Page 40 of The Keeper

He chuckled, the sound vibrating against my cheek. “I can imagine. What else?”

“She hardly ever cried,” I said, smiling at the memory. “Just these little whimpers when she was hungry or needed changing. And she had the most expressive face, even then. You could see every emotion play across it.”

“Just like her mama.” Dane’s finger hooked under my chin, tilting my face up to his. “Every thought that crosses your mind shows up right here. It’s how I knew Avery was mine without you saying a word.”

Aside from my mother and Ivy, no one had ever read me so easily before. It was both thrilling and terrifying to be seen like that.

“What else?”

I let my fingertips trail over her pudgy arm. “She was so alert, always watching everything with her big green eyes. And she had the most adorable little snore…”

As I spoke, sharing the memories I’d tucked away over the past year, something inside me began to soften. I’d carried the weight of being a single parent for so long, but watching Dane eagerly soak up every detail about our daughter made me realize that I hadn’t ever given myself a chance to stop long enough to take it all in.

We lay there talking in hushed voices as the room slowly brightened with the dawn. When Avery’s eyes popped open, she blinked sleepily up at us, her little face scrunching in confusion as she took in her surroundings. For a heart-stopping moment, I worried she might burst into tears at finding herself in an unfamiliar position.

But then her gaze settled on Dane, and a grin spread across herface. She reached up with one chubby hand, patting his stubbled cheek as if to make sure he was real.

“Mornin’, princess,” he said, his voice cracking slightly.

She babbled happily in response, her tiny fingers exploring the planes of his face with unabashed curiosity.

The tenderness in his expression made my chest ache. I’d dreamed of this moment so many times, but the reality was infinitely sweeter than anything I could have imagined.

“A-ma,” Avery chirped suddenly, twisting in Dane’s arms to reach for me.

I gathered her close, smoothing a hand over her wild curls before peppering her face with kisses. “There’s my sweet girl. Are you hungry, baby?”

Her tummy let out an impressive growl as if on cue, making us both laugh.

Dane sat up and stretched his arms overhead with a low chuckle. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

The movement drew my attention to his ab muscles, and my throat bobbed up and down in a slow swallow.

“I should get her breakfast started,” I said, forcing my gaze away from his sculpted torso.

“Let me.” He held out his arms, and I sat in open-mouthed shock when Avery went to him without hesitation. “Why don’t you grab a book and take a long bubble bath, darlin’? We’ll rustle up something to eat.”

A protest rose to my lips, but the determined set of his jaw told me it was pointless to argue.

I lingered in the doorway, watching as he expertly secured Avery in her highchair. He moved around my kitchen with easy confidence, narrating his every move, much to our daughter’s delight.

“You sure you don’t need any help?” I called out, unable to completely let go of my routine.

Dane shot me a pointed look over his shoulder. “Piper. Bath. Now.”

The firmness in his tone sent a shiver down my spine, and I forced myself to turn away, padding down the hall to take a bath.

With a hiss of pleasure, I sank beneath the lavender-scented bubbles, letting the hot water melt the tension from my muscles. Forthe first time in over a year, I was allowing myself to unwind, knowing Avery was in good hands.

I tried to focus on the psychological thriller I’d grabbed on my way in, but after reading the opening paragraph four times, I gave up. My thoughts kept drifting back to Dane. I slid a hand down my belly, grazing my fingers over my clit as I recalled the heat in his gaze, the effortless way he took control.

A gasp of relief slipped past my parted lips as I circled the tight bundle of nerves before moving down to my slit. I draped my right leg over the edge of the clawfoot tub and imagined it was his fingers pumping in and out of me.

Water lapped gently against the sides of the tub. The thought of him barging in, seeing me spread out and desperate for his touch, only fueled the motion of my hand. Heat coiled low in my belly, and I pinched the sensitive peak of my breast, teetering on the edge of climax when a sharp knock at the door sent me hurtling back to reality.

“Piper?” Dane’s deep voice called from just outside the door. “Breakfast is ready whenever you are, darlin’.”

I froze, my fingers still buried inside my body. “O-okay,” I called back, wincing at how breathy I sounded. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

---