One Chance, Fancy (Bear Bottom Guardians MC 5)

Her eyes went wide, and she looked stunned speechless.

“Your heart?” she whispered.

“Yeah, my heart.”

She licked her lips and looked ready to cry. “That’s so freakin’ sweet. I trust you with mine, too.”

I reached for her and ran the palm of my hand down her hair. “I know. Who do you think showed me how to open mine?”

A tear formed on Phoebe’s eyelid and spilled over.

I caught it before it could run halfway down her cheek.

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” she asked.

I backed away and reached for the back door of the truck, opening it while also keeping my eyes on her. “Yes.”

“Are you sure?” she asked. “Because this is soon. I mean, we only decided that we were ‘together’ just yesterday. Plus, I’m fairly sure that you’re my boss. I can’t have you treating me differently because you love me while I’m at work.”

I laughed lightly as I reached inside and started unbuckling the multitude of straps that held Isa in.

Once I had her disentangled, I picked her up and brought her into my chest.

This little girl was another thing that I loved.

I had no idea how it happened, but she’d wormed her way into my heart faster than Phoebe had.

One second, she was just a kid, and the next she was mine, and I loved her.

I’d protect her with everything I had to give.

Was that supposed to happen? Because I was fairly sure that I’d tear anyone apart that hurt her.

Once I had the door closed, I hit the lock button on the door handle and then looped my arm around Phoebe, who was still staring at me in stunned silence.

I hadn’t answered her earlier statement but didn’t think I needed to, either.

“You were supposed to disarm the alarm and open the door,” I teased her.

“I forgot the code after you told me you loved me,” she muttered.

I snorted.

“I didn’t actually say those words exactly,” I teased, taking the keys from her hand and opening the door.

Moments later I was shutting off the alarm, and Phoebe was still standing there staring at me like she’d never seen me before.

“What is it?” I asked. “Still reeling?”

She shrugged. “Yes and no. I mean, it’s not every day that the person you’ve been in love with since you were fifteen tells you that he loves you. I’m still processing, okay?”

I brought her close to my body and pressed my mouth to hers so gently that she pressed in harder just to feel more.

When I pulled away, she was swaying on her feet. “Have a seat. While I’m putting her to bed, you can look at all the text messages since I know you want to.”

Her laughter followed me into the room that I’d started putting Isa in.

I looked around the half-empty, half-full space.

The only real thing that I had for Isa was a couple of stuffed animals that the guys had brought over at various times over the last three days. She was sleeping on a futon that I’d gotten when I first moved into the house and slept on while I waited for my furniture to come in. The moment that my bed had arrived, I’d banished the futon to the spare guest room where Brielle and Hoax had slept on it throughout the years.

The rest of the room was filled with boxes I still hadn’t unpacked since I’d moved into the place over five years ago.

Which reminded me, I wanted to go get a jungle gym for the backyard.

Laying Isa down on thoughts of things that she would need if she was going to stay here—and she would—I tugged off her shoes and then pulled the blanket over her that I’d stolen from Hoax yesterday.

I literally didn’t have anything extra for a kid, having only gotten Isa the basics of basics, and I was in serious need of a trip to the store for the rest.

I was lucky Isa was potty-trained, otherwise, I’d be struggling a whole lot more than I was.

After taking one last glance at my girl—God, she looked so beautiful—I turned out the lights and walked out the door.

It wasn’t until I was in the kitchen and talking to Phoebe that I realized she wasn’t there any longer.

I turned in a slow circle, finally finding her on the ground by the front window.

“What are you doing?” I questioned.

She looked up from where she was crouched, looking out through the blinds. “Brielle is here.”

I snorted. “Did she knock?”

She shook her head. “No. She’s just sitting out in her car glaring at the house.”

I laughed. “Well, if she knocks, I’ll talk to her. If she doesn’t, then oh well.”

Phoebe crawled away from her perch toward me, and I felt my dick stir in my pants.

“What’s that look for?” she asked as she got close.

I swallowed hard. “Seeing you down there is making me want to unzip my pants.”