Page 37 of The Keeper

My chest tightened at the wistfulness in his voice. “I wish you had been too.”

He sat down on the edge of the bed, taking my hand in his. “What was it like?” he asked, stroking my knuckles with his thumb.

I let out a shaky laugh. “Honestly? It was intense—sixteen hours of labor. I was exhausted and in so much pain. But the moment they placed her on my chest...” I trailed off, emotion clogging my throat. “It was like the whole world shifted. Nothing else mattered except this tiny, perfect human we’d created.”

Dane listened while I recounted the details of Avery’s birth—how tiny she was, how she’d gripped my finger with surprising strength, and the overwhelming love I’d felt the moment I held her in my arms.A yawn caught me by surprise, and I covered my mouth before apologizing.

He released my hand before getting up. “Don’t apologize. It’s been a long day. You should get some rest.”

Panic seized me when he turned to leave. The thought of waking up alone, of this all being some elaborate dream, was too much to bear.

“Don’t go,” I blurted, hating how needy I sounded.

“Not going anywhere but to the couch,” he said, jerking his thumb toward the doorway.

“Stay.” I patted the space beside me. “Please.”

He hesitated, his lips pressed together in a slight grimace. “Fucking hanging on by a thread here, Piper. You sure you want me in your bed?”

I wasn’t sure of anything anymore, but I knew I didn’t want to be alone. “Please,” I repeated. “Just to sleep.”

Dane searched my face for a long moment before shrugging off his kutte and draping it over a nearby chair. My breath caught as he pulled his T-shirt over his head, revealing tattoos that covered almost his entire back. I forced my gaze away when he unbuckled his belt, focusing instead on smoothing imaginary wrinkles from the comforter.

He switched off the lamp and slid in beside me, the mattress dipping beneath his weight. I rolled onto my side to face him. Even in the darkness, I could make out the conflicted emotions playing across his face.

“This okay?” he asked gruffly, his arm hovering uncertainly above my waist.

I nodded and scooted closer, letting out a shaky breath as his arm settled around me. The warmth of his skin against mine sent a shiver down my spine.

“You cold, baby?” he murmured, pulling me tighter against his chest.

“No,” I whispered, my fingers tracing the muscular line of his bicep. “Just...overwhelmed, I guess.”

Dane’s hand came up to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing away my tears. “Sleep, Piper. I’ll still be here when you wake up. I promise.”

Exhaustion tugged at me, and I drifted off before jerking awakeseconds later. “Don’t leave me again, Dane. I can’t survive it. Not again.”

His arm tightened around me, his voice a low rumble against my ear. “Never again, darlin’. I swear it. You’re mine—both of you—and I’m never letting you go.”

I nodded against him, feeling the steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath my cheek. The rhythmic sound and the warmth of his body slowly lulled me toward sleep. Before I drifted off completely, I felt Dane press a soft kiss on my forehead.

“I love you, baby,” he murmured so quietly I wasn’t sure if I’d imagined it.

I tried to fight the fog settling over me and failed. Maybe I’d never woken up because men like that only existed in books.

THIRTEEN

PIPER

Ivy & Piper’s Guide to Life Rule Number Ten:

No is a complete sentence.

The shrill ring of my phone jolted me awake. I fumbled for it in the darkness, squinting until the name flashing across the bright screen came into focus. My boss.

“Hello?” I mumbled, my voice thick with sleep.

“Piper, where the hell are you?” Derek’s voice boomed through the speaker. “You were supposed to open at three. It’s five!”

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