Page 32 of Next Door Billionaire's Surprise Baby

“Okay.”

I ascend the stairs to my apartment, gripping the railing as if my life depended on it. I’m tired, and my legs are heavy. Kane is behind me, coming up the stairs, but his feet don't sound like mine. He’s holding Skye with one hand and, with the other, holding his laptop bag and Skye’s day bag. They are immersed in bonding with each other. Kane comments on everything she does: “Does Skye always smile like that?” “Oh, look! She’s repeating my words.” “She is so much like you. It's crazy.”

This is a whole new side to him that I never thought existed. I find it a lot more attractive, but that’s probably just the single mom part of me speaking.

I climb up to the floor where my apartment is and walk over to my door. I retrieve my keys, and just when I’m unlocking the door, Kane exclaims, “Chloe?” He sounds alarmed.

Even though I’m tired, I whirl around to face him. His nose is wrinkled, and his lips are drawn–an expression of disgust. Without being told, I know why he’s making that face. I used to look like that when I just became a mom, and my newborn daughter blew out her diaper.

I hunch over and start laughing, my hands placed on my knees for support.

“She pooped, Chloe,” Kane’s voice comes out strangled, “I think it leaked on my arm. I felt every bit of it.”

I started crying from laughing even harder. When I finally catch my breath, Kane is staring at me with a slight scowl.

“Are you done?”

“Come on, Kane,” I tease, “It’s just a toddler poop, not some radioactive poison. It’s not going to corrode your arm or anything.”

I turn to unlock the door and let everyone in. Kane breezes past me, grumbling. Still holding Skye, he looks frantically around the apartment and turns his head towards the stairs.

“I’m guessing the bathroom is up there,” he observes, and I affirm, “Yeah.”

Dropping his laptop bag on the floor, he stomps up the stairs with Skye’s day bag, and I hear a door open and slam shut. Smiling, I shake my head at his dramatic reaction. It’s funny how a person can undertake all sorts of dangerous risks, but he turns into a big baby when faced with a full diaper.

Picking up the bags, I climb up the stairs and walk into my room. I’m greeted with the sight of Kane hunched over Skye on my bed and putting her in a fresh diaper. His fingers are clumsy as he fumbles with the diaper, but he manages to get the job done.

This is something that Tim rarely ever did, and the few times he did it, he made sure to do a horrible job.

But Kane didn’t shy away from it. He got it done even though he was not asked, and most likely, he’s never done it before.

“Come on, princess,” he coos as he picks her up and throws her in the air. Skye lets out a giggle-scream as she sails weightless before landing in Kane’s arms. Then he kisses her cheek and nuzzles her hair before meeting my eyes.

“How did I do?” he asks, and I give him a thumbs up.

“You didn’t throw up or pass out. I say you did an excellent job.”

He crinkles his nose again, but this time, he does it to prove a point, “You’re right. It wasn’t that bad. As a matter of fact, it was a piece of cake.”

He kicks off his shoes and climbs into the bed, placing Skye on his lap before beckoning me over, “Come here.”

Drawn by his voice, I move to the bed and sink into the space beside him. He slings an arm over my shoulder, holding Skye and me close to his chest.

Something about this double embrace strikes a chord deep in me, and my eyes turn misty.

This is what I wanted from Tim. All I ever wanted from him was for him to show some affection and protection for Skye and me. It's funny that his older brother ends up providing that right now. Any bad feelings I’ve had about Kane disappear completely. I don’t care if he is Tim’s older brother or if he is my boss. All I care about is that he's here with us now.

If only I had met Kane instead of Tim, he would have been the perfect father for Skye, without a doubt.

Maybe in another life, he would be her father.

“This is nice,” he whispers.

Feeling warm and protected in his arms, I can’t help but ask, “Kane, why are you yet to settle down?” at his sharp intake of breath, I tilt my head up to get a better look at him, “I don’t mean it to be a rude question or anything. It’s just…I think you’d make a good dad and husband.”

He rests his jaw on my head, sighing, “I don’t know… I haven’t met anyone that’s capable of holding me down, I guess. Family means a lot to me, and I wouldn’t want to build it with just anyone.”

I hear his unspoken words.I don’t want to end up nursing a broken family again.

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