Luke gives me a wink, smiling at me with a look that instantly makes my insides melt. The damn man should be marked lethal.
“Yep! We can watch movies tonight, can’t we, Jaz-min?” she asks, bouncing excitedly.
“Sure kiddo,” I answer immediately, hoping that will make her settle down before she bounces on the bed so hard that I can’t hold onto the quilt and she asks me why I’m naked in her daddy’s bed.
“Yay!” she yells and hurls her body at me. I’m forced to catch her which sucks because I can’t grasp the sheet. I hug her tightly, but I narrow my eyes at Luke now that Daisy can’t see me. I warn him without words that he’s in for it later. His grin deepens as Daisy pulls away. The cover slips but I grab it quickly, barely averting disaster.
“How about we go get breakfast dished up while Jasmine gets ready, Daisy?”
“Okay, Daddy,” she says, dutifully, then she bounces into Luke’s arms. He catches her like it was perfectly timed, even though there’s no way he could have guessed she was going to jump like that. Seeing them together tugs at my heart and I have to clear my throat before I can talk again.
“What am I getting ready for?” I ask, feeling a little lost for several reasons.
“We’re going house shopping, Red,” he says and then surprising me he bends down and gives me a quick kiss on the lips. My heart squeezes in my chest.
“You kissed Jaz-min,” Daisy says, as if in awe.
“Yeah, I did,” Luke says, winking at me yet again.
“You like her?” Daisy asks.
“Definitely,” Luke responds, in a way that makes it impossible to doubt him and that squeeze on my heart intensifies, but it stops beating and somersaults in my chest with Daisy’s next words.
“I should kiss her too, cause I really like her,” she says, nodding her head slowly.
“You can kiss her when she comes and eats,” he says.
“Okay,” she accepts. “Don’t let me forget, Jaz-min.”
“I…I won’t baby,” I answer, my voice hoarse as emotion clogs my throat.
I barely stood a chance against Luke when it came to protecting my heart.
How do I fight both of them?34Grunt“What do you think, Red?” I ask, but I already know what she will say. She’s going to give me the same answer that she’s given when I asked about the other four houses we’ve looked at today.
“I think it will work well for you and Daisy, Luke.”
And there it is.
“Daddy! There’s a swing set out back! Did you see?” Daisy asks excitedly.
“I didn’t. Do you like it?”
“Yes! It has a slide and everything. Can I go play?”
“Sure baby. I’ll be here talking to Jasmine,” I tell her. I asked the realtor to leave us alone to look at this one. She’s pretty easygoing, because she’s stayed back at her car at each property. That works to my advantage right now, because Jasmine and I are about to have it out—yet again.
“Red, you and I need to talk,” I grumble, when she goes to the French doors to watch Daisy play.
“We do?” she asks, looking up at me like she’s clueless. Hell, maybe she is.
“Damn it, woman. You’ve said the same thing about every house we’ve checked out today.”
“That’s because they’ve all been great homes, Luke,” she mumbles.
“But don’t you have any opinion on which you like better?”
“Not really. What does it matter?” she sighs.
“Because I want my woman to like the house I buy for us?”
Her eyes go big as saucers and I swear to fuck she steps away from me.
“Whoa, maybe you need to slow down here, Luke.”
“The fuck I do. Do you think we’re just playing house here, Jasmine?”
“I, uh…Luke maybe we…
“I’m trying to plan for the future here, Red. I don’t know where your head is at, but I fucking love what we have going on between us.”
“Luke, I think—”
“Do you, Jasmine?”
“You know I do,” she murmurs.
“I thought we had this out last night, baby. You’ve got to quit pushing me away.”
“But, I’m not…”
“Then tell me which house you like,” I respond softly, pulling her into my arms.
“I don’t think it’s normal to take a girl you’ve just started dating to look at houses, Luke.”
“Baby, I don’t date.”
“You don’t?” she questions, but her lips are fighting a smile.
“Shit, no,” I laugh.
“Then, what do you do, Luke?”
“I see what I want and take it,” I purr, dropping my head down so my forehead rests against hers. Her arms wrap around me and I grin down at her.
“Just like that, huh?” she breathes.
“Oh yeah, and then, to make sure she wants to stay, I do my best to feed her dick.”
“You know, Luke, I think I’ve heard this story before.”
“Then you should have listened baby.”
“You really want my opinion on a home you’re buying for you and your daughter?” she asks like she can’t believe it.