Page 47 of Jackass

“Yeah, baby, I do. If you aren’t ready for that, we can get a DNA test done proving Charlie is mine, and I can petition to have her birth certificate changed. But I think you will still need to be divorced, unless you think he wouldn’t sign off on it?”

I sat there, staring at Jack. Just a few days ago, he was so angry at me, he wouldn’t stay in the same room with me.

Now he was talking about getting married.

“You want to marry me?” I needed to be clear about what I was hearing. He wasn’t making sense. Jack pulled the hand he held in his to his mouth and kissed it. Never taking his eyes from the road, he confirmed what he said.

“Yes, baby, I want to marry you. I want you, me, and Charlie to be a family. And I want to have more babies with you.”

“Jack, I don’t know if…”

“Hey, this wasn’t a proposal.”

Now I was more confused. He must have noticed my brows draw together.

“I meant this wasn’ttheproposal. Beck would kill me if I proposed like this. No, baby, once you’re divorced, I’ll propose ina way that you won’t be able to refuse.”

I just stared at him. He seemed so sure of himself. Sitting back in my seat, I kept the rest of my thoughts to myself. We were almost at the zoo. Charlie would be awake soon, and this was definitely not a conversation to have in front of her.

Chapter Eleven

Jack

I carried my sleeping daughter into the clubhouse and straight up to the room. A day at the zoo as a family was exactly what we all needed. Laying her down, I slipped off her shoes.

Sammy walked up behind me, holding Charlie’s pajamas, and quickly switched her out of her clothes and into something she could sleep comfortably in.

We decided to have dinner in Denver, so it was late. Though, Sammy had reassured me she should sleep through the rest of the night.

Once Charlie was snuggled into her blankets, tucked in tight, I took Sammy’s hand and led her to the door. Before I could lead her out to the hallway, Sammy pulled back.

“Jack, I can’t leave her here alone.”

I gazed at Sammy.

“Why not? She didn’t have her own room at Carrie’s?”

“Of course she did—”

“Then what’s the problem?” I whispered.

“That was different. It was her home. She knew where she was and exactly where to go if she woke in the night.”

Shit.

I scrubbed my hand over my face. Sighing heavily, I pleaded with her, “I want you in my bed tonight.”

“I’m sorry, Jack. I won’t leave her alone.”

“My room is right across the hall,” I whined.

Sammy glared at me. I knew she thought I only wanted her in my bed so I could fuck her, but that wasn’t all I wanted. I wanted to sleep with my arms around my woman.

Looking down at my sleeping daughter, I conceded.

“Ok, you’re right. Tomorrow, you both are getting a tour. And we’ll get one of those monitor things. That way, we can hear her if she wakes up. I want you in my bed, Sammy, every night.”

Grabbing her face in my hands, I kissed her. My lips moved over hers with purpose. My tongue slipped between her lips to tangle with hers.