CHAPTER ELEVEN

He didn’t know what he needed more at the moment—a shot of whiskey or Jane naked underneath him. Unfortunately, neither option was on the menu in the immediate future. He jogged up the stairs and headed toward Sunny’s bedroom. He assumed that’s where his daughter and Jane had wandered off to. Relief, gratitude, and a hefty portion of bemusement had welled inside him when he’d watched the pair leave the kitchen hand-in-hand earlier.

Those emotions and another one he couldn’t quite put a name to washed over him when he stalled in Sunny’s doorway. She and Jane sat cross-legged on the floor, chattering away like they’d been best friends forever while they took turns accessorizing the small militia of Barbie dolls piled between them.

Much as he adored his daughter, he currently couldn’t take his eyes off Jane. She’d always been an irresistible magnet. And right then the force of her pull was stronger than Kryptonite.

As if she’d felt the same draw to him, she glanced up and met his gaze. She smiled, the sight giving him an odd kick in the gut. “Everything okay?”

It took a few seconds to remember his recent altercation with Ava. That was the thing with Jane. She possessed the ability to wipe all other thought from his mind. “Yeah.” He scratched his jaw, his irritation at his ex itching beneath his skin again. “Sorry you had to witness that foolishness. When Ava gets on a roll it can be a little ugly. Thank you for getting Sunny out of there.”

“Not a problem. We’ve been having a blast, haven’t we?” She gave his daughter a high-five, which prompted Sunny’s giggle.

He grinned. “Is this a girl’s only party, or can I join in?”

They made room for him and he copped a squat. He reached for Skipper and Sunny automatically snatched the doll and tucked it behind her. Damn, couldn’t sneak anything past the kid. He caught Jane’s lip twitch.

“I take it that’s the infamous, Skipper?”

“Daddy is not allowed to play with her.”

He leaned in close to Jane. “I mistakenly call her a boy once, and its hands off the rest of my days. Harsh punishment, if you ask me.”

“Hardly. I’d do the same thing if you mistook me for a boy.”

“That will never happen in a million years.” He sent her a smoky look before ducking his head and sliding his mouth over hers. Recalling they had an impressionable five-year-old in the room, he wrapped up the kiss before it became too combustible. He pulled his head back and noticed Sunny gaping at them. Uh oh.

“Is Jane going to be my new mommy?”

He and Jane choked on a cough. Desperately wishing this kind of thing was covered in the parenting books, he cleared his throat. “No, Sun Bun. You already have a mommy.”

His daughter’s face scrunched. “Mindy has two mommies,” she countered, referencing one of her little friends at daycare.

“That’s because Mindy’s mommies are married to each other.”

“If you married Jane she could be my mommy?”

Shit, this convo was flying high speed into dangerous territory. “In a roundabout way. But Jane and I aren’t getting married. We’re just friends.” He could feel the heat of Jane’s gaze on him and he quickly amended the last part of his explanation. “Really, really good friends. Who like to kiss a lot.”

Jane didn’t exactly look mollified by the additional descriptors. She pushed to her feet. “I could use a trip to the bathroom.”

“I’ll show you where it is.” He stood and followed her through the doorway. The instant they were safely out of earshot of Sunny, he cupped Jane’s rigid shoulder. “Don’t be mad at me.”

“I’m not. And I mean it, I need a bathroom. Stat. Otherwise, I’m going to start doing the pee-pee dance. Believe me, it’s nowhere near as sexy as my twerk.”

Still unconvinced she was being entirely honest with him, he led her to his bathroom. Rather than return to Sunny’s room he parked his ass on the foot of his bed. Yeah, Jane could easily find her way back, but better to get this out in the open before it blew up into a fight.

Several minutes passed, awarding him some blessed time to build his defense case. No matter how he approached this, he was likely going to remain in the doghouse. At this rate, he should decorate the damn place and make it habitable for the long haul. The door cracked open and Jane stepped out. She frowned at him. “You didn’t have to wait for me.”

“Yes, I did. I pissed you off by calling us friends. I get it. Just like I get how we’re a few levels beyond that term. But I didn’t want to confuse Sunny or give her the wrong impression.”

Jane remained quiet. When she re-met his gaze there was no mistaking the pensiveness residing in her eyes. “You also said it for my benefit. To remind me that this—whatever we have—is going nowhere beyond the bedroom.”

He expelled a weary breath. “I said I don’t want a relationship in the traditional sense. It doesn’t mean we can’t work this out.”

“What exactly are we working out, Jack? Occasionally hooking up for kinky sex?” Although she worded it casually enough, there was no mistaking the wobble of uncertainty in her tone.

“No, we’re more than that. The times we spend with each other don’t even have to involve sex. And I want you to get to know Sunny. She obviously likes you. So does her daddy. A lot.” He caressed her cheek. “You’re the only woman I’ve let in this way. With Sunny. With me. This is huge and scary as shit for me. I want you to know that and maybe understand a little bit where I’m coming from.”

