“What?” He moved his chin and mouth back and forth over my skin.
“You said, ‘I wanna’.”
“Growled it, remember?” He grinned against my skin.
I shook my head and laughed as best as my over-charged mind could handle. “You wanna what?”
I gasped when he actually—finally—kissed my skin, the highest point of my cheekbone. My lips were envious at that torturous moment. And then he licked his lips, adding fuel to the already blazing fire—I could feel his tongue sneak out to taste his lip. I groaned. “Seth,” I begged.
“You can’t hear my mind right now? Really?” he asked. “I can hear everything from you. I don’t know why that is, but if you could hear me you’d know that what I wanted, what I was growling about,” he said low in my ear, “is that I don’t think I can go another night without kissing you, without knowing what your lips feel like. And I know it’s only been a few days but, Ava, it feels like an entire lifetime that I’ve known you.” He pulled back to look at my face, holding my cheek so gently in his palm, letting his thumb sweep across my skin as if that act itself was showing me love. “I know it’s hard for you to understand, but there is so much more between us than just a few days’ worth of hanging out and riding in my truck.” I squinted, not understanding him, but also…believing him. I felt the truth of those words in my bones somehow. “The pain of not knowing what your lips feel like isn’t something I can deal with for one more night.” He leaned forward, tilting his head a little, but stopping, his eyes never leaving mine. “End my misery, Ava—”
I fell the last inch, let the space fall away between us as my mouth touched his for the first time, effectively ending his plea.
How was I supposed to respond to that other than lean forward and let him devour me from the inside out?
His lips were so warm, and warmer still as he groaned against my mouth, sending a warm puff of surprised, happy air to my lips. I pressed my lips harder to his and then tilted my head, slanting them against his, opening mine a little, feeling his open just a little, too.
His hand on my cheek never stopped moving. It caressed, sending calming shivers down my arms and neck. I pulled my knees in tighter to my chest so I could press in closer to him.
Oh, God, thank you…I had waited for this—my first kiss—and it was flawless. I could feel his scruff scratching against my cheek and it did wondrous things to me. His fingers pushed past my face, tunneling into my hair, massaging lightly, tugging gently, always moving, always doing something to have me on the edge of losing my breath.
I had worried that I wouldn’t know what to do. That I’d be so nervous it wouldn’t be fun. That I would fail epically. That I would be bad at it.
I heard Seth’s small chuckle in my mind and then his sigh. You’re so freaking adorable, Ava.
So far he had let me control things. He hadn’t kissed me until I moved in to do so. He had practically begged me to kiss him and I realized that he wasn’t going to until I moved first. Now that I had, it was game on as he bit into my bottom lip, thinking about nibbling peanuts the entire time, making me lose my mind.
Feel my heartbeat right now and ask me if you’re bad at this.
He pressed my hand, which was still holding his over his heart harder, and I could feel it. And then his heartbeat worked its way into my own chest because we were in each other’s minds and I could feel it beating so hard. I gasped, my mouth opening wider against his at the feel of it banging away so harshly against my own. My eyes opened wide to find him already watching me. He released my hand only to cup the other side of my face and bring me back to him, taking my bottom lip first between his own before opening my mouth gently with his.
An entire world waited there.
When his tongue touched mine, his small growl wasn’t all I heard. I heard mine as well. And was surprised by it. Where had that come from? Where had this girl come from?
I was getting bits and pieces from Seth. How he was losing his mind. He never thought I would taste this good. He’d never get tired of needing me this way. He was falling so fast for me.
I gripped his shirt in my fists tight and tried to soak all that in. I had to stop listening to him or I’d lose my mind.
Crap, I had to go to work.
Call in sick.
I smiled against his mouth. Daddy knows I’m not sick. He knows I’m with you.
It’s so adorable that you call your father ‘Daddy’.
I pulled back and licked my lips, loving how he watched the movement. “You think everything is adorable.”
