Page 28 of Infinitely Mine

“You do, Bud.”

“Will you help me build?”

“Of course.”

We were in the second bag of parts when Rowen joined us, fresh out of the shower. Her skin glowed under the lights with a tawny luster, and my fingers twitched as I imagined how soft she would feel when I finally got to touch every inch.

“You have Legos,” she observed.

“We do. Found this set on a good deal. I couldn’t pass it up.”

Maybe that was only partially true.

“Uh-huh.”

She didn’t call me on my shit, but she gave me a look that confirmed she knew my lie.

We built the Lego set, and Jacob played with the characters while I fried fish and fries. Rowen made coleslaw and cut up lemon and orange slices. After the meal, I opened the other bag on the table and grinned at Jacob.

“One more gift today.”

“Really?”

“I think you’ll like this one.”

I took out the pad of black construction paper. “Check this out.”

Game. Changer.

Jacob’s eyes grew round. His little mouth popped open. “You can draw onblackpages?”

“With white and metallic gel pens. Watch.”

With rapt fascination, he watched the strokes I made on the paper, grinning when I finished the drawing of him with a dog. “See? Cool, yeah?”

“It’s like magic,” he answered with awe.

I handed over the paper and gel pens. “You can be a magician every day if you want.”

Jacob slid from his chair and tackled me, his face buried in my neck. I felt wet tears on my skin and hugged him, wondering if I’d done too much. “I love you. Thank you.”

“Love you too, Little Man.”

Jesus. Is this what it felt like to be a father? To be ready to defend your child to the last breath?

I never felt so protective over another soul in my life.

I had to hold back the Reaper’s response because the affection he felt for the boy was so fucking real and intense that I almost let him surface by accident. Rowen didn’t know about him yet. I had to keep that a secret until the right time.

None of it mattered now. I couldn’t walk away. I was in too fucking deep. Rowen and Jacob had become everything to me. I’d fallen hard for a woman I hadn’t even fucked yet. How the fuck did that happen?

“This is my first Lego set.”

“And it won’t be the last because IloveLegos.”

Jacob sniffled and wiped his nose on his shirt. “You deserve to be a daddy.”

Christ. The way this kid loved and accepted me, how he knew the secret wishes of a grown man’s heart.