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I reached over, giving her ass a small slap that had a little giggle escaping her.

That was a good fucking sound after such an intense night.

She pushed up and moved closer to me, watching me with more serious eyes.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, judging by those tallies,” she said, reaching for my chin, turning my head so she could inspect them better. “You did something really crazy last night.”

“I did what I needed to do to get you and Lil’ Bit safe. Nothing crazy about it. Gotta protect what’s mine.”

It was out before I could think of a better way to phrase it.

“Yours?” she asked, and I couldn’t tell if it was surprise or panic on her face, in her voice.

“That’s the way I’d have it if the choice were mine,” I admitted. “But it ain’t.”

“You want me to be yours?” she asked. It was clear then. The tentative hope, the little glimmer of excitement.

“No,” I said, watching the light leave her eye for a second. “I want you both to be mine.”

“Oh,” she said.

Then her eyes were flooding and overflowing.

“Shit. Didn’t mean to bring on the waterworks,” I said, getting a shaky laugh out of her as I reached out to wipe the wetness from her cheeks.

“You’re sure? You said once that you didn’t want kids. Didn’t want any kind of attachments.”

“Yeah, well, I guess that shit was just—as Velle would probably say—my trauma talking. Turns out, when it’s right, it’s not about giving something up. It’s about getting something different. Better.”

“You,” Zoe said, reaching out to frame my face, leaning down to press her forehead to mine. “You crazy, chaotic, amazing, generous, kind man.” Her lips lightly brushed mine. “Of course I want to be yours.”

She kissed me long and deep then.

Until Lil’ Bit realized it was morning.

And had some feelings about her wet diaper and empty stomach.

“I’ll get her,” I said, climbing out of the bed to yank up my pants. “You get the coffee.”

“Hey, Coast,” she called from the doorway.

“Yeah?”

“I, uh, I think I love you,” she said, but was gone before I could respond.

My heart was too fucking big for my chest as I looked down at Lainey.

“Ooh,” she hooted, like she was agreeing with her mom.

“Yeah,” I agreed, tapping her nose with my fingertip. “Love you two too.”

Zoe - 2 days

“Someone kidnapped my daughter again,” I said, tying my hair up into a messy bun as I stepped into the kitchen.