Mason wasn’t some fool who’d been shot in the head and lost all his senses.

He was caught off guard, yes—but that didn’t mean he was easy to deceive.

“This isn’t my daughter. Don’t even try it,” he said, his tone sharp with dismissal.

Derek, leaning back lazily, gave an exaggerated scoff. “Yeah, sure.”

Sophia, sitting nearby, chimed in with a teasing smile. “Would it really be so bad to have such an adorable little ...