Page 65 of Under Daddy's Spell

“We’re having dinner at my house tonight.”

“Hells yeah!” she cheered, turning every head in the store. “Jord-i-licious does not mess around.”

Chapter Nineteen

WHEN TESSA OPENED HERdoor, he forgot about the scent of warm garlic bread that had been tormenting him since leaving the restaurant. They were going to have to work out a different dinner plan than eating almost at bedtime, but that could wait. So could eating, and everything else, after seeing Tessa in a baby-blue wrap dress, face washed clean of makeup, except for a shimmer of barely pink gloss on her full, tempting lips. Her hair wasn’t down, as he preferred, but it was halfway there, the bulk of the mass gathered in a messy knot at her crown with several long loose spirals streaming down her neck. She was also barefoot, with pink polish on her toenails.

Not sure whether to cuddle her in his lap because she was so fucking adorable or pull the string tie and unwrap her smoking-hot body like the best present ever, Jordan moved past her and deposited the bag of pasta primavera and Italian bread on her kitchen counter.

It would keep, not that he cared. Food was the last thing on his mind as he yanked Tessa into his arms. With his mouth on hers, his fingers searched her curls for the hair tie, keeping the silky, unruly mass from him. Once it was free and tumbling around her shoulders, he homed in on the tie of her dress.

But the low growl filling the room that wasn’t coming from him or Tessa stilled his movements. Slowly, his head came up, and his gaze locked with hers.“Rufus, I’m guessing?”

“Uh-huh. You should have probably said hello to him before kissing me,” she said with a grin. “He’s protective, but once he gets to know you, he’ll love you.”

When he stepped back, Tessa crouched in front of her very large, tense, unhappy-looking shepherd mix. With her one arm around him, she used her free hand to scratch the patch of thick white fur on his chest.

“This is Jordan, boy. He’s a friend.”

Moving slowly, he held his hand out for Rufus to sniff. But the low growl started again.

“Don’t be such a grouch,” Tessa gently scolded. “Maybe if you sit on the couch,” she suggested, while tipping her face up to him.

Once he’d settled in the center of her long, white leather couch, she joined him and called Rufus over. He obeyed but positioned himself on Tessa’s other side, squeezing between her and the armrest, clearly wanting nothing to do with his new competition.

“I’m sorry,” she said, still petting her jealous dog. “He’s usually friendly.”

“I’m guessing you don’t have many men over who greet you like I did.”

She flashed him a grin. “You’d guess right.”

He covered her hand and squeezed her fingers, a low-key gesture that didn’t upset her canine protector. “I can’t tell you how much that pleases me, but I get where Rufus is coming from. He’s had you all to himself and doesn’t want to share. We’ll come to an understanding in time.”

“I’ll let him out on the screened porch. He has a new bone to keep him occupied.” When she got up, the big dog followed on her heels. “Be right back.”

Alone in her cozy living room, Jordan thought of all the obstacles he’d encountered trying to get in Tessa’s pants and couldn’t help but laugh.

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