Page 5 of Mercenary Daddy’s Girl (Daddy’s Girl #9)

GEMMA

N o part of me can make sense of this. Not my mind, which can’t grasp Ghost’s confession and what just happened, nor my body that refuses to part with him while he cradles my cheek like I’m too delicate to squeeze.

But through it all, I hear that word echoing in my head.

Mine.

“I bet I’m smiling like an idiot, huh?” I’ve gotta make a joke. Keep it light. Hold onto the little glimmer of whatever this is for as long as I can.

“More like an adorable goofball,” Ghost answers.

Then it hits me all at once. I got so wrapped up in this moment, I could’ve forgotten the world out there exists. That I could be in danger, and Ghost’s the only one who can protect me.

But the thing at the forefront of my mind?

“I don’t even know what your name is,” I say, shifting the conversation back to one grounded in reality. We can live in this dream forever, but only once the hardship is behind us.

Ghost chokes on a laugh and pulls away from me. Each inch creates an uncomfortable void between us. The place where I should be instead, coiled tightly against his firm chest.

“Hank,” he says, like a throwaway comment. “Haven’t used it in years, and don’t suppose I’m gonna start anytime soon.”

“Hank.” I play with the name in my mouth. “For whatever it’s worth, I like it.”

But it doesn’t hold the same sense of eerie want that The Ghost does.

His hand moves next, sliding off my cheek while the thumb gets one last brush against it. The sudden chill where it warmed is almost enough for me to throw myself back into him. One more kiss, one more anything, just to keep him close.

But we’ve got work to do.

“Hope I didn’t overstep my bounds,” he says, staring into my eyes squarely. “I couldn’t stop myself.”

“I’m glad you didn’t.” I gulp down hard. “I always wondered how my first kiss would be.”

“First kiss?” Ghost’s brow scrunches as his eyes widen the furthest I’ve seen them go. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am.” Heat floods my cheeks for the millionth time today. “Never had time for relationships.”

“Then I’m not sure if this is a good or bad thing.” The smirk on his face doesn’t match the words he’s saying. “The first man who caught your eye being me.”

“So far? I haven’t seen anything bad about it.” My breathing comes to a complete stop as Ghost raises his hand back to my cheek. Still gentle, but this time, cupping it harder to guide me into his lips .

Our mouths lock together, tongues dance against one another, and I all but melt into him.

“Exactly what I wanted to hear you say,” he whispers when we part. “And I won’t disappoint.”

Before I can make a move to steal another kiss, his phone starts buzzing. A low, rumbling sound emits from his chest, and he shoves his hand into his pocket to grab it.

“I’ve gotta take this.” Ghost’s face turns to stone as he scans the screen. “Make yourself comfortable. Fridge is full and take whatever you need.”

He carries my bag to one of the bedrooms before disappearing into an office on the other side of the safe house.

Hours go by with Ghost—Hank—stowed away inside his office. I don’t know what I expected after our explosive morning since he’s made his duty of keeping me safe clear, but it isn’t wandering through this place all day and lounging on the sofa like we’re at some five-star resort.

When it’s time to sleep, I head to the room Hank left my things in and fall onto the exquisitely comfortable bed.

But more time passes, only this time there isn’t a TV to drown out my thoughts.

They’re banging in my head. Gunshots, Mrs. Vasquez’s screams, and the voices of the two men who did the deed.

Yup, I’m not sleeping tonight.

I shift out from under the blankets and kick my feet onto the cool floor.

It’s all too much. What happened at the Vasquez residence, the way Ghost looks at me like I’m the only girl in the world, and that kiss.

They’re all rattling around my head in some unholy union.

A little bit of company could go a long way right now.

Even from the bed, I can see none of the lights in the place are on, which either means Ghost’s already sleeping or he still hasn’t moved from his office. I don’t know which one’s best. Both options involve me disturbing him.

I creep through the short hallway and back into the living room.

Lights burn through a crack in Ghost’s office door, and they draw me closer until I brush my fingertips against the white wood.

It stays there for an awkwardly long time while I deliberate whether I should push or not. He could be busy.

I’m not stupid enough to think he’s avoiding me on purpose. The whole reason we’re here is to keep me out of harm’s way. But I also don’t want to get in the way of his work. What if he’s on the verge of a breakthrough?

But where my mind is reasonable and logical, my body isn’t. It wants all of him, smothering all of me in kisses and hugs and … whatever comes next.

I push, and the door swings open.

Ghost’s sitting behind his desk, with three monitors lighting up his face in the otherwise darkened room. As soon as he notices me standing here, his head turns away from the middle screen, and his eyes travel up the length of my body, wrapped in a thin, pink nightdress.

“I hope I’m not bothering you, but…” I trail off. There isn’t much of an excuse other than I didn’t want to be alone .

“You’re not bothering me. Never could.”

I take a small step forward and stop. “You’ve been at this all day. Have you even taken a break?”

“No, but I couldn’t.” He eases back in the chair with a naughty grin dancing over his lips. “I don’t trust myself.”

“With what?” I ask, swallowing hard .

“To behave.”

That makes butterflies explode in my tummy. If it were anyone else who said it, I might’ve thought them a liar. But Ghost’s sincerity is splashed across his face and over every syllable.

“Well, maybe you could take a break now,” I say, knowing how dangerous it could be after his comment.

“Sure, if it means you’ll keep me company. Come in, make yourself comfortable.”

I wrap my arms around my body as I approach his desk slowly. My heart bangs viciously in my chest, growing more erratic with every step. I don’t even know why I’m this nervous. We’re just hanging out, right?

“Covering up?” he teases.

“It’s freezing.” I chuckle. The thick blankets on my bed did a great job of keeping the cold at bay. Out here, in nothing but this dress, I’m a walking ice cube.

“Could always sit on my lap.” His grin widens as he leans back in his chair, parting his legs and patting one to put it on offer. “No better heat than body heat.”

Oh, God. I knew it was coming, but I wasn’t ready for what it would do to me. It was barely more than a joke, and the ache in my core is enough to make me squirm.

“What happened to trying to behave?” I ask, half-jokingly.

“Any hopes of that vanished when you walked through my door.”

I make it to the chair opposite him and look down at it for a second, playing with the idea of moving onto his lap instead. It can’t be a good idea.

So, why can’t I stop myself from walking past it and rounding his table? Hearing my pulse in my ears when I come to a stop, with my knees brushing against the side of his leg. Eager to sit on his lap like a good girl waiting for a head pat.

“What are you waiting for, baby girl?”

That’s all I need to know how serious he is.