came back because your father died,
didn’t you,” he asked. Jake put his arms around her when she released his hand,
pulled her against him. She turned, so her back was against his chest, leaning
into him and looking out the window at the land.
“Yeah. The miserable bastard kicked me to the curb,
but he must have felt guilty about it in the end, because he left me his
house.” She leaned her head back against his chest and looked up at him before
going back to staring straight ahead. “Honestly? I thought he’d rather leave
his money to a cat shelter or a stranger over me, but I guess he had a change
of heart.”
Jack let his chin rest on top of her head. “Kind of ironic that it burned to the ground, then.”
“Yep, you got it.”
Faith had had a rough deal, no one could deny
it, but she was clearly made of tough stuff. “So what’s your plan?”
“You know what? I don’t care about the house,
but I do care about having enough money, being financially stable so that I can
give Tommy the life he deserves.”
Jake dropped a kiss into her hair before making
her turn around. “I think you’re doing a great job with Tom. He’s a good kid.”
She smiled, but he could see the sadness in her
gaze. “Yeah, but I’ve had to work like a crazy person for years to get to where
we are now. I want to spend time with him. Enjoy the amazing boy I’m so blessed
to have.”
“Then stay.”
She stepped back, still in his arms but putting
some distance between them. “Stay?”
Jake laughed, let go of her and ran a hand
through his hair. He looked at Faith, then past her, then made himself look into her eyes. He was
never impulsive and he could tell she wasn’t either, but he was damned if he
was going to spend another five years feeling pissed off with the world when he
could be happy.
“You’re doing that hand through the hair thing.
You’re nervous.”
“What?”
Faith grinned. “You did it the very first night
I met you. When you were asking me to stay.”
“And I’m asking you again.” He couldn’t believe
he was saying it, that the words were even coming out of his mouth. But if he didn’t ask her now, when would he
get the chance? If she left tomorrow, he might spend the rest of his life
wondering if he should have tried to make her stay.
“I like you, Faith.” Jake wished he knew how to ask her, how to tell her
how he felt, but it didn’t come easy to him. All he knew was that he wanted her here.
“You like me?” she asked, tongue darting out to
moisten her lips as she stepped back into his space. Faith stood on tiptoe and
pressed a wet kiss to his jawline . Then
another.
Jake groaned. “Yeah, I like you. Isn’t it
obvious?”
She kissed him again, before grabbing hold of
his collar and dragging him down, closer to her so she could press an equally
wet kiss to his lips this time.
“Tell me again,” she whispered.
“No.”
She nipped at his bottom lip. Jake was only a
man and he could only take so much. He grabbed her bottom, bent down slightly
so he could swing her up in the air, enough for her legs to lock around his
waist. Faith was pressed tight to him, and Jake had no intention of taking his
hands off her butt.
“I don’t like you, Faith,” he said, staring
into her eyes before he kissed her. Jake didn’t hold back this time, kissed her
like he’d been wanting to kiss her all day. Lips crushing, tongues dancing, hands exploring. This is what he wanted to come home to every
day. This was what he wanted right
now.
He pulled back, lips hovering over hers but far
enough apart that he could still whisper. “I think I really like you.”
Her eyes were wide, disbelieving. “You really like me now?”
Jake chuckled. “Is it that hard to believe?”
“Yeah,” she whispered, stroking his face then,
letting her hand curl around the back of his neck. “Considering
we hardly know each other? Yeah, it is.”
He stared into her eyes, hating that she hadn’t
been loved
didn’t you,” he asked. Jake put his arms around her when she released his hand,
pulled her against him. She turned, so her back was against his chest, leaning
into him and looking out the window at the land.
“Yeah. The miserable bastard kicked me to the curb,
but he must have felt guilty about it in the end, because he left me his
house.” She leaned her head back against his chest and looked up at him before
going back to staring straight ahead. “Honestly? I thought he’d rather leave
his money to a cat shelter or a stranger over me, but I guess he had a change
of heart.”
Jack let his chin rest on top of her head. “Kind of ironic that it burned to the ground, then.”
“Yep, you got it.”
Faith had had a rough deal, no one could deny
it, but she was clearly made of tough stuff. “So what’s your plan?”
“You know what? I don’t care about the house,
but I do care about having enough money, being financially stable so that I can
give Tommy the life he deserves.”
Jake dropped a kiss into her hair before making
her turn around. “I think you’re doing a great job with Tom. He’s a good kid.”
She smiled, but he could see the sadness in her
gaze. “Yeah, but I’ve had to work like a crazy person for years to get to where
we are now. I want to spend time with him. Enjoy the amazing boy I’m so blessed
to have.”
“Then stay.”
She stepped back, still in his arms but putting
some distance between them. “Stay?”
Jake laughed, let go of her and ran a hand
through his hair. He looked at Faith, then past her, then made himself look into her eyes. He was
never impulsive and he could tell she wasn’t either, but he was damned if he
was going to spend another five years feeling pissed off with the world when he
could be happy.
“You’re doing that hand through the hair thing.
You’re nervous.”
“What?”
Faith grinned. “You did it the very first night
I met you. When you were asking me to stay.”
“And I’m asking you again.” He couldn’t believe
he was saying it, that the words were even coming out of his mouth. But if he didn’t ask her now, when would he
get the chance? If she left tomorrow, he might spend the rest of his life
wondering if he should have tried to make her stay.
“I like you, Faith.” Jake wished he knew how to ask her, how to tell her
how he felt, but it didn’t come easy to him. All he knew was that he wanted her here.
“You like me?” she asked, tongue darting out to
moisten her lips as she stepped back into his space. Faith stood on tiptoe and
pressed a wet kiss to his jawline . Then
another.
Jake groaned. “Yeah, I like you. Isn’t it
obvious?”
She kissed him again, before grabbing hold of
his collar and dragging him down, closer to her so she could press an equally
wet kiss to his lips this time.
“Tell me again,” she whispered.
“No.”
She nipped at his bottom lip. Jake was only a
man and he could only take so much. He grabbed her bottom, bent down slightly
so he could swing her up in the air, enough for her legs to lock around his
waist. Faith was pressed tight to him, and Jake had no intention of taking his
hands off her butt.
“I don’t like you, Faith,” he said, staring
into her eyes before he kissed her. Jake didn’t hold back this time, kissed her
like he’d been wanting to kiss her all day. Lips crushing, tongues dancing, hands exploring. This is what he wanted to come home to every
day. This was what he wanted right
now.
He pulled back, lips hovering over hers but far
enough apart that he could still whisper. “I think I really like you.”
Her eyes were wide, disbelieving. “You really like me now?”
Jake chuckled. “Is it that hard to believe?”
“Yeah,” she whispered, stroking his face then,
letting her hand curl around the back of his neck. “Considering
we hardly know each other? Yeah, it is.”
He stared into her eyes, hating that she hadn’t
been loved
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