“No, I wanted you to do it. I just told her you had a surprise for her.”

Carrie jumped when she got to us, and Axel scooped her up in one strong arm. “Hey, I heard we’re having a sleepover tomorrow.”

“Yep. Mommy said you have a surprise for me, but that it’s not a pet duck.”

Ax looked a little confused. “No, it’s not a pet duck, but I hope you’ll still like it. Now, close your eyes for a second.” Carrie closed her eyes, and he grabbed the back of my head and took my lips in a scorching kiss, his tongue licking deep into my mouth. “Until later, Bear,” he whispered hotly in my ear, and I felt a rush of wetness soak my panties. “Okay, baby girl. You can open your eyes now.”

“Were you and Mommy smooching?”

“Maybe a little bit,” Ax admitted, and our daughter giggled.

“It’s okay, Daddy. You’re s’posed to smooch because you love each other,” she said wisely, and Axel’s eyes turned on me like sapphire beacons.

I did love this man. With all my heart. And the softness in his eyes told me he felt the same about me.

He lifted Carrie up into Beau’s arms and then lifted me, grabbing a handful of my ass as he did, of course. Tank helped me back up into the stands, and Axel winked at me before running off to the locker room. I stared unabashedly at his tight ass as he left.

Yep, my man was dreamy.

38. Axel

Axel

After meetings and watching game film on Monday, I texted Blaire about picking Carrie up from preschool. She said she would call the school and have me added to the list of people who could pick up our daughter, but that I would have to go in and show them my ID the first time. I was grateful that her school seemed to be diligent about security.

I pulled up to Carrie’s school and went inside to get her. She looked so stinkin’ adorable in her little school uniform with a black and red plaid skirt, white blouse, the black shoes I had bought her, and knee-high socks.

On the way home, we went to a bookstore, and I let Carrie pick out a huge stack of new books, which was a good start for filling the bookshelves in her new room at my place.

Blaire had left Carrie’s bag with the front desk at my apartment, so I grabbed that and introduced her to our nightshift doorman. “This is my daughter, Carrie. She will be staying with me sometimes. Care, this is Vincent.”

The kindly, gray-haired doorman squatted down to her eye level to shake hands and said, “You are just lovely, Carrie. Do you like lollipops?”

“Yes, sir. Especially red ones,” she said with a gleam in her eye.