Page 21 of Curvy Girl and the Single Dad Cowboy

I smile against his skin. "Everyone's afraid of something."

"What are you afraid of?" he asks, his voice rumbling in his chest beneath my ear.

"Ending up alone," I admit. "Having no real home."

His arms tighten around me. "You're not alone now."

The simple words settle something in me, and I smile, feeling myself drifting, the day's exhaustion finally catching up. Vincent's breathing grows deeper too, his caresses slowing.

Just five minutes, I think hazily. We'll just rest for five minutes...

Morning

"CHARLOTTE! DADDY!"

The excited shriek jolts me from deep sleep. My eyes fly open to find Lily bouncing enthusiastically at the foot of the bed, her dark curls wild around her beaming face. Beside me, Vincent bolts upright, the sheet falling to his waist.

"Time for horses! You promised!" Lily announces, completely oblivious to the absolute mortification freezing us both in place.

"Lily," Vincent's voice is hoarse with sleep and shock. "What are you—"

"I knocked but you didn't answer," she explains matter-of-factly, still bouncing. "So I came in. It's already seven o'clock! The horses are waiting!"

My brain frantically tries to process the situation. Vincent and I are both naked beneath the sheets. His daughter is jumping onthe bed. We fell asleep—we actually fell asleep—and now we're caught in the exact scenario we'd agreed to avoid.

"Princess," Vincent says with remarkable composure, "why don't you go get dressed while Charlotte and I... get ready for the day?"

Lily stops bouncing, her head tilting as she looks between us with sudden curiosity.

"Why is Daddy in your bed, Charlotte? Did you have a sleepover?"

I feel heat rushing to my face. "Um, well..."

"I had a bad dream," Vincent interjects smoothly. "And Charlotte was helping me feel better."

Lily considers this explanation. "Like when I have bad dreams and come to your room?"

"Something like that," he says, relief evident in his voice. "Now, go brush your teeth and get dressed. We'll be out in a few minutes."

"Okay!" She hops off the bed. "Don't be long! Butterscotch is excited to meet you, Charlotte!"

With that, she skips out of the room, leaving the door wide open behind her.

The moment she's gone, Vincent and I look at each other, frozen for a split second before we both burst into nervous laughter.

"So much for discretion," I whisper, pulling the sheet up to cover myself better.

Vincent runs a hand through his disheveled hair. "I can't believe I fell asleep. I never fall asleep anywhere but my own bed."

"What do we do now?" I ask, the implications of Lily's discovery sinking in.

He sighs, leaning over to press a quick kiss to my forehead.

"Now, we get dressed and show you the horses, apparently." His expression turns serious. "And later, we figure out how to explain to a five-year-old why her daddy and her new nanny are having 'sleepovers.'"

"I'm sorry," I say, suddenly anxious. "This isn't how I wanted things to start."

Vincent's hand finds mine atop the sheets.

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