I rise from my crouched position with my hands held in the air like I’m under arrest. Although Savannah finds my cowardly approach amusing, I can see a smidge of jealousy in her fiery gaze.

“If you break my daughter’s heart, Ryan Carter, I’ll never forgive you.”

Although she uses Rylee as an excuse to issue her threat, I heard the message her stern tone highlighted. She’s not worried about Rylee getting hurt; she’s petrified of putting her heart on the line.

“I’ll never hurt her, Savannah. I promise.”

Just like I perceived the underlying message in Savannah’s warning, she heard mine in my reply. I secure my first lung-filling gulp of air since her mouth was torn from mine when her lips tug into a smirk.

Her smile has me wanting to reacquaint our mouths, but the time displayed on her microwave has me unable to act on my desires. My unexpected nap has set me back an hour already, and I need at least a day—if not a year—to adequately worship Savannah's mouth with the dedication it deserves.

“Is this everything?” I ask Savannah, peering down at the suitcases Savannah packed yesterday morning.

While waiting for Alex to devise our next move, Savannah and Rylee are moving into my apartment. A normal man would be shitting bricks at the idea of having his domain overrun with feminine products.

I’m not a normal man.

In all honesty, I can’t wait. In forty-eight hours, ten years of torment has unraveled. I was so angry believing Savannah’s lack of contact was because she was a scorned woman. I was wrong—so very, very wrong.

And I was man enough to admit it.

I divulged my mistakes in great depth to Savannah at 5 AM this morning. She was just as open as me. We shared everything and anything. I even told her what happened the night my dad was killed, and confessed to what I said to Chris the day he died.

Within an hour, nothing was left on the table. Some of the stories shared broke my heart, but the weight our conversation lifted off my shoulders was immense. I truly feel like I can face any obstacle placed in front of me without worry. I’m that weightless.

We have a long way to go before the dust of the past decade settles, but having Savannah in my life is as second nature as breathing. She belongs with me. She’s my girl.

Savannah huffs, drawing my focus to her heavy scowl. “Yep. My entire life in three little bags. How pathetic am I?”

I catch her wrists and pull her to my body. “Who needs money when you have the world? You’re a mom, Savannah. There is no greater gift than that.”

Her smile grows. “You wouldn’t think highly of my mothering skills if you knew the thoughts crossing my mind when Rylee kissed you.” With a pout, she peers at Rylee watching cartoons in the living room. “My daughter is crushing on the man I’ve never stopped loving. This could end disastrously for all involved.”

Suddenly, her spine snaps straight and her eyes missile back to mine. I can see a million thoughts streaming through her eyes, but not a syllable seeps from her lips.

Unfortunately, my mouth has no qualms expressing itself. “You love me?” I say my L word with an immaturity a man my age shouldn’t have.

I swear to god, I feel like I’ve whizzed back fifteen plus years to the time I coerced Savannah to kiss me. I pretended to be mortified by the idea, where in reality, I was dying without her lips on mine. She’d been eating Hershey kisses the thirty minutes prior, acutely reminding me I was a teen boy with teen issues. I thought the throaty moans she released while devouring her treat would be the highlight of my night. It wasn’t. The sugary sweetness of her mouth was ten times better.

The air in my lungs evicts in a grunt when Savannah's elbow pops into my ribs. "Don't be a noodle. You’re Rylee's first crush, Ry. This is as serious as it comes."

“Why?” I ask, truly lost.

Savannah’s teeth graze her bottom lip before she murmurs, “She’s never loved a man before. She’ll get hurt if you don’t love her back.”

“Then you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

Savannah’s brows furrow, confusion slashed across her face.

“Did you love your dad, Savannah?”

She nods without hesitation. “Very much so. I still do.”

I smile. “And did he love you in return?”

“He adored me as much as I adored him,” she mumbles, her eyes welling with tears.

“Then who’s to say Rylee is crushing on me like you did when you were four?”

The seriousness of our conversation can’t stop Savannah’s eyes rolling skywards. “Cocky much, Officer Carter?”

She can deny it all she wants; I know she was as smitten with me as I was her at the same age.

After tugging her a little closer, I say, "Rylee's never had a man in her life; maybe her kiss was a way of showing you who she wants."

“Who she wants or what she wants?” Savannah seeks clarification.

“This isn’t an open submission, Savannah. There are no other applicants or an extensive interview process. I was just filling you in on the deets Rylee and I prearranged.”

Savannah bites on her cheek to hide her smile. “Is that so?” she murmurs, her hot breath hitting my lips.

“Uh-huh.” I bring my mouth closer to hers.

I feel her pulse throb through her body when she asks, “When was this conversation? You only met Rylee twenty minutes ago.”

“It was a long time ago,” I murmur against her scrumptious lips.

She moans when my tongue can’t hold back its desire for a moment longer. It slashes her mouth, nearly drowning out her, “How long ago?”

“When does Rylee turn four?” I ask, nipping at her lower lip.

“In thirteen days,” she murmurs breathlessly.

“Thirteen days?” I double-check.

When she nods, I say, “Then in thirteen days, our decision was made four years ago. Right around the time you named her after me. You knew she’d be my daughter one day, so you made sure her name suited her title.”

Savannah’s heavy-hooded gaze snaps from my mouth to my eyes, but she doesn’t deny my claims. She can’t. She’s never been a fan of lying.