Kenzie as he pulled down the covers. Lifting her up into bed, Osiris pulled up the cover and set Cupcake in her outreached arms.
“Sleep well, Baby girl,” he whispered before pressing a light kiss to the top of her head.
“Night, night, Daddy,” she murmured, already half-asleep.
Chapter 5
“Baby girl? It’s time to wake up for dinner,” the deep voice said from a close distance.
Kenzie turned over to face away. She didn’t want to get up. “No.”
“Don’t tell me no, Little girl. It’s time to wake up.” Strong arms plucked her from the covers and whirled her body around.
Clinging to him, Kenzie blinked open her eyes to find herself sitting on Osiris’ lap. “I didn’t want to get up,” she complained.
“I know. Cupcake was sleeping hard, too. But you need to eat, and if you napped any longer, you wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.”
“Says you,” she replied grumpily.
“Talk nicely to your Daddy, Kenzie. Rude Little girls sit on hot bottoms.”
Unsure how to answer that, Kenzie turned her face against his chest to hide. His scent filled her nostrils as she inhaled. Warm male with an underlying smoky flavor tantalized her. She liked it. Kenzie liked it a lot.
His arms stroked up and down her back as she woke up completely. Kenzie had never experienced anything this comforting. Osiris wasn’t rushed or busy with anything else. It was as if he had all the time in the world and wanted to spend it with her. She sighed happily.
“You okay, Baby girl?” he asked quietly.
She nodded against his chest, unwilling to end this special time in his arms. Kenzie knew this couldn’t happen often. People didn’t have space in their busy schedules to just sit and be together.
“You’re thinking awfully hard. Want to tell me what’s on your mind?”
Daringly, she admitted, “I’m just enjoying being here with you. I know this is special.”
“Special because we feel attracted to each other?”
“Special because people don’t really just spend time together like this. Everyone’s too overloaded with stuff to do.”
“Not me. I’m retired. I have all the time in the world.”
“Really?” she asked with a shimmer of hope, sitting straighter on his lap before slumping back down.
“Baby girl, you change emotions fast.”
“Sorry,” she whispered against him. “I don’t want to get my hopes up.”
“I want you to hope for everything that would make you happy. Then, you need to tell me all those things.” He patted her back before leaning her away from his body with a firm grip on her ribcage. “Number one thing to make Kenzie happy is spending time with her Daddy. Do I have that right?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Let’s put that on my list.” Osiris pulled his phone from his back pocket and opened a new note. He entitled it “Making My Little Girl the Happiest Possible.” Then, Osiris added a numbered list and typed in her request. “Got it. Now, I won’t forget it.”
“Really?” she asked.
“I promise,” he answered, picking up her hand and placing it on his heart. Covering her much smaller one with his, Osiris added, “I want you to be happy, Kenzie. I want you to be so happy, you’ll let me keep you.”
“Forever and ever?”
“Until time ends.”
She looked at him in disbelief. The world doesn’t operate like this, did it? Kenzie studied his eyes. There was no glimmer of deceit or humor. He seemed to be honestly and totally into her. “I’m not a very exciting person.”
“You’ll have to let me be the judge of that. You may decide that I’m too old and fuddy-duddy for you,” he teased with a smile.
“You’re pretty exciting to me. You were kind of like a superhero climbing those balconies today.”
“I’m hoping you’ll think I’m a culinary gangster,” he joked.
She sniffed appreciatively, noticing for the first time the scent of food. “You cook?” she asked.
“That was one of the first things I learned as a firefighter. Food is important fuel. It’s also a way of caring for others. I like to cook. Will you come let me feed you?” he asked.
“I’m kind of hungry. I didn’t want to eat too much at the party.”
“I’m sorry you weren’t comfortable.”
“It wasn’t that. Those guys devoured everything. I wanted them to have the food.”
“Well, there’s just you and me now, Baby girl. Let’s go fill your tummy,” he suggested, wrapping his arms around her and standing.
“I can’t eat dinner in my nightgown!” she protested as he carried her from the room.
“Are you comfortable?”
“Yes.”
“Me too. Let’s go eat. I’m hungry.” Osiris carried her to the kitchen