Page 109 of Sven

The garage door opened, and her heart skipped a beat.

“Looks like Daddy’s home,” she said to Winnie as she finished washing up the dishes from her lunch.

The kitchen door opened, and she couldn’t help her grin.

“Daddy’s home,” Sven announced with that goddamn cocky smirk she had missed.

He walked in and went over and gave Winnie a kiss. “Daddy missed you, sweet girl.”

Then he walked over to the sink and slid his arm around Natalie. “Daddy missed you, too,” he said, wagging his eyebrows at her.

She scowled at him and batted at his chest. “No. We are not doing Daddy.”

He gave her a playful, pleading look. “Really? I was hoping you’d do Daddy later.”

She rolled her eyes and pretended not to love every minute of it.

“It’s just about your nap time,” he said, crossing his way over to Winnie.

“I thought about putting her down, but I thought you might like to see her.”

“Thanks. I do,” he said as he leaned over, pretending to gobble her little cheek.

He moved to get her out of the high chair.

“Sasha sent me the article.”

“Oh, really?” Natalie said as she dried her hands. “How is it?”

“I’m afraid you were right. It does show me in rosy hues, but I think it will be okay. I’m going to spend some time with Winnie, but I’ll send you the article.”

He had Winnie in his arms and walked over to her. “Then, maybe we can spend some time together.”

Then he bent his head and kissed her.

“I think that can be arranged,” she said, smiling up at him.

He disappeared up the stairs with Winnie. She pushed the button on the dishwasher as her phone dinged on the counter. Sven had sent her a link to the article that was being posted.

She read the article. She would be lying if she said she hadn’t been nervous, but it was glowing. Sharing the story of a single dad raising a little girl on his own. It was a little surreal to think about the real story of how Winnie had come to be with him, but this was good for him and Winnie.

The oven dinged, and she went and got the sweet potatoes she’d been roasting out of the oven and put them on the stove top to peel them after they cooled. She would make Winnie some baby food. Then she washed Winnie’s high chair tray, and as she was drying off her hands, she heard Sven come down the stairs.

She turned to talk to him about the article, but the look in his eyes told her there might not be any talking for a moment—that, and he was shirtless... because of course he was.

He stalked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. Her heart started pounding. The look on his face undid her.

“Is this house a shirt repellent for you?” she asked, trying to not melt into a puddle right there on the floor.

“You are a shirt repellent to me,” he said as he bent down and picked her up and put her on the counter.

Natalie took in a sharp breath as Sven’s cocky smirk never left his face.

“I’ve missed you,” he said as he leaned in.

She closed her eyes and waited for the kiss, but it didn’t come. She opened her eyes, and he was still consuming her space with hungry eyes.

“I missed you, too,” she said as she trailed a finger down his chest.

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