Secrets to Hide 2: Naughty Little Christmas Read Online Free

spill all her secrets, even the ones that disturbed her too much to reveal. Like the fact that whether Damien Adams was appropriate father material had been superseded by the fact that he was the most attractive man she’d ever laid eyes on, and she had the inappropriate desire to take him to bed. Inappropriate because, a year ago, he’d been her twin’s one-night stand.
    And he was Klio’s dad.
    “I don’t know,” she told Cassie honestly. She wanted to say so much more, to talk out the conflicting emotions surging inside her, but she was too used to keeping it all in and really, in this instance, that was probably for the best. Instead she eased Klio into her arms, checking that the baby was warmly bundled, cooing as Klio stirred. “Time for bed, little one.”
    Klio settled back into sleep. When Harley looked up, her gaze met Cassie’s. The knowing look she found there made her squirm, but Cassie didn’t question her further. “Time for all of us to be in bed. Get some rest tomorrow. Text and let me know what time you’ll drop Squirt off Monday morning.”
    Harley smiled gratefully. “I will. Thanks.”
    “Anytime,” Cassie said. She scooped Klio’s diaper bag up on their way to the door and stowed it in the car while Harley buckled the baby in. Harley and Klio were on their way home in minutes.
    Winter in Atlanta had been fairly mild this year. Still Harley welcomed the lack of traffic at four a.m. as she navigated the wet, darkened streets home. She kept the radio off, avoiding the repetition of the same five Christmas songs every station played. Instead she allowed Cassie’s question to return in the quiet, allowed herself to wrestle with her answer. Would she approach Damien about the baby? Much as she wanted Klio to have more than just a mommy, the certainty of what was best for her baby eluded her.
    Damien didn’t know it, but he’d done himself no favors, professionally or personally, when he displayed such a sexist attitude toward her at first. It bothered her, but then he’d done a one-eighty later. People made mistakes; maybe this was his. Maybe he’d had a bad day and her interruption was the last straw. Maybe he only liked women for one-night stands but not for business. She didn’t know. Giving him the benefit of the doubt seemed the wisest course right now, but she wouldn’t risk him finding out about Klio until she felt certain of the man. They’d faced enough shit in their life; no way would she add a shitty dad to the mix. Better for Klio to have no dad and a mother who loved her unconditionally.
    She glanced in the rearview mirror, meeting her own eyes but seeing Sonny’s. Her identical twin was gone. Harley still struggled to believe it. That Damien hadn’t felt even a glimmer of recognition just emphasized the fact that Sonny was no longer a part of her. Though her twin had preferred the party life to responsibility and maturity, she’d been Harley’s only connection to family. Sonny’s death untethered Harley in a way she hadn’t quite experienced before—and piled a hell of a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. She was building a new family, a new life. Her little girl depended on her. Harley was determined not to let Klio down.
    And that led her right back to Damien Adams. When she adopted Klio, she hadn’t known the father’s identity and hadn’t cared. Sonny never mentioned him. Harley assumed her twin didn’t know who Klio’s father was, but after Sonny’s death she’d found a diary and, in its final pages, the name of the man Sonny had slept with. A typical hookup. Neither had been looking for more, and Harley didn’t blame Damien for that. He was an adult; if he wanted to sleep with a woman, he didn’t have to justify it. But his DNA might give him rights to Klio that would override Harley’s adoption.
    She couldn’t risk it. He would never find out about Klio unless Harley deemed him worthy, and what better way to find out the kind of man he was than