Page 44 of Problems

"Yeah, I know you said you liked it. And it had a really great structure. I heard they're going to rebuild it and make it as close as possible to the original."

It still saddened me that the church had burned down.

"Thank you."

Jack smiled and placed his book down. He cracked his fingers, stretching them out repeatedly. There were a few smudges on his hand from the pencil. I'd seen his hands like that plenty of times and still, my pulse for some reason picked up every single time.

Jack rubbed his face against my lap and my body reacted instantly. I jerked away and lifted his head.

"Why did you move?" Jack asked.

My heart was firmly lodged in my throat. For the past year I'd been stopping Jack's advances and denying my feelings for him. Giving in now didn't come easily to me.

"You were—" My face heated as I thought about what I wanted to do and how good it felt. How badly I wanted to free my cock and shove it down Jack’s throat.

"Daddy Ronan, are you hard?" Jack asked. He moved his hand between my legs, and I jumped up the moment his delicate fingers grazed over my clothed cock. Shock waves attacked me from such a small touch.

"Jack."

He blinked up as if he had no idea what he was doing to me. His innocence was shattered by the smirk on his face. "Yes daddy?"

He was using the word daddy to scramble my brain and it was working. I should have known Jack would figure out how to use it to his advantage. He wasn't manipulative per se but over the years I’d come to realize Jack wasn't like his father with an overwhelming presence that demanded respect and attention, but he still found ways to bend people to his will. I was the daddy, but I swore it felt like Jack was the one in charge.

"It's almost dinner time. What would you like to eat for a snack to hold you over?"

Jack turned around but not before I caught sight of his smile. If the others thought they'd gained the upper hand on Jack, they were in for a surprise. I knew Jack the best and still, I was easily swept by him.

"Can I have daddy?"

"No."

"Awe Daddy Ronan we can finally–."

"How about some potato cakes?"

Jack turned around, his eyes big and his mouth open. "You'll make them?"

I nodded. I knew how much Jack liked my potato cakes. It had been the first thing I'd made him to win him over. I'd been his tenth bodyguard in the span of six months. Declan had entrusted me with his son but the moment I met Jack I realized why so many before me had failed. Jack was more than the boss's son, he was his own person with dreams and ambitions.

"Fu—Fudge yes."

It was a start. My legs were moving before I'd even fully thought about what I was doing. I kissed Jack on the forehead. His lips weren't too far away if I could taste him one time I'd be set.

"Thank you for trying."

Jack leaned into my touch, his lashes lowered resting on his cheeks. His freckles were faint on his face and a lot harder to spot normally, but when he was this close, I could count each one.

"You know we can do more," Jack said.

Heat trickled through each one of my limbs until it felt like I was outside baking in the sunlight.

"Jack—"

He pulled back before I could finish talking, his lips pressed against my cheek. Warmth fought with the desire raging through my veins.

"Sorry Daddy Ronan I'll be good and wait." Jack moved toward his sketch pad picking it up off the couch. "Please don't take long. I—I've been waiting for a long time for you to be my daddy."

My tongue felt glued to the roof of my mouth leaving me with no choice but to nod.

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