“Yeah. Thanks, Jack. That’d be really good.” I smiled at him. This man was turning into a hero before my eyes. I knew it was dangerous, all these feels I was having toward and about him, but I couldn’t help it. I was blown away by the leaps in generosity and kindness he was showing. Maybe Jack would be the answer...
“…so I can get that, too. And you probably need diapers, right? Anything else? Hey. Hey! Yo, Ellie, babe. Come back. You wandered off again.”
“Oh, jeez. I’m sorry.” I shook my head, realizing that Jack had sat down at the dividing bar between the kitchen and living room and was making a list. Man of action. I liked that.
“Check it out. Add on whatever you think you need, and I’ll make a run. No point waiting, right? Store’s open. You finish the list, I’m gonna hit the head and then gone. ’Kay?”
“’Kay.” And I applied myself to the list, adjusting it mostly for sizes and best-use frugality, as had been my MO for most of my adult life.
When Jack came back from the bathroom, he took up the list, then came right up to me, front-to-front, and put his arms around me in a huge bear hug. I was a little bit shocked at first, not expecting that at all, but he held on for so long that I finally relaxed into it and breathed.
He smelled so good—damn, I felt a flush of damp in my panties again—but he also just felt so big and strong, like a boulder that wouldn’t let me fall, and I breathed him in deeply.
Eventually, he pulled away a few inches, looked deeply into my eyes, and swore, “He’s going to be good, Ellie. He will.”
I don’t know if he was saying it for my sake or for his own, but it was both a promise and a prayer. It was deep. I nodded, and he slowly leaned in and kissed my lips.
His lips were warm and soft and firm all at the same time. He didn’t try to deepen it, but he didn’t make it quick. It was so sexy, just a small taste, a testing of the waters. But the intention behind it was more than that—it was a kind of confirmation that I wasn’t alone now. There was an empathy, a togetherness.
I took full advantage of the moment and breathed in his scent—I’m pretty sure he did the same to me—which only confirmed that this man and I had some serious chemistry together. He smelled and felt amazing. I wanted the kiss to go on forever.
But just as I was about to open my mouth to him, he lifted his mouth away, ending the connection.
His eyes stayed on my mouth for several moments, and then shifted up to meet my eyes. We both just held that look, still breathing one another in.
Then his arms fell away. He picked up the shopping list and, pointing to the notepad on the counter, muttered, “You need me, my number’s there. Put it first in your phone.”
Chapter 7
Jack
I couldn’t stop thinking about the baby and about all that Ellie had been through with him already. I’d only known them for just over a week, but they were both already setting in deep under my skin. This whole day at the shop was dragging like molasses—just like every other day since they walked into my shop. I only wanted to be back home, with them, spending time and…I don’t know. Just spending time.
As far as Ellie went, I was clear on one point for certain: I wanted her. She was sexy as fuck. She was beautiful, soft, strong, fiery, funny, smart, and fucking hot. Just thinking about her got me hard. I was spending a lot of time forcing myself to think about post-workout athletic socks and shoes, in an attempt at calming my dick down.
Thoughts of Peter—of that tiny little humanoid body, that soft little head and fisting hand—filled the rest of my time. I still couldn’t tell if he looked like Keith, and it kind of pissed me off that both Trini and Grath, those bastards, laughed at me and said I was blind not to see the resemblance. How the hell could they see it? Babies all looked alike. Period, end of.
But I was starting to really believe it, that Peter was Keith’s, and therefore, in a roundabout way, mine. Mine now, because Keith couldn’t be here. Yeah, definitely mine.
And that made Ellie…mine. Not quite sure on what grounds, but I was definitely feeling some strong possessive and protective instincts over her, too.
And when I thought about Ellie being mine…yeah, the sex thing again. Damn, she was hot. And there was definitely a firestorm of chemistry between us. That would play out. I knew it, I felt it, I wanted it, I was gonna make sure that happened.