Jayson a steamy protecto.., p.1
Jayson: A Steamy Protector Romantic Suspense, page 1
Jayson
All Guts, No Glory Book 5
Charissa Gracyk
Jayson
Published by Charissa Gracyk
© Copyright 2026 by Charissa Gracyk
Edits by Michelle Fewer
Cover by Monique Walton/moniquewalton515@gmail.com
ISBN: 9798244272512
ASIN: B0FRCG95KR
It is not legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication or using it for AI training purposes is strictly prohibited, and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental.
Contents
Dedication
Epigraph
Prologue
1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5
6. Chapter 6
7. Chapter 7
8. Chapter 8
9. Chapter 9
10. Chapter 10
11. Chapter 11
12. Chapter 12
13. Chapter 13
14. Chapter 14
15. Chapter 15
16. Chapter 16
17. Chapter 17
18. Chapter 18
19. Chapter 19
20. Chapter 20
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Also By Charissa Gracyk
This one is for the men and women, especially those single parents, who sacrifice everything in order to give their children the brightest future possible.
"Isn't she lovely? Isn't she wonderful? Isn't she precious? Less than one minute old."
"Isn't She Lovely," Stevie Wonder
"For father, his daughter is no less than a breath."
Sachin Ramdas Bharatiya
"Being a daddy's girl is like having permanent armor for the rest of your life."
Marinela Reka
"Fairytales can come true… It can happen to you… If you're young at heart."
“Young at Heart,” Frank Sinatra
Prologue
Twenty-Five Years Ago...
Holy hell, she was the tiniest thing he’d ever held. A surge of love and protection flooded Jayson Knight’s heart as he gazed down at his newborn daughter. He took a moment to count her insanely small fingers and toes. Ten perfectly-formed digits and ten of the teeniest piggies. That old Stevie Wonder song played in his head, because she was the loveliest thing he’d ever seen.
He couldn’t stop grinning. This must be called Daddy Euphoria.
Standing in the small apartment he shared with Tara, mesmerized by their baby girl, he wished he could’ve been there for her birth. But he’d been on an op, and the little one had decided to come early. With no way to communicate and multiple travel and transport delays, he’d just gotten home. Being an Army Ranger took him all over the world, and the schedule wasn’t exactly predictable or accommodating. But he’d raced home as fast as possible. Dropped his duffel bag and keys by the front door, strode straight to the bedroom and scooped his four-day-old daughter out of the bassinet.
“Hi,” he whispered, his throat tightening with emotion. She gazed up at him with big blue eyes. “I’m your daddy.”
Jayson had hazel eyes, so she definitely had her mother’s eyes. Unless they changed color—and he secretly hoped they would. He’d heard all babies were born with blue eyes, but he didn’t know if that was just a myth. Hell, there was so much he didn’t know. So much he was going to need to learn when it came to babies.
He did know one thing for certain—this little girl had just become the most important thing in his universe.
“I’m going to make sure you have everything you need, Emmie G,” he promised.
“Her name is Emma,” a cool voice stated. “I decided on Emma Rose since you weren’t there.”
Turning around to face Tara, Jayson braced himself. She wore pajamas and a robe hung off her shoulders. He’d never seen her look so tired. Resigned. A wave of guilt stabbed at him. “I’m sorry—”
“Save it.” She sounded beyond weary. “You weren’t here, and I shouldn’t be surprised by that. It’s nothing new, right?”
The last thing he wanted to do was fight with her. He knew she was emotional after just giving birth, and now wasn’t the time for a wicked confrontation. Besides, he’d been traveling nonstop for the last eighteen hours and he didn’t have the energy for one of their angry bouts.
“She’s beautiful,” he murmured. Keeping his tone soft, gentle, he returned his attention to his daughter. He still couldn’t quite believe the perfect little girl in his arms was half of him. He was a dad. It felt so strange, yet so right.
Tara sucked in a deep breath, and he steeled himself for whatever she was about to unleash. And he got it. He fucking sucked because he’d made a promise—that he’d be there for their baby’s birth—and then he broke it. His job kept him away from home a lot, so she’d battled through her pregnancy oftentimes without him. Alone. Scared. Now, her hormones were probably all over the place and she’d been stewing in her anger the last four days. Pissed at him because he was already being a shitty father.
But instead of coming at him like a wrecking ball, her bottom lip quivered. Oh, no. Tears would be so much worse than barbed words.
“Do you have any idea how hard it is being alone all the time?” she whispered, surprisingly emotional.
He glanced up, attempting to get a read on her, because this wasn’t the Tara Wilcox he knew. The woman he knew possessed a dramatic flair and loved playing the blame game.
The baby wriggled in his arms, drawing his attention back down. “Do you think she’s hungry?”
Tara swiped at her eyes and shrugged. “She’s always hungry. There’s formula in the fridge.”
“Formula?” he echoed, his focus zeroing in on the two wet spots soaking her pajama top.
“I’m not breastfeeding,” she informed him. “This whole thing has already destroyed my body.”
