Sera doesn’t know it, but we do. And when I lower my phone, he leans in and kisses my cheek.
“Thank you,” he whispers in my ear.
“The first of many.” I nudge his shoulder.
By the time she’s done with her ice cream, the sun starts to dip lower in the sky, and the park grows quieter.
She starts to get tired, so Liam carries her, like it’s second nature, back toward the park’s exit. Her head is resting on his shoulder, and by the time we exit, she’s asleep.
“She’s out,” I whisper.
He nods, careful not to wake her.
“She feels comfortable with you.” I stroke my finger down her cheek.
“I hope so. I want her to know, without a doubt, that I will also protect her and be here for her.” He places a soft kiss on her head. “I'll spend my whole life trying to be worthy of her.”
Tears prick my eyes.
“And you too, Alie.”
My breath hitches. And if he wasn’t holding our daughter right now, I’d show him just how much I want him too.
When we get back to my place, he’s still carrying her, and she’s still sleeping. So, I lead him to her room, where I take off her shoes and he lays her in her bed. He brushes her wavy hair off her face and leans down to kiss her gently on the cheek.
Is there anything sexier than a dad with his daughter? Seriously. Liam is a very gorgeous man, but he’s never looked more irresistible to me than he does right now.
“Today was good,” he says when we walk out of the room.
“It was,” I agree.
I follow him to the door, not quite ready for him to leave.
We stand there for a moment, something unspoken settling between us.
He reaches for my hands and pulls me into him. “Can we do this again?”
“Yes.” I smile.
“Can I kiss you?”
I lick my bottom lip, and I see his eyes move to watch it.
“Yeah, you can kiss me,” I say as I edge closer to him.
He leans in slowly and kisses my cheek first, then places kisses in a path to my mouth. And these soft kisses feel meaningful.
When our lips finally meet, it’s the kind of kiss that makes you forget your own name. I feel it from my mouth all the way through to my core.
This is a kiss filled with promise. Of building something. Moving forward together.
Our tongues swirl around each other. Neither of us tries to rush it. If anything, I want to drag him to my room and keep going.
His hands slide under the hem of my shirt, making me shiver, but he just runs his fingers up and down my spine reverently. Then deepens our kiss.
We stay like this, kissing, touching … connecting, until he pulls back, resting his forehead against mine.
“I’d better go, before I can’t.”
