Page 97 of Surrender

I shift my eyes to Lucy and tilt my chin to my shoulder. “Devon called me.”

“When.” The baby carrier falls away from my waist.

“After work. Before I got the kids.”

Insistent fingertips on my waist turn me into Jack’s torso. I have to tilt my head back to look at his face.

“What did he say?”

“He wanted to meet. He still wants the money. H-he blames me for this mess he’s in.”

“F—Eff that,” Jack says. The glower aimed my way seems topassrightthroughme.

“I know. It just caught me off guard. I swear I’m fine.”

Bennett cries softlyagainstJack’s shoulder. He bounces my son and grabs my hand, tangling our fingers. “Did hementionhe’s back in town?”

“No. He said he wanted to meet me later this week, so I assume he’s staying away but close enough to travel.”

“You’re not meetinghim.”

“I know that, Jack. I’m not an idiot.”

“You’re not. What you are is a protective mother who wants this infection neutralized so you can keep your kids safe and get on with your life, and that makes me nervous.”

His words produce the first smile I’ve felt since this afternoon. “Is that my sentiment or yours?”

“I think I speak for us both.”

I rise on my tiptoes and brush my lips against his. “I’ll be safe.”

He growls deep in his chest, a sound of reluctant acceptance. Leaning down, he captures my lips again. Warmth suffuses my cold fingers and toes.

“You better be.”

He hands Bennett over, slings on the carrier in ten seconds flat, and takes my boy back.

“Show off,” I mutter.

He catches me around the back of the neck, his hand firm. “Go pour yourself a glass of wine, sit your ass on the couch, and find yourself a good lawyer. I’m cooking dinner.”

“Anything else you’d like to order me to do?” I smirk.

From this close, I see the way his gray irises swirl into the clouds of an oncoming storm. “Babe, there are about fifty things, but we can explore those when the kids are in bed.”

The smirk wipes clean from my face. I think I have a mini-orgasm right then and there from the dark promise in his tone.

“Can I put that into my schedule, or are you just joking around here? Either way, I think I need to go change my underwear.”

“Only if you leave them on my pillow.”

A blistering heat sweeps through me. With one last look, I leave the room to get changed out of my work clothes.

And I leave my underwear on his pillow, just as he asked.

24

Jack

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