Page 91 of Nanny for the SEAL

Ivy nods. “Just now. It, umm, it was kind of the reason I knew it was time to talk to you. This is getting to be too big. I was horrified by the thought of hurting you or Daisy because of my father, but I can’t protect you from it anymore. Or myself. There’s no good coming from me denying reality.”

I chuckle in that way that says, “I don’t know what else to do.”

“Well, I’ll tell you, I’m very glad you finally spoke to me about all this. And that last bit was very well-adjusted of you.”

Ivy crumples into the seat a bit, and I rise up taller so that I can wrap my arms around her. “I love you, babe. So fucking much. We’ll deal with this together, okay?”

She nods, and I can see that she’s still not hearing me, so I put on my “dad voice.”

“Hey,” I pull her chin up, “I mean it. I’m fucking disgusted that a parent could do that to a child, let alone thatyouwere that child. Youdon’tdeserve that. What they did was fucking appalling, and I will not let your father get anywhere near you. If I have to die trying, I will keep him from harming you or pulling that shit again.”

Her eyes well up, and I can see Ivy processing what I said, truly. We stay there in that moment of connection, and I lock my eyes on her, not pulling away from the intensity of it all.

Because this is it.Ivyis my future, and I’m ready to start living for it.

“Xaden, I…you have no idea how much that means to me. I am soincrediblygrateful.”

She takes my face in her hands, looking straight into my eyes, and even before the words are out of her mouth, I can sense what she’s about to say by the way her irises glow and her entire body zeroes in on this moment.

“I love you, Xaden. More than anything in this world, aside from maybe a tie with your daughter.”

Terror sits behind her stare now, like Ivy knew she was going to say it but now dreads the recuperations.

I touch my forehead to hers, closing my eyes as I drink her in before meeting her nervous gaze again.

“I love you, too. I love you more than I ever thought I could, and I know that Daisy loves you, too.”

She rises up in her chair, the elation of the moment making her vibrate with joy. The tears spill over onto her cheeks again, but this time, I know they’re from the happiness she feels.

“Iloveyou.” She smiles, squeezing my face, then kissing the hell out of me. “I love you. I love you. I love you.”

Each sentence is punctuated with another kiss, and I can’t help but laugh.

“I’ve never said that to anyone but Jasmine.” She shakes her head. “It feelssodamn good.”

Nodding, I hold her stare, allowing the emotions welling up in me to play out over my features. “It does. I love you, Ivy. And we’ll do this together.”

She returns the nod. “Together.”

Holding her, I have that swelling urge to make this pact between us solid—to show Ivy that I’m serious, that I love her, and that we fit.

Standing, I hold out my hand for her to take. “Daisy is going to be down for about an hour longer. Come upstairs with me?”

Ivy’s eyes widen, but she considers, understanding what I’m not saying. She gets me like that, she knows what I’m about, and that is damned amazing.

“Okay.”

She nods, taking my hand and standing up from the couch. We both move quickly—but not in a terrible rush—to get toourbedroom.

It’s the work of a moment to get the mother of my child and the love of my life free of her clothes. I strip down as well, and as I lie over her on the bed, I hold myself up—framing Ivy’s face with my hands—as I kiss her with everything I have.

She’s always felt small beneath me, and hell, I’m huge, so that's probably why, but right now, Ivy feels that much more dwarfed by my size.

I know that it has everything to do with the enormity of her past that she carries with her all the time. And if only for a few moments, I want to take that all away.

I travel my kisses down her neck to her chest, and Ivy arches up against me. “Xaden.”

My name is a soft plea, gentle and unhurried but full of passion and need all the same.

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