Make You Mine (Honey Mountain, #3)

by Laura Pavlov

“The sheets are clean on your bed.” That should have made me happy, but instead, I wouldn’t mind the smell of lavender on my sheets. “Thank you,” I called out just before the door closed. “I love Ashlan, Daddy,” Paisley said as she led me up to her playroom. “Yeah? More than Mrs. Tusley?” I chuckled, because my daughter had not been a fan. “Yes. For sure. Mrs. Tusley smelled like mustard and pickles. And Ashlan smells like pretty flowers, doesn’t she?” Paisley walked to the shelf and pulled down the tub of magnets before dropping to sit in front of me.

“I know. But Ashlan’s like a real mommy, and Mrs. Tusley’s like a mean grandma.” Paisley dumped all the magnets out between us. My chest squeezed at her words, but I wanted her to be able to talk to me about this shit. “Yeah? I’m sure it’s hard not having your mama around sometimes, huh?” I reached for a few pieces and built a box. “I don’t miss my real mama too much because she wasn’t fun.” “She wasn’t?” I asked as I watched her build a second story on her box. “She always wanted to take a nap, and she yelled at us a lot when you weren’t home.” “How come you never told me?” Anger coursed through my veins. I knew Karla was no saint, but I didn’t know she was cruel to our babies. “Because she told me not to and said she wouldn’t make me lunch anymore if I told you.”

“Sorry, baby. I’ll just put myself in timeout right here. I’m sorry that I didn’t know how bad it was.” Hell, I probably just didn’t want to see it. I was trying to stay afloat with two babies and a disaster of a wife. “It’s okay. We’ve got a good daddy, and that’s all we need.” My fucking chest tightened at her words. “I’ve got you, Buttercup.”

“Daddy’s shower isn’t working again. Did Ashlan mention it?” I asked. “She takes baths like us, Daddy. She doesn’t like the shower.” Damn. The thought of Ashlan Thomas sprawled out naked in my soaking tub had me clearing my throat.

swear on all things holy—I’d never seen anything quite like Jace’s sculpted body. Water droplets covered his tanned skin, and I couldn’t look away. Every inch of him was firm and large. His hands. His shoulders. His… I digress.

Hadley turned around and shook her bare butt at us, and sure enough, a little turd was dangling from her tiny hiney.

“Holy shit,” Jace whispered as he pushed to stand, and his towel gaped open. His oversized penis was staring me and my bloody nose right in the face. “Daddy,” Paisley shrieked and pointed. “Your privates are showing.”

Hadley turned around quickly to see what all the fuss was about, and she let out a bloodcurdling scream. Her pitch was high enough to shatter all glass within a ten-mile radius as she screamed at the t...

“Daddy, was that your penis? Billy Graber said he has a penis.” Paisley giggled before stopping at the sink to clean up her frosting-covered hands. “That kid’s a wealth of knowledge, isn’t he?” Jace grumped. “Where’s my penis?” Hadley’s little voice whispered, startling all of us as she looked down between her legs. Jace raised a brow, Paisley squealed, and I laughed. “Daddy. Hadley’s first sentence is, ‘Where’s my penis.’” She

“We’re not going to write that one down in her baby book. You don’t have a penis, Sweet Pea.” Jace lifted her off the toilet and set her on her feet. “Playroom. Now. I’ll be in to get you dressed in a minute. Let me talk to Ashlan.”

“Yes. I’m so sorry about that. I thought Hadley was in here,” I said, shaking my head as I rambled again. He pressed the ice pack to my nose and stepped back. “Yeah, you mentioned that. Those reflexes weren’t very fast though, huh?” He smirked. “What? No. I just…” I set the ice on the counter beside the sink and checked out my nose in the mirror, desperate to do anything to avoid his curious gaze. “I was startled. That’s all.” “Ah, I see. That door sure hit you hard.”

Everly ~ Perfect. Hawk is working out and Mama’s starving. Order me chicken fingers and fries if you beat me there. Dylan ~ So bossy. Everly ~ Try growing a human in your stomach and then talk to me. Vivian ~ Ain’t that the truth. I’ll take a burger for whoever gets there first. I’m nursing. I need food all the time.

“Wait. It was that big that you were dumbfounded?” Dylan asked as Lily approached our table again and set down an obscene amount of food, and we were all trying not to laugh at Dylan’s comment. We thanked Lily and she moved back toward the bar. I reached for a tater tot and popped it into my mouth. “Yes. It was a sight.” “I knew it. I mean, the man is ridiculously hot. Of course, he has a huge—” “Package,” I interrupted. “But that’s not what I came to talk about. I just, oh my gosh, I walked in on him naked. I work for him. Now what?” “Well, it was an accident. It doesn’t sound like he’s upset about it,” Charlotte said as she waggled her brows. “But it does sound like you guys had a little moment there before he told you to close the door.”

