Page 100 of Ruled Out

I cock my head to the side in confusion. “Why do you care what Jessie thinks all of a sudden?”

He doesn’t say anything for a few beats, and I hear him adjust, maybe from his bed since it’s really late in Dallas. “He told me, Mia. About his mom, his dad, and how he feels about you. In all my time on this earth, I have never witnessed a grown-ass man pour his heart out in the way he just did. I should’ve called you earlier, but to be honest, I’m still trying to process everything he said. Did he go hungry as a boy?”

My throat feels like it’s closing up at thoughts of Jessie starving. “He went through a lot in his childhood. Back when we were in Dallas, I didn’t know much, but I knew he wasn’t the guy you made him out to be. He made me happy, and he was everything I wanted. You’ve had him all wrong for a very long time, but you were too pigheaded to see it.”

“I’m sorry.” His voice cracks on the final syllable, and he draws in a heavy breath. “I’ve spent so much time worrying about protecting you. Whenever I saw Jessie, I saw that guy locked up for your mom’s death. He drank a lot too. All I saw was a boy throwing away his talent and betraying my trust.”

“No, that would be Leo Walsh,” I reply, deadpan, tagging on his last name with disdain.

My dad clears his throat. “Yeah, Jessie told me about him too.”

“Yeah, well, you really missed with this one, Dad.” I bring the back of my hand over my mouth, the soft white pillows on my bed looking all too comfortable. “I need to call Tara and make sure she’s okay, and then I need to try and get some sleep. You shouldn’t have done what you did with Coulson. That was a real dick move.”

“I know. What can I do to make things right, Mia?”

Looking down at the soft carpet beneath my feet, I shake my head. “Tell Burrows to lay off my boyfriend and support the fact that I love him.”

“For what it’s worth, Mia, I already do support it. I don’t think there are many men out there who would do for their woman what Callaghan just did for you. I meant what I said over text the other day. I’m proud of you.”

Tears sting my eyes. “Thanks. Now, I gotta go.”

“Mia.”

I stir and roll over onto my back.

“Sweetheart.”

When I crack a lid, Jessie’s face comes into view.

Other than his gorgeous blue eyes, the first thing I notice is the stitches across his jawline, along with the black bruising. “Fuck, Jessie.” Reaching up, I bring my palm to his cheek. “It didn’t look that bad over the phone.”

“It’s fine,” he replies, leaning over me and bringing his face down to mine.

“That is so not fine,” I retort. “Have you taken any pain relievers?”

He rolls his eyes. “For a girl who worked with hockey players for several years and is now dating one, you sure don’t know much about our pain threshold.”

I quirk a brow. “You’re right, and I’m quickly learning that you’re just standard men. Refusing to take direction or medication when it will help.”

He pulls back and smirks. “You’ve been spending too much time with Kate. Best get you back to my bed before she corrupts you anymore.”

Brushing our lips together, I part, and his tongue finds mine, kissing me with so much intensity that I feel my pulse in my ears.

“Did you speak to your dad?” Jessie asks, starting to kiss down my neck.

“Yeah. Right before I spoke to Tara.”

“Is she okay?”

I nod, the sensation of his lips over my skin making me pool with heat. “She got it. But I think Leo lost another friend.”

Jessie chuckles into my neck. “The way I want to send him a photo of me making out with you. See if he wants to forward that to your dad too.”

I giggle as I feel his hard length grind between my legs. “Baby, I’m all for showing you off to the world. But I think I’ve about had enough of my dad seeing you all over me to last a lifetime.”

Bringing his hands to the waistband of my leggings, he slowly pulls them and my panties down in one. Leaving me bare from the waist down with a pink cami top and no bra on my top half.

Jessie brings his finger to his full lips. “Shh. No screaming. It’s really early in the morning.”