AFTER CALLING OFF work and cashing in some long-overdue vacation time, the next few days passed in a blur of legs tangled in sheets, in the shower, claiming every part of Lucas’s house…

It was fucking bliss.

That was not to say I wasn’t more than aware that I’d have to face dealing with a few of my responsibilities—namely, my father, my job, and relocating—but for now, I needed Lucas to know I wasn’t going anywhere. We needed this time to reconnect, and it also gave me the chance to scope out a few apartments on the island until I was ready for something more permanent. Of course, Lucas brooded any time I brought up the subject.

“I don’t see why you won’t just move in,” he said the following week, as we lounged on his bed before having to get up and get ready for the day. As I circled a few listings the realtor had sent my way, Lucas stared disapprovingly from where he was leaned against the padded headboard.

“Lucas, we’ve been over this.”

“Just think how inconvenient it’ll be if you’re not here. We’ll have to trade off where to sleep every night. Go buy two sets of everything to keep at your place and mine.”

“As inconvenient as, say, Connecticut?” That shut him right up, and I smirked. “Didn’t think so.”

He uncrossed his arms and scooted up next to me, putting his chin on my shoulder. “You’re not gonna decide you like sleeping better alone, right? I’d hate to have to tie you to my bed so you can’t leave.”

“You’d hate it, huh?” I said, grinning, and then I gave him a quick kiss, which only made him groan when I pulled away.

“You can’t just kiss me and mention getting tied up when I know you’re naked under these sheets…” His hand roamed up my thigh, and my cock jumped to attention at his touch. “See, I think you want me to interrupt. You don’t really want to look at those boring apartments.”

“You’re trouble,” I said, my head rolling back as Lucas gave my dick a couple of slow strokes, bringing me from semi-interested to fuck-I’m-never-leaving-this-bed.

“I’m an insatiable bastard, what can I say?”

“And this is exactly why I need my own place. We’d never get any work done otherwise.”

“I disagree. I think Jackson: professional bed warmer and sex slave is a perfectly respectable job.”

Laughing, I got to my knees and pinned him to the mattress with one hand while the other followed the curves and patterns of the dragon tattoo that curved over his shoulder and onto his chest. “I wouldn’t brag too much about that or someone might offer me a better rate,” I teased, lowering down to capture his mouth.

Lucas wrapped his legs around my waist, and just like that, the listings were forgotten and everything went on pause, like it did whenever we came together like this. I rocked my hips over his, joining our cocks together in a delicious slide, and as I took his mouth with mine again, my cell went off.

“Ugh. Don’t answer it,” Lucas said against my mouth, and I gave him one last lingering kiss.

“Can’t.” I moved up to my knees and rolled off him before he could convince me otherwise. “You know I’m expecting a call.”

“Ah, yes, the ‘surprise.’ And just when do you think you’ll let me in on whatever it is you have planned?”

“When the paperwork’s dry.” I winked and hit accept on my cell without looking at the caller ID. “This is Jackson.”

“Jax, I’m so glad you answered,” Sydney said, sounding relieved.

“Oh, hey, Syd,” I said, and Lucas shook his head as if to say, If it’s not the surprise, hang up and get underneath me. “I meant to touch base with you to thank you for covering things while I took some time off. I—”

Lucas bit into the cheek of my ass, and I sucked in a breath and nearly dropped the phone.

“Dammit, Lucas,” I whispered, as he muffled his laughter into a pillow, and I tried not to smile and encourage him. Putting the phone back up to my ear, I said, “Sorry about that. How are you? Everything going okay up there?”

“Actually, that’s what I was calling about. Your father’s…” She kept talking, but I couldn’t make out what she said because Lucas slid his hand up my thigh, and I slapped him away before holding up my finger to shush him.

“I’m sorry, Syd, could you repeat that? We must have a bad connection.”

Lucas grinned and propped himself up on his elbow as he lay across the bed, fully on display. Fucking tease.

When she repeated the words, I thought my brain was making shit up. “It sounded like you said my father’s on the way to South Haven,” I told her.

“Uh, Jax? I did say that.”

In that instant, my smiled dropped, and Lucas noticed the change in mood and had to know what I’d just said was happening, because he sat up with a wary look on his face.

“When?” I asked.

“He should arrive within the hour, if he hasn’t already. His secretary said he was heading straight to AnaVoge.”

I held the phone away from my face as I cursed so loudly it echoed off the walls. Then, to Lucas, I said, “Get Sebastian on the phone. Now.”

My father coming to South Haven meant two things: first, he was coming to nail down what I hadn’t, and second, the fact that he hadn’t alerted me to his arrival meant he was hoping to catch me off guard.