I’d come upstairs to check to make sure Lynn was okay. When I heard them talking, I started to move back because I hadn’t wanted to interrupt. But I couldn’t walk away when that sweet little girl was crying because she was afraid I was going to hurt her, so I stepped into the room. “I could never be mean to you, Lynn.”

She peeked up at me from her father’s lap. “I know, ‘cause you’re not a mean person.”

“That’s not the only reason why.” I walked over to the bed and sat down next to them, putting my hand on her back. “It’s also because your daddy loves you a whole lot, and I—”

“And you love him so you wouldn’t want to make him mad?”

“That’s part of it, too.” My admission slipped out before I realized how true it was. I’d thought I’d been falling in love with Leo, but the truth was I’d already fallen. It’d only been ten days, but I was already in love with him. Telling him for the first time while his daughter was in his lap might not be the most romantic way to do it, but it seemed perfect for us. “I love your daddy, but I also love you too. And I would never want to do anything to hurt you.”

“Even though my momma was mean to you?”

“No matter what.”

“I’m sorry!” she cried, throwing herself into my arms. “I didn’t mean to make Momma so mad that she did something bad to you.”

Leo scooted closer and wrapped us both up in a hug. “None of this is your fault, baby girl. Your momma made her own mistakes, and nobody blames you for them. Not even your momma.”

Leo shot me a look over her head that made it clear there would be hell to pay if Jenna even thought about trying to blame Lynn for her troubles. But his assurances seemed to be what Lynn needed to settle down. She stopped crying and showed me all her stuffed animals and toys with Leo watching from the bed. When his parents called us downstairs for dinner, she sat between us. And when she went down for bed—still out at the farm—she wanted both of us to read her a story and tuck her in for the night.

“Thank you,” Leo whispered as we crept out of her room after she fell asleep.

“For what?” I didn’t put up any resistance when he tugged me into the bedroom next door, wrapping my arms around him after he pulled me close.

“For being so patient with Lynn. And with me. You probably have a ton of questions about what’s going on with Jenna down at the station and why I wanted to stay here tonight.”

“It wasn’t the right time for us to talk. Not with Lynn listening.” This time I was doing the tugging as I led him to the bed to sit down. “The extra time let me think about everything. Jenna’s in custody and they’re pressing charges, right?”

“Yes.”

I pressed my fingertips against his lips so he couldn’t continue. “Your lawyer got the restraining order?”

He nodded, and I lifted my hand away when his lips started to move. “He did. Jenna and Dan were served at the station a couple of hours ago, so it’s in full effect.”

I only had one more question for him. “And you feel like this is the safest place for Lynn to be right now?”

“I do. I’m not expecting any trouble, but it’d be near impossible for anyone to get onto the farm without being spotted. Plus, my parents are here if we need to leave, and they’ll take good care of Lynn.”

“Then that’s all I need to know.”

His blue eyes widened and his dark brows rose. “It is?”

“Yup.” I leaned closer and whispered, “I trust you. Completely.”

“Darlin’.” The two syllables rumbled up his throat like they were ripped from his body.

“I’ve always wanted to ask, but I was afraid to hear the answer...until now. Do you call lots of women darlin’?”

“Nope.” He trailed his fingers across my cheeks before he cupped them. “The only other person I have a pet name for is Lynn, and she’s baby girl. You’re my only darlin’.”

“Wow,” I breathed. “I like that. A lot.”

“That’s good ‘cause I love you. Same way you love me.”

My lips spread into a huge smile as my heart raced at his admission. Knowing he was in as deep with me as I was him, just as quickly, made me insanely happy. “You caught that, huh?”

“Fuck yeah, I did.” He flashed me a cocky grin. “I’m a cop. We’re trained to notice things.”

I undid the first few buttons on my blouse. “So if I did this, you’d spot the difference right away?”

His gaze dropped down to my cleavage. “Where your tits are concerned? It’d only take a split-second.”

He closed the little distance left between us, pressing his lips against mine in a kiss that went from sweet to blazing hot in the little time it took for my eyelids to drift shut. His tongue slid inside my mouth, tangling with mine and making me gasp. His hold on my cheeks tightened as he tilted my head upwards and deepened the kiss further.

“Takin’ down by the boom and the sweetest woman I’ve ever met,” he rasped.

“The boom?”

“I’ll explain later.” He pressed me flat on my back against the mattress and went to work on the rest of my blouse’s buttons. “A fuck of a lot later.”

He shoved the silky material wide, and pulled it down my shoulders. When it pooled at my waist, his fingers dipped under the cup of my bra to stroke my nipple.

“Leo,” I gasped.

“I’ve got you,” he promised before he made quick work of my bra, skirt, and panties. Then he undid his belt, lowered his zipper, shoved his pants down his legs, and kicked them off. He didn’t bother with his shirt, but I wanted to touch his skin so I ripped it over his head.

His fingers stroked up my thighs, parting them to stroke my swollen pussy lips. “Always, darlin’. You’re mine now.”

He stroked my clit, and I panted, “Yes!” I meant it two-fold—I was agreeing that I was his, and I wanted him to keep touching me. He pushed a finger inside me, making me whimper. I held my legs open with my hands at my knees, wanting more. His eyes burned with passion as he stared down at me, the blue deepening to navy as he watched his finger slip in and out of my wetness.

“All fucking mine,” he breathed against my skin, his mouth driving me crazy as it hovered over me. My hips jerked up, and his tongue swiped me from bottom to top, circling my clit at the end. His fingers kept pumping, relentlessly driving me higher until my orgasm roared through me.

“Wow.”

“That’ll never get old, hearing that come outta your mouth. All breathy and sexy.”

I slid my hand between us and wrapped it around his hard length. “How about we see if I can get you to say it the same way?”

His hips jerked forward, pressing his dick against my palm. “After what happened today, I don’t know that I can be anywhere close to gentle with you.”

“Then don’t be,” I offered.

“Carrie—”

“No, you gave me what I needed to feel safe. Now let me be the one to give you what you need.”

“Fuck,” he growled before he flipped me over and tilted my hips up, slamming into me with one powerful thrust. He bent over my body, one hand pressed into the mattress and the other arm wrapped around my chest while he powered into me. Hard, fast, and deep. Over and over again, until my pussy walls clenched around him and a scream tore from my throat. He thrust one more time, anchoring himself deep and exploding right along with me.

My body melted into the mattress. Between the strength of my orgasm and the crazy day I’d had, I was completely drained. Leo had to use all his strength to pull me into his arms when he rolled onto his back because I was limp with exhaustion.

“I’m not sure what’s gonna happen after all the shit that went down today, but I’m thrilled as fuck I’m going to face it with you by my side. Hearing you say you love me was the silver lining to a god-awful day.”

As my eyes drifted shut, I promised myself I’d be sure to tell Leo I loved him every day. Just in case.