“I love you, Viv.” He said it in the soft tone I’d never heard him use with anyone but me. My heart swelled as I held his gaze. His reverence for me was humbling.

“I love you, too. So much.”

He traced a fingertip over my jaw line and around to the back of my neck, cupping it in his huge palm. “Now open my present, woman.”

I grinned and sat up, keeping my legs under the covers as I picked up the silver-wrapped box again. He’d thought of me, and I loved whatever was inside this box because of it.

There was a small, unmarked white box inside. When I opened it and pulled aside some cotton padding, I gasped audibly and put my hand over my mouth.

“Oh, my God. I can’t . . . you bought me a new Bulgari watch.” My heart raced wildly as I picked it up out of the box. “This is just like the one my Gram bought me. How did you know?”

His dark chocolate eyes were so warm on me. Silently, he reached for the watch and turned it over. The back of the face was engraved.

For Vivi

Love, Gram

Tears rushed to my eyes and spilled forth all at once.

“My watch. It’s my watch.” I rubbed my thumb over the engraved words. “How? Did you get it from Grayson?”

Kane shook his head. “It wasn’t quite that easy.”

I leaned over and kissed his forehead, still crying. “This means so much to me. How did you do this?”

A smile played at the corners of his lips. “I had a contest with my employees. Told them the day after your watch was stolen that an engraved Bulgari had been pawned somewhere in the city, and whoever found it would get a thousand dollar cash bonus.”

My mouth dropped open in shock. “You did that?”

“One of my servers found it in two days. She worked that phone like a fucking telemarketer. And she’s a single mom with three kids, so that money’s giving them a nice Christmas. It worked out like it was supposed to.”

“You’re so amazing.” I cradled the watch in my palm. “Every lousy date in my life was so worth it because I was waiting for you.”

His expression turned serious. “You’ve done more for me in the past couple months than anyone ever has. I was a broken man when we met and you put me back together, Viv. I’m whole with you. I love you so much I don’t even know what to do with it sometimes.”

I leaned over and kissed him, cupping his scruffy cheek with my palm.

“Open,” I said, reaching for his gift and handing it to him.

His eyes met mine for a second before he tore into the paper. I held my breath as I waited. When he withdrew the lid of the box, he smiled broadly at me.

“Viv. I love it.”

He reached into the box and took out a framed photo of me and him. We’d been walking in the city one afternoon when he’d snapped it while standing behind me, his arm around my waist and his head leaning against mine.

“What’s the empty frame for?” he asked, taking it out of the box.

“A picture of you and Brooklyn. You need to get on that.”

His eyes softened and he looked through the rest of the box’s contents: an engraved nameplate for his desk, a stone paperweight and a pen set.

“Damn, you’re making me feel like a fuckin’ professional here, baby.”

“As well you should.”

He set the picture frame back in the box and eyed me. “You feel like getting fucked by a professional?”

“You know I do.”

He moved the gift boxes to the floor and climbed over me, parting my thighs.

“Thanks for the presents, Viv,” he said softly. “And for taking a chance on a roughneck like me.”

“You’re so easy to love, Kane.”

He pulled my t-shirt up and over my head, kissing me softly before moving to my breasts, where he was not soft. He sucked and nipped and licked while I hummed my satisfaction and wrapped my ankles around his thighs.

Kane brought my body to the brink with his mouth before taking a condom from the nightstand drawer. His gaze roamed my body hungrily as he sheathed his erection.

“One day soon I’m gonna come in your sweet pussy, Viv,” he said in a low tone. “Of all the stupid shit I did when I was younger, I never once fucked anyone without a condom. Not consciously, anyway. I must’ve when I was high since I’ve got Brooklyn. I’ve got no memory of it, though. I want it with you, when I know it’s safe.”

“Yes. I’m on birth control and I want that so much.”

His eyes were dark as they locked with mine. “I’ll get tested. Then when you come to my office I’ll fuck you hard and fill your cunt full. I like the idea of you walking out of there wet with my come.”

He flipped me over and pulled my hips back, entering me from behind. I moaned and pressed myself back as he sank into me.

I let myself get lost in him, crying out his name as he pounded into me. He pulled me up, my back to his chest, and leaned around to kiss me. One of his arms was locked around my waist and with his free hand, he found my sweet spot and circled his fingers until I came so hard my knees nearly gave out. He was right behind, thrusting deeply into me and biting down on my shoulder as he came with a loud groan and a shudder.

“So fucking hot,” Kane said as he pulled out of me and took off the condom. He took it to the bathroom trash can and then we laid back down for a few minutes, the smells of sweat and sex in the air.

Breakfast was a semi-success. My breakfast casserole wasn’t great, but the cinnamon rolls were decent. I wasn’t much of a cook, but I liked feeding Kane, so I’d just have to get better. And in the meantime, he was too wise to admit my cooking wasn’t the best.

“Ready to go see Brooklyn?” he asked when we’d finished the dishes.

I looked at the clock on my wall. “What time are we supposed to be there?”

“No set time,” he said, shrugging.

“Are you sure it’s okay? I don’t want to interrupt anything.”

“It’s fine, Viv. We’re not staying. I just want to give Brooklyn her present on Christmas instead of next time I see her.”

This meant a lot to him. I agreed, took a quick shower and dressed in a dark green sweater dress, brown leggings and tall brown leather boots.

I was quiet on the drive there, because I was nervous. Meeting Brooklyn was a big deal. I wanted to get to know her, if she and Kane and Cori were ready for it. But I worried about stepping on her mother’s toes. And I didn’t have much experience with kids. What if she didn’t like me?

When we walked up to the front door of Cori’s modest bungalow, I slipped my hand into Kane’s for support. He smiled and rang the doorbell.

“Dad!” The little girl who opened the door took my breath away. She was beautiful, her dark eyes shining with happiness.

“Kane?” a female voice called from inside.

“We just came by to drop off gifts.” Kane led me inside, still holding my hand.

When we went inside, the few family members inside silently checked us out. Cori’s relatives had probably never even seen Kane.

The small house was cozy, with garland over the doorways, a tree covered with a child’s homemade ornaments and opened gifts scattered on the floor. The smell of cinnamon filled the air. Even though none of the furnishings looked new or expensive, they were stylish and the place looked like a comfortable home.

Cori was thin and petite with long, perfectly straight chestnut hair. She was pretty and Brooklyn was too, but Brooklyn looked just like Kane. Seeing the man I loved reflected in the face of his little girl melted me inside.

I wanted kids. With him. I hadn’t seriously thought about it until this moment, but seeing him next to his daughter made it all so clear. I wanted Brooklyn to be as much a part of our lives as she possibly could, and I wanted more kids, too.

“Guys, this is my girlfriend Viv,” Kane said to Cori and Brookyln. He wrapped an arm around my waist.