His hands left my jaw so his arms could cage me in close, tight, safe and warm and then my Knight kissed me.
I stood with just my head out the door to the balcony that led from the nursery and, adjusting the telephoto lens, I took the shot. Then another. Then another.
I pulled back. Moving my thumbs over the buttons, I checked the screen at the back of the camera.
Then I smiled.
I got it.
I carefully closed the door without a sound, walked into the room, put the camera on the dresser and walked out.
Then I walked to the kitchen and retrieved my mug of herbal tea.
After that, I moved to the glass doors to the balcony, skirting the sunken living room.
Knight was out there. He was slouched in a chair, feet up on the railing, ankles crossed, mug of coffee on the table beside him.
I moved through the doors to the empty chair angled toward his and caught the glimmer of sun glinting on the gold band on his finger that was on his hand which was resting on our baby girl’s rounded, diaper-covered booty. She was curled, dimpled knees tucked under her, little fist resting beside her face, asleep on her Daddy’s Black Sabbath tee-covered chest.
I sat in my chair, holding my cup aloft as I lifted my own legs and carefully positioned them resting over my man’s thighs.
Knight trailed a finger light along the skin on the outer side of one of mine and tingles radiated out from my skin even as they went up my spine, my neck to cover my scalp. Then he rested his hand curled around the top of my thigh, close to the apex of my legs, the pads of his fingers on my inner thigh.
“Get the shot?” he muttered, eyes to the Range.
Jeez. He noticed everything.
I lifted my mug to my lips.
“Yep.”
“Babe, she’s a couple weeks old. You keep fillin’ the house with frames, we won’t be able to move through it.”
I took a sip, eyes to the Front Range and staying there, I swallowed and replied, “So, buy us a bigger house.”
“That I can do,” he murmured instantly.
Yes.
Oh yes.
God, God, God.
I loved this man.
I looked to him and got his profile, strong, aggressive, unbelievable male beauty.
I looked to my daughter, my little Ekateirna, baby Kat, and her eyes drifted open and closed then they opened and I knew she probably couldn’t but it looked like she focused on me.
I reached out, stroked her super soft, chubby cheek and grinned into her clear, pure, Prussian blue eyes that I knew in my heart would stay that way.
Then her eyes drifted closed.
I dropped my hand over Knight’s on my thigh. His twisted and curled around mine.
My eyes drifted to the Range and I sipped my tea, living a life I never expected, living a dream I never even tried to dream, living it now entirely dream free.
Except, of course, the real ones sitting in the sun, one holding my hand and one sleeping next to me.