The Will(121)

“Agreed,” I stated then repeated. “Poor Conner.”

“Yeah,” Jake murmured and studied me a moment before he asked, “Do you think your shit for brains boss is gonna f*ck with you?”

I felt my brows draw together at this swift change in topic. “Pardon?”

“He gonna show again at your place,” he explained.

I couldn’t have any idea what Henry would do for that morning he had shocked me with his behavior not to mention even being at Lavender House at all.

“I’ve no idea,” I told Jake.

His eyes went over my head as his fingers pressed into my skin.

“Jake?” I called, uncertain what was on his mind outside of what obviously was with his son, and he looked back at me.

“I think the kids get what’s happenin’ between us but it’s way too soon for you to be spending the night.”

“Of course,” I agreed readily.

“But I’m not real big on you bein’ there alone, him havin’ a key and maybe showin’ his face to f*ck with you.”

It was at that, I understood.

And I liked what I understood.

So I slid my arms around him and pressed close, tipping my head way back to keep his eyes and dipping my voice low to assure him, “I’ll be all right.”

“I get you got a long history with him and he means somethin’ to you but I don’t think you get what he did this mornin’ was f*cked. I don’t want him messing with your head.”

“If he comes around, I’ll ask for him to return the key and then ask him to leave and tell him we’ll speak later when things aren’t as fresh and I’m not as angry.”

His head tipped to the side. “You’re angry?”

I nodded. “His behavior this morning was uncalled for. You were correct, if he had feelings for as long as he said he did, he should have done something about them long ago. He should not have communicated them well later when too much had happened and it was way too late.”

I took a breath and held his eyes before I cautiously continued sharing and did it candidly.

“I cared about him, Jake, deeply, in just that way some time ago. It was painful to do that thinking he didn’t return those feelings. I don’t understand why he, as you say, played it the way he did. I’ve been very forthcoming about the way things have progressed, coming to know you and the children. I didn’t share how they are now as you know I wasn’t even aware of where things were heading. But I suspect he was reading between the lines and, as Mickey would say, came to stake his claim. I daresay he was about twenty years late doing that. How he could not know that, I can’t fathom. That he would put our business relationship and more, our personal relationship at jeopardy to do this, I can’t fathom either. It hurts. How he did it was extremely inappropriate. So yes, I’m angry.”

As I was speaking, he started to stroke my jaw with his thumb and his eyes warmed. As I continued speaking, they warmed more.

When I was done, they were so warm, they warmed me.

“Just to make things clear in case you aren’t gettin’ it, baby, I’m hopin’ things with you and me and my kids keep progressing.”

At his words, I melted deeper into him and whispered, “I hope they do too.”

He dropped his head closer and touched his mouth to mine, lifting away nary an inch before he went on, “I’d like other things to progress too, a lot faster than they are, the part that just you and me can do, but we’ll have to find time tomorrow.”

I understood precisely what he was saying so I melted even deeper into him and replied, “Okay.”

“A lot of time,” he stated.

I bit my lip, let it go and repeated, “Okay.”

His mouth came to mine and he whispered, “Fuckin’ hours.”

I trembled against his frame.

He slanted his head, slid his hand back into my hair and kissed me.

I pressed even deeper and kissed him back.

Fabulous.

“Gross!” Ethan shouted from close and we broke the kiss but Jake didn’t let me move too far away even as we both looked to the door.

Ethan’s head was turned so he could shout over his shoulder, “Amber! Get this! Josie and Dad are makin’ out in the kitchen!”

“Good God,” I breathed.

Jake emitted another swallowed chuckle grunt.

“Get in here, runt, and leave them alone!” Amber shouted back.

Well, there it was. It appeared the kids did, indeed, get how things were with Jake and me.

It was only me who missed it.

Fortunately, I wasn’t missing it at all now.

“Don’t call me runt!” Ethan yelled, looked at us and demanded to know, “Are you two getting married?”

My entire body seized.

“You think maybe you might not wanna freak out my girl, bud?” Jake asked.

“All girls wanna get married,” Ethan told his father authoritatively.

My breath started coming in pants.

“I’ll try something else,” Jake said. “You think your old man might want a little privacy?”

Ethan looked to me and announced, “I’m not wearing one of those monkey suits.”

“So noted,” I forced out.