“I mean, obviously you’re attracted to him. But, if it’s just that, I think you can just act like it never happened and go back to normal.” “No. Of course not. I mean, yes, I like Jace. He’s an amazing father and a really good guy. But he’s a family friend, and he’s got two kids, so no. Well, sure, maybe I’ve had a crush on him, but it’s harmless, right? He’s older than me. He’d never look at me like that. I just, yeah. No. Of course not. I don’t like him in an inappropriate way.”

Yes, I had a massive crush on Jace King. Who wouldn’t? He was beautiful and honest and sexy.

“It’s okay to have a crush on him, Ash. He’s a gorgeous man.” “Well, we knew that before she saw his giant schlong,” Dylan said. “You better not tell anyone,” I hissed. “Hey, the size of his amazing penis is safe with me.” Dylan pretended to seal her lips, lock them up, and then throw the key over her head. “Ignore her. No one is going to say a word. But Ash, he’s a lot older than you and he has his hands full. He’s a single dad with two girls, and trust me when I tell you… there is no one that doesn’t look at you that way. But this is—complicated. And the only reason he isn’t showing interest is because he knows that it would be—messy. And I don’t know how Dad would feel about it.” Everly reached for a French fry and took a bite. I nodded. “No. It’s just a crush. I would never act on it. And he’s not interested in me, trust me.”

“Yeah, he’s probably horrified by the whole thing.” He probably was. His nanny walked in on him naked. He was probably highly annoyed with me for even stopping by.

“How do you act normal when you see the guy you’re crushing on naked, and he’s hung like a racehorse?” Dylan said over a mouthful of tots.

“It’s an innocent crush. We’ve all had them. She’ll get over it. I’d say Jace King is probably the least attainable man in Honey Mountain.”

Of course she was asking about my ex-boyfriend because he was all but perfect on paper. For starters, he was my age, and he’d been a doting boyfriend for the few months we’d been together. There was just no spark. He was a good friend and that’s where I’d like to keep him.

I’m sure you wouldn’t mind if Jilly set you up with Ledger.” Dylan raised a brow, and we all tried to hide our smiles. From one girl with a crush to another—Charlotte had crushed hard on her best friend’s brother for years.

This was exactly what I needed. A little time with my sisters. I already felt much better. I was going to just act completely normal when I saw Jace next. And all thoughts of a naked Jace King would be reserved for my fantasies. Or the pages of my book. This crush ended now.

Those big golden-brown eyes stared at me, and my dick was painfully hard. Her lips were parted, eyes filled with desire, and neither of us moved. I reached down and stroked myself a few times, because this time I wasn’t reaching for a towel or telling her to close the door. I wanted her. Her nipples were impossible to miss through her thin sundress as her body reacted the same way mine was. Want. Need. Hell, it had been so long since I’d actually wanted a woman, I didn’t know what to do with these feelings. I stepped out of the shower and moved toward her. My hand settled around her waist, and I tugged her against my body as her head fell back and her tongue dipped out to wet her bottom lip. “Jace. I want you,” she whispered. “I want you too, Sunshine.” My mouth crashed into hers.

I shot to a sitting position in my bed, realizing I was in the midst of a dirty dream with Cap’s daughter. Sunshine? I’d never called her that, however, it was very fitting. That’s exactly what she was.

She’d been speaking a little ever since she’d found her voice. Her vocabulary was limited and unfortunately, the only words she’d spoken thus far were, daddy, where’s my penis, and wuv you. But I’d take it.

“What’s up, Sweet Pea?”

“Wuv you,” she whispered. My fucking chest exploded. I’d never been a real sentimental guy before these two angels came into my life, but they’d gripped me by the heart since the day they took their first breaths. “I love you too.” I scooped her into my arms and carried her to the bathroom. “Let’s go potty and brush our teeth. Someone’s got some major dragon breath.” She giggled before sitting on her little potty and concentrating real hard to pee.

“Morning. How’d you sleep, Buttercup?”