He grinned. “Yeah.” He leaned in close again. “Call. In. Sick. I’m not ready for this end yet.”
“Not ending,” I promised. I looked at the center doors and back at him thoughtfully. “You…want to come with me?”
His eyebrows rose. “You want me to walk you inside?”
“No. Come to work with me tonight. Come see what I do with the kids. What my dad does.”
“Eh. I’m not sure if I want to get my ass kicked today.”
I laughed and hit his chest with the side of my fist. “The kids aren’t that bad. Your ass will be perfectly fine.”
“I was talking about your dad kicking my ass for showing up unannounced,” he muttered and swiped my lip with his thumb. “And since when do you say ‘ass’? Good girls don’t say ‘ass’.”
“Who said I was a good girl?”
He groaned, which turned into a laugh, which I eventually joined him in. “I guess I assumed that, now didn’t I?”
“Which means...” I sang, “when you assume…”
He grinned at my smirk, shaking his head. “That I have a cute ass?”
“That, too,” I conceded.
He sobered and took my face in his hands again, letting his nimble fingers memorize my flesh as his eyes did the same.
“I know things aren’t perfect and we still have a lot to talk about, but I hope that after today you at least know that I’m not going anywhere.” He leaned in, pressing his lips to my ear. “You’re mine, little bird. And no one, family, friend, or foe, will take you from me. You’re absolutely safe with me and I will figure this out for us, Ava.”
Today, more than any other day, it mattered when he said it. And it hit home. And it punctured my heart in all the right ways. I felt the first tear threaten as my throat threatened to clog with tears. He leaned back and his eyes opened a little wider. I grabbed his wrists and smiled as best I could to explain.
“I’m just happy.”
“One day everything will be like it’s supposed to be,” he promised softly.
“And you’ll be here.”
“You’re daggum right,” he growled gently. He tugged me to him, pressing my mouth to his, and spoke his words against my lips. “Now, let me get my fill before we go inside.”
I sighed and licked my lips in between breaths. “Your fill?” He brought me back to him.
“Yeah. Of you. Your mouth.” He chuckled against my lips. “It’s not working, not even a little. I don’t think there is such a thing. I don’t think I’ll ever get filled of this.”
Those words broke me in the best way. I would never get my fill either. As I clung to the warmth and calm that was everything he was, he pulled back easily.
“Okay. Show me your kids. Just promise me you’ll save me from your father if he decides to rip into me.”
I grinned. “I may let him so you better behave.”
Eleven
“Hey, guys!”
They all turned away from Daddy and the helpers and rushed us. “Ava!”
Daddy eyed me curiously, but seeing that I was seemingly happy, there was no famous Jacobson scowl to be seen.
“I brought a new helper for the day.”
“Dude,” one of the boys said, “you’re a giant.”
Seth chuckled and rubbed his head in an embarrassed way. “Uh, nah. One day you’ll be as tall as me, buddy.”
He gasped. “And he knows my name! A gi
ant that can read minds!”
I looked at Seth and we smiled. The boy wasn’t far off. We could read each other’s minds.
“Tony, lots of people call each other buddy. Your mom isn’t the first person to do that.”
He eyed me suspiciously. “How did you know my mom calls me ‘buddy’? Can you read minds, too?”
I laughed and rubbed his head playfully, tempted to give him a noogie if he kept this up. “Lucky guess. This is Seth,” I introduced. “He’s a fireman,” I sang, knowing I was throwing him under the bus. And he knew it, too, as soon as it left my lips. He turned to me and opened his mouth, but the sing-song begging of the children had already begun.
“Oh¸ my gosh! So cool. Where do you keep all those hoses? In one big hose keeper in the backyard?”
“Have you ever been burned?”
“Have you ever saved anyone?”
“Do you have a Dalmatian?”
“What’s that symbol on your shirt mean?”
