Page 65 of Nanny for the Single Dad Cowboy
He turns his head slightly, enough that I can see the profile of his face in the dim light—the hard line of his jaw, the shadow of old pain etched deep. “Sometimes I can stand. Sometimes I can’t. It’s a toss-up. But I got home to Daisy. That’s what matters.”
My hands still on his back. I lean down, pressing a soft kiss between his shoulder blades. “You almost died,” I whisper.
He doesn’t answer for a moment. Then, quietly: “Yeah. But I didn’t. That’s the part I try to remember.”
I rest my cheek against his back, listening to the slow thud of his heart. “You’re incredible, you know that?”
He huffs out a breath, part disbelief, part surrender. “You think I’m some kind of hero?”
“No.” I lift my head, tracing another scar with my fingertips. “I think you’re human. And that’s a lot harder.”
He goes very still. “You scare the hell out of me,” he murmurs.
My heart clenches. “Why?”
“Because I didn’t think I could feel this again. Not like this.” His voice breaks on the last word.
I slide down beside him, lying on my side so I can see his face. He turns toward me, eyes dark and soft and so heartbreakingly open.
“Jace…”
“I love you, Tessa.” It comes out quiet but sure, a steady heartbeat of truth. “I didn’t mean for it to happen. Didn’t plan it. But I do.”
For a moment, I just look at him, this man who’s seen war and loss and pain, who still finds a way to be gentle with me. My throat tightens.
“I love you too,” I whisper. “I have for a long time, but I’ve been scared to admit it to myself, to you, because of what it’ll mean. I have too much baggage, I—“
His hand finds my face, his thumb brushing my cheekbone. There’s a question in his eyes, a kind of fragile wonder. “Say it again.”
“I love you.”
He exhales, the sound shaky, almost reverent. “Say it one more time.”
“I love you, Jace Morgan.”
His mouth finds mine then, slow, deliberate, and full of everything we’ve both been holding back. Not lust this time. Not need. Just love, stripped down to its bones.
The kiss deepens, slow and deliberate—a pull, a promise, a letting go. His hand slides into my hair, the other tracing the line of my spine like he’s memorizing it. Every brush of his skin against mine feels amplified, like the air itself hums between us.
He kisses me like he’s trying to make up for all the nights we spent pretending we didn’t want this. And I kiss him back because I’m completely and irrevocably in love with him.
His lips weave with mine in a familiar dance as his hands move quickly to take off my clothes. I lift my hands to help him take off my T-shirt, leaving me naked from the waist up. He smiles appreciatively, lowering his head to wrap his mouth around one of my nipples. I mewl in response, arching my back into his touch as his hand massages my other breast. He works on my breasts for a while until I’m wanting and begging for more.
Jace takes me by surprise when he kneels and unbuttons my shorts. I lift my hips as he takes them off in one sweep, together with my panties, leaving me completely naked.
“Mmh,” he groans, pulling my panties to his nose.
I blush and hide my face away, but he doesn’t give me a moment to reply as he lifts my legs on his shoulders, exposing me to him. I’m almost concerned for his back and legs, which were in pain a few minutes ago, but he doesn’t seem to care, and I’m not about to question him. It’s not the time.
He lowers his head as his tongue darts out to lick a clean trail over my leaking pussy. I moan in pleasure as his tongue flicks against my clit, making me throw my head back in pleasure. My hands tremble as I fall back on the bed, unable to stay upright.
Jace parts my pussy lips with his fingers as he devours me with his mouth, his tongue fucking me. My hands weave into his hair as I guide him to exactly where I need him. He slides his thickdigits into me, fucking me as his tongue works its magic on my clit. I am putty in his hands, moaning his name over and over again. An orgasm washes over me unexpectedly when he presses his tongue against my clit, his fingers curling over my G-spot.
My legs shake, dropping off his shoulders as he rises. He’s already half naked, so all he has to do is take off his boxers. My gaze wanders lower to his hard cock slapping against his stomach. My mouth waters as I flip things around, taking him into my mouth.
“Fuck. Yes, Tessa, just like that,” he groans as I take his whole length into my mouth, choking on his cock.
I pull back before I throw up and spit all over his cock, working him with both hands as my mouth recovers. I take him back into my mouth, sucking him as I massage his balls. He tugs at my hair, guiding my mouth faster on his cock. Just as I’m about to push him over the edge, he pushes me back onto the bed, aligning himself with my pussy, thrusting forward in one swift move. I cry out in surprise, but he gives me no time to recover as he pulls out and repeats the same motion.
