Page 20 of One Forbidden Night with Her Orc Boss

“No, just a little celebration. Do you want to celebrate with us?” She nods her head as she wipes her sleepy eyes. It’s amazing to me how quickly she’s wound herself around my heart. I scoop her up, asking if she has anything she wants to celebrate. She looks from me to Natasha and back again.

“That you’re going to be my daddy.”

My heart drops out of my body and straight through to the center of the Earth. Behind me, I hear wolf whistles from Bjorn and Peder. But that doesn’t bother me.

What does bother me is the look of horror and panic on Natasha’s face.

Chapter 13

Tasha

Oh my gosh. Oh, mygosh. My daughter. Words. Room spinning.

I have enough wherewithal to not show Lucy I’m freaked out. But by gods, I’m freaked out. Mumbling something about thirst, I head to the small galley to get myself a glass of water and attempt to wrap my mind around what just happened.

It’s one thing to have my boss and lover declare us dating in front of my new co-workers, my team. It’s another for my four-year-old to overhear and declare that after knowing Brann a week? Two weeks? she is giving him the honorific ofdaddy.

I swore to myself that I would never let someone come in and take over my relationship with my daughter. Never let someone string her along and then dump her the way my ex dumped me. No. I have to manage this situation better. Gods, I thought I was managing it! Somehow, those two have created a bond unsanctioned by me.

“Natasha?” Brann’s voice is low and quiet, the distant rumble of thunder across the plains in summer. I fill my lungs with air and attempt to release my grip from the kitchen counter and relax. Slowly, I turn around to face him, keeping my body against the counter for support.

“What’s up?” I aim for neutral and fail. He can probably smell all my emotions on me. He could do a better job of telling me how I feel than I can tell him.

“Hey, darling. What’s wrong?” He steps into the room so the swinging door shuts, but stands there, leaving plenty of space between us. I guess those orc sniffers are good for something, because I might throw something if he gets closer.

“Lucy. You. Me. It’s really fast.” The words are hard, but I force them out of me into the open.

“Yeah, I agree,” he runs his fingers through his hair. I love the way the silver glints off the light along the sides of his face. His words surprise me, though.

“You agree?”

He nods. “Listen. I’ve never believed in fated mates until I saw you at Moonlit Grounds. Then on the hiking trail. It’s a sealed deal for me. I can’t deny or run from it. But I never wanted kids. Never wanted a family. So yeah, this is fast for me, too. But I wouldn’t change anything about it. I want the world to know that youandLucy belong to me. And that I belong to the two of you.

“If you aren’t ready to commit on that same level yet, that’s okay. I already promised you—we go at your speed. Always.” He gives a tiny lopsided smile that melts my heart a little.

“Damn you, Brann,” I say as I march myself straight into his arms. His body seems to fold around me like a shield, blocking out the noise of the world around us. Heavy hands—one on my back, one cupping the back of my head—keep me steady. A steady heartbeat thrums against me, beating out the rhythm that Lucy and I are safe and loved.

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