Sighing, I knelt down on the edge of the bed as she closed her eyes. I fucking hated seeing her like this, with a bandage around her throat and her skin so fucking pale. And yet, all she could think about was her fucking fantasies.
I pressed a kiss to her lips before quickly pulling away. She cracked an eye and glared at me.
“That’s the best you can do?”
“Harper—”
“Edu, this is the one time in my life where I can actually play this out. Are you really telling me you aren’t going to give me what I need?”
I bit my lip, trying not to laugh at the indignation in her voice. I couldn’t deny her anything, not ever again. And after what she did for me today, how willingly she sacrificed her life for someone more innocent than her…fuck, it gutted me.
“Close your eyes, princess,” I whispered.
She did as I asked, and I leaned over, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. Her brows furrowed as I moved to the right side of her face, pressing open-mouthed kisses over every inch of her skin, over her eyelids, and down her nose. A soft sigh left her lips as I sealed my lips over hers, kissing her so earnestly that I started to actually melt into the fantasy with her.
“I love you, Harper. You are the most precious thing to me in this whole world. Never forget that.”
Smiling, she opened her eyes and pressed her hand to my face. “Aside from our daughter.”
“What?”
“You said I’m the most precious thing to you, but honestly, I think our daughter is a little more precious than?—”
My lips sealed over hers again, effectively shutting her up. When I finally pulled my lips from hers, she was breathing hard, staring at me like she did that first time in the grocery store.
“You’re not dreaming about James Earl Jones, are you?”
She smacked me hard, pushing up into a sitting position. I immediately lunged forward, terrified she was going to rip her stitches.
“Stop fucking moving!”
“I would stop moving if you stopped teasing me.”
“Well, I wouldn’t tease you if you didn’t have daydreams about old men.”
“He’s not old. He’s dead. There’s a difference.”
I rolled my eyes just as the door opened and Eden came running in, right into Harper’s open arms. Eva followed soon after with Grace on her hip, bouncing her lightly.
“There’s Daddy’s girl,” I smiled, taking her from Eva. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Grace smiled and pressed a slobbery kiss to my lips. When I turned to Harper, Eden was staring at me with wide eyes.
“Are you okay, Eden?”
She nodded, tucking herself into Harper’s side. I had failed her in so many ways, but I tried to hide that from her and focus on the positive. All my girls were here and safe, and the old man was behind bars.
“You know, they took him to jail, sweetie,” I said, trying to put her at ease. “He’ll never hurt you again.”
“Promise?” she whispered.
“I swear. No one will ever let you get hurt. You’re safe.”
The smallest smile touched her lips, and I prayed that everything would be smooth sailing from here on out. It had to be because I couldn’t handle another heart attack like I nearly had today.
“So,” Harper sighed. “Does my chariot await?”