Page 44 of Carry Me Home
“You don’t have to sell me on Maya, Ace.” He stood and ambled toward me. “I like her. I’ve liked her from the moment she told me she wanted to see a dead body. I just want to make sure I’m taking care of her the way she needs me to. I want her to have a great summer.”
“Okay.” My voice wobbled.
He loomed over me, his arms bracketing my body against the railing. “I want you to have a good summer, too.”
I could think of a hundred ways to have a good summer with Jack and every single one of them was a bad idea. He wasn’t justmy best friend’s brother. He wasn’t just the one-night stand who had a special talent for finding my clit.
He was mymanny.
I was paying him to take care of my daughter, not to fuck me senseless. And sure, the distasteful power dynamics that came with a parent hooking up with their child’s caregiver didn’t apply here. I wasn’t married. He didn’t need the job. He didn’t need me at all.
But I neededhim. Maya needed him.
I couldn’t fuck this up.
“Jack.” I swallowed hard. “We need to set some ground rules.”
“Like, no more than two hours of screen time a day, no dessert before dinner, that kind of thing?”
“No.” I exhaled heavily. “Although yes to all of that, actually. But I meant ground rules about us.”
“Dammit. I was afraid you were going to say that.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at his crestfallen expression. “Because you know it’s a bad idea. I can’t have random hookups with my daughter’s manny. Stability is so important to Maya’s wellbeing. I can’t risk it.”
He studied me, his blue eyes dark in the fading light. “Of course we can’t do anything that would hurt Maya. I would never do that.”
I tilted my head, my eyes narrowed. “You’re doing that thing again where the wordssoundlike you’re agreeing with me, but your tone says you’re not.”
He laughed. “And you said you can’t read people. You’re doing great.”
I huffed. “Jack. We can’t?—”
“I know what we can’t do, Ace. But think of all the things wecando.”
And then he left me there to think about it.
17
JACK
Mateo
When are you coming to Wyoming? Jay said he made you an offer a week ago.
Jack
September at the earliest. There’s this girl…
Mateo
Yeah?
Jack
Red hair and the prettiest eyes you’ve ever seen. Cool hobbies. Makes me laugh so hard I cry.
Mateo
