Chapter 11
Jax had given a lot of thought as to where to take Gabby. He’d known she’d want to have dinner with Taylor, so that was out of the question. Dessert was an option, but he wanted to do something a bit more festive.
They were almost there when Gabby figured out where they were going. “Are we going to the zoo?”
He glanced over at her and grinned as he maneuvered into the turning lane. “What? You don’t like the zoo?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I just wasn’t expecting us to be outside for long periods of time. I would have dressed warmer.”
Turning into the parking lot, Jax paid the guy in the little hut and started looking for a spot. “Don’t worry about that. I promise I’ll keep you nice and warm.”
She didn’t have any comeback to that, and he had to work hard not to laugh at the look of deep concentration on her face.
For a Wednesday night, there were quite a few people out. Then again, it was a beautiful evening. All the ice from the weekend had melted as milder temperatures moved in. There was still a chill in the air—it was December—but they would be able to spend an hour or so walking through the zoo without being in danger of frostbite.
He bought their tickets and they made their way inside. All the trees and bushes were draped in lights for the holidays. It was beautiful.
“I haven’t been here in years,” Gabby said as they began to walk along the path.
“Neither have I. We’ll have to bring Taylor one of these days.”
Gabby smiled, the first time since he’d picked her up. “She’d love all the lights.”
They stopped at the petting zoo and fed the goats. The brown one followed Gabby around. Every time she tried to feed another goat, the brown one would push the other one out of the way and snatch the food from Gabby’s hand. Jax tried to keep from laughing, but it was impossible. The entire thing was too funny.
Once they were finished with the petting zoo, they continued on, stopping at each of the exhibits to see the animals and take in the lights. Even the exhibits that were empty because the animals were inside were decked out in lights.
As they strolled, they chatted about the lights, the animals, and even the weather. It was all very civilized and he was pleased to see her relax and enjoy herself. They crossed over a bridge filled with huge fish. She knelt down to get a closer look, rubbing her hands together in an effort to warm them up.
“How about some hot chocolate?” Jax asked. “I did promise to keep you warm.”
She stood and shoved her hands back into her pockets. “That sounds great.”
They changed direction and headed toward the food court. Jax walked up to window and ordered two hot chocolates and a soft pretzel. After paying, he guided them over to a bench and they sat down to sip their drinks. He tore off a piece of the pretzel, popped it into his mouth, and offered her some. “Having fun?”
A slight blush colored her cheeks as she pinched off a bit of the warm bread for herself. “Yes.”
“Good.” He was unable to hide his grin.
They sat people-watching for several minutes, not speaking and finishing off the pretzel.
“I wanted to ask you something.”
He took a drink of his hot chocolate as he tried to ignore the way his pulse picked up. Was this just another way of saying ‘we need to talk’? That was never a good sign. “Shoot.”
Gabby rolled her cup in between her hands several times. “Where do you think we’d be right now if you hadn’t left three years ago?”
“That’s easy,” he said without any hesitation. “We’d be married and Taylor would probably have another brother or sister.”
She looked over at him, her eyebrows raised slightly. “You sound confident about that.”
“Well, I already had the ring. I was just trying to find the right time to ask you.”
“And the other part?”
He shrugged, unaffected by the direction the conversation had taken. “I figure nature would have taken its course with that one. It wasn’t as if we ever had trouble in the bedroom.”
The blush was back. This time it colored both her neck and cheeks. She glanced around, but no one was paying attention to them.
He reached over and ran the back of his hand along her jaw. Gabby shivered. “Cold?”
“No,” she whispered, shaking her head.
The look in her eyes told him all he needed to know in that moment. He could feel the pull between them and needed to touch her more than he needed his next breath.
Cupping the side of her face, Jax closed the distance between them and brushed his lips against hers. He kept the kiss light and PG rated considering they were in public and there were children around, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t convey what he was feeling through the kiss.
She released a soft sigh when he pulled back enough to meet her gaze. He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, unable to stop touching her.
Gabby searched his eyes as they sat there in the cool night air, surrounded by people. She scraped her teeth over her bottom lip. “You really had a ring?”
“I still have it.” There was no need to deny it and, in any case, he didn’t want to.
She sucked in a harsh breath. “Why?”
Jax shrugged and trailed his fingers down the side of her face. “I guess one day I was hoping I’d get to come back to you, to have the life I dreamed about.”
“Where . . .”
He knew what she was asking. “The ring is in my dresser at my apartment.”
The vein in the side of her neck was pulsing out of control and all he could think about was kissing it. He knew how much she liked it when he paid attention to her neck. She was so sensitive there.
Without much warning, Gabby stood, nearly knocking his hot chocolate out of his hand. She glanced around, looking flustered, and he couldn’t help but feel quite pleased with himself about that.
He eased himself off the bench. “Something wrong?”
Gabby shook her head but wouldn’t look at him. “No. I just thought we should probably get moving again if we’re going to see the rest of the exhibits. I’m sure your mother doesn’t want to be out all night.”
The rest of the walk through the zoo was filled with tension—a stark contrast to how things had been before their conversation. His revelation that he’d been about to ask her to marry him and still had hopes to do so had clearly thrown her, and as much as he wanted to push her to talk to him, he was giving her some time to process what she was feeling. He was the one who’d screwed up. Not her. As hard as it was, he was going to have to let her set the pace.
“Are you hungry?” he asked as they were leaving the zoo. It was getting late, but he didn’t want to say good night to her yet.
“Not really.” She was looking out the window at the lights as they drove from the parking lot.
With a sigh, he headed in the direction of her house. He’d wanted this date to be a positive experience. Now he was concerned it would be the opposite.
Jax felt her gaze on him as he turned onto the highway. He waited for her to say something, but she never did.
