Page 21 of Zale's Little Girl
“Your smile tells me they are excited to have you working with the children,” Zale said as he approached. He kissed her from a short distance away. When she stepped closer, he held her away.
“I’m incredibly sweaty and you are too pretty to get wet.”
“What did you do? Go swimming?”
“Leave it to Caden to decide we need to do sprints when I join the training exercise.”
It hadn’t surprised Pippa when Zale chose to wait with his team while she applied and interviewed. She was discovering how different he was from other men. He’d much rather be busy than be idle, but she never sensed he wished to be elsewhere when they were together. He enjoyed their quiet time as well.
“Looks like you need a shower. Are you finished? I could go to the cafeteria and read.”
“They’ll be fine without me. I wasn’t supposed to be in today, anyway. Let’s go home. I can’t wait to hear all your news. Start at the beginning and tell me everything,” Zale requested as he ushered Pippa to the Jeep.
By the time they arrived at his house, Pippa had shared almost everything she could remember about the interview and the jobs. “Oh. They are going to let me choose which room to work in after the first week. I’ll rotate back and forth, helping the teachers in the baby room, the toddler area, and in preschool.”
“Which do you think you’ll like best?” he asked as they walked into the family room from the garage.
“Toddlers or preschool. I love story time and art. The hardest part is not napping when the kids are resting.”
She adored his hearty laugh. That was one of the features she loved most about Zale. He lived life to the fullest.Love?That word echoed in her brain. Could she really love him already?
“Are you okay, kitten?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. Sorry, I was distracted. Did you say something?”
“Nothing important. I just asked what you’d like for dinner. The team is coming over this weekend for a barbecue. I thought I’d make burgers then. Would you like to have leftover spaghetti tonight or something else? I make a mean grilled cheese sandwich.”
“Leftovers are fine. They’ll be here on Saturday?” she asked, trying to figure out what day of the week it was.
“Yes. Saturday afternoon. I thought we’d go grocery shopping tomorrow after work and grab a pizza.”
“Is it Thursday?” she finally asked.
“Yes, sweetheart. I bet it is hard to get reoriented. Especially when you’re not working.”
Suddenly, tears cascaded from her eyes. Her vision blurred. She felt like she was treading water in a huge ocean, with no idea which direction she should go. Operating blindly, she reached out and found the wall. Pippa put her back against it and slid down to sit on the carpet with her arms wrapped around herlegs. Dropping her forehead to her knees, she tried to make herself as small as possible.
“Kitten,” Zale said, lowering himself to the floor. “You’re okay. You’re safe. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“It’s like they erased me—and I helped them,” she sobbed.
Zale wrapped himself around her, pulling her close to his warmth and rocking her slowly. “You are important. You are seen. I hadn’t told you yet because I didn’t want to scare you, but I’m falling in love with you, Pippa.”
“In love with me?” she asked, lifting her head from her knees. “You’re not just saying that because I’m a big crybaby?”
“A, you’re not a crybaby. You’re allowed to have feelings and sometimes those emotions get so big they spill out. B, I don’t say things I don’t mean. Ever. And C, yes, kitten. You crashed into my life. The last thing I expected was to find my little girl running from a bad guy. But I did. You have my heart, Pippa.”
She searched his face, attempting to spot any kind of deceit or well-intentioned sympathy that would make him exaggerate his feelings. Pure concern and caring radiated toward her. Pippa didn’t hesitate. She threw herself forward into his arms.
His arms tightened around her as they fell backward. Pippa looked down at his handsome face and knew it wasn’t too soon. “I kept thinking it was too soon to care this much about anyone. But you’re not just anyone. You’re my daddy, aren’t you?”
“I’m your daddy, little girl. Come here.”
He cupped the back of her head and guided her lips to his. The first kiss was soft and sweet. That wasn’t what Pippa needed.She deepened the exchange, pouring all her emotions into the exchange. The heat skyrocketed into a sizzling kiss.
She squirmed on top of his hard frame. He stroked his free hand down her spine to cup her bottom, holding her flush against him. His body responded to their closeness, pressing against her. Feeling sexier and more powerful than ever before, Pippa deliberately wiggled her pelvis against his.
Zale tore his mouth from hers. “Little girl. Be careful. I only have so much control.”
