Legend (Arizona Vengeance 3)

Pepper’s cheeks turn pink, whether from the fact I just confirmed her place or I just complimented her again in a backhanded way. It’s the first major declaration I have made that she and I have something personal that’s more than sex.

I take Pepper by the arm and start maneuvering her toward the elevators. I lean in close and in a low voice tell her, “Look…I know damn well I told you that I didn’t have much room in my life or much to offer at this point but things between you and I just progressed in a way that I had not counted on, but also in a way I don’t regret at all. Don’t ever refer to yourself as the nanny again.”

We reach the elevators and I stab the button. I look at her with my eyebrows raised, waiting for her to acknowledge what I just said.

For a moment, I don’t think she’s going to answer me and it hits me…maybe she doesn’t feel the way I do. My stomach tightens and I almost prepare to recant everything I just said to her.

But then she steps into me and lays a hand on my chest, right over my heart. Her smile is soft, those full lips barely parting. Her eyes tell me part of the story, but her words do the rest. “I like you too.”

I put a hand at the back of her neck and force her up on her tiptoes to kiss me. She does and it’s soft but not lingering.

When I release her, she asks, “Where we going?”

“To your and Lucy’s room. We’re going to collect Charlie then you’re both going to come with me to my room.”

“But don’t you have a roommate?” she asks.

I shake my head. “Erik but he always buys a room for him and Blue to stay together.”

Our rooms are on the third floor and Lucy greets us with a quiet, “Hey” after she opens the door.

After Lucy gives me a rundown of the past five hours I’ve been gone—apparently, Charlie peed, pooped, slept, and ate—we collect her and head down to my room.

Oftentimes we have no choice about our accommodations, but in this instance, I put in a request to team services for a room with a king bed. No one batted an eye at this request because it was common knowledge that Erik didn’t stay with his assigned roommate which would be me. It was not common knowledge that I would have Pepper with me so I’m assuming they just thought I like a roomier bed.

Charlie wakes up as we are starting to get ready for sleep. I had stripped off my clothes down to my boxers. Pepper grabbed my white dress T-shirt that I had worn under my suit. She’s wearing it and a pair of white panties and she looks sexy as fuck.

I prepare a bottle of formula and sit in a chair by the window looking out at the lights of downtown Winnipeg. Charlie pulls on the bottle hard with one little hand pressed curled tight into a fist and the other latched onto my thumb. She stares up at me with solemn eyes and I can tell she recognizes who I am. She knows I’m her dad and that I will protect her from all the dangers in this world.

“You’re such a good little girl,” I murmur to her. “You have got me so wrapped around your little pinky and I’m pretty sure there is nothing you couldn’t ask for that I wouldn’t give you.”

True words, spoken straight from the heart, and not an ounce of self-consciousness that I can say these personal things while Pepper sits cross-legged in the middle of the bed and watches us. I glance up at her and our eyes meet. I like the soft look in her eyes as she regards me.

“How do you think Lucy is doing?” I ask her. I had spent a good deal of time with Lucy the last few days, but I wanted Pepper’s opinion as well.

“I think she’s wonderful. She’s got a natural maternal touch with Charlie. She’s very gentle and she’s also conscientious. Seems to have a good head on her shoulders.”

I glance back down at my daughter and see that she’s almost finished with the bottle. I look back over to Pepper and give her a sly grin. “Perfect. Then you and I are going out on our first real date on New Year’s Eve. Erik and Blue are throwing a party at their house. We’ll have Lucy babysit and stay the night so we can party the night away”

Peppers eyes go round and her mouth forms a little O of surprise. “A date?”

I throw Pepper a look that says she should be smarter than what she’s acting like right now. “Yes, a date. It’s usually what a man and a woman do when they want to spend quality time together.”