Daddy's Angel (Montana Daddies 7)

“Maybe kind was the wrong word. Maybe I meant sweet.”

“You don’t think I can be sweet? I can be sweet.”

“You can?”

What the hell was he doing? Was he trying to argue that he was kind and sweet? ‘Cause he wasn’t. Except he sort of wanted to be for her. He didn’t like that she thought he was mean.

“Have I been mean to you, angel?”

“Why do you call me that?”

He blinked, feeling his cheeks heat. Crap.

“You sing like an angel.” That wasn’t the only reason, though. She looked like an angel. And she’d had that nightie with a teddy bear angel on it the first night he’d found her sleepwalking.

“Oh.” She blinked then sniffed. “That’s really sweet.”

Okay, yeah, he really wasn’t used to being called sweet. Or feeling this way. Fuck. He wanted her. Wanted to explore these feelings he had for her.

Christ.

He watched her warily. “You’re not crying, are you?”

She wiped her cheeks. “No.”

She dropped her head. Crap. He hated that. She looked so alone and sad. “I can’t believe Joe did that to me.”

“I know, baby.”

“They were family.”

God, she was killing him.

“Come here, angel.” He pulled her close to him. “Let me take care of you tonight.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to. Because I need to.” It was a compulsion. He couldn’t not take care of her. He couldn’t stand the idea of her hurting. Of her being alone.

“I don’t understand. I thought you didn’t even like me. I remind you of your ex-wife, even though I’m nothing like her. I don’t need all this stuff. It’s just stuff. It doesn’t give me a hug when I’m lonely or cheer me up when I’m feeling down.”

He rubbed his thumb over her cheek. “Are you often lonely and sad, angel?”

She shrugged. “I don’t really have any friends. My family only ever visits or calls when they want something. And the two people I thought were loyal are gone. Pretty pathetic, huh? No wonder you’d never be interested in someone like me. I think I’ll go to bed now. Can you just get Dominic to leave the stuff by my bedroom door and knock so I know it’s there? Thanks.”

Never be interested in someone like her?

What nonsense was she spouting now?

She let out a small whimper and leaned against the hallway wall. For fuck’s sake. What did she think she was doing?

He sighed and picked her up, carrying her in his arms.

“Bain! What are you doing?”

“Taking care of you.”

“And that means picking me up and carrying me around?” She stared up in bewilderment.