Page 43 of Dagger

“Me too,” I laughed.

“I love you, Daddy.”

My heart squeezed tight. “I love you too Dani. Always. Forever.”

Her eyes drifted shut, a smile on her lips as she returned to dream land.

In that moment, my heart was so full I nearly choked on it. Things were better with Dani, so much better, and I owed it all to Sinclair. If not for her, I never would’ve reconsidered my approach to fatherhood.

I owed her more than protection. I owed her the freedom to live her life unafraid of some asshole lurking in the bushes.

I could give her that. And I would.

Chapter 23

Sinclair

“Wow, look at the new girl glowing like a Christmas tree.” Sarah Clark, the fifth grade teacher, laughed when I entered the break room. “Spill the tea, Miss Bronson!”

My cheeks felt hot, and I knew they would be bright red. I wore a low ponytail, so there was no chance of hiding it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” That was a damn lie. I knew what it was, or more accuratelywhoit was. Dagger. For a few weeks now, we’d been together in this little bubble of bliss. We made dinner together and spent time with Dani in the evenings, helping her with homework or watching a movie, even putting together a puzzle. It was all very wholesome and very family friendly.

But once Dani was tucked into bed and sound asleep? Dagger took me to his big bed and made love to me like I mattered. Every kiss, every touch, every single swipe of his tongue taught me something new about myself, about my own pleasure. And I spent nights learning what he liked and the thing I knew above all else was that figuring out what Dagger liked was my new kink.

“Oh, honey, we don’t believe you for one second. You are glowing so hard you’re practically radioactive. Who’s the guy?”

I shrugged. “Just a guy.” The truth was complicated, and there was still the matter of dating—were we dating?—thefather of one of the kids in my class. “I’m not sure what we are,” I admitted. “And I’m also not good at opening up to people.”

“I get it,” Sarah said. “Army brat here. Starting over sucks, but if you do it enough, you get used to it.”

“How?”

“You either push through the sucky part or you stay lonely with every move.”

Her words put me at ease instantly. They were real and slightly self-deprecating. “I guess I usually choose loneliness, but I’m trying to change that.”

“Looks like it’s working. I just have one question, does this guy have a brother? A hot uncle or best friend?” Her smile beamed bright.

“Lots of friends, actually.”

“Hook a girl up,” she requested, bumping my shoulder when I took the seat beside her. “Have you met his friends?”

“I have, but that is also complicated.”

Sarah laughed. “You just moved to town and your life is so complicated.” She leaned in close when a few more teachers entered the lounge. “You have to tell me about it when there aren’t so many ears around.” She pulled out her phone and handed it to me. “Give me your deets and we can set up a time.”

I hesitated, not because I didn’t like or trust Sarah, but because I hadn’t had a real friend in a long time.

“Come on,” she insisted. “You’re the only young teacher other than math dude, and no, thanks.”

She was right. I typed my details in and saved it, then called my phone. “It’s not about you, I’m just trying to remember the last time I had a friend.”

She laughed. “Try being over the top like this,” she said, pointing to her silky polka dot top, faux leather pants, and stilettos. “People think one thing about me and it’s usually the wrong thing.”

“I think your flash is inspiring.” My clothes, by comparison, were boring.

“Yeah?”

I nodded. “I never got into fashion, and when I try new things, I just feel ridiculous.”

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