Free Kicking and Screaming by Jordan Silver

to object, but was overruled by her husband, thank fuck. I wasn’t in the mood to be diplomatic and she was really teetering on the brink.
    "That's a great idea Jackson, thanks for offering." Either I'm crazy or the rest of them are because Dove and Denton started laughing their asses off.
    Weird group that’s for sure, I was beginning to think my girl might be the only sane one in the bunch. My girl, I like the sound of that.
    Even though she was glaring me down at the moment, but I had the remedy for that now didn’t I? All I had to do was kiss her out of her pique and she’d be putty in my hands.

Chapter 19
     
    CONRAD
     
    Well, I couldn't figure out a way to get out of this fix without starting a war in my marriage, or alienating my daughter; but Collins had come through. I do believe Cynthia and her daughters' little ploy backfired there.
    Isn't it strange that I think of them that way, as hers? Not that I don't love them, but imp has always been mine, from the moment she'd been born she'd captured my heart.
    Not even when Jenny had come along had that changed. The girl had just always been my favorite in every way.
    Unlike their mother, I tried to curtail my favoritism, as a dad should. But the last few days had shown me that my wife hadn’t been so careful with our third offspring.
    She’s always been such a strong independent little thing, that I never gave it a second thought, but I could see now where I might’ve been wrong in letting things go unsupervised for so long.
    She was a grown woman now as she’d so aptly pointed out, but she was still my little girl and it hurt me that I’d neglected her so horrendously.
    I knew there was no point in saying anything to my wife until the dust had settled. She’d only hear what she wanted to anyway.
    “Very well then that’s settled. Maybe we should all head on out to dinner it’s getting late and we don’t want to lose our reservation now do we?”
    I looked at my wife in the hopes that mentioning it would remind her that we had other guests in the house, like the Piersons who were the biggest gossips this side of the equator.
    I could see the wheels turning in Cynthia's mind, but imp was going to Texas if I had to walk her there.
    Besides, either Cynthia was blind or just plain stubborn, but anyone with half a brain could see the man wasn't interested in Miranda or Jenny.
    Not even the self-proclaimed beauty of the State, that Petra Pierson girl, had been able to catch his attention. But my imp, well now, it seems Jonas and I were the only ones who saw what was going on.
    I shared a look with that young man now and I’m pretty sure we both breathed a sigh of relief. I wouldn’t be surprised if we were both thinking along the same lines, ‘thank heavens there was someone else to deal with the imp.’
     
    ***
    JACKSON
     
    I can see she's confused by my offer; I'm not. I need to see where this blossoming attraction is leading, and what better way than to have her in my domain?
    I needed to take her away from the distraction of conflicts that seemed to abound here in her home?
    Eventually, I'll get to the bottom of that. But right now, my main focus is on the feelings that have cropped up between us like wildfire, purely unexpected and not easily controlled.
    I knew she was weakening towards me, her kisses told me as much, but I wasn’t stupid enough to think that that’s all it would take.
    I had no doubt that she would put me through my paces, unless of course I humbled her in my usual style. I’ll wait and see which way the wind blows.
    She might need more time to adjust to the idea of being under me. We’ll see how much time after I get her home with me.
    I was already warming to the idea, even though I’d just pulled it out of my ass. Then again I’d made many a business decision in just that manner and I can’t see where it had led me wrong.
    Yes, having her in my home would level the playing field I think, I don’t expect her to be this