Ashlan had definitely gone MIA, which was more than fair seeing as they’d been her days off. But with the last time I’d seen her being the day she’d walked in on me buck-ass naked, I hoped it wouldn’t be weird when I saw her next. Maybe she’d been traumatized by the whole thing. She’d gaped at me like she’d never seen a penis before, so maybe I’d scarred her for life. Would she quit over this? Hell, I should have covered up quicker. I’d been so mesmerized by the way she’d looked at me, lips parted and eyes half-mast—I’d taken my sweet-ass time wrapping that towel around my waist.

“Ashlan does it better,” Paisley said after she spit in the sink and rinsed her mouth. “She counts and tells Hadley no laughing until she gets to one hundred.” I rolled my eyes. My daughter sure did love putting me in my place every chance she got. “Is that so?”

Man, kids had so few choices these days. The least I could do was let them pick out their own outfits.

“What is she wearing?” She broke out in a fit of laughter. “Bzzzzzz,” Hadley said as she danced around the room. I’d count that as another word and add it to the list. “It’s a little small on her,” Paisley said as she shook her head and smiled at her baby sister. I loved that these two loved one another so much.

“Hey. Choose your battles, Buttercup. Let her have this one. Sometimes people need a win.” I scooped up Hadley and carried her downstairs to the kitchen, setting her in her chair. Paisley sat in the seat beside her while I poured them each a bowl of cereal. “What’s battles mean, Daddy?” “It just means that you’ve got to choose your fights, right? Some things you feel strongly about and you don’t back down. But the things that aren’t that important, you let go. And sometimes, you’ve got to give someone a win.”

“Maybe. But you can’t fight for something that you don’t believe in. And your mama was sick, and she wasn’t taking good care of herself, so this was for the better.” We’d talked about this many times, but I knew that we’d probably be talking about it over and over for a long time to come. “Is that why she never calls to check on us or tell us where she is?” “Yeah, probably. But one thing I want you to remember is that you’re loved. Your mama may be sick, but she does love you. And I love you. Grammy, Pop, Uncle Hayden, and Uncle Travis love you.” My parents and my brothers doted over my little girls, as I was the only one with kids. “And Ashlan loves us so much,” Paisley said with a wide smile. “Wuv,” Hadley said as milk dribbled down her chin, and I laughed.

“Yep. There are a lot of people who love you two. You know that, right?” Paisley moved to her feet and wrapped her arms around my neck. “We know, Dad.” “Hey, what happened to Daddy?” I teased as I pulled her on my lap. “Billy Graber says that babies call their dads Daddy.” That little dick was starting to work my nerves. He had me standing in the corner every fucking time I swore out loud, he talked about his penis, and now he was telling my little girl not to call me Daddy? That pissed me the fuck off. “Billy Graber is a little shi—stinker. You best keep calling me Daddy, Buttercup, or I’m going to go have a little talk with Billy.”

Also known as… the Honey Mountain fair. I’d been coming here since I was a kid. There were rides and treats and face painting. Enough sweets to put a kid in a sugar-induced coma.

“I know. I’m fine going on by myself.” She led me straight for the ride that would make a grown man chuck his cookies. It was the spinning tops and my least favorite. “It’s called the Devil Whip,” Paisley said with a big smile on her face. “I don’t think you want to go on this one. It’ll make you sick.” And where the fuck did these names come from? It’s a family fair.

“Hey. Did you guys just get here?” Ashlan asked. She wore a pair of white shorts and a black tank top, and her hair was pulled back in an elastic band. She looked gorgeous. And sexy. Jack’s daughter, asshole. His youngest daughter.

Maybe I’d traumatized her the other day. She was young. It was just another reminder that Ashlan Thomas was the most off-limits woman in Honey Mountain.

The little angel’s vocabulary was growing at a rapid rate. She was a gentle soul, and I think she just needed that one-on-one time talking with her to find her sweet voice. “Yes. And what does a piggy say?” I asked. “Oink, oink.” She scrunched her little nose, and I laughed. “Where’s Pay-Pay?” she asked. She hadn’t said Paisley yet, but Pay-Pay worked just fine. I handed Hadley the book and pushed to my feet. “She’s in the restroom. But let me check on her.”

It was funny because those last few months before I graduated from college, I was in a complete panic about what I wanted to do with my life. And somehow I’d fallen into the dream job. I loved taking care of the girls. Reading with them and baking with them, and we were putting in a little garden in the backyard. It’s like this is where I was meant to be. And on my days off, I wrote like a madwoman. I’d gotten completely lost in my words over the past few weeks. I was already more than halfway done with my first draft, and everything just somehow felt… right.

I didn’t want to be stuck in a small space with this guy. I didn’t know why. He hadn’t done anything out of line, per se, but my father had always preached about being aware of my surroundings and to trust my instincts. It wasn’t like I thought the man was going to hurt us, but he just gave me a weird vibe.

