Joe needs me to be. Besides, we don't know for sure Carlie is gone for good."
"True. We'll take it a step at a time then?"
"Sure will, but would you mind if the next step was to the couch? Or maybe the bedroom? This floor is harsh."
Leo jumped up and pulled her to standing. She expected a hug or maybe a quick kiss, but instead he lifted her over his shoulder and carried her across the room. He stalled at the door to the bedroom, and she knew he was listening. Making sure his son was sleeping. Slapping her ass, he carried her on into the bedroom and tossed her onto the bed before swiftly following.
She pushed at his chest, laughing. "Shush, you'll wake Joe!"
"You were the one squealing," he shot back, tucking the sheets around them.
They gazed at one another, the atmosphere calming. Erin wanted to memorize every freckle, every dimple, and the exact shade of his eyes. His stunning good looks made it difficult to stop staring.
"I'm so proud of what you said to Carlie."
"It was needed. I failed him early on. I won't be doing that now."
"You didn't fail him. You didn't know about him." She smoothed her palm across his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart. "All you can do is be the best dad you can from this point onward. That baby adores his daddy, and I have to say I'm rather smitten myself."
A slow, sexy smirk teased the corner of his lips as he drawled, "Oh really? Now that is lucky, because I have to admit I'm full-on head over stupid heels for you, darlin'."
"Show me."
He pulled her against him, pressing his erection against her stomach.
"Yes, ma'am." He chuckled, pinning her wrists above her head and growing serious. "I love you, Erin."
"You'd better," she teased, kissing him before saying, "I love you too, Leo."
"We're going to be amazing at this."
Erin nodded, completely lost for words as he entered her. The relationship may be new, and it may have its problems, but she knew with certainty this was it.
Leo and Joe were hers.
Epilogue
11 months later…
"Are you asleep?"
"Yes," Leo rumbled, rolling onto his back and slipping his arm around Erin's shoulders.
She linked her fingers in his, kissing his chest. He exhaled deeply reveling in her touch.
"Sleeping men don't talk."
"Fiancées who know what's best for them don't wake their men," he teased, receiving a sharp slap to his bare chest.
"There are so many things wrong with that statement."
"Fiancée?"
Erin smiled, staring down at the diamond ring he'd given her only the week before.
"No, that's probably the only thing that was correct."
Leo hugged her tightly, knowing he had everything he never knew he wanted. She had been the light in his darkness and had given him, and his son, so much. He'd fallen so hard for her when he'd been far too confused to know which way was up.
Carlie had never returned, nor had she contacted him. Leo still called her once a month, leaving a message on her voice mail. He kept his end of the bargain by telling her about Joe, even if she didn't appear to be concerned.
"What're you thinking about?" Erin asked, lifting her lips to his ear.
He shivered; his cock instantly waking.
"About how nice it would be to sleep."
"Funny man, Leo Sommers. Funny man. Now what were you really thinking about?"
"Joe," he exhaled, turning to face her. "Carlie. Us."
Erin grinned, smoothing her hand across his cheek.
"It's been a strange ride, huh?"
He kissed her nose, sliding his knee up between her thighs and rocking against her.
"I like the idea of a ride."
She hummed, pushing back and nipping at his jaw but evidently ignoring his comment.
"Sure has. But it's about to get a little bumpy."
Leo stilled, pulling his head back to stare into her dark eyes. His heart crashed against his chest. She was scaring him.
"Well…" she drawled, sitting up and reaching for a small gift bag. "Eleven months ago, I gave you your first Father's Day gift."
"And I'll never forget it," he interrupted.
"Yeah, well, this is definitely one
"True. We'll take it a step at a time then?"
"Sure will, but would you mind if the next step was to the couch? Or maybe the bedroom? This floor is harsh."
Leo jumped up and pulled her to standing. She expected a hug or maybe a quick kiss, but instead he lifted her over his shoulder and carried her across the room. He stalled at the door to the bedroom, and she knew he was listening. Making sure his son was sleeping. Slapping her ass, he carried her on into the bedroom and tossed her onto the bed before swiftly following.
She pushed at his chest, laughing. "Shush, you'll wake Joe!"
"You were the one squealing," he shot back, tucking the sheets around them.
They gazed at one another, the atmosphere calming. Erin wanted to memorize every freckle, every dimple, and the exact shade of his eyes. His stunning good looks made it difficult to stop staring.
"I'm so proud of what you said to Carlie."
"It was needed. I failed him early on. I won't be doing that now."
"You didn't fail him. You didn't know about him." She smoothed her palm across his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart. "All you can do is be the best dad you can from this point onward. That baby adores his daddy, and I have to say I'm rather smitten myself."
A slow, sexy smirk teased the corner of his lips as he drawled, "Oh really? Now that is lucky, because I have to admit I'm full-on head over stupid heels for you, darlin'."
"Show me."
He pulled her against him, pressing his erection against her stomach.
"Yes, ma'am." He chuckled, pinning her wrists above her head and growing serious. "I love you, Erin."
"You'd better," she teased, kissing him before saying, "I love you too, Leo."
"We're going to be amazing at this."
Erin nodded, completely lost for words as he entered her. The relationship may be new, and it may have its problems, but she knew with certainty this was it.
Leo and Joe were hers.
Epilogue
11 months later…
"Are you asleep?"
"Yes," Leo rumbled, rolling onto his back and slipping his arm around Erin's shoulders.
She linked her fingers in his, kissing his chest. He exhaled deeply reveling in her touch.
"Sleeping men don't talk."
"Fiancées who know what's best for them don't wake their men," he teased, receiving a sharp slap to his bare chest.
"There are so many things wrong with that statement."
"Fiancée?"
Erin smiled, staring down at the diamond ring he'd given her only the week before.
"No, that's probably the only thing that was correct."
Leo hugged her tightly, knowing he had everything he never knew he wanted. She had been the light in his darkness and had given him, and his son, so much. He'd fallen so hard for her when he'd been far too confused to know which way was up.
Carlie had never returned, nor had she contacted him. Leo still called her once a month, leaving a message on her voice mail. He kept his end of the bargain by telling her about Joe, even if she didn't appear to be concerned.
"What're you thinking about?" Erin asked, lifting her lips to his ear.
He shivered; his cock instantly waking.
"About how nice it would be to sleep."
"Funny man, Leo Sommers. Funny man. Now what were you really thinking about?"
"Joe," he exhaled, turning to face her. "Carlie. Us."
Erin grinned, smoothing her hand across his cheek.
"It's been a strange ride, huh?"
He kissed her nose, sliding his knee up between her thighs and rocking against her.
"I like the idea of a ride."
She hummed, pushing back and nipping at his jaw but evidently ignoring his comment.
"Sure has. But it's about to get a little bumpy."
Leo stilled, pulling his head back to stare into her dark eyes. His heart crashed against his chest. She was scaring him.
"Well…" she drawled, sitting up and reaching for a small gift bag. "Eleven months ago, I gave you your first Father's Day gift."
"And I'll never forget it," he interrupted.
"Yeah, well, this is definitely one
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