“What?” she asked after she swallowed the mouthful of food.
“That Jace boy treating you well? He being respectful?”
She couldn’t help but smile. “Boy?” That could have made her snort. There was nothing boyish about Jace.
Nope, not going to have my thoughts go there.
“Dad, he’s in his thirties.”
Her mother started laughing, which had Lexi smiling.
“He’s a hell of a lot younger than me, so I’m going to call him boy.” Her father’s gruff voice came through like sandpaper, and she knew it was because he was acting very fatherly right now.
“He’s been very respectful, Dad.”
Yeah. So respectful that I was the one that had to go to him last night.
She felt her cheeks heat at that thought. But it wasn’t just the memories of what they’d shared. He’d been so sweet in the morning. He’d gotten up early with her and drove her to her place, even showered with her … made love to her again as the water cascaded over them. She was still sore between her thighs, not just because he was a big man all around, but also because he’d been so raw, so passionate with her.
“He’s quite the looker,” her mother said.
Her father groaned. “Honey, don’t give her any ideas.”
Her mother grinned wider. “Braxton, love, she’s had a crush on that boy since she was a teenager. You know that.”
Her father rubbed his head. “Yeah, and I see the way he looks at her. Makes me feel like I need to get my gun out and clean it when he comes and picks up Lexi.”
Lexi started laughing. “Dad, you’re being so dramatic.”
“When it comes to my little girl I’m never dramatic.”
Her mother snorted, and her father glowered.
“Braxton, you’re acting like she’s a teenager. She’s a grown woman out on her own.”
“Hmph,” her father grumbled the sound out.
“Are you done, honey?” her mother asked. Before Lexi could nod her mom had her plate away from her.
“You need to come over more, especially for meals.”
Lexi leaned back in the chair. “Dad, I just moved out, like literally less than two weeks ago.”
Her father shrugged. “I don’t like you being on your own. It’s giving me gray hair.”
Lexi looked at her father’s head. “You already have gray hair.”
“Watch it, girlie.” Her father winked after he spoke.
“You and Mom need your own space. Why don’t you take her on a trip? You know she’s wanted to travel. Why not start now?”
Her father didn’t say anything for several seconds, but then he leaned forward and said in a deep, but low voice. “I plan on it. Next month, in fact.”
Lexi lifted her brows. “Really?” she said softly.
“Yeah, gonna take her on one of those cruises to the Caribbean.”
“Oh my—” The sound of the doorbell going off had Lexi stopping. But her mother picked that time to walk back into the dining room anyway.
“It’s that boy,” her father said in a gruff voice. “I said I could have taken you home.”
She nodded. “I know, but Jace insisted. He said it’s his fault I don’t have a car, so it’s his responsibility to make sure I’m taken care of.”
Her father didn’t say anything for a second, but then he nodded. “Okay, I’m liking that attitude.”
Lexi stood, but her father put a hand on hers. “Let me get it, honey.” He sounded far too pleased.
Oh lord, here we go.
She was out of her seat and standing behind her father as he opened the door. She hadn’t expected Jace this early, but it looked like he had no choice but to really meet her father.
He’s already met him.
Yeah, and he sure as hell didn’t act like it fazed him.
****
As soon as the front door opened he saw Braxton standing there, glowering. The man’s face was stern, hard, and Jace knew he was definitely giving him the “dad” once over. He saw Lexi move out from behind her father, mouthing the words “I’m sorry”, and he couldn’t help but grin. Oh, he could handle this, because it had to do with Lexi. He hadn’t been kidding when he’d said she was his and he wasn’t letting go. Now that he’d had her, finally been in her sweet fucking body, it felt like things were right. It was kind of fucked up, but a genuine feeling, and he wasn’t walking away. He’d wanted her before the sex, and nothing had changed after the fact.
In fact, he wanted her even more now.
“You’re spending a lot of time with my daughter,” Braxton said.
“Yes, sir. It’s my responsibility.”