“What are you doing? Take your hands off of me,” I said, not hiding my fear any longer. “Are all the Thomas girls this feisty?” he said, his tone gruff as he tugged me against him harder this time. My hands fell from the showerhead because I’d rather be knocked out by a big piece of metal than be ground up against by this animal. I shoved him hard against his chest and he just laughed and squeezed my waist with more force. The showerhead did not fall, and I realized he’d used that as a ploy to get me in here. My heart started racing and sweat gathered at my hairline. “Let me go right now,” I hissed.

“Get the fuck out of my house right now, before I beat your ass to a pulp.” Jace’s arm came around me as he moved us out of the walk-in shower, my back against his hard chest. His arm covered the front of my chest protectively, and I could feel the anger radiating from his body. “Dude. I didn’t know you guys were together. I was just having some fun.” Grady chuckled, but I didn’t miss the fear in his gaze. “You didn’t need her in there. That showerhead is secured, you piece of shit. Leave. If Ashlan and my girls weren’t here right now, I’d be teaching you a lesson you’d never forget. No promise that won’t happen at a later date. I’ll be calling Danner right away to let him know how fucked up this was. Get your crap and get out of my house now.”

“Yeah. Of course. He didn’t do anything. I mean, outside of being super creepy.” “He had his hands on you,” he said, reaching for my wrist and inspecting my arms one at a time, for I don’t know what. “He didn’t touch my arms. He was focused on my hips and my waist. I want you to know that I was just about to knee him in the balls when you came in.” His hands were on my upper arms, rubbing them up and down in a comforting way. “I’m so fucking sorry I let him come in here with you. I’ve known him for a long time, and I’ve never liked the dude. I had no idea he was working for Danner. I thought Ray was coming back.”

“I’m not hurt, Jace. It was just a little nerve-racking.” His hand came to my cheek, and I nearly lost my breath as I looked up into his light blue gaze. He just studied me, and I couldn’t move. His face dipped closer and the desire I felt was unexplainable. A force so strong I couldn’t stop it if I wanted to. And I did not want to stop this. His mouth just a breath from mine. Everything stopped all at once. My lips parted with invitation and my hand came over his on my face. Needing to feel that warmth.

“Did the plumber man fix the shower?” Paisley asked. “No. We’ll get someone else out here right away.” Jace shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Can Ashlan stay for lunch?” Paisley asked. “No,” Jace answered before I could even answer the question. “She’s leaving. She’s off the clock.”

Thankfully, the hero in my story was not giving the heroine whiplash. He was romantic and swoony and sexy as hell. A lot like Jace King, minus the romantic and swoony part. But yes, definitely sexy as hell. Although Jace was swoony when it came to his girls. And he’d been super swoony when he’d stormed into the bathroom and kicked Grady out of the house. But he wanted to keep me at arm’s length, and I needed to respect that. He was my boss after all.

“I’m not really in the dating mood lately. I’d rather swoon over my leading man that I’m writing right now.” “Ohhhh. Tell us about him.” Charlotte took a sip of wine and leaned back on the white slipcovered couch I had in the small living area. “He’s a fireman, you know that.” “Obviously you have a thing for firefighters.” Dylan smirked. “Hey. I respect firefighters. We’ve grown up surrounded by them since birth.” “I do too. Ignore her.” Charlotte pointed at Dylan and raised a brow, causing her to stop talking. “What does he look like?” “He’s tall with broad shoulders, brown messy hair, and the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen.” “Let me guess. Big muscles. Well-hung. A little broody. Sexy as hell?” Dylan teased, and a grin spread clear across her face. “You just described every hot guy we know.” I laughed as the wine was starting to hit me. I wasn’t much of a drinker, and it didn’t take much to get me tipsy. “Or one man in particular. Does said hero have any children?” “Nope. He’s single and ready to mingle,” I said, raising a brow in challenge. “I don’t know anyone like him.” Hey, it was the author’s job to protect her hero. I could only write what I felt. If he happened to look similar to my current boss, that was not my fault. Jace King might be off-limits in real life—but this was fiction.

It was Ashlan’s birthday, and everyone was at Beer Mountain celebrating. Niko and Hawk had tried to convince me to have my mom watch the girls so we could all go out tonight, but after what happened yesterday, I needed to keep my distance. Hell, I’d nearly kissed the girl after she’d been violated by that prick Grady fucking Wheat. Danner had let him go the minute he’d heard what happened. Serves that fucker right.