Page 22 of Pucking Daddy

I move closer, quieter now, like I might somehow wake her if I’m not careful, even though she sleeps like a rock most nights.

Sitting down on the edge of her bed, I brush a strand of hair off her forehead.

“Hey, bug,” I murmur softly, even though she won’t hear it.

Her brow twitches slightly, but she doesn’t wake.

I lean down and press a kiss to her temple, lingering there for a second longer.

There’s always this moment.

Right here.

Where everything else fades.

The pressure. The expectations. The constant fight to keep things together.

It all narrows down to this small, steady breath beneath my hand.

“I’ve got you,” I whisper.

My gaze lingers on her face, taking in every detail like I haven’t memorized it a thousand times already.

I straighten slowly, adjusting her blanket gently, tucking it around her shoulders.

“Sleep tight,” I murmur.

Then I stand, step out into the hallway, pulling the door closed behind me with a soft click.

5

ZARA

Who Does He Think He Is?

The next morning, I wake up at 5 AM. Can't sleep anyway.

The guest bedroom Mrs. Henriksen has shown me is lovely—high thread count sheets, blackout curtains, the kind of mattress that probably costs more than my last car—but my brain refuses to shut off.

Jaxon Halberg. Jax from the bar. The Metro Raptors' new head coach.

My boss.

The man whose hands I can still feel on my hips if I think about it for more than three seconds.

The man who was very clearly not thrilled to see me here—and made sure I knew it.

I press my palms against my eyes and groan into the darkness. This is fine. Totally fine.

Plenty of people sleep with strangers who then turn out to be their employers. Happens all the time. Completely normal.

God, I am such an idiot.

But I need this job. More importantly, Danny needs it. So there’s nothing to do but suck it up and put on my big-girl pants.

By the time Lily bounds into the kitchen at seven-thirty, I’ve already made pancakes, prepped her school lunch, and consumed enough coffee to power a small city.

The little girl's face lights up when she sees the stack of chocolate chip pancakes arranged into a smiley face.