I kissed Kiera’s head before leaving, and she thanked me for being nice to her dad. Martin clapped me on the shoulder as we left, and damn if it didn’t feel like acceptance. Then he started talking about baseball. Shit. I’d already exhausted all my facts the last time we’d talked about this. I had a feeling, if I was truly going to bond with the man, then I’d need to actually start watching baseball. For Kiera, I’d happily make that sacrifice.

I made small talk with Martin and Caroline while Anna had a snack and Kiera got ready. I was talking to Caroline about our house in L.A., when I noticed Kiera entering the living room. “It’s really nice, like one of those houses you’d see in a…” My voice trailed off mid-sentence as I stared at Kiera. My jaw dropped open, and I just couldn’t seem to close it. The dress fit her perfectly, highlighting her body in a way that made me ache. She’d curled her deep brown hair and left it loose around her shoulders; there was a perfectly twisted lock resting near her collarbone that I was dying to wrap around my finger. Her ever-changing eyes were a deep green today, made even more striking by the darkness of the dress—and the depth of love I saw in them. God, she was just…so…fucking…beautiful. Stunning. Breathtaking. Glorious. And mine.

Kiera smiled at me, her brows bunched as she tried to understand my expression. Blinking out of my overwhelmed state, I slapped on a smile and stood up. “You look amazing,” I told her.

As I wrapped my arms around Kiera, I noticed her mother appraising me. Her face was contemplative, but also…approving, like seeing what her daughter did to me affirmed something for her. I just hoped Martin hadn’t noticed. He might not appreciate me practically drooling over his daughter.

Kiera stepped back from me, her expression unsure. “You don’t think it’s too short?” she asked, pulling down the bottom.

The more she tugged at the bottom, the farther the cleavage line plunged. I stopped her hands so she wouldn’t accidentally expose herself and gave her a soft smile. “No, not at all.” She looked fantastic, and she had nothing to worry about wearing this. Sure, it was a smidge on the too-short side, but as long as she didn’t flagrantly bend over with her legs locked, she’d be fine. Hmmm, what a great visual though.

From behind me, I heard her dad say, “Well, actually…”

Anna steamrolled right over him as she stepped into the room. “Shush, Dad, she looks great!” Anna beamed at her sister, then indicated the dress. “I hope you went commando, and if you did, just remember to squat to pick things up, not bend over. That’s very important.” She winked after she said it.