Defensive Daddy

“I know the answer to that already.” His voice was soft, and suddenly more serious. “What I want to know is that you love me, the way I already love you.”

I stretched up, kissing his lips tenderly at first, then with more passion than I should’ve allowed with my son only the length of a hallway away. When I pulled back, his eyes were dark and glistening. “I think you already know the answer to that, too,” I whispered.

His mouth twitched, his eyes searching mine. He must’ve found what he was looking for in them because he lowered his mouth to mine again, gentler this time. “I love you, too, Samantha.”

EPILOGUE

COOPER

There are many things I’ve not done right in life, but this, being with Samantha and Levi and doing everything in my power to prove to them I’ll never hurt them or let them down—I know that’s one thing for certain I have done right.

I was glad Ethan and I were finally able to meet. He needed and deserved to be aware of my presence in his son’s life. I should’ve probably felt guilty for the way I spoke to him, and for almost knocking his ass out if he’d so much as said one more disrespectful thing about Samantha, but I didn’t. I couldn’t feel guilty for standing up for her and protecting her; that was my duty, and no one would ever get away with disrespecting her while I’m around, no matter how trivial.

Rolling over in bed, I soaked in all the natural beauty that surrounded me. The warmth of Samantha’s body lying next to me, her hair in a tangled mess, her stunning bare face with her sweet mouth curved in a faint subconscious grin, and her soft porcelain skin illuminated by the sunrise. I savored it all before reluctantly sneaking out of bed. I quietly left the room and grabbed the first piece of paper I could find. On it, I wrote a note.

Samantha,

I didn’t want to wake you. You deserve to sleep in. I have a few errands to run this morning, and I’ve got to pick up Tommy. We’ll see you and Little Man Levi later.

I love you, beautiful!

XO,

Cooper

Sneaking back into her bedroom, I placed the note on the side of the bed I’d slept on and planted a soft kiss on her temple. The vanilla scent of her shampoo invaded my senses just before pulling away.

This is the woman I want for the rest of my life. I’ll never grow tired of kissing her. Or loving her.

***

Thanks for letting me sleep in today. I love you, too!

Her name lighting up my phone’s display screen was enough to cause my insides to warm and tingle, but reading the words I love you added in at the end of her message—that may as well have set me on fire.

The woman could have had any man in the world, and she chose me. She loves me. It was an honor, a privilege, and something I never wanted to lose.

I texted her back almost immediately.

Anything for you, you know that.

Her reply comes just as quickly.

Come over when you can, I have something here for you. ;)

I knew Levi was still home, so the innuendo was possibly something I was just reading too much into. And it wasn’t my birthday. I checked the date on my phone to make sure, but it wasn’t a holiday, either.

“What could she have for me, buddy?” I cast a glance over to Tommy, perched in his carrier, his big blue eyes still heavy from the nap he’d just awaked from. Unfortunately, he just stared back, so I guessed he didn’t know the answer, either.

I finished putting the last of the groceries away in my fridge before texting back and heading back toward her apartment.

I’m coming, pretty lady. Two could play at the sexual innuendo game.

I sent the text practically standing outside her door. I had every intention of knocking first, but she opened it before my knuckles even made contact with the wooden panel. She pulled it open and greeted me, her auburn hair styled in loose curls that fell over her shoulders. A soft hint of makeup accentuated her natural beauty.

“Hey, neighbor.” She gave me a small smirk and moved from the doorway, letting Tommy and I enter. Her eyes lowered to the infant in the carrier. “And hey, little neighbor.”

“Cooper!” Levi bolted from his room, beelining in my direction with his arms spread wide. A contagious smile stretched across his small features.