It was nine-thirty by the time Cam got Zinny home. He walked around his car to the passenger side and as he carefully unfastened her seatbelt, the door to the house opened and Dakota poked her head out.
“She asleep?” she asked.
He grinned. “One minute she was talking her head off, then next she was out. Like midsentence. Never seen anything like it.”
He lifted her out of the car and she woke up just enough to wrap herself around him like a chimp and bury her face in his neck. She smelled like lemonade and baby shampoo.
“It happens. She must have had a good time.”
They spoke softly even though Cam was pretty sure Zinny was down for the count.
“We both had a blast. We danced so much she probably has holes in her shoes.”
Which was crazy. Who’d have thought he—a fucking NHL player—would actually enjoy himself at a grade school dance? Certainly not him. That dance was the most fun outside of an ice rink he’d had in years. He’d never thought of himself as a sentimental guy, but walking into that room and seeing all the fathers and daughters dressed up, did something to him—not that he’d ever admit that to his single teammates. The ones who were fathers themselves, like Paul, would understand. They’d still probably tease the shit out of him, but they’d understand.
Most of his enjoyment had been secondhand. Watching Zinny smile and laugh and dance with abandon made his fucking heart sing. Being with her gave him permission to be silly and to remember what it was like to be a kid. He’d made her crack up by making up crazy dance moves that he’d sworn were real. The Milkshake. The Backwards Fart. The Unicorn Butt Wiggle. This quickly became the game of the night. All the dads joined in making up dance moves, teaching them to the girls, after which everyone would perform the move together. The DJ caught on and as the finale of the evening organized a Stroll, lining up the dads on one side and the daughters on the other, so that each pair could display their favorite moves while making their way down the aisle. When it was his and Zinny’s turn, he let her dance down by herself, then took a few running steps and slid on his knees to meet her at the end. It ruined his pants, but her beaming face and the applause they got made it worth it.
He wanted more nights like this, a lifetime of nights like this. He’d always thought that he’d find a woman he could love and they would create their own family together. After all, that’s the way most people did it. But by some crazy twist of fate, Dakota and Zinny, a ready-made family, had come into his life.
He thought back to that watershed moment when Dakota had told him Ellen was going after Zinny. He’d felt like a damned alpha wolf whose pack had been threatened. Sure, at the meeting with the lawyer he’d been cool and collected—he was a human being, after all, and not a wild animal—but inside, he’d felt a fierce sense of protectiveness that hadn’t gone away. In fact, it had grown stronger.
When he considered what it had been like before they’d come along…he couldn’t imagine living like that again. Zeus and Gizmo would still be here, of course, but the hole that Dakota and Zinny would leave behind would be impossible to fill.
Dakota held the door to the house open for him and he went inside. “I remember a fairy tale about dancing princesses,” Dakota said. “Even though their father, the king, locked them in their rooms at night, every morning their shoes had holes worn in the soles from dancing with princes.”
“Huh. Never heard that one. I actually got holes in my pants.”
“What? Oh my gosh, you did. How on earth did that happen?” They were upstairs by now. “If you could get me her jammies…they’re in that top drawer. Thanks.”
“Showing off my mad dance moves,” he said.
“Someone better post video of that.”
Dakota somehow got the little girl into her pajamas without waking her up. Zinny halfway helped her out by putting her arms and legs into the appropriate holes. A minute later, she was nestled in her bed, her angelic face relaxed in repose.
He watched Dakota lean forward and brush her lips against Zinny’s soft cheek, wishing he could do the same, but it felt too presumptuous.
“You were her prince tonight, Cam,” Dakota said as she followed him down the stairs. “Thank you. I honestly didn’t know what to do when I saw that flyer. She was so upset. I told her she didn’t have to go and she kept saying she wanted to go, and we went around and around for like five minutes in the car on the way home from school.”
“She misses her dad,” he said, turning around to face her. She’d stopped on the last step.
Dakota shrugged. “Maybe. I’m really not sure how much she really remembers him or Rose. She was only three when they passed away. I don’t remember anything from when I was three.”
“Me either.”
“Anyway, thank you. Not everyone would have gone out of their way like that.”
“Are you kidding? You couldn’t have stopped me from going. In case you haven’t noticed, that kid has me wrapped around her little finger, and when I saw how heartbroken she was…it killed me.”
