Page 27 of Hold Me Tight

What hurts even more is that Zane never cuddled her like this. He never held our daughter like she was his whole world or acted like she was the best part of his day.

But River?

He does it as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

His lips curve in a slow smile as our eyes stay locked. I slip off my jacket and then my shoes. Every step I take feels deliberate. Magnetic. Like some kind of invisible force is drawing me to him. It’s one I don’t have the strength or the will to resist.

I’ve never felt this way before.

Not with anyone.

Including Zane.

Back then, I mistook his attention for affection. I was swept up in the whirlwind of being wanted by a pro athlete who said all the right things… until the shine wore off and the truth came into sharp focus. He didn’t love me. He enjoyed the chase. By the time I figured it out, I was already pregnant and in too deep to turn back.

But with River…

This isn’t a storm.

It’s something I don’t recognize.

And I’m not sure if I should step closer… or run.

12

River

Nora’s completely sacked out on my chest, one arm flung across my ribs like I’m her personal stuffed animal. Her lips are parted slightly, and her fingers twist in the fabric of my sweater.

I should probably get her to bed before Callie walks through the door. I want to make things as easy as possible for her.

But I don’t move a muscle.

Instead, I remain in the armchair, content to have this little girl snoring in my arms. There’s something comforting about the warmth of her body. The trust that had filled her face when she stared at me with eyes the exact shade as her mother’s. She could have asked me for a pony, and I would’ve wanted to know what color she had in mind.

I’m knocked from those thoughts when the front door clicks open and Callie walks in.

For just a second, I eat her up with my eyes.

All right, let’s be real.

It’s for way more than a second.

Anytime this woman is near, I find myself forgetting about everything else going on.

It’s a relief that she looks the same as when she left earlier. Gorgeous, calm, and pulled together. She shrugs out of her jacket and hangs it on the hook before bending to unfasten her shoes one at a time.

That shouldn’t be so sexy.

Our gazes cling as she closes the space that separates us until she’s no more than a foot away.

“I take it the meeting went well?” I ask, refusing to call it a date.

“It did. He agreed to carry my desserts.”

“That’s great,” I say, meaning it. “I’m happy for you.”

I brace myself as she leans in to pick up Nora. Her scent hits me first. It’s something light and floral. It’s unfair just how quickly it goes straight to my head. I inhale a lungful of her before I can stop myself.