Fifteen minutes later he pulled up in front of her house and turned off the engine. She was still watching him, but when he met her gaze it wasn’t what he’d expected. He’d expected uncertainty and maybe a little fear, but instead it appeared as if she was deep in thought.
They sat in the car for several minutes before she broke the silence. “Do you want to come in?”
He didn’t want to read too much into it. Besides, his mother was in there. “Sure.”
Gabby was already outside the car waiting for him when he rounded the vehicle. They walked side by side, not touching, to the door and he waited for her to put her key in the lock. Jax flexed his hands, telling himself to be patient.
When they stepped into the house his mom peeked up from the book she’d been reading. She bookmarked her place, closed the novel, and stood. “You’re home early.”
“We didn’t want to be out too late,” Gabby said, taking off her coat.
“There was no rush. I made sure to bring a book to keep me company.”
Gabby’s attention went to the book his mother had pressed against her chest. It looked rather racy if the cover was anything to go by. He’d had no idea his mom read books like that. Then again, that wasn’t exactly the type of discussion a grown man typically had with his mother.
His mom followed Gabby’s gaze, and if he wasn’t mistaken his mother’s cheeks darkened a little. “Gabby, you like romance novels, right? Have you ever read G. E. Lewis?”
He saw Gabby shift her weight. “I believe I’ve heard of her.”
“A friend recommended her books to me and I have to say they’re hard to put down.” His mom leaned toward Gabby and lowered her voice. “Not that my husband is complaining. It’s put a little more zing in the bedroom, if you know what I mean.”
“Mom!”
Kathy laughed. “Oh please. If your father and I never had sex, you wouldn’t be here.”
“While that might be the case, it doesn’t mean I want to hear about it.”
His mom acted as if he hadn’t said a word. “Since you’re home, I’ll head out. Taylor went to bed around eight thirty, and when I looked in on her about nine she was sound asleep. Haven’t heard a peep out of her since.”
“Thank you again for watching her,” Gabby said.
“Any time.” His mom slipped on her coat, stuffed the book she’d been reading into her purse, and reached for the door. “I left the rest of the cookies on the counter by the sink. Taylor and I each only had one, so there are plenty left. Call me if you need me to babysit again.”
***
As soon as Kathy was out the door, Gabby went to check on Taylor. She pushed the door open enough for her to poke her head in. Taylor was on her side, her favorite doll in her arms.
Gabby felt Jax come up behind her so she backed away, pulling the door closed.
“She all right?” he asked.
“Yeah. She’s out like a light.” Gabby forced her feet to move. She knew if they stayed there in the hall she would be tempted to drag him into her bedroom across the hall and have her wicked way with him.
Jax followed her into the living room.
Her first instinct was to straighten up, but there wasn’t anything to do. The house was in great shape—better than she’d left it. Kathy had cleaned up any messes that the two of them might have made and had even fixed the throw on the back of the couch. It was too bad because Gabby could really have used the distraction.
She started to go into the kitchen and then changed her mind at the last minute.
To hell with it.
Gabby pivoted and marched over to stand directly in front of Jax. Without overthinking it, she took two fistfuls of his coat, pulled him toward her, and kissed him hard.
It took all of a second for him to get with the new program. He wrapped his arms around her body, molding her to him, holding her head exactly where he wanted it as he took control of the kiss.
Warmth spread through her limbs as the sensations overwhelmed her. She melted against him, needing more. He seemed to sense what she craved and pressed their lower bodies together, letting her feel how much he wanted her. She moaned, anticipation curling in her belly. Her body knew exactly what pleasure Jax could bring.
It was only the sound of a muffled thump that brought her out of the haze she was in. Gabby jerked away from him.
She paused, waiting to see if she’d hear it again, but all she could hear was their labored breathing.
“What is it?” he asked, picking up that something was wrong.
“I thought I heard something hit the floor.”
Jax frowned. “I didn’t hear anything.”
To be honest, Gabby was surprised she’d heard anything either considering how caught up in the moment she’d been. “I need to check on Taylor.”
Without comment, he released her.
Gabby rushed down the hall, needing to make sure her daughter was all right. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found Taylor still in bed and fast asleep. Her daughter was no longer on her side, however. She had rolled over and twisted somehow so that her feet were facing the wall. Based on her position, Gabby guessed the noise she’d heard was the sound of her daughter’s foot making contact with the drywall.
Letting go of her momentary anxiety, Gabby pulled the door shut again and headed back out to where Jax waited. “I think she kicked the wall with her foot or something. She’s still sound asleep, though.”
He started to move toward her, the look in his eyes making it clear he had every intention of picking up where they’d left off.
Gabby decided maybe a change of direction was in order. She needed to cool off and think, and she couldn’t do that when he was touching her. “I wonder what kind of cookies your mom made.”
Without giving him time to adjust to her complete one-eighty, Gabby went into the kitchen and found the cookies.
She took one out of the bag and bit into it. The chocolate hit her tongue and she closed her eyes to savor the moment. Kathy had always made the best sweets.
When she opened her eyes again, Jax was staring at her. He was watching her lips, and it didn’t take a genius to know what he was thinking.
Grabbing a plate, she set the cookie down and went to the refrigerator for some milk. “Want some?” she asked, holding up the gallon of milk.
“No, thanks.”
She poured herself a glass and returned the jug to the refrigerator. Taking her cookie and milk over to the island, she pulled out a stool and sat down.
Jax watched her every move. He waited until she was almost finished with her cookie before sitting down on the stool beside her. “Does the thought of us getting married one day scare you?”
“No. Not really.” She finished off her cookie and drank the rest of her milk. “Not once I’d had a chance to think about it.”
He reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together. “Then why have you seemed so distant since our conversation on the bench?”
“I didn’t know kissