Billionaire's Baby Promise. Sarah M. Anderson

his legs.

      Acting on instinct, Daniel caught her. He had not dealt with children a great deal. He was an uncle several times over, thanks to all of his various half siblings. He had even held Zeb’s daughter, Amanda. But that had been when the baby was asleep.

      Marie was much larger, squirming and laughing as she looked up at him with those trusting blue eyes. “Hello, Marie.”

      Marie giggled in response to this and leaned in to him. She was warm and heavy and impossibly cute.

      It felt like something shifted in his chest as he stared down at her, the past and future all mixed up in one innocent child.

      Then she squirmed and pointed at the coffee table, leaning so far that he had to hold on to her to keep her from toppling over. “She wants to read you a book,” Christine said, a note of caution in her voice.

      “All right.” He scooped one of the dog-eared books off the table. He flipped it open and the little girl began to make babbling sounds. She pointed at a picture and then looked up at him, her eyes so big and so blue. Then she paused.

      “She’s waiting for you to respond,” Christine said. Daniel glanced up at her to see that she was watching this entire scene unfold with interest.

      Respond? “Really?” he said, hoping that was what Marie wanted to hear.

      It was, apparently. She turned the page and chattered before waiting for Daniel. So he said, “Really?” again, this time with more emphasis. Marie nodded, her downy hair floating around her head.

      There was something awkward about this entire arrangement. He was sitting in the basement of a church that he did not attend, holding a child who was not his. But at the same time, there was something that felt...right about it, too. Marie was proof there could still be sweetness and innocence in the world.

      That realization he’d had earlier hit him again, harder this time.

      He had to protect her. He had to protect them both.