She peered up at him, her unspoken worries a solid presence between them. He bracketed her face in his hands and rubbed noses with her before sliding his mouth over hers. He might suck at this communicating business, but he knew where his strengths resided and he had no qualms availing himself of them. Her lips parted beneath his with a shaky breath and he sucked on her tongue. He could have spent the entire day kissing her. Even better, he could have spent the entire day kissing her while they were naked in his massive California King bed. Sadly, not to be with Sunny right down the hall. Maybe later tonight, after his daughter fell asleep, he and Jane could have some private adult time.

Assuming she’d be amenable to spending the night. He reluctantly broke the kiss and searched her gaze. “Do you want to give this a try?”

“I already told you I do. That hasn’t changed.”

Relief bloomed in his chest. “Good. Then stay with us today. Hell, the whole weekend, if you want. I know it’d make Sunny happy to have you here.”

“And her daddy?” Although she valiantly tried to hide it, a fraction of her vulnerability slipped through.

He rested his forehead against hers. “Yes, it’ll make him very happy too.”

Jane smiled and twined her fingers with his. With their hands linked, they walked to Sunny’s room.

His daughter met them in the doorway. “Daddy, I’ve decided you can play with Skipper. Also, she says she wants to go to the zoo.”

From the corner of his eye, he caught Jane’s valiant effort to rein in her mirth. He shook his head. “There’s always a catch with you women.”

Jane’s lips twitched. “Does that mean we’re going to the zoo?”

“Apparently it’s what Skipper wants.” He ruffled Sunny’s hair. “I have to clean up the kitchen. Then we’ll go.”

“I’ll help you,” Jane offered.

“But I wants you to help me pick an outfit to wear to the zoo.” Sunny took a hold of Jane’s hand, the universal line drawn in the sand.

He grunted. “Looks like little Queen Bee has won this round.”

Jane chuckled. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll make it up to me later.” He backed up the promise with a growl.

“Daddy, you sound like a bear.”

It could have been worse. She could have said he sounded like a hyena or something equally less cool or badass than a bear. He offered Sunny another growl, earning her giggle.

Leaving the females to continue their girl bonding, he headed downstairs. He tossed the dishes into the sink just as his cell phone buzzed on the counter. He swiped up the device, half convinced it was Ava with more of her bullshit. God knows she was going to be on the rampage now she’d seen him with Jane. Not that he gave two shits. Ava would get over herself—say in a decade or twenty.

The name on the caller ID instantly eased the tension in his shoulders. He pressed the Talk button. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Figured I’d better make sure you’re still alive. Glad to hear I won’t have to testify at the murder trial. Woulda made things awkward between me and my sister.”

He grinned at the drollness in Trig’s voice. “The bad news is you lost the bet about the black eye.”

“No way. Did she at least rough you up a little?”

“There might have been a moment where she used me like a pinata. It’s all good, though. In fact, she’s spending the day with me and Sunny.”

A lengthy silence stretched on the other end of the line. His best friend’s sudden loss of words was disconcerting. Frowning, Jack leaned against the island. “I hope you’re okay with me seeing Jane again.”

“I never had a problem with it before. But it’s a damn miracle my sister is being unusually reasonable about everything.”

He tore a piece of paper towel from the roll and blotted the water spots on the marble counter top. “We worked out a lot of our issues last night.”

Trig cleared his throat. “Okay, let’s leave it at that. I really don’t want to hear any weird kinky stuff involving my sister.”

More than happy to oblige the request, he changed the subject to Trig’s upcoming bachelor party. “What do you think about having a BBQ here? Invite the guys from Hunks, Sinners, and anyone else you want included, of course. But if you’d rather do the whole nightclub and stripper thing—”

“Nah. I’ve had enough of that to last me a lifetime. A BBQ with the guys is way more my style these days. I can live vicariously through Marissa with whatever insanity Jane cooks up for her bachelorette party. Seriously, are you sure you don’t need your head examined for jumping on that crazy train again?”

He chuffed a laugh. “Trust me, I’m no less of a hot mess.”

“Yeah, you two are perfect for each other. Master Kink. Fucking A.”

“Look who’s talking, Kinky Claus.” 

After going back and forth ribbing each other for another couple of minutes, they disconnected and Jack finished spiffing up the kitchen. Feminine chatter drew his attention and he glanced toward the archway. He cocked his eyebrows at Sunny’s pink fairy dress. Jane handed his daughter the matching wand. “I know it’s not practical. But she looks so freakin’ adorable in it.”

Recalling their earlier conversation about her tormenting Trig with dress up parties, he chuffed under his breath. “Why do I have the feeling you had more to do with picking out that outfit than Sunny?”

Her eyes twinkled. “Be glad there wasn’t an adult-sized version in her closet that fits you.”

“You can hold the wand. Then you’ll be a fairy too.” Sunny extended the accessory toward Jane like she was bestowing her newfound BFF with the Holy Grail.

He could have sworn Jane’s eyes grew a little misty as she accepted his daughter’s offering. “Thank you. That is so sweet of you.”

Well fuck. If they kept this up he was going to start bawling. He cleared his throat gruffly. “Okay, ladies. To the car.”