Page 129 of Broken
“She can come too,” Ethan replied.
Jacqueline smiled. She was relieved that Loki had done so well on his first day with her. And she loved how happy he’d made Ethan.
Her concern was with the achingly beautiful man she’d spent the last few hours with. He was attentive with Ethan and he played with Loki. Beyond the few romantic kisses, she even found him peering in her direction several times throughout the evening. They’d lock eyes and time would stop.
But the divot between his brows was etched deeper than usual and the muscles ticking in his jawline had only gotten worse as the night wore on. There was an undercurrent of agitation that had been rolling off him the entire evening.
With Loki in her arms, she stood. Prescott hoisted Ethan into his. Side by side, they walked up the winding staircase, each carrying a precious load.
Heading upstairs with her work partner felt like they were crossing a line, but here she was, at the top of the landing. They passed four bedrooms before ducking into a bedroom nearest to the master suite.
“Ethan, how ‘bout one more potty?” Prescott asked.
The guys went into the en-suite bathroom.
Ethan’s bedroom was a combination of gray walls with white accents. Very adult. She imagined splashes of color on the walls, a toy box in the corner, and a toddler bed instead of a crib.
Ethan exited the bathroom and beelined right for Loki. “Come back and play wif me, tomorrow.” He kissed the dog’s forehead. The sleepy pup opened his eyes, offered a wag of his tail, and was done for the day.
Prescott lifted Ethan into his crib.
After he lay down, he regarded Jacqueline. “Can you tuck me in like Mommy did?”
So many emotions washed over her. Sadness, hope, love. She was touched by his invitation.
“I’d love to.” She handed Loki to Prescott.
After covering Ethan with his blanket, she kissed his forehead. “I’m happy you and Loki became friends today. You did agreatjob with him.”
A relaxed smile touched his sleepy eyes. “Will you and Loki come back tomorrow?”
“If I can,” she replied. “Thanks for letting me tuck you in. I hope you have a great sleep.”
Ethan rolled over and slipped his thumb into his mouth.
After a gentle caress on Ethan’s back, Prescott said, “Goodnight, Ethan. I’ll be downstairs with Jack, okay?”
“Uh-huh.”
Prescott raised the side of the crib and turned out the overhead light, but the nightlight kept the room plenty lit.
Back in the family room, Prescott set Loki in his bed. Like Ethan, he curled up and fell back to sleep. Being alone with Prescott felt like a luxury. But they weren’t together, not even dating. It was time to work. They sat side by side at the kitchen island and opened their laptops, their arms brushing against each other.
Touching him was like breathing. Necessary, unavoidable, and automatic.
Heat shot up her arm. The energy that passed between them was palpable. They’d been alone for seconds and her insides were already pulsing with excitement. This went beyond carnal need. An invisible string tugged her heart closer and closer to his.
But the concern in his eyes hadn’t gone away, and the muscles in his cheeks had been ticking for far too long.
“Before we get started, I need to know what’s going on with you,” she began.
“Boy, can you read me.” He paused. “Z called with an update.”
As she waited, a shadow fell over his eyes.
“The ALPHA Killer tried to take out the former head of ALPHA, Luther Warschak.”
“Oh, no. What happened?”