One drunken night of sex he barely remembered with a girl he’d been dating for two weeks had resulted in a broken condom and an unplanned pregnancy. And here they were—twenty-four-year-old parents, clueless and still basically kids themselves.
“I’m scared, too,” he said in a low voice.
But she shook her head, gaze unreadable. “I’m not scared, Jayson. I just don’t want to be a mother.”
Her words pierced him like bullets. “What do you mean?” Sure, they’d had a bit of a rocky start after finding out she was pregnant, but it had been a shock. Totally unexpected. They’d talked through things and decided they’d be okay.
“You haven’t been here, so you haven’t seen how hard this has been on me. Motherhood isn’t something I ever wanted. But you convinced me to try. That it would all work out.” She shook her head. “But this isn’t me. I have other dreams.”
Words eluded him. Sure, she’d expressed doubts early on, but they’d both been scared and unsure. Neither ready to become parents. Needing advice, Jayson had confided in his mom, and she’d made a good point, telling him no one was ever truly ready to have a child. It was something you figured out along the way.
“So, what’re you saying?” he finally choked out, cradling the baby closer to his chest.
“I’m saying I’m done. With her, with you, with Cielo Springs. I’m going home, Jayson.”
Her announcement hurt his heart on every level. They had a daughter together and she clearly didn’t give a shit. Tara had always been selfish, but this took things to a whole new level of assholery.
“It was a mistake moving here,” she continued, starting to get riled up. “I hate the mountains, I hate all the damn trees, and I hate this stupid fresh air. I want smog and traffic and people, for fuck’s sake. I need Broadway! Cielo Springs is so small, and you’re stifling me. I can’t breathe.”
How can I stifle her when she claims I’m never here?
Jayson loved all the things she claimed to hate. Christ, they were so opposite. How had he ever hoped they might work? She’d come to Cielo Springs, Montana, after a distant relative had died and she’d inherited property. While working out the details, they met, started having a fling and then boom. She’d gotten pregnant.
“Can’t breathe, huh?” he asked in a low voice. “Even with all this fresh air?”
Her eyes narrowed. “I’m leaving, Jayson.”
Panic sliced through him. “You can’t leave!” But she only arched a brow. “We made this choice together.”
“Did we?” She lifted her hand, pointing at him. Punctuating each word with her finger. “I told you I wasn’t cut out to be a mother.”
“Because you were scared! We both were. But we promised to try.”
“I never promised anything.” Her gaze finally dipped down to the baby. “If I’m being completely honest, it probably would’ve been best if I’d terminated the pregnancy.”
“Jesus, Tara,” he hissed, tightening his arms around Emma. Unable to come up with a response, he stared at Tara as though she were a stranger. Like he was truly seeing the real her for the first time. Disgust roiled through him.
For the past nine months, he’d paid her rent, stocked the fridge with groceries, given her money for clothes and incidentals, and made sure all of her medical bills were covered. When the baby was born, he’d promised to take some time off and financially support them both, and she’d agreed.
And now she was bailing.
Had that been her plan all along? Had she just been in it for the free room and board and always planned to leave once the baby was born? Was he the world’s biggest fool? Fuck. Emma was less than a week old and he was already screwing things up. How would he ever explain to her that her mother didn’t want her?
He might not have all the answers, but he knew one thing for certain: he and Emma deserved better.
Jayson vowed right then and there to give the baby girl in his arms so much love, she wouldn’t ever miss her egg donor. He’d make sure she had everything she needed and more. He’d freaking smother her with love and attention. Yeah, he’d have to separate from the military so he could be there every single day to raise her properly, but six years of seeing the worst in humanity and going on dangerous, clandestine missions was enough.
He had his mother to help, thank God. And if he had to work nights at the factory two towns over to make ends meet, he would. He’d figure it out. With or without fucking Tara. They didn’t need her.
And he knew nothing he might say would change her mind, anyway.
“I’m leaving in the morning. It’s for the best.”
Yeah, maybe it was.
“Have a nice life, Tara,” Jayson said, voice flat. Hollow. “If you ever want to see your daughter again, you know where to find her.”
Tara shook her head, having the decency to almost look sad. Almost. “I won’t.”
Fucking bitch. “Your loss.” Turning away, he stalked out, determined to get his daughter away from Tara and her toxicity. From that point forward, Emma would be surrounded by people who loved her.
Jayson grabbed the formula from the fridge and the bag of diapers the hospital gave Tara. Swiping up his keys, he walked out the door, planning to go straight to his mom’s house. She’d be overjoyed to see him and meet her new granddaughter.
He and Tara might be over, but his life with Emma Rose Knight was just beginning.
Chapter one
Present Day
Sitting on the edge of his daughter’s bed, Jayson looked around Emma’s old bedroom and sighed. His little girl was all grown up now, and the sooner he learned to accept that, the better. Why is it so damn hard? he wondered.
He reached over and snagged the old stuffed teddy bear he’d won for her nearly two decades ago at a fair. She’d been seven or eight, with pigtails and missing a bottom tooth. His heart tightened. Now, she was engaged and living with her fiancé.
