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Rather than seeing Laura lounging naked on the bed, she was curled up on a bean bag near the table. Kensi was tucked into the corner of the couch, her nightgown barely reaching her knees and a blanket half-way off the couch. A pile of toys spilled from the table, including the winter themed puzzles she’d requested for Christmas.
I reached out and tenderly touched her forehead, sinking down next to her. She cuddled into my side, barely opening her eyes, “Hi, Daddy.” I brushed the hair off her forehead, feeling a swell of love in my chest.
“Hey, little one,” I whispered.
Kensi smiled through her sleep. The sight was so tender and so unexpected that my emotions shifted from predatory to paternal.
“Come on, baby. Let’s get you to bed.”
I carefully lifted Kensi into my arms and carried her to her room. Laura stirred, lifting off the beanbag.
“You’re back.”
“I was hoping to find you alone,” I whispered. “Hold on.”
I placed Kensi on her bed and covered her before returning to Laura. She sat on the edge of my bed, my t-shirt barely covering her thighs.
“Kensi missed you, so your mom brought her by for some games, and then we fell asleep,” she said. “She’s excited about Santa and she was sure he was coming today.”
Kensi’s been saying ‘today’ for a week now, as if Santa would hear her. Laura’s leg swayed back and forth in a come hither motion. So I did.
“One more day, and tomorrow the whole family’s cooking and getting ready. It’s gonna be fun.”
I sat on the bed beside her. The mattress dipped underneath my weight, and Laura tipped to my side, looking up.
“Wait, I’m coming?”
“Of course.”
I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her close in.
“But it’s a family thing.”
Her voice quivered. Thankfully, we were seconds away from me shutting her up with my mouth.
“It’s a Christmas thing, and everyone joins in.” I leaned toward her, my breath softly brushing against her earlobe. “Even the staff. Very casual. Family dinner style.”
She shivered in my hold. How could I convince her this was just the beginning?
My feelings for Laura had grown beyond what I’d expected. She was far more than an employee—she’d become someone special. In less than forty-eight hours, she’d become someone I could imagine in our life.
I lowered my mouth to hers when I heard, “Daddy?”
Our lips parted before they even touched. Kensi stood in the doorway, rubbing her eyes. “Can I sleep in your bed tonight?”
I glanced over at Laura who nodded her head in encouragement.
“Of course, darling. Come on up.” I lifted her to the king sized bed and placed her in the middle. Laura quietly slid beneath the covers, nestling herself on one side of Kensi, while I slipped in on the other.
Laurs shifted onto her right and propped herself on her elbow, facing the center. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow, then.”
I turned my head her way. “Me too.”
We stared at one another with Kensi in between us, settling in the gigantic bed like a family, until we both drifted off to sleep.
CHAPTER 7
LAURA
