Chapter 3

Igave myself a mental pat on the back for not giving in to my every instinct to turn into a possessive, obsessed Neanderthal.

Yeah, I was never gonna hear the end of it from my married brothers. And they would hear about it soon because there was no way Blade was gonna keep his mouth shut.

Ellery blinked, her long, thick lashes hiding her gorgeous hazel eyes for just a second. They were almost too big for her heart-shaped face but absolutely perfect for her and so expressive.

From the second I’d spotted her in the library, I’d been able to read her emotions in her eyes and face. That was all it took to know she was mine. But then my gaze had skimmed her body, and holy hell…she was a fucking knockout. The warmth I’d felt in my chest when I’d first seen her quickly spread to my core, then down to my cock—making me hard as a rock.

I’d quickly shifted Corinne’s baby carrier so I was holding it in front of me, hiding my obvious state of arousal.

Her full lips were made for kissing, and they were gonna look spectacular wrapped around my dick. Silky light brown hair hung in soft waves to just below her shoulders, some of it resting on big tits that nearly had my knees buckling. They would practically spill out of my hands, and my cock leaked a little precome when I pictured fucking those epic mounds.

As I’d continued my perusal, I smiled in satisfaction. She was tall—although I still towered over her. I’d licked my lips as hunger built inside me when I saw her thick waist, curvy hips, and solid thighs. Then she’d turned and bent down to talk to a little boy, and my mouth watered as I took in her round, ample ass. Fuck. She was so damn perfect.

I loved that she wasn’t skinny. Not that I had anything against slender women but they just didn’t appeal to me. I was a big guy, and I wanted a woman who fit me and wasn’t going to break when sex got rough.

The sound of a child laughing had broken me out of my lustful daze, and I remembered where I was. Shit. I needed to get myself under control before I scared the shit outta her and she took off.

I glanced down at my daughter and focused on her, taking a deep, cleansing breath. She was sleeping peacefully, her lips curled into a sweet smile. Love like I’d never felt swelled in my chest, and my mind had cleared of everything else.

“Nanny?” Ellery repeated, blinking her incredible eyes once more.

“Yeah, I need a nanny to help care for my daughter and”—I smiled crookedly—“hopefully teach a new dad about how to be…a dad.”

Ellery giggled, and the sweet, happy sound was like music to my ears. But then her head tilted, and she watched me with curiosity for a second before her plush lips turned down and her hazel orbs filled with disappointment. “I’m sure your wife will help you with that.”

“Wife?” I asked, taken aback. It took a second for me to realize that I hadn’t explained my situation clearly. “I’m not married.” Yet. “I’m single. Corinne’s mom was my sister, and she recently passed.” My gaze dropped to the baby carrier, and I smiled when I saw Corinne staring up at me with her lips pursed. “Now, I’m this munchkin’s dad,” I said proudly. I set the baby seat on the nearest table, along with the diaper bag, then unbuckled her and picked her up.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Ellery murmured.

“Thank you, but we weren’t close,” I replied distractedly. Corinne was getting fussy, and I searched through the diaper bag to find the stuff to make her a bottle. “Probably makes me sound like a callous basta—um, jerk—but we hadn’t spoken in years.” Corinne let out a wail of anger, and I bounced on my feet, hoping to soothe her until I could get what I needed.

“Let me help,” Ellery offered, her eyes soft as she watched me whisper to my daughter and rub her back. “Can I hold her while you make her bottle?”

I mentally smiled, knowing that once Ellery held this sweet baby, she wouldn’t be able to refuse my job offer. It was impossible to resist loving Corinne. I’d been her dad for forty-eight hours, and she had me wrapped around her tiny fingers—despite being severely sleep-deprived.

“Hey, sweetie,” Ellery cooed as I transferred Corinne into her arms. “I know you’re hungry. Daddy’s making you some food.”

I was mesmerized by the sight of my woman holding her future daughter, but Corinne’s angry cry snapped me out of it. I finally located the bottle and formula. After mixing the formula and water, I shook the bottle, then reached for my baby girl.

Inspiration struck, and I shifted her around, as if I wasn’t sure how to hold her while feeding.

“Here,” she said with another giggle. “If you hold her like this, it’ll be comfortable for you, and you can hold the bottle up higher so she doesn’t get air bubbles.”

She showed me how to hold her, and everywhere she touched, I felt a spark that sent a streak of heat through my body.

“Thanks.” My expression turned sheepish. “See? I’m hopeless.”

“Not hopeless, you just need practice.” Ellery laughed and patted my arm, her hand lingering for a few beats before she dropped it and crossed her arms under her tits, pushing them up. My eyes strayed to the globes straining against her T-shirt, and I swallowed hard when her nipples pebbled, poking through her bra and shirt.

I tore my gaze away and thought about the least sexual things I could imagine until my cock softened slightly.

Clearing my throat, I looked back at her face. “You can see why I need someone to help me? I co-own a tattoo studio and have a huge waiting list, plus any club business that I’m needed for. And clearly, I have a lot to learn. Elise thought you’d be a perfect fit, and”—I grinned down at my girl—“I think Corinne agrees.”

I could see she wanted to accept, and I almost blurted out that it was a live-in position to keep her with us at night too, but I worried that would scare her away. After a little more time with me and Corinne, and Ellery wouldn’t be able to say no.

An idea formed in my head, and I had to swallow back a wicked smile. My apartment was no place for a baby, and I certainly wasn’t gonna raise my daughter at the clubhouse. But I didn’t want to pick out a house that Ellery hated since it would be her home too—forever.

I set down Corinne’s half-empty bottle and moved her to my shoulder so I could pat her back. Ellery’s expression was soft as she watched us, but there was also longing in her eyes.

“Can Corinne and I take you out to dinner?” I asked, giving her my most charming smile and enjoying the fuck outta her cheeks turning a pretty shade of pink.

“To go over the details of the job?”

“We can do that, too,” I said with a smirk.

“Um.” She cast her eyes toward the ground, and the pink on her cheeks deepened. “Sure. I’ll just grab my things and say goodbye to the kids and staff.”

“Go ahead, baby. Still need to finish feeding Corinne.” I also needed to get Elise and Blade outta here so they didn’t fuck up my plans.

Ellery’s face flushed adorably, but she smiled brightly before turning and walking away. My eyes stayed on her spectacular ass until Corinne let out a little burp, and I chuckled as I shifted her back into my arm and fed her the rest of the bottle.

She was almost done when Ellery returned—after Elise had already dragged my club brother out of the library to run another errand she said she’d forgotten about. Her shy expression gave me the urge to wrap her up in my arms and hold her close.

I suddenly wondered when I’d gone from badass biker to a cuddler…but judging from my brothers’ relationships, I could be both, so I shrugged off the thought.

“If you need to pack up her bag, I can burp her for you,” Ellery offered. Her face was soft and dreamy as she looked at my little girl.

“Thanks, baby,” I murmured. I loved how she blushed when I called her that. And that she didn’t tell me to stop.

I watched the two of them for a moment, and my lips tipped up at the corners. Seeing my girls together just confirmed what I’d already known. She was too damn young for me, but I didn’t give a fuck. Ellery was ours, and I was gonna make sure everyone else knew it too, starting with moving her in with me. Then I’d put a ring on her finger, a baby in her belly, and give her my last name…not necessarily in that order.