*Michael*
"Unca Michael!"
"Poppet!" I bend down, sweeping my four-year-old niece up with one arm, laughing as she plants a rather wet and sloppy kiss on my cheek.
Leaning back, she squints and points at the package I hold in my other hand. "What's that?"
"A gift for you." I set her back on the floor, crouching down to hand it to her. I take delight in her excitement as she tears away the brown paper quite quickly and efficiently with those little fingers of hers, revealing the book Leah had suggested.
I hadn't intended to ask her to go boating with me, but the realization that gents were calling on her had sent a primal and possessive need to claim her through me, and the invitation had come out before I had been able to analyze the wisdom of it or give it much thought.
"A book!" Til
