Page 55 of Lethal Weakness

“It’s still a little early.”

“It’ll take me 15 minutes to get there, and I don’t want to rush. I want to be sitting outside waiting right when their visit is supposed to be over.” I stand up and dust my shorts off, and Jack follows.

“I’ll fire up the grill and have a steak waiting for Avery when she gets home. Call me if they give you any trouble,” he states seriously, looking at me from under the brim of his hat with his arms folded over his chest.

He’s still such a mystery. Closed off in so many ways but always rescuing me like he can’t help it. Like the possibility of letting me struggle has never occurred to him.

And yet, when I take a step closer and rest my palm over his taut forearms, his whole posture stiffens. “I know that my overly affectionate nature makes you uncomfortable… So I won’t force another hug on you, or anything like that. Not until you want me to.” I grip his shirt in my fingers, just above his chest, and use it to loft me to my tiptoes.

“But just so you know,” I whisper against his ear. “I could kiss the shit out of you right now.”

My grasp releases as I stride away from him, and I don’t look back until I’m tucked behind my steering wheel.

He’s standing motionless in the same spot, staring at the air I just existed in.

When I start my engine, though, his gaze snaps to mine, and a surprised gasp escapes me.

He’d better get his grill going pronto, because that man is starving.

Chapter Nineteen

O’Connor

“Mr. Jack, I home!” Avery comes running down their driveway towards the back, where I’m grilling on the other side of the fence.

“Are you hungry?” I ask, avoiding looking at the woman walking behind her.

“Dinosaur food?” She squeals.

“Just for you, princess.”

“Mommy, Mr. Jack finks I’m a princess.” She giggles, as if she isn’t wearing a sparkly pink dress and at least six different bracelets at this very moment.

I can feel Linden’s gaze on the side of my face, but I can’t look at her. It’s taking everything inside of me to stay on my side of the fence.

This woman has no idea the monster she’s tempting.

“Avery, stay back here for a minute while I go inside. Will you keep an eye on her, Jack?”

“Yep.”

“Okay, thanks,” she utters hesitantly before walking inside.

“Look, Mr. Jack.” Avery holds up her hand to show me her pink bandage that I had already taken note of.

“What did you do?”

“A bee bit me.”

“You got stung by a bee? Did it hurt?”

“It hurted, but I didn’t cry,” she exclaims proudly. “See.” She peels back the bandage on one side where she must’ve already been messing with it, and tension trickles down my spine.

That doesn’t look like a bee sting.

“Let me see.” I cross the fence line to their side, bending to my knee in front of her.

There’s a very distinguishable red dot on the top of her hand, an inch below her little knuckle, directly over the vein.