Kristen Ashley

“Woulda made a deal with the devil to get my wife and daughter back.” He was still whispering and my breath stilled. “Don’t have that chance so nothin’ I can do about that. But I darkened your door, baby, and you lit up my life again, so I’m not lettin’ that go.”

“I’d do just about anything to make you look at me like that, Gwen. And I’ll keep doin’ it as long as I can surprise you and know, from that look, you like me spoilin’ you, it means somethin’ to you and I’m gonna keep doin’ it and only stop when I don’t get that in return.”

“Yeah?” he asked distractedly, and I slid my hand way.

He stopped looking left and right, his head turned to me and his hand shot out and grabbed mine, bringing it back and pressing it against his thigh.

His voice was soft when he explained, “I like your touch, honey.”

“I might have been willing to allow that had you not called him ‘honey’ right… in… front… of… me. Now you’ll get one over my cold, dead body,” I retorted.

“Baby, calm down,” Max said on another squeeze.

“Heard the knock, honey, expected to see your dad at the door. Damn better sight seein’ your mom smilin’ and wavin’ and jumpin’ up and down.”

“See I got mostly Nina Zombie,” Max said, his lips at my hair. “Get yourself sorted out, darlin’. I’ll go down and see that your mother doesn’t move into the barn.”

“Not a big fan of my woman running herself down, not even doin’ it as a joke. You got an unbelievably pretty face, fantastic fuckin’ eyes, and a spectacular body.”

“Max, I—”

His hands squeezed my bottom and he interrupted me. “And I hear you say different again, Duchess, I’m not gonna like it.”

“You love me,” he stated.

Oh God, it was happening, all of it, everything.

“Yes,” I whispered.

“Say it,” he ordered.

He held my eyes and I said it. “I love you, Max.”

“But if you break my daughter’s heart, I’ll break you.”

Deck’s head jerked at this swift turn in their conversation.

“Know how sharp you are,” Barry continued. “Don’t know what you do for a living but I suspect it’s interesting. But money goes a long way, I got a lot of that, and you hurt my girl, I’ll use everything I got to hurt you back.”

“Give me what I want,” he demanded.

“Honey.”

“Give it to me, Emme.”

She shoved her face farther into his neck then turned her head, her fist in his hair loosening as she slid it to the back of his neck and said so quietly, even as close as she was, he barely heard her, “I love you, Jacob.”