“A maniac?” Faith narrowed her eyebrows.
Jack let go of her forehead.
“No, I’m in character.” He roared with his face up close to Faith’s, and she jumped backward.
Faith erupted into big belly laughter with her hands on her stomach.
“Hey! You’re not supposed to laugh...” Jack crossed his arms in front of his chest and tapped a foot against the floor. “I’m scary. Remember?”
I joined in my daughter’s laughter because I couldn’t help myself. Jack glared at me, and I placed my hands up in surrender. I swear, if Jack weren’t wearing makeup, he would have blushed as bright as Rudolph’s nose. His embarrassment made me realize there was much more to Jack Timber than his big old grouchy attitude.
“Right. You make a mean one.” I giggled.
Jack shot me an unimpressed look. “You’re not helping.”
I shrugged, raised my eyebrows, and covered my mouth with my hand.
Faith went wide-eyed and slapped a hand over her mouth too, trying to contain another giggle, but she snorted. My daughter blushed bright red while hugging the costume, and her little beady eyes went back and forth between us. She waited eagerly with excitement.
Jack placed his hands on his hips. “Well, what are you waiting for? Go get into character, kiddo.”
“Yay!” Faith jumped up and skipped down the hallway with her brand-new outfit.
I watched Faith disappear around the corner in pure happiness because of what Jack had done. My pulse beat wildly at his generosity, his humorous side, and even the grumpiness he threw into the mix. I hated to admit it, but without his bitter tongue, there’d be no Jack Timber. The man I never thought I’d let my daughter hang around, let alone tolerate. As much as I shouldn’t have, I had grown tolikehim, but Jack didn’t need to know that.
I turned my attention to Jack. “I didn’t think you’d show.”
“As much as we don’t get along, I made a promise to your daughter, and I intend to keep it,” Jack admitted.
Jack dropped the mean act while Faith wasn’t around. He wandered further into the room and sat his ass down on my dining room table. The wooden frame creaked, and he resumed his grouchy attitude, but his gaze never wavered from me.
I walked right up to Jack, stood tall, and pressed a finger into his chest. All I felt was stuffing from the inside of his outfit and not his solid muscles. I wished I could experience his brawniness instead of this, which slightly surprised me.
Jesus! Get a grip.
“But you’re late.” I glared and slightly pushed against him with my index finger.
“No...” Jack expressed while he glanced down at my finger and grabbed my wrist. “I’m not.”
“Yes,” I hissed and yanked at my hand, but he wouldn’t let me go, “you are.”
Suddenly, Jack pulled me in close. Near enough, I could feel him panting in my face. The edginess made him who he was, and I had grown to completely dig this side of him. My heartbeat sped up.
“No, little Elle. I never gave you an exact time.” His eyes shot down to my lips. “Were you disappointed when you thought I wouldn’t show?”
“Only for my daughter’s sake...” I tugged at my wrist. “Now let me go.”
“I don’t believe you, princess. Here’s what I think...” Jack leaned in close and whispered in my ear, “I think you wanted me to be here so we could be this close again.”
Jack brushed his lips against my ear. “Adjacent enough to talk.”
My pulse throbbed against my neck while he trailed his mouth over it.
“Within reach to touch,” he whispered.
I parted my lips, and a soft whimper escaped me.
“In direct fucking contact so I could make you moan just like that.” Jack licked up my neck until he got to the tip of my chin and pulled back. “Christ. I’m addicted to the sounds you make.”