The years had been good to them. Every sacrifice he’d made had been worth it. Leaving his life behind in the military had been the right thing to do. All those long nights working the plant assembly line for a steady paycheck—worth it. His mother had helped him raise Emma into an amazing young woman with a good heart.
Jayson stared down into the bear’s fathomless black eyes, reflecting on how he’d been so clueless in the beginning. But he’d learned it all—from dealing with an infant to a toddler then sending his baby girl off to school. Hell, he’d fought back tears that first time he had to drop her off at kindergarten. He’d never forget the red and black plaid dress she wore and the little pink backpack on her small shoulders. Or the way she’d looked up and said, “It’s okay, Daddy. Don’t be sad. I think I’m going to like school. And when it’s over, I’ll come right back home to you.” So brave. Definitely an old soul.
He’d helped her with homework, cheered her on at every sports activity, bought her horses when she’d wanted to take riding lessons. He’d kissed every boo boo and been her shoulder to cry on when friendships fell apart or boys turned out to be buttheads.
Raising and loving his daughter had been the greatest joy and blessing of his life. Now, this next stage of her life was beginning, and even though he was so happy for her, he felt…lost. Ever since she’d moved out a little less than a year ago, he’d been dealing with serious empty-nester syndrome. It also didn’t help that his mom had died a couple of years ago. Things weren’t the same without his two best girls in his life every day.
Once Emma moved in with Brett, Jayson did his best not to hover like a smothering father who missed his little girl fiercely. But other than his Motley Crew of former military buddies, he didn’t have anyone else to turn to for advice. The guys didn’t always understand because none of them were fathers. Well, Chaz Madden had adopted his wife Lottie’s little girl and they were expecting, so he got it. But Jayson doubted the others would become dads any time soon since they were getting up there in age. Having a baby at fifty wasn’t usually on anyone’s agenda.
Of course, accidents did happen—hell, he knew that better than anyone—but other than Lottie, who was still in her early thirties, his other friends were settling down with women more their age. And they all seemed intent on enjoying the second half of their lives together without the added responsibility of parenthood.
Other than himself, Lex and Xander were the last men standing. Jayson set the teddy bear aside and pinched the bridge of his nose. Xander Hawke had gone MIA on a recent mission down in Mexico and, at this point, they feared the worst.
And Lex Battle? That playboy would never settle down. Forget choosing only one woman forever—he was a flavor of the week kinda guy.
Glancing out the window still adorned with girly, white-ruffled curtains, Jayson watched the snowflakes dip and dance. The holidays had been nice. His friend and teammate Corey Emerson had gotten married. Once all the celebrating ended, Jayson quietly turned forty-nine and had been stuck in the doldrums ever since.
January in Cielo Springs, Montana, meant freezing temperatures and an influx of visitors looking to take advantage of the abundant ski trails and skies unaffected by city lights. He preferred staying inside, planting his ass in his leather recliner and streaming the latest action series on Netflix.
Christ, he was going to die in his La-Z-Boy recliner, and it would probably be days before anyone found his corpse.
The way he had a tendency to fall asleep in his chair before nine o’clock made him feel like he should be seventy-nine instead of forty-nine. And God knew, he might be getting up there, but he wasn’t fucking ancient. It’s why he was so grateful to be a part of the black ops team with the rest of his buddies. If it weren’t for a covert mission every now and then—one where he could flex his skills and take down some bad guys—he’d probably self-combust from boredom.
General Mitchell Evans kept them busy with jobs that were strictly off the books. Black ops stuff that Special Operations Forces couldn’t touch due to political red tape or potential fallout with other countries. Secret shit like toppling one cartel regime for another and stopping Indonesian pirates from getting their hands on a nuclear device. Most recently, they’d intercepted a narco sub. There was no lack of bad guys in the world, and the Motley Crew worked in the shadows, under Mitch’s directive, to eliminate as many as they could.
Standing up, Jayson stretched, rolled the kinks out of his neck and looked down at his sweater. Emma called it his “Dadigan” or Dad cardigan. He called it comfortable. Rolling his eyes, hearing her joking laughter in his head, he toyed with the bottom button, deciding tonight would be the perfect evening to order a pizza, drink a couple of beers and watch the latest episode of Tulsa Kings. And he’d try not to fall asleep in his recliner before nine.
Looking down at the large watch on his wrist, he realized four o’clock was still a little too early for dinner. He wasn’t ready for the early bird special quite yet. He could always spend a couple of hours in his workroom, finishing up a dining room table for a customer order. He’d always been good with his hands and had applied his dexterous skills to quite a number of things—from building furniture to firing a gun to picking a lock to pleasing a woman.
While he’d actually done those first three items pretty recently, it had been a damn long time since he’d had a warm, willing woman in his bed. He shoved a hand through his brown hair and went downstairs. He knew he should start dating again. He wasn’t getting any younger, and he didn’t want to die alone, a bitter old man. Now that Emma was self-sufficient and happily settling into her own life, it was the perfect time to focus on himself.
