“God. I love the way she smells after her bath.” With her eyes closed, she took a deep breath, the air getting caught in her lungs when a familiar hand slid over her hip to land on her ass. With a possessive squeeze, Jamie pulled her closer, Halia cradled between them.
He smoothed his other hand up her spine, leaving a trail of tingles behind before tangling his fingers in her hair. A little pressure and a slight pull, and her chin lifted as he lowered his head toward her.
“You’re my favorite scent.” His voice rumbled over her eardrum, his rough beard stubble scraping over her skin as he buried his nose in her hair. “Summer and Halia mixed together.” She felt the expansion of his chest as he breathed them in.
When his lungs were full, he pressed pause, letting several heartbeats pass before he exhaled, his warm breath caressing her cheek. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around. I’ve missed you.”
She didn’t expect the sweet kiss he pressed to her forehead or for him to take Halia from her arms when they parted. The first time he’d voluntarily held his daughter, Summer swooned at the sight. “I missed you too,” she blurted, her face warming at the admission.
Jeez, she sucked at self-control when he stood close enough to touch. Not something she was used to. Control kept her alive. Kept her sane. Kept her together when everything else fell apart. Lose control, and she’d lose herself.
“You got a second?” he asked, hitching his head toward the exit.
“Sure.” She followed him out through the closet where he snagged the bottle of formula from the warmer.
“That’s for you.” He tipped the nipple of Halia’s bottle toward her bassinet when they entered his room. Shocked, Summer froze mid-step while he continued toward the bed she’d been sleeping in for the last few nights.
He’d insisted. Sending her bossy texts and threatening to spank her ass if he caught her sleeping in the unfinished nursery. She hadn’t argued. For a couple of reasons. One—something big was going down, and she hadn’t wanted to distract the guys from their mission by asking them to paint. And two—she loved sleeping in his bed.
With or without him.
Although with had become an obsession whenever she was awake, and she had hoped he’d join her. “That’s an American Dream,” she said, looking from the expensive guitar propped in a sturdy stand to Jamie and back again, her fingers vibrating with the desperate urge to pick it up and play.
“Yeah. Does it work for you? If not, I can order another one. Whichever you prefer.”
She took a step toward the sexy blacktop guitar and stopped again, her heartbeat drumming hard against the wall of her chest. “I…” Oh God! Her hands curled into fists at her side.
The Taylor guitar was beautiful, and she knew it would sound incredible, but the expense…it would eat up half of everything she’d saved since starting with the JTT. “I can’t afford—”
“Summer, look at me.” She did as he demanded, turning her blurry gaze toward him. He stood by the bed, Halia held in the crook of his arm as he fed her from the bottle. “I know you’re not used to people giving you things, but the guitar is a gift from me to you, and it would make me happy if I could hear you play it.”
“But…” She looked from him to the instrument. It called to her, and she took another step closer. “I…” Her gaze swiveled back to Jamie, and his smile came close to melting the panties right off her.
“Just play me a song, buttercup. It’s all the thanks I need.”
His words freed her, and she rushed to the guitar, picking it up by the neck and cradling its body against hers. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been given a present. And she’d certainly never been given one that meant so much—a gift so perfect, there’d never be a way to top it.
“Some people wait their whole lives to be hugged the way you’re holding that guitar.”
Her smile broke over her face so hard it hurt. “It’s beautiful, Jamie. I love it.”
“Then come play for me.”
* * *
Jamie restedwith his back against the headboard, his legs stretched out, Halia cuddled over his heart. A little ball of warmth pressed against him, she didn’t fuss as he rubbed her back, coaxing a healthy burp from her tiny body.
Beside him, Summer sat cross-legged, her head bent, her focus absolute while she played a song he’d never heard before. God, her smile when she’d picked up the instrument and hugged it to her body. Her smile when she looked at him, happiness filling her eyes with tears.
He’d give her a guitar a day to collect those smiles from her lips.
He needed them. Now more than ever.
In four short days, everything had changed. It had started with an orgasm. Hers. The one he’d given her. The one he’d claimed as his. And not just the one. He’d claimed them all. He’d be lying if he said it was a spur-of-the-moment thing. Nope. He’d known what he was doing. What he was saying.
Summer belonged to him.
Halia did too.
