Page 29 of Daddy's Heart

I already know it’s him.

I debate hiding under the sink. But Colt? He’d just tear the door off the hinges and haul me out like a fireman saving his favorite possession.

When I open it, he’s there.

Big. Beautiful. Pissed.

"Did I do something wrong?" His voice is low. Dangerous.

“What?”

“You ignored my texts. My calls.Talk to me.” He steps inside. I step back like he’s made of TNT.

“I wasn’t avoiding you—”

“Don’t lie to me, baby girl.” His eyes darken. “I don’t like being lied to.”

“I wasn’t! I was just… busy.”

“Too busy to send a one-word text?”

I wilt under the concern laced in his fury. And I know. It’s now or never, I have to tell the truth and I have toknowthe truth.

“I…” I start, but his words sound so final in my mind.Hell, no. He doesn’t want this, and no amount of Logan telling me otherwise is going to change that.

“What is it, baby?”

“Don’t,” I hiss, shaking my head and turning away. “Don’t call me that. You’re going to hate me and I—”

“Never.” He pulls me back, turns me to face him. “You think I couldeverhate you, Emery? If you do, you don’t know me at all. And I’m ready to change that. For the rest of my life, I’m going to prove to you that this is forever. No takebacks.”

“I have a son,” I gasp, ripping off the band-aid. “I have a son and his name’s Legend, and he’s my life. I can’t change that. I wouldn’t even if I could. So there, now you know, and you can—”

“I already knew,” he says, taking my hand and drawing it to his face to kiss the backs of my fingers. “I've known since the beginning. I was waiting for you to trust me enough to tell me."

“How?” Tears prick my eyes as he shrugs. "When I asked about kids, you said 'no way'—"

"I meant no way had I ever wanted kids. That was true, before." He pulls me closer, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "No half-hearted bullshit from me. When I’m in, I’m in. I was so damn glad I hadn't made babies with anyone else. Because all I could think about was making them with you. I’m the Sheriff, I pulled up your entire file the second you left my house that first day."

The words break something open in my chest. Something that feels like hope.

"Wait. You want kids with me?"

"Baby girl, I want everything with you." His hand slides down to rest on my belly. "Everything. All I was waiting for was for you to be ready for the same, ready to trust me with your truths. All of them." He kisses me softly, just a brush of lips. "Are you on birth control?"

The question catches me off guard. "What?"

"Birth control. Are you on it?"

"Yes. Implant. Three years left." Heat floods my cheeks as his eyes turn dark.

"Tomorrow we’re looking into how to fix that." Something predatory flickers in his expression. "Right now I'm going to fill you up anyway, see if we can’t beat that failure percentage."

Before I can ask what he means, he's kissing me again. But this time it's not soft or gentle. This time it's claiming, possessive, full of barely leashed hunger.

This time, I don't hesitate.

He undresses me as he drags and carries me through the house. Clothes discarded, flung away to be collected later. When I'm left in nothing but a soft bra and panties, spread out on my bed, he takes a step back and just looks at me.

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