No more thoughts, no more nerves, nothing except for how good he looks in the white long-sleeved shirt and black shorts, short enough to see a few tattoos peeking out on his muscular thighs and trailing down his strong calves, and I let my eyes roam over the skin and back up his tall frame.
His dark hair is damp and brushed back like he just ran his fingers through it; his stubble casts a shadow over his jaw, but it’s more prominent above his lips, making them look even more full.
I never paid much attention to a man’s lips before—the shape, the color, how soft they look—but there’s something about Jack’s that makes it hard to tear my eyes away.
A finger brushes just under my chin, gently lifting my head to meet his eyes.
Only a few inches from mine, the green is deeper than I’ve ever noticed before, like a forest at dusk—lush, untamed, and filled with secrets, begging me to come closer and lose myself within.
“Careful, Rumi,” he says, and I can feel his cool, minty breath against my lips—that’s how close he is.
I didn’t even realize he leaned in.
I should feel the need to take a step back, put some space between us.
But I don’t.
“I can’t be held responsible for what I do when those pretty blue eyes look at me like that,” he adds, using his finger under my chin to close my mouth for me.
And apparently I can’t be held responsible for where my mind goes when I see a mustache, thigh tattoos, and five-inch inseam shorts.
Out of the corner of my eye, two little arms reach out, palms opening and closing in Jack’s direction, and I come back from whatever fantasy world I was just living in. “Sorry. Hi, thanks for inviting us over.”
Jack’s smile is subtle, like a whisper of one, but I can still see it. He takes a step back, but Evee’s arms still reach toward him. We both look down at her, and I remember the food I brought.
“Oh, and I brought dinner. Sorry, I should’ve mentioned it before coming,” I say, about to reach for the bag.
“Here.” Jack reaches his arms toward me. “I can hold her.” I didn’t think it was possible for my heart to beat any faster, not until he saidthatjust inches from my face. “If that’s okay,” he adds.
“Are you sure?” I ask, but Evee is already leaning toward him.
“Come here, Evee girl,” he says to her, and I pass her to him but make no effort to grab the bag of food.
He holds her gently, a little stiff and unsure at first, but the way he looks at her—like she’s something fragile and sacred—makes my chest ache in a very dangerous way.
Evee bounces in his arms where he balances her against his chest, one arm under her and the other at her back—he sways back and forth subtly as he looks at her, and I don’t think he realizes he’s doing it. Her face is curious as she grabs the fabricof his white long-sleeve with both hands, her eyes roaming up and down his face.
Like mother, like daughter.
A cool breeze hits my exposed arms, giving me a little shiver, causing Jack to turn my way. “Come on in,” he says, taking a few steps back with Evee, giving me room to enter.
I grab the bag of food at my feet, adjusting Evee’s diaper bag on my shoulder as I walk through the door. The smell of fresh paint and clean wood hits me instantly as I enter the space.
Walking in, Jack closes the door behind me, and I take off my sneakers out of habit from living with Ava, looking around at his home. Jack takes the food and the diaper bag from my shoulder, grabbing both in one hand as he holds Evee in the other with greater ease now, getting more and more comfortable by the second.
“Let me give you two the tour,” Jack says as I follow him into the living room that leads into the kitchen. He never fails to include Evee, saying he wants to give the two of us the tour instead of me.
It’s something small, but it means so much.
Jack sets the food and diaper bag on the kitchen counter, turning to look at me.
He points to where I’m standing just in front of his couch, one of the only furniture pieces in the open living room aside from a coffee table and TV.
“That’s the living room.” He points from where he’s standing with Evee. “This is the kitchen.” I follow his gaze as he points to the left. “Bathroom is there. Then there are two bedrooms down that hall, and the primary bedroom and bathroom are upstairs.”
“It’s beautiful,” I say, looking around, noticing the bare walls and random boxes throughout. Although there’s not much, the house doesn’t feel empty or void—it has a homeyness to it already. “And you’ve been here since Tuesday?” Emersonmentioned that Jack was treating her and Luke to coffee for helping him move that day they came to Hey Honey’s.
Jack keeps moving side to side, keeping Evee moving in his arms as he answers. “Yeah, it’s okay. I’ve never really lived alone before, but I’m really only here to sleep.”