I walked over to Daddy and watched them crowd around him. This was the middle school session so he was pretty much in it deep for the next two hours. He looked over at me with an I-see-what-you-did-there smirk. I winked. His eyes rolled a little and closed for a second.
Don’t start that where it can’t be finished.
I sat up straighter. Seth—
I was going to say Seth Watson. Like playful scolding, but I just couldn’t do it. I realized, I would never be able to say it. I felt awful for that. I looked back up, expecting him to be angry again, but he was dividing his attention between the kids and me somehow smoothly. He smiled a little.
It’s okay, Ave. My middle name is Cameron. You can use that to scold me.
I’m sorry. I made everything go back to the way it was, didn’t I?
No. No way. I looked up at him. We’re never going back, no matter what. Promise me. We have to stick together if we’re ever going to survive this.
I nodded. My middle name is…Winifred.
His eyebrows shot up. Really?
Truly. It was my Gran’s name.
Ava Winifred. He smiled. I like it. And I’ll use it to scold you, too.
I bit my lip and heard him groan in my mind, making me giggle in my mind.
All right, you.
We’re going to have to work on that, he pointed at me with a smile, in public.
He went back to the kids as if nothing was going on. He was insane. Daddy made me jump when he bumped my arm. He’d been leaning against the table top with me the entire time. I felt my neck turn that pink that was becoming a permanent color and rolled my eyes.
“You didn’t even know I was here,” he said and I could tell he was grinning.
“Daddy, stop.”
“I don’t know what happened today, but I’m glad that you two seemed to have worked things out. I was thinking I was going to have to start looking for a burial plot in the backyard.”
I snorted. “I skipped school today,” I admitted and shot him a sideways look.
He sighed and twisted his lips. “I figured. How else could you have worked things out in a car ride’s time if you hadn’t?”
“He’s scared, Dad. He’s starting to realize that’s something’s not right with the Watsons. He won’t tell me though.”
“He doesn’t want you to be disappointed in him. And he wants to take care of it. It’s his mess, in his mind. He brought all this here to our doorstep. He didn’t,” he insisted. “We’ve been fighting with the Watsons for a long time, but that’s how he sees it, I’m sure.” He sighed loudly and turned to face me where Seth couldn’t see. “Shut your mind for a second.”
I gave him a look, but made sure that my mind was closed off to Seth and nodded slightly. He went on. “I’m going to send some boys out to the Watson compound to look around.”
“Seth said it was abandoned.”
“I know.”
I gave him another look. “Dad.”
“Maybe he just doesn’t know. Maybe they haven’t given him all the info or let him in on things.”
“You trust him, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. And that’s why I want to send people. I could just use him, Ava. We have a spy in the Watson family now. Do you realize that? But I’d never do that to you or him. We need to find out what they’re planning because it’s obvious that they are planning something. And I don’t think they have Seth’s best interests at heart.”
“Have you heard something?” His eyes crinkled. “Daddy.”
“Your mom had a vision last night.”
My breath stuck in my throat. “What?”
“It was the room she was held in when she was kidnapped, and someone was in it.”
I covered my mouth with my hands to stop the gasp, but that couldn’t stop my heart.
Dad grimaced. “Calm down, Ave.” But it was too late.
Seth told the kids he’d be back and came rushing over, his hand on his chest. “What’s wrong?” He grabbed my arms gently and leaned down to see my face. “Ava?”
“Nothing, I’m fine.” I looked at Daddy and shook my head. I wasn’t going to be able to do this. I wasn’t going to be able to keep things from Seth like this. It wasn’t the way our kind did things.
Daddy couldn’t hear me, but he still got my meaning. His face scrunched and I could tell he felt guilty for even asking me to do it.
Seth’s shoulders sagged as he stood up straight. “So we are going back to that?” he asked softly.