She reached out and stroked his tie. The backs of her fingers brushed against his chest and his body tensed. She was looking at him strangely.
“If she didn’t love you before, I’m sure she loves you now,” Dakota whispered, her eyes downcast.
What about you? he wanted to ask. He wanted to tell her again how he felt about her, but knew it was a bad idea. Best to stick to the plan and let her come to him if and when she was ready. To do otherwise was to be a dick who didn’t know how to take no for an answer.
Determined to be a gentleman if it killed him, he tried to step away, but she now had a light grip on his tie and wasn’t letting go. She even gave it a gentle tug.
“Dakota…” he said in a warning tone, “what’s going on?”
She raised her gaze to his and did it again, a more steady pull. She leaned forward and lifted her face because, even standing on the step above him, he was still taller. Lust flared to life, but he was still resisting it. Maybe he was misinterpreting things. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and relive the kiss he hadn’t been able to get out of his mind, but he had to be sure she wanted this. He didn’t want to do this unless she was wholly committed.
Then she kissed him. She wrapped her arms around his neck kissed him. An intense heat began in his groin and spread quickly through his body as she pressed her mouth to his, rubbing and coaxing. Her tongue darted out playfully and still he restrained himself.
“What’s going on?” he asked again between kisses. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m totally loving this, but you don’t owe me anything, you know.”
She stiffened and reared back. “Is that what you think this is? Payment for services rendered?”
She looked offended.
“Shit,” he said. “No, that’s…that was a stupid thing to say. I don’t think that. I’m just…I don’t understand what’s going on here. I thought you weren’t interested in me being anything other than your boss.”
“I changed my mind.”
It took Cam a split second to switch gears and as a result, their next kiss bore absolutely no resemblance to the kisses that preceded it. It wasn’t feathery soft, brief or hesitant. It pretty much said you need to be in my bed five minutes ago. Don’t stop to think about the consequences or whether this is a good idea or not. Don’t think at all. Just feel. Feel how much I want you.
As he took her mouth thoroughly and deeply, she moaned. Her body shook and her knees buckled. He quickly caught her around the waist with one arm, deeply pleased to have affected her so strongly. He drew the kiss out, slowed it down, savored her response and how her hands were roaming over his back and shoulders. When she pressed her breasts against his chest, he inhaled sharply. God, he wanted to hold them in his hands, revel in their pliant softness, kiss and suckle them until she was writhing in pleasure…
“I’m going to take you to my room,” he said gruffly.
She nodded then yelped in surprise when he picked her up in his arms and headed to the opposite end of the house. He wanted to get there as quickly as possible and this way he could fast walk and have her naked in his bed about ten seconds sooner.
The dogs seemed to know something was going on and tried to follow them, but he told them to stay. Thankfully, they obeyed. Good dogs.
Once in his bedroom, he set her on her feet, still watching her for signs that she’d changed her mind, but the first thing she did was loosen his tie and toss it. He got to work on the shirt buttons, trying to kiss her mouth at the same time. Now that he’d gotten a good taste, he wanted more.
Somehow, his shirt and hers got removed and dropped on the ground. She stood there in her bra and jeans, breathing hard, staring at his naked torso. He smiled and stepped closer as he hooked his fingers under her bra straps and tugged them off her shoulders.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I’m good.” The hint of a smile quivered in the corner of her mouth.
He reached around her and unhooked her bra. “You’re going to be a lot better very soon.”
She did a little shimmy and the bra fell to the floor and he hesitated just to draw out the anticipation before letting himself finally look his fill.
Her breasts were beautiful from the gentle slope of the tops, to the hardening rosy tips, to the soft, feminine curve of the undersides. He put his hands on either side of her ribcage and slid them up and down. Her skin was warm and so soft. He still had zero room in his pants, but there was no way he could stop touching her just yet.
Moving his hands upward, he cupped her breasts, loving how they only just filled his palms. She took in a ragged breath as he let his thumbs brush against the nipples.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, still stroking and squeezing like he’d never felt a woman’s boobs before.
“You’re not so bad yourself there.”
He circled her nipples with his fingers as her breath came in soft pants. He let his nails scrape over the pebbly tips, over and over, back and forth, until her eyes closed and her hands dug into his arms. When he couldn’t stand it anymore, he lowered his head.