrong. Slater makes sure I feel loved. He makes sure I feel worthy. And protected. And best of all, he goes out of his way to make me feel safe.

Slater Kirkland is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me, and every morning, I wake up and say a word of thanks to whoever is listening for bringing him back into my life. Despite a bit of a rocky start, things between us have blossomed into the most beautiful thing I could have ever dreamed of. I honestly feel like I’m living a fairy tale, and although I’m not sure how this good fortune has fallen to me, I am going to hold on to it with both hands and never let it go.

“Ready to go?” he asks.

“I am,” I reply. “But… how about we skip dinner, go home, and enjoy a little dessert first?”

He gives me that same wolfish smile that never fails to send a quiver through me. “I like the way you think.”

“Good boy,” I say seductively. “And if you keep being a good boy, I’ll leave the glasses on, and we can work on that teacher fantasy you’ve got.”

He laughs. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

He grabs my messenger bag, takes my hand, and pulls me toward the door. As we walk out of the room, I reach out and turn the lights off, plunging the hall into darkness behind us. I giggle as I let him pull me along, just as eager to get home as he is.

I love my life.

EXTENDED EPILOGUE

SLATER

Five Years Later

Ipace the room, my stomach churning and my heart thumping hard in my chest. Today’s the day. I check my watch and swallow hard.

“She should be here any minute,” I mutter to myself.

I walk over and reset the bucket sitting on the cart, settling the bottle of champagne a little deeper into the ice. Looking at the plate of chocolate-covered strawberries, I frown then rearrange the whole setup for about the ten-thousandth time. I want everything to be perfect. No matter how many times I rearrange things, though, I just can’t get it to a point where I’m ready to call it that, and it’s really irritating the shit out of me.

My heart leaps into my throat when I hear her car pull into the driveway. Running over to the back doors, I quickly throw them all open, letting in the scent of the sea and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. Why I hadn’t thought about that touch earlier is beyond me. I guess I’m so nervous, I’d forgetmy head if it weren’t attached. That done, I stand beside the champagne and strawberry-laden cart and face the front door.

The door opens slowly, and Sierra, fresh off a full day of classes, walks in tentatively. She sees me standing there and gives me a sly smile and a curious look.

“And what are we doing?” she asks.

“We are going to have a glass of champagne and a couple of amazing chocolate-covered strawberries,” I reply.

She walks over to where I’m standing, her eyes darting left and right as she tries to take in the whole room around her. The perplexed expression on her face only deepens. As I give her a minute to soak it all in, I pour the glasses of champagne, put a strawberry on a napkin, and then hand them both to her. She takes them but cocks her head with an uncertain grin on her full lips.

“Slater? What is this place?” she asks.

“This place?”

“This place,” she says with a laugh. “What is this place?”

I give her a nervous smile. “This place is our new home.”

Her eyes widen, and she looks around, an expression of shock on her face. She looks unsure but pleased, which makes me happy.

“For the last year and a half, I’ve had a crew building this house from the ground up,” I tell her. “I designed it myself.”

“It’s perfect. It’s exactly the kind of house I wanted,” she says in an awestruck tone. “And it’s on the beach. How?”

“I listen,” I tell her. “I know what your tastes are like. And I’ve seen the sort of houses you prefer when we go out looking. I took all the features you liked most, cobbled them all together, and had this place designed.”

“Slater,” she gasps. “Oh my God. This … this is amazing.”

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