“No,” I gripped his sides, “we aren’t.” I looked at Daddy. “We either trust him completely or we don’t. They are his family, yes, but they were our rivals long before that. And I don’t think he would have a problem with us checking into things.” Seth’s brow was now bunched into multiple levels of confusion. “Daddy wants to send some of our people to check out the Watsons.” Seth’s face straightened a little. “Mom had a vision, not a good one, and we just want to see if we can—”
“Yes.”
“What?” Dad asked a little too loudly. He cleared his throat. “What?” he asked quieter, watching the helpers take over with the kids.
“They don’t tell me things anymore,” Seth explained, his brow furrowed. “They don’t leave me alone like they used to. They’re always around, always calling and texting, always trying to get me to come over. It’s weird.” He sighed, his head falling a little. I moved in and hugged him to give him a little comfort if I could. He smiled. “What did I tell you about that?” he said softly, not even caring that my dad was there. “This is what I need,” he told me and pulled me as close as I could get, putting his arms around my hips, slipping his thumb just under the hem of my shirt to touch my skin. I tried not to hiss when he touched me, but failed miserably. Then he carried on as if nothing had transpired. I looked up at Daddy to see him shaking his head, all cocked-browed. “I think it’s a good idea. They think they have me right where they want me.” I jerked my gaze up to meet his. He looked so sad. “I hate to admit that, but they’re using me. I know it. Ever since I botched their plan at your house to take you, they haven’t been the same. They sabotage every time I try to see you. For what purpose, I haven’t figured out yet. But I will. We will.”
I’m sorry.
It’s not your fault.
I feel like it kinda is.
How?
Because I’m a Jacobson. If you had bonded with anyone else, they probably would have just been happy for you. As happy as a Watson can be anyway.
His face twisted, but he couldn’t argue with me. “I’m sorry.”
“Me, too.”
That night when he dropped me off at the house, as we stood in my yard, he pulled his cell out and texted Harper back.
No thanks. I have everything I need already.
“Thank you.”
“There’s something I need to tell you about Harper,” he hedged carefully and I felt my heart burst a little. He cupped my cheek. “No, no, it’s not that. Well, not exactly that.”
“Will you just spit it out? Because your preface is killing me,” I whispered with my eyes closed, scared to face what he might be about to say.
They had actually been a couple once. He did have feelings for her that were now void. She had been promised to him in some twisted family ritual that involved lamb’s blood and goat’s milk.
He laughed in a small breath. “Baby, stop. Look at me.”
I lifted my face. He called me ‘baby’.
“I’m still testing out nicknames. You like?”
“I think you could call you anything and I’d like it. You could call me ‘Francine’ and I’d practically swoon at your feet.”
“Francine?” He laughed.
“Swoonsville,” I whispered and tried to smile for him.
His smile was one that showed all his feelings, or at least I hoped it did, because that smile was one of love and adoration. It morphed to seriousness and I was loathe to see it go away.
“I just want to start by saying that Harper and I had nothing to do with it.” I tried not to make a face, but wound up gritting my teeth instead. He took my face in his hands. “I know that you don’t like Harper, but…she’s been my friend for as long as I can remember. We grew up together. She…wouldn’t hurt me. If there’s some plot they’re planning, she’s not a part of it.”
I pressed my lips together and looked down. Though I didn’t like her, he obviously had some strong connection with her. I didn’t want to shatter that, but that was exactly what I was about to do with what I saw.
“What?” I met his eyes. “What did you see?”
I stalled. It was my way. Maybe I should have just never said anything. Maybe I should have just let him see it all the day it all happened and been done with it.
“What, Ava?” he said harder.
My eyes burned. I let him see on my face how much I didn’t want to show him before I pulled him down to press my head to his. I showed him what happened the day he took me to his apartment and Harper was waiting for us, when she hugged him and grinned so evilly behind his back at me like she was winning, she then fixed her expression when he pulled back. I showed him how she gave me the same look when we made our way inside. And then I showed him how I saw it, a girl would see it, when he was leaving and she looked at him so longingly.