Page 54 of Fateful Hearts

Hailee bursts into more giggles as she shakes her head. “You didn’t let it cook enough, silly. Before you flip it, you have to wait for all the bubbles to appear. Otherwise, it’s too slippery.”

Blake spots me, waggles his brows, and smiles. “Nothing worse than when things are slippery.”

Hailee nods. “Exactly. Here… get rid of that one and start again,” she demands, grabbing the spatula and scraping the mess out of the pan.

Blake watches as Hailee picks up the butter and greases the pan, then ladles some of the batter onto the surface. “Now, don’t be impatient. Just wait, okay, Blake?”

I chuckle, making my way to the breakfast bar and sit opposite them.

Blake nods. “Yes, ma’am. Whatever you say, head chef.” He salutes Hailee, and she giggles.

“You’re silly,” she chimes, and Blake grins.

“So you keep saying,” he says, bopping her nose. “Morning, Zoey. How was your night? Sleep well?” he asks with a great big dirty smirk.

Inhaling deeply, I decide to simply roll with it. “It was really relaxing, so pleasurable.”

“Did you get that deep, deepsleepyou were after?” he asks, his dimples dipping in.

I narrow my eyes, deciding to wind him up. “So very,verydeep.”

He stops all movement, his eyes focusing on me as his Adam’s apple bobs up and down. The energy between us vibrates as we stare at each other. My breathing increases as my mind flicks back to his mouth on mine and his hands all over my body. The way his tongue caressed min—

“Okay, you can flip it now,” Hailee chimes excitedly, making us snap our heads to the pan.

Blake dips his head. “Okay, Starshine, this is it. This is the one. I can feel it. You ready?”

Hailee giggles. “Ready!”

Blake slides the spatula under the pancake and flips it easily, the topside perfectly browned. Hailee and Blake let out a small cheer together, then they high-five, making me feel so freaking warm and fuzzy inside at their mutual happiness. “We did it, Hailee.”

“We are like thebestteam in the whole entire galaxy,” Hailee states.

Blake laughs. “Does that make us superheroes?”

Hailee nods her head. “We can be the Breakfast Bandits.”

“A superhero duo. Ooh… I like it. Okay, park your butt, and let’s start serving up these pancakes.”

My eyes meet Blake’s, and I smile, mouthing a simple, “Thank you.” He dips his head as he continues to be a breakfast superhero with my daughter, and I stand back, watching them in awe.

This guy is something else.

He’s taking time out of his busy life to pretend to be my boyfriend so we can stick it to Kyle.

And he’s really putting in an effort with Hailee for no gain.

He gets nothing out of this, yet he goes above and beyond.

He really is a superhero.

They finish serving breakfast, and we take it to the dining table.

I grab the maple syrup and a can of whipped cream from the refrigerator and bring them over. “Okay, Starshine, what’s on your list of things to do today?” I ask as Blake starts dishing out our plates.

Hailee unfolds a piece of paper that she has scribbled on, pictures included, and she clears her throat. “Number one… pancake breakfast.” She picks up her crayon and does a giant tick next to it in a check box she has drawn on her list. “Done.”

“Okay, what are we doing next?” Blake asks.

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