Page 23 of No Regrets

He gave her the bottle, Shiloh’s small hands wrapping around the his fingers as she sucked greedily for her food. He spoke to her softly, standing in the middle of the room until he looked up and saw Brianna was awake. He leaned forward kissing the child’s forehead, then started walking toward the bedroom to where Brianna sat in bed.

“Merry Christmas,” she said when he came and sat beside her on the bed.

“Merry Christmas, babe. Did you sleep well?” He sat Shiloh up, over his shoulder, and started patting her back, as if it were the most natural thing to do.

“Yeah. You didn’t have to make breakfast though.” She popped a piece of bacon in her mouth, then handed one out for him, in which he took. “How’s my baby?”

She rubbed Shiloh’s back gaining her attention, and automatically she reached her arms out for her mother. Brianna smiled, taking Shiloh into her arms, kissing her briefly before situating her on her thigh.

“She’s coming around. She woke up about thirty minutes ago and grinned at me.” Kaden tweaked her nose and she smiled at him. “Then she reached up for me to take her.”

“You’re good with her.” Brianna grabbed the biscuit off the plate and wrestle with Shiloh to eat it.

“Yeah well, I learned from watching you.” He stood to stretch, catching Shiloh’s attention. “I’m going to take a shower. You need anything else before I do?”

Brianna found herself sidetracked as well watching the fluid motions of his muscles. He yawned, barely remembering to cover his mouth as he caught her staring at him. She licked her lips unconsciously drawing out a groan from Kaden’s lips.

“Please don’t start, Bree. My balls are on their way to being black as it is.”

“I didn’t do one thing.” She grabbed a sausage before Shiloh got a hold of it and popped it in her mouth.

“That’s the point I’ve been trying to make to you. You don’t have to do one damn thing to have me hard as a baseball bat.”

Consequently, her gaze fell to his crotch and sure enough, he was hard. She grinned before looking back at Shiloh and kissing her. Kaden groaned, turning away from them both and began pulling clothes from his dresser.

“Uhh.” Shiloh reached her arms out, trying to get Kaden’s attention. When he didn’t pay attention to her, she pushed away from Brianna and squealed louder.

“Someone wants her daddy.” Brianna grinned when Kaden turned around and Shiloh opened and closed her hands, reaching her little arms out for him.

Like a sucker, he came over to pick her up. “You’re giving Mommy up for me?”

Shiloh looked back at Brianna, then looked to Kaden. She made a satisfied baby sound before wrapping her arms around his neck. He hugged her to him, leaning his head against hers.

“I’m stunned,” Kaden said, rubbing her back. “She never gives you up for anyone.”

“She loves you, Kaden.” She grinned eating the last of her sausage. “I think you were right about her conning you with the cookies.”

He grinned. “What can I say? I’m a sucker.”

After everyone was bathed and dressed, they gathered around the Christmas tree to open presents. They helped Shiloh open hers, since she was more amazed with the wrapping paper than anything. Brianna got the camera and took pictures of everything.

Kaden ended up decorating both his daughter and his wife in bows since Brianna used a bow on nearly every present she wrapped until they finally came to the end of Shiloh’s huge mass of presents.

“Here.” Kaden grabbed a small gift from under the tree and handed it to Brianna. “Open it.”

He lifted Shiloh up and blew a raspberry on her belly, starting a hysterical round of the giggles from both. Brianna just stared at the gift knowing what it was before she even opened it.

“Kaden.” She finally met his eyes, and he nodded with his head.

“Open it.”

She started peeling the paper back, as if a spider or poisonous snake was going to jump out. She knew he was growing impatient with his groans and began tickling Shiloh again, keeping the giggles going. Finally, when she unwrapped the gift, she found a small velvet jewelry box.

“If your momma was any slower, we’d be sitting here until next Christmas.” He kissed Shiloh’s cheek and sat her on his thigh, with his arms around her. Even Shiloh seemed annoyed by Brianna’s slowness.

She pulled the box open and seen that what she suspected was inside the box. “Kaden, you shouldn’t have.”

She stared at the blue-tinted diamond solitaire ring, knowing full and well she’d never wear it for fearing she’d hit it against something and lose the stone. The two-carat solitaire glinted in the light, nearly blinding all those that stared. It was beautiful in its own right. She recalled telling him her wish, making the gift more special since he remembered.

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