It’s hard to miss the passing looks between everyone at Andrew’s declaration. If I wish really hard, will the floor open and suck me in? Maybe it can spit me out at home, or at least somewhere far from here.
Staying with Andrew, if it means what I think it does, is just plain dangerous. I can’t be in the same room, bed, or anything else with him. Not after all the fantasies I’ve had about him. I’m liable to jump him in my sleep. Fuck, they might as well kill me now.
“I don’t want to be an inconvenience. I can sleep anywhere,” I volunteer. Seriously, if they have a shed out back, I’ll take it.
“You’re not an inconvenience. I invited you here, remember? I always planned on you staying for a few days. You’ll stay in my cabin with me, Sweetpea. Let me grab your suitcase, and then we’ll walk over.” He tilts my face with his fingers until I meet his gaze. “Okay?”
I nod, hating that everyone’s eyes are on me.
“Words, little one.”
His eyes are mesmerizing. Every time I look at him, I get tongue-tied. It’s ridiculous. I’m a grown woman. An attorney. But he makes me feel so submissive when he uses that commanding voice and gives me the look.
“I’m waiting for your answer.” He quirks an eyebrow, and the corners of his lips twitch.
Shit. Damn. Speak, Jaclyn, you can do it. After gulping down the lump in my throat, I croak out, “Okay.”
“I’ll be right back.”
I can’t drag my eyes from him as he walks away. He’s got one fine ass, thick thighs… Oh God, I’m in so much trouble.
When I hear the girls giggle, I know they caught me checking him out, and my cheeks heat.
“We get it, these Gallant men are sex on a stick. Luckily, Asher lets me climb him like a monkey whenever I want,” Emma whispers from my side.
“Seriously?” I ask as I look over at her.
“Yup. When we first met, I hurt my foot, and he carried me everywhere. He got used to it and hates it when I want to walk.” She rolls her eyes.
“I heard that, Raindrop. Be careful. I’m not afraid to take you over my knee in front of everyone.”
“Sorry, Ashbear. I’m trying to make Jaclyn feel more at home. That’s all,” she answers, before winking at me.
What the hell have I gotten myself into?
five
Andrew
My cabin is the closest one to the main house. Before we returned to the mountain, my brothers and I planned the layout for the homestead rebuild and cabins for each of us—particularly where we wanted them built. Each of us added custom touches to the basic three-bedroom, two-bath cabins, but some aspects were common to each of us: namely, a safe room. Everyone except Asher. He continued to live on the mountain after the fire, even once we all left. None of us heard from him much during that time, but eventually he broke through the grief that had held him in a stranglehold and rejoined the family. I think our return to the mountain helped him, but Emma healed something inside Asher, and now he’s finally the person we all knew he could be.
Years of work at JNG Corporate Headquarters ensured we all knew the business inside and out, and each of my brothers found their niche. I was the only one with no choice. Dad groomed me from my teens to take over from him one day. None of us had been ready for it to be shortly after I’d graduated with my master's degree from Stanford, his alma mater.
I work from my office in the main building most days, though I can work from my cabin. After years of going into the office, it’s been hard to break the habit, just like wearing business attire, albeit business casual on the days when I don’t have conference calls with JNG HQ. My brothers accuse me of being a workaholic, and I don’t disagree. Adrian, who handles our security, and Aaron, JNG CFO, who interacts with me on a day-to-day basis, complain the most. As CEO, the responsibility to make sure everything runs smoothly sits on my shoulders. It’s something my dad stressed for as long as I can remember. Not letting him down weighs heavily on me.
Since it is such a short walk to the main building, I rarely use my SUV unless it’s nasty weather. Mostly, it stays parked in the garage next to my cabin. Exactly where it is right now. When I grab her suitcase and stride toward the kitchen to grab Jaclyn, I remember she’s wearing heels. Stilettos aren't the best footwear for the paths around the homestead. Should I go get my car to drive her to my cabin? It’s the gentlemanly thing to do—the option my father would have picked. One my parents raised me to choose, but thinking about her stumbling against me and needing my help convinces me to leave the SUV where it is. My smirk turns into a genuine smile when I reach the kitchen doorway.
Seeing Jaclyn and Emma chatting makes me happy. All the women in our family are sweet, but Jaclyn will probably relate better with Emma, since she also grew up in the city.
“Ready to head out, Jaclyn?” When she looks over at the doorway and sees me, her cheeks pinken. I wonder what the two of them were talking about if seeing me causes such a dramatic reaction.
“Yes, thank you,” she answers, then turns back to Emma. “Maybe I’ll see you before I leave.”
Emma looks at where I’m leaning against the archway and smiles at Jaclyn with a gleam in her eyes. “Oh, I guarantee it.”
I catch identical smirks on my brothers’ faces when my gaze wanders from Jaclyn as she strides across the kitchen toward me. Their thoughts are obvious—and they’re not wrong. There’s no denying what I want. Sure, I could try, but it would be ridiculous. Too bad admitting it to myself is the easy part. The hard part? Convincing Jaclyn she’s mine, so she won’t run.
“You okay?” I ask and rest my hand on the small of her back so I can steer her toward the back door to take the shorter path to my cabin.
