The Last Time I Cried Your Name novel Chapter 571

The half-asleep toddler had one arm hooked securely around Franco's neck and the other hand locked onto Petty's shirt in a death grip. He forced his heavy eyelids open for a split second before they fluttered shut again.

His little mouth mumbled, "Mama, sleep. Dada, sleep."

He might have only been two, but his grip was shockingly strong. Petty's pajama top was pulled so taut that the buttons were straining against the fabric.

The gap in the deep blue silk revealed a tantalizing glimpse of pale, luminous skin.

She hastily clamped a hand over the fabric, using her other hand to try and pry his tiny fingers loose. But his grip was ironclad; forcing it open would definitely wake him up and probably hurt him.

"How do I get him to let go?" she whispered to Franco.

Franco looked down at her.

It wasn't that he was actively trying to look, but her hands were small. She managed to cover the gap between the first and second button, but that left the gap between the second and third completely exposed.

Her frantic attempts to cover up ultimately hid absolutely nothing.

His Adam's apple bobbed. "He'll let go once he's in a deeper sleep," he said, forcing patience into his tone.

Whether he was afraid of waking the boy or actively fighting to restrain something much darker, his voice dropped so low Petty could barely hear him.

Since Franco had been the one raising him, he had to know the boy's habits. If he said Abacus would let go when he fell asleep, he would.

But Abacus was seemingly throwing a sleepy tantrum. After waiting for a while and realizing he was still being held, he huffed a tiny, frustrated breath and switched to rest his other cheek against Franco's shoulder.

"Mama, sleep. Dada, sleep!"

Petty frowned. Where on earth did he get this stubborn streak?

As if terrified Petty might run away, the little boy adjusted his grip, grabbing an even larger handful of her shirt. Caught completely off guard, Petty was jerked forward.

Her upper body practically slammed into Franco's arm.

She instinctively threw a hand out to brace herself. The muscles in the man's arm were as hard as granite, absolutely unyielding. Or perhaps he had subtly tensed to catch her and keep her steady.

Once she regained her footing, Petty hurriedly hushed the restless toddler. "Okay, baby, go to sleep."

"Mama's here. Daddy's here too."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a heavy, piercing gaze land on her face. She didn't blush, nor did her heart race.

God was her witness, she wasn't intentionally lying to the kid. He was just so impossibly stubborn that if she didn't humor him, he'd never settle down.

His meaning was obvious—he wanted both Mom and Dad to sleep in the bed with him. But since his toddler vocabulary was limited, she was choosing to interpret his words as *Mama is going to sleep in her bed, and Dada is going to sleep in his.* Technically, it wasn't a lie.

Franco saw right through her. "He's only two. Stop lying to him."

Petty stayed silent, unsure of how to defend herself.

Thankfully, her soothing worked. Abacus finally went limp, his breathing evening out into a deep, steady rhythm.

But Petty wasn't entirely sure if he was fully under yet and didn't dare pry his hand off. If he wasn't asleep and she jolted him awake, it would be a nightmare trying to get him down again.

But there was absolutely no way she was getting into a bed with Franco White.

She rolled over, grabbed the boy's tiny pillow, hugged it tight to her chest, and let out a quiet sigh.

...

Dawn had barely broken when Abacus, sprawled sideways across the pillows, rubbed his eyes.

He pushed himself up on his hands and looked over at Franco, who was still asleep. Then he looked toward the bedroom door, which had been left slightly ajar.

A moment later, General nudged the door open with his nose, tail wagging eagerly.

The dog padded over and lay down flat against the edge of the bed in a practiced routine.

Abacus crawled over, spun himself around on the mattress, and slid backward, using the massive dog as a step stool to safely reach the floor.

His bare feet padded quickly out of the room.

On the bed, Franco slowly opened his eyes. He watched the boy and the dog disappear into the hallway and let out a soft sigh.

He didn't have to guess where they were going.

They could boldly run to her whenever they wanted.

And him?