Page 39 of Loved By You

Holy shit.How can a man lookthathot first thing in the morning? He's only wearing his suit pants and Lexi is hanging on to his neck for dear life. Can't say I blame the girl. I'd like to hang off his neck like that too. Elle is in his arms, resting on his hip, and sweet baby Jesus, if it's not the hottest thing I have ever seen. There is something about a man with a baby and it's got my ovaries twitching.

“Ri, the spatula” Ali mutters under her breath, snapping me from my pervy daydream.

“Who wants pancakes?” I say slightly flustered, bending down to retrieve it.

“I'd love some pancakes, Ri” I glance up, and he gives the biggest pantie-melting smile there ever was.Fucker.He knows Iwas staring, just like I was staring last night.I really need to get it together.

Ali places her coffee mug down on the counter. “Not for me, babe. I need to get going. My boss needs me to go find a Birkin bag for today's shoot. I'll call you later.”

“Thank you for last night.” I squeeze her before she walks over to Lexi and Elle, and kisses them both on the nose, reminding them to be good for me.

“Have fun everyone, especially you two.” She points between me and Jack before she backs out of the room. Both Jack and I awkwardly laugh, my belly doing a weird flutter at the idea of having fun with him.

“What about you girls? Do you want pancakes?” Jack asks in an animated voice, spinning them around. The sound of their giggles fills the kitchen and warms my heart.

“Me, me,” Lexi demands as Jack sits her down on a stool and places Elle in her highchair.

Watching him, looking like a Greek god helping the girls with their sippy cups and making them giggle as he pulls silly faces, I'm starting to wonder why I am pushing this ‘let's be friends’ narrative. I know he wants me, or at least I think he does, and I know I want him, so why am I depriving us both?

The little looks, the way he massaged me last night, the way he kissed my forehead, and the undeniable bulge in his briefs when I walked in last night to hand him the blankets. He surely feels the same, right?

But why would he want me? He could have any woman he wanted. I’m covered in scars, both physically from having my girls and mentally from my childhood and my marriage. My life is chaos. But I've never felt like this before and I feel like I am stuck at a crossroads. Do I deny myself what I want? Take the road that is safe and has no risk of me getting hurt again? Or doI take a chance and lean into these feelings I have for Jack and explore that road with him and hope he feels the same way?

Where's the creepy old lady from the carnival with her crystal ball when you need her to tell you your future?

“Okay, pancakes for everyone,” I declare, trying to distract myself from my thoughts.

Once the pancakes are plated up and the coffee poured, we all sit eat together and it's the most normal and relaxed I have felt in ages. This is what I always wanted. Mundane chat around the breakfast table, the girls giggling and making a mess with their pancakes, sharing the day’s plans.

I look at my girls smiling as Jack shows Lexi how to make a pancake sandwich with three pancakes, Nutella, and strawberries. The fact he's got her to eat strawberries in any form has me shocked. He's a natural round kids, and watching him with them makes my heart happy and body warm in that way that lets you know that you are safe and that maybe, everything will be okay.

After breakfast, Jack and I clean up the kitchen together, which is a novelty in itself; not only having a man present at breakfast, but one who also helps wash the dishes. Seriously, Jack Lawson is ticking all the goddamn boxes, and he probably doesn't even realize it.

“Thanks for cleaning up. You didn't need to do that.”

“Don't be silly, Ri. I ate so I can help. Besides, I like helping you.”

Okay, why is he so perfect?

I watch his shirtless body as he dries the remainder of the plates. “Well, I appreciate it. I need to repay the favor for the ride last night and for helping this morning.”

“Repay the favor you say?” He reaches past me to put the pile of plates away, his chest brushing dangerously close to me.When he leans back, he braces his hands on both sides of the kitchen counter, caging me in with a glint in his eye.

“Yep.” I try to sound normal, but his proximity makes speaking feel impossible. “Name it. What do you want?”

I am treading on thin ice here and I know it, but I don't care.

His mouth grazes my ear, sending a shiver through me.

“Now that is an open-ended question, Ria, with so many possibilities.”

“Anything you want. Just name it,” I whisper.

He leans back slightly, and we lock eyes. Without blinking, he says, “You.”

“W-w-what?” I stammer, not sure I believe he really wants me.

“I want you.”

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