Braxton grunted and gave one nod. “I hope you’re treating her with the respect she deserves.”
Jace saw Lexi close her eyes and shake her head, the embarrassment clear on her face. He couldn’t help but grin.
“I am, sir.”
“What are your intentions with her?”
The question hadn’t taken him as off guard as he would have thought. But he also wasn’t going to lie to her father, not when he was serious about Lexi.
“My intentions?” He looked at Braxton, saw the man give a sharp nod, and then Jace looked at Lexi. He stared at her right in the eyes, getting lost in the blue depths. She was beautiful, so smart, and being with her made him feel complete. It was really fucking crazy that he could feel this way about a woman, whom although he’d “known” her for years, he just recently started being with.
“My intentions are easy.” He looked back at Braxton. “I think your daughter is smart, and she’s obviously gorgeous. She’s strong and knows how to handle herself. When I’m with her I feel like everything is exactly the way it should be.” Braxton didn’t respond, so Jace continued. “I care about her a lot, sir, and I want her as mine.”
“As yours?” Braxton asked.
“As my woman, as whatever she’ll have me as, sir.” The silence stretched on, but Jace held his position, kept eye contact with Braxton, and told the man without saying anything else, that this was the real fucking deal. Jace could see in his peripheral vision that Lexi was sporting a parted mouth and wide eyes. Hell, they’d shared a lot these past few days, more him than anything else, especially when he had her naked and beside him. But they’d all been true, and she was probably shocked that he was just coming out and saying shit to her old man like this.
“Lexi,” Braxton said without looking at his daughter. “You want this boy?”
Jace could have snorted because of being called a boy. He hadn’t been called that since he was in the single digits age wise.
“I do, Dad,” she said softly, and Jace finally looked at her. She looked so damn surprised, but she smiled, and he felt his gut tighten at the sight.
She could light up a damn room with that smile alone.
“I don’t want to let her go,” Jace said, looking right in Lexi’s eyes, and knowing without a doubt he meant every word and always would. He looked at Braxton then, seeing the older man loosen up his stance, his expression less harsh.
“You treat her well.”
Jace looked at Lexi, smiled, and felt his heart beat a little faster. “Always, sir.”
****
Several weeks later
Lexi couldn’t believe it had already been several weeks later since she first got rear-ended by Jace, and this snowball effect of happiness filled her. She had her car back, better than it had been before, was fully moved in and settled, and her job was going well.
And her and Jace’s relationship? It was like nothing she’d ever experienced before.
Maybe it was because she had feelings for him well before they’d actually “met”? Or maybe she had finally found that one person that made her feel like everything would be okay?
She’d never been one to put her faith in a man, how she’d hope he’d take care of her. Lexi had never wanted that. She was self-sufficient, could stand on her own two feet, but being with Jace did make her happier. There was nothing wrong with knowing having a man in her life made her feel better, not just about life, but about herself in general.
Either way, she was happy, this felt right, and she could only see the positive and her future looking brighter because of it all.
“Pass the rolls, darlin’,” Colton said to her.
She handed the bowl of bread to Colton, and smiled at the happy sensation that seemed to fill the room. They were having dinner at Travis’s place. Pearl had cooked the majority of the food, but Lexi had insisted on bringing dessert.
Travis and Pearl sat beside each other, and Lexi overheard the eldest Sterling brother talking about some personal, sexual things he planned on doing to “his woman” once they were alone. But Lexi wasn’t embarrassed to hear that kind of talk, because as it was she had Jace’s hand on her thigh, precariously close to a very intimate part of her.
She might have been embarrassed to hear and experience such things, but she was happy now, and she could see why couples acted the way they did. The few guys she’d dated had never made her feel good about herself, never made her feel like this.
Looking at Jace, she couldn’t help but smile at the way he looked at her.
Possession. Obsession. Passion.
Those expressions from Jace, the way he touched her, spoke with her, looked at her, made Lexi feel like a real woman, like she was the only female in the world for him.