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My father didn’t hide his disappointment, but he didn’t argue with me either. “I understand, tesoro.”
I wrapped my arm through his and rested my cheek against his shoulder. “Please don’t stop trying. I know you—you can do anything. If anyone can make this happen, it’s you.” I wanted my father and Bones to get along. I wanted them to like each other, to trust each other. I wanted us all to be one family…more than anything else.
“In most respects, that’s true,” he whispered. “But I’ve never been in this kind of situation before. You know I’m not good with words. Even having deep conversations with your mother is a challenge for me.”
“I know you can do it, Father.”
“You have a high opinion of me…”
“Yes. But I also know how much you love me…and you’ll do anything to make me happy.”
He sighed before he looked at me, his eyes soft in a special way. It was a look he only gave me, his only daughter. I had a special hold on his heart, a grip that even my mother didn’t have. “Yes…anything.”
Father drove me home and parked on the street. Despite my insistence that I could make it inside on my own, he walked me up the stairs to the door.
“Thanks for driving me back.”
“I didn’t mind in the least.” He pulled me into his chest and hugged me, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Good night.”
“Good night, Father.”
He gave me another soft look before he walked down the stairs and got into his car. He waited there, not turning on the engine until he saw me go into my apartment.
I unlocked the door and stepped inside.
I set my purse on the entryway table and walked into the living room. It was almost ten o’clock, the time we usually went to bed. The TV was off, and Bones lay on the couch, wearing nothing but his boxers. The size of a horse, he took up every inch of the cushions, his feet dangling over the edge. He’d taken a few pillows from the bedroom and rested on them now.
I stopped near the coffee table, spotting the open bottle of scotch and the empty glass beside it. There were a few drops at the bottom of the glass, amber liquid from the alcohol he’d downed for the last few hours.
I knew he wasn’t asleep, so I stood there and waited for him to say something.
He kept looking at the ceiling, comfortable with the never-ending silence.
I walked to the couch and stood over him, seeing all his muscles and tattoos. When I looked down into his face, I saw his eyes meet mine in the darkness. Light from the streetlamp outside flooded the apartment, casting shadows in the corners.
He held my gaze, his look unresponsive. He was far too stubborn to utter a single word.
So I folded. “What are you doing?”
“Sleeping.”
“You look wide awake to me.”
“Well, this couch isn’t made for a man like me.”
“Then why aren’t you sleeping in the bedroom?” I assumed he’d drunk until he passed out in front of the TV. But now that I noticed the pillows and his sobriety, I knew this choice had been purposeful.
“Isn’t this what couples do? The man does something wrong, so he gets stuck on the couch?” He sat up then ran his hand through his hair, his eyes sleepy even though he hadn’t slept for even a minute. His hair was messy from fingering it for the last few hours. He leaned back against the couch, a man comprised of endless power. He glanced at the bottle of scotch on the table but didn’t pour himself another glass. He stared straight ahead, not looking at me.
I stared at his hard outline, from the broad shape of his shoulders to his enormous chest. He was a beast more than a man, his tattoos only heightening his intimidating presence. The black ink hid some of his beautiful skin, but it also hid the battle scars he’d been carrying for the last ten years. His jawline was hard, casting a shadow down his neck from the gentle light coming through the window. He hadn’t shaved in a few days, so his beard was starting to get thick. His blue eyes were the only gentle feature he possessed. The rest of him was all man.
I gripped his shoulder then straddled his hips, sitting on him as he leaned against the couch. My arms hooked around his neck, and I looked him in the eye, seeing him slowly soften now that I was on top of him.
He glanced at my lips before he looked me in the eye. His hands automatically moved to my waist, his fingers sliding underneath my shirt so he could feel my soft skin with his fingertips.
I pressed my mouth to his and gave him a soft kiss, just our lips touching together. It was long, our breaths coming in deeper the second we touched. I felt the same electric shock as I did when he was inside me. A simple touch from this man was all I needed. I pulled away and looked into his eyes. “For as long as we live, you’re never sleeping on this couch.” I pulled my shirt over my head then unclasped my bra. The bra fell to the cushion, revealing my bare tits.
