Hazel screamed, and we jolted apart like we’d been caught doing something we weren’t supposed to.
I scooped my daughter up from the bassinet before Violet could and rubbed slow circles over her back, murmuring nonsense against her tiny ear.
“Alright, alright. What’s the problem, little one? Bad dreams? Jet lag? Didn’t like the vibe in here?”
Violet made a strangled noise. “Griffin.”
“What? She’s clearly got opinions.” I kept my focus on Hazel, voice soft, coaxing. “C’mon, Hazelnut. What do you need? Not hungry. Not wet. Just feeling left out, yeah?”
She let out another cry, her breath stuttering as she tried to work up to a real tantrum. I pressed my lips to her forehead, swaying slightly.
Violet shifted in her seat, sitting stiff as a board. “Give her to me.”
“No.” I kept my grip firm, adjusting Hazel higher against my chest. “You should sleep.”
She huffed. “You should sleep.”
“We’ve already been over the priorities here, Princess.”
Her jaw tightened, but she didn’t argue.
Didn’t try to take Hazel from me, either.
Progress.
I glanced down at my daughter. “You’re killing me here, sweetheart. I was having a moment.”
Hazel hiccupped through her cries.
Violet snorted. “You were not having a moment.”
“No?” I lifted a brow. “What would you call it, then?”
Her lips pressed together. “A lapse in judgment.”
“See?” I grinned, tapping a finger against Hazel’s back. “This is exactly what I was talking about, little one. Your nanny almost kisses me, then immediately regrets it. Brutal.”
Violet groaned, dragging a hand down her face. “I hate you.”
“Nah,” I murmured, focusing on Hazel, whose cries were already losing steam. “You like me. You just don’t want to admit it.”
Hazel finally settled, her breathing evening out. I stayed on my feet, rocking her, not wanting to risk waking her again.
As much as I teased Violet, what the fuck just happened?
I’d almost crossed a line I had no business even approaching.
Julian Carter’s daughter. My team principal’s daughter. The heir to the man who owned my entire career.
Christ.
If Julian found out?—
“We’re not talking about it.”
I raised a brow. “Didn’t say we were.”
Violet rubbed a hand over her face, like maybe if she dragged it down hard enough, she’d erase the last five minutes. “Griffin.”
