Page 8 of My Forbidden Holidate

“Don’t stop,” I breathe, drinking him in as much as he is me. “Don’t you dare stop.”

“Never,” he growls, wrapping me up in his arms. “I’ll never—”

The shrill cry of a cell phone pierces the night and makes me jump. Dan curses under his breath and apologizes, pulling away from me to fish the device out of his pocket.

“It’s Star,” he tells me.

Sliding Accept on the screen, he answers the call. “Hey, baby, are you okay?”

“Daddy,” Star cries, “Daddy, when are you coming home?”

“I’ll be home soon, sweetheart. Why aren’t you in bed? Where’s Grandma? Did something happen?”

Star mumbles something I can’t hear, and Dan sighs. “Okay, well, brush your teeth and get into your jammies and I’ll be home soon, okay? I love you.”

As he hangs up, he runs a hand through his hair. “I’m so sorry about that. I wanted to stay out longer, but Star’s not used to me going out and not tucking her in at night. It’s going to take a while for her to get used to me not always being there, and with my mom being asleep already…” He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Maybe I need a better babysitter for date nights.”

“You’ve got the perfect babysitter right here,” I remind him, smiling cheekily. “I’m happy to watch her any time you want to go out.”

“I want to go outwithyou,” he says, rolling his eyes as he wraps his arm around my shoulder. “But next time, we can stay home. I bet Star wouldloveto have you stay for dinner.”

“It’s a date.” Leaning up on my tiptoes, I give him a quick kiss.

It sounds liketheperfect date that I never want to end.

5

Hayden

Dan drives me to his house since I took an Uberto the restaurant. On the ride over, he holds my hand and brushes his thumb against my knuckles.

“You didn’t have to come back with me to check on Star, but I’m glad you want to stay.” He presses a quick kiss to the back of my hand as he pulls into the driveway. “I wasn’t ready to let you go yet.”

He leads me up the front steps and unlocks the door, letting me inside first before locking the house back up. “Make yourself comfortable while I find Star—”

“Daddy!” Star appears from around the corner, eyes bright and shining, not at all like a little girl getting ready for bed.

“Star,” Dan says sternly, “you should be in bed.”

As I step out from behind him to wave hello at our favorite little girl, she gasps and rushes toward me, wrapping her arms around my legs. “Ms. Moona! You came back! The card worked!”

“What?” I laugh and detangle her from my legs to give her a quick hug. “You mean our Valentines we made for your dad?”

She nods quickly and tugs on her dad’s sleeve. “Daddy read your card after you left and got smiley. He took it with him tonight, didn’t you, Daddy? That’s why you found Ms. Moona and brought her back!”

For the first time all night, Dan looks a little shy as he smiles softly and kneels by his daughter’s side. “Do you like having Ms. Moona here, baby?”

Star takes both of our hands in hers. “You two are my favorite. She takes care of us the way you do, Daddy.”

My heart swells and I can feel tears welling in my eyes. She’s so sweet, and there’s no way I deserve such love from a child. But she gives it anyway, and I’m blessed for it.

“She takes good care of us, doesn’t she?”

I can feel Dan’s eyes on me and I bite my lip as I try to keep the tears in. He must notice, because he picks up Star and switches gears in a heartbeat.

“Why don’t we tuck you in for the night? It’s past your bedtime, young lady.”

Star doesn’t complain now that her dad’s home, and she wraps her little arms around his neck as he carries her to her bedroom. “I want Ms. Moona to tuck me in too,” she declares, beaming at me.

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