Page 44 of Until I Find You

I came out here to check on him and now the conversation is directed at me? How did that happen?

“Aren’t you tired of putting out fires and running after everyone?”

I frown. “I-It’s my job.”

“All the time? No. You can’t do that all the time. You won’t survive. You’ll extinguish yourself.”

“Jack, I don’t know what’s going on, but you’re acting really–”

He yanks me closer so our bodies are pressed together. I could back away and put space between us again.

I don’t.

Jack licks his lips. Stares at mine. “You deserve someone who can hold your fire and isn’t afraid to get burnt. Who will be consumed by you without question.”

My brain might be confused, but my body is not. Distant pleasure throbs between my legs and my nipples are pricking beneath the fabric of my dress. I don’t know if it is the alcohol speaking, but I wish he would lean forward and grab my lips in a kiss.

“You get it?” Jack asks. “Do you get what I’m saying?”

“Not at all.” I shake my head, my chest pressing closer to him. I need to taste him so bad. I’ll make my mouth available to him. Kissable and at his mercy. I don’t care what the rules are or what the plan was.

“What if you met someone who was willing to give you everything?Neededto give…” Jack stops short. “Someone focused entirely on taking care of you. Of your needs. A Daddy.”

My eyebrows raise. That word again. It’s stuck with me when he threatened me with it. It wasn’t that deep before. Wasn’t something on the forefront of my mind.

But my subconscious? Well, that’s harder to determine.

Because when Jack utters the word “Daddy,” I am singed by that fire he’s talking about. There’s a burst of it inside me, threatening to reach out of me and wrap itself around him.

“Someone whoneedsto take care of you. Like they need to breathe.”

“I’m not sure I understand what you are saying.”

Jack’s lips twist. “I don’t mean to be disrespectful. I don’t mean to assume. I just–”

I lay my hand on his chest. Our eyes lock. I lean further into him. “Are you offering?”

His eyes widen. Dark brown eyes. Eyes a woman could come home to. Every night. Be enveloped and caressed by.

I could live a life in his eyes.

His jaw tightens.

It’s a big question, but now that he brought it up, I want to know.

I rise on my tiptoes so he can feel each of my words brushing his skin. “Do you want to be my Da–”

Geoff’s voice interrupts. “Sorry kids, we’re going to get going.”

Jack and I both turn, shuddering apart like we’ve been caught doing something bad even though in their eyes it’s the most natural thing we could be doing.

Mari is tucked under Geoff’s arm. Her face is drawn tight, and her eyes are downcast.

I glance at Jack, and his expression is the same.

It’s good we were interrupted. The alcohol is making us act in ways we wouldn’t if we were sober. We both know what’s good for us, good for Keiki. No need to blur any more lines than already have been with our fake relationship.

“Sounds good.” I look at Jack. “Ready, honey?”

---