All in all, Shayla’s been a total rock star. I want her to celebrate with me at the Tavern. Even if I don’t win my small claims court case, I didn’t give in. It’s been stressful, despite her help, but I’m proud of myself.
Now that my bills are reasonable, I plan to scale back at the Tavern, but not yet. The Arts Fest is coming up, and it’s always busy. I won’t let Dakota down after all he’s done for me. Once the festival is over, and I pay Jake back, I plan to cut my hours so I can devote more time to growing my own business.
Of course, I can’t stop thinking about what Vanessa said about Jake. The longer I live with him, the more convinced I am he’d make a great father.After all he’s been through, he understands the importance of patience and calm.
More, I want to be what he needs. His safe place and light in the darkness. He’s such a hilariously grumpy bear. I live to make him laugh. It’s the highlight of my day whenever his lips turn up in that wicked little smile. When coax a full smile out of him, I carry it with me all day.
I also can’t stop thinking about how he looked that night in his boxer briefs. Despite the “Danger, Keep Out” signs posted on my memories, my imagination visits more often than I like to admit. When I’m in bed and can’t sleep, I take matters into my own hands. Despite my best efforts, all my fantasies involve Jake.
Chapter 18
JAKE
“Get a grip on yourself,” I ordered my reflection.
A wry expression crossed my face. If Dani read my thoughts, she’d laugh her ass off. I’ve spent way too much time gripping myself since she moved in.
Asking her to move in wasn’t a well-thought-out plan. She loved it, as she told me numerous time every day. The house is more welcoming since she and Miss Priss arrived, and not just because of the couch I bought, but it’s still torture.
Cold showers don’t help, but I keep trying. Now, rivulets of water ran down my back and shoulders, and I wrapped a towel around my waist. The mirror over the sink confirmed I looked like shit.
Sleep had been impossible since that first night. Maybe I should go home with a random woman for a few hours. The thought of fucking someone else to try to forget Dani sickened me, though. It never worked in the past, and that was before she slept in my arms and left her scent on my sheets.
“Stop it, asshole. Stop thinking about that night.”
I needed to get over this inconvenient attraction or stuff it down and ignore it. Despite my shitty sleep, though, my life was already immeasurably better.
After only a week with her relentless optimism and cheer, so much of the weight of the last few years had lifted. I’d never be a carefree guy, but most of my anger and bitterness towards Blair and Mike was gone. Dani was the reason.
As I trimmed my beard, I studied my reflection. Dani grew more carefree and lighter with each passing day, while deep circles ringed my eyes. At night, I couldn’t stop my mind from going places it had no business being.
My morose thoughts jerked to a halt when a loud shriek pierced the air. That sounded like Dani, though I didn’t realize she was home.
The blood in my veins turned to ice as I ran towards her, clutching the towel around my waist. In seconds, I tore through the house until I found her in the living room. When she saw me, her smile broadened, and she threw her arms around my neck.
“I got it! I got it!”
With my heart thundering in my throat, I tried to calm myself. A quick glance confirmed no one else was here. Her phone was clutched in one hand.
“Good news?” I asked.
“Yes,” she shrieked again.
This time, she jumped up and down in her excitement. Since her arms were still wrapped around me, it brought our bodies in closer contactthan we’d been all week. Her entire body rubbed across mine. She wore an ordinary t-shirt and shorts, but there was enough skin-to-skin contact that my cock immediately stood at attention.
Please don’t notice the effect you have on me.
I closed my eyes against the longing that ripped through me only to open them again when Dani’s breath brushed my face. Time stood still, and my breathing grew ragged.
Dani licked her lips, and my eyes zeroed in on the movement of her small, pink tongue. I bit back a groan as last night’s dream filled my mind. My nipples prickled where the soft material of her shirt caressed my chest. My mind called up images of how easy it would be to slide her tiny shorts aside and take her against the wall.
With my heartbeat galloping in my ears, I tore myself away from her embrace with a fake coughing fit. I had to stop doing this to myself, and I promised her she’d be safe from me. What kind of asshole would make a move on her right after she finally had a space to call her own?
“You about gave me a heart attack when you screamed,” I said with a forced laugh. “I didn’t know you were here. What happened?”
I sat gingerly on the couch and grabbed one of her endless throw pillows and tossed it on my lap.
“I’m so excited,” she gushed.
