Page 73 of The Keeper and I

“Youdidnotice,” she said with a smirk.

“How could I not? You look fucking amazing.”

“Thank you!” She only let herself be flattered for a moment. “Wait—more importantly, you spoke to your mother? How did it go?”

He faced her and leaned against the counter while he dried his hands with a tea towel. “It went well. I’ll see her again before she heads back up north.”

“Where is she living?”

“Newcastle.”

“I see,” she said and paused for a beat. “Tell me more about it. What did she say? And what did you say?”

“She came right out with an apology,” he said. “She told me she went to counseling and worked on herself. She wanted to be better when she came back into our lives. To her credit, she acknowledged how shitty it was of her to leave us in the first place. She wants to make up for it anyway she can.” He stopped and swallowed. “For the first time, I actuallywantedto forgive her. I think I can finally get there.”

“Jordan, that’s wonderful,” Laci said. She stepped closer, and he wrapped his arms around her. “It takes a lot to forgive the things you went through with her. I’m so proud of you.”

The soft smile he showed her turned her legs into jelly. Luckily, she was leaning on him.

“I’ve got you to thank,” he said. “Seeing your family together, and a nice chat with your dad, showed me a new perspective.”

She beamed. “That’s lovely.”

He tucked her hair behind her ear, his gaze warm like melted caramel. It was like she’d never seen before. He showed more than affection, he was being vulnerable.

“I’m starting to see some other things differently too,” he said.

Her heart slammed against her chest. “Are you?”

“Aye.”

He said nothing more as he captured her lips in a tender kiss. She yielded to him. All thoughts or doubts banished from her mind at his embrace. It wasn’t about the physical after all. He’d finally surrendered when something on the inside changed. Her arms coiled around his neck, and she pulled him closer. His tongue sought hers out, and she gave it to him, but they hardly had time together before he pulled away again. Laci showed her displeasure with a nip at his bottom lip. He groaned before he opened his eyes.

His gaze traveled hungrily down her body, his fingers following and tracing the edges of her lingerie with a feather-light touch. When he grazed the side of her breast, she gasped.

“This all for me?” he asked.

She nodded. “I wanted to seduce you properly. The pigeon threw quite a wrench in that.”

“I see.” He chuckled. “Why were you opening the window at all?”

“To get my nipples hard,” she admitted with a sigh.

He threw his head back and laughed. “Fucking hell, Laci.”

“It’s not as if pigeons are flying into my home regularly. I hardly expected—”

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” he said, pulling her in close again. “I meant I don’t want you opening windows when your man isn’t here to protect you.”

It took her a moment before she realized he was talking about Dane still being out there somewhere. For a fleeting second, she was furious that she couldn’t be comfortable in her home again. But he was the reason she and Jordan were in this position at all. And that left one elephant in the room that couldn’t be ignored. No matter how much the ache between her legs throbbed at the thought of stopping now when she was so close to what she wanted.

“My man, are you?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow. Maybe this conversation didn’t have to completely kill the mood. She toyed with the collar of his shirt. “For real? Or only for my protection?”

“I’d like to try for real,” he answered, taking her hand. “If you want me.”

She swallowed the screech of excitement that bubbled up in her throat and glanced down at her outfit. “I think it’s pretty clear.”

“You’re sure it’s me you want?” His eyes searched hers. “To be your first?”