Page 275 of Second Sets Omnibus
She could be crying. Or giving me dirty looks. Maybe she’ll stay there all night glued to the spot, thinking about the day she stopped Callum Rose and was an asshole. I don’t care anymore. No one insults my Little Star without consequence. No one.
The fallout of our announcement hasn’t gone exactly bad. Well, until tonight. I guess.
But not good either.
The press is having a hay day with our unusual relationship. That’s what they call it, at least. Haven’t they seen a poly relationship before? Apparently, not. They’re always snapping pictures anywhere they can find us. If we leave the house anymore. It’s only been a few days, but we’re the talk of the nation.
River doesn’t seem to give a shit as long as Ly is safe from harm. So, whenever we’re out, I try to cover Lyric as best I can. She shouldn’t have to endure public life at such a young age because of us.
River clings to my side as she reclaims my hand, gently squeezing. “Poor girl,” she hums with sarcasm lacing her tone.
I snort. “Right. Poor thing.”
River grins, looking at me from beneath her lashes. “Kinda sexy how you stood up for me.”
Fuck. My cheeks heat when she nibbles her bottom lip. I swear my stomach bottoms out, swirling into a mass of lust as she bats her eyelashes in my direction. If she’s not careful, I’ll salute the entire crowd.
“Stop it, Little Star,” I whisper, leaning over so my lips brush against her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. “We’re in public,” I murmur.
“Have you ever…” she trails off, looking around the large library with a mischievous grin. “You know, they’ll let all the kids sit in a circle around the narrator. We could sneak away and give the books a show.”
Fuck. Me.
“No,” I choke out, kissing her cheek. “Stop it.” Little fucking tease. She giggles, shrugging.
And to think, Rad begged to come with us. He wanted in on the action of hanging out with Lyric. But I wanted this time to myself. Them to myself. Like the selfish bastard I am. Now, I’m kind of wishing I wasn’t so selfish so he could sit with Lyric, and I could fuck River over a stack of books in the hidden part of the library.
Maybe later.
As we walk further through the loitering crowd, people of all ages hang around the large, open reading room, murmuring to each other. Thankfully, no one else notices who I am.
A single chair rests at the front of the room reserved for the children’s librarian giving the people of East Point a treat for tonight.
“You sit here, Daddy!” Lyric says, bouncing on her toes and pointing to two chairs sitting side by side. “Mommy here. Daddy here,” she demands.
If there’s one thing I’ve come to know about my daughter, it’s that she’s a bossy little thing. One day she’ll grow up to be the leader of something. A business. A CEO. A band. Hell, she could form her own army, and everyone would listen to her. She has that kind of presence.
All I know is I’m nurturing her bossy side and helping her turn it into something powerful.
“And what about Lyric?” River hums, settling into a plastic chair with a grin. Looking up at me, she pats the spot next to her.
I grin when I sit, and Lyric happily climbs into my lap, situating herself so she’s staring at the front.
Ah. That’s where she wanted to be.
“This is book three, Daddy. It continues where we left off last night,” she squeals, clapping her hands with such glee I can’t help myself.
Her joy infects me. Fills me up with her laughter and claps. Watching her light up as the librarian comes out with the third installment nestled beneath her arms has my hair standing on end.
This is my time with her. Our love for this simple book about a murderous archer, who protects the people around her as she gallivants trying to find a cure for her mother’s mystery illness, has me in a chokehold.
One day they’ll make this into a movie, and I’ll be the first in line with Lyric to watch as they hopefully don’t butcher it.
Lyric softly snores in my lap, never having made it to the small circle of kids gathered around the librarian.
I chuckle, running a finger down her reddened cheek as she lets out another tiny snore in front of the crowded room, intently listening as the story continues.
She barely lasted twenty minutes.
