Page 55 of Love Finds Home

“I’m not sure I want you to see my work,” I quietly tell him, my cheeks burning at the admission.

“Why’s that?” he chuckles. “Afraid I’m going to tell you they suck?”

I shake my head. I don’t want to tell him why.

“That’s not going to work for me, Tink. Now I need to know why. And Scout’s honor, I won’t laugh.”

“Were you actually in the Scouts?”

He gives me a boyish grin, making him look so much softer than he always is around me. “Nope.”

“Then fuck your Scout’s honor bullshit.” I try to sound pissed, but I don’t have it in me to hate him right now. “Why are you being nice to me, Jonathan?”

Yeah, I know, I never call him by his first name. But if he insists on calling me Tink, I feel I have the right to pull out the full name every once in a while, right?

“Am I ever truly mean to you?” he asks, not calling me out on the name.

“No,” I reluctantly agree. “Might be easier if you were.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, if you were always an asshole, you wouldn’t be here taking care of me. And I wouldn’t be feeling things neither one of us wants to face or admit.”

He doesn’t reply but continues to clean the paint splatters off my face, my neck, my arms. When he gets to my hands, he raises a brow at me.

“Those are a lost cause.” I shrug.

“How long have you been up, Elle?”

I close my eyes at the use of my real name. It almost physically hurts when he uses it.

“What day is it?”

“You have to sleep,” he growls.

“Okay,Dad,” I reply in a petulant teen voice.

He leans in close, so close I can feel his breath on my face, and says, “You can call me Ranger, Cross, Jonathan, Daddy, or if you’re a really good girl, Sir. But I am not now, nor will I ever be yourdad.Understand?”

I nod—words have evaporated from my brain.

“Good. Glad we cleared that up. Now take your pants off.”

My spine snaps straight. And I look at him in horror. I start to shake my head no, but he places his hands on either side of my neck, his thumbs rubbing small circles on my jaw.

“Say no and I’ll stop. Right now. I’ll turn around and walk away. But I want to taste you. Need to, actually. And you need the release. Will you let me do that for you?”

My jaw goes slack, my core tightening on air, and I want this man. I want this man more than I’ve ever wanted anyone in my life. I make eye contact with him, the lust and desire in his eyes driving me forward.

“Yes,” I answer quietly. “But I haven’t showered,” I try to protest.

“Don’t give a fuck. Pants off, Tink.”

Not breaking eye contact, I lift my hips with his assistance and pull my sweatpants down over my hips. I must not be quick enough for him, because he reaches down and yanks them the rest of the way off, tossing them over his shoulder.

“No panties?” He raises a brow.

“No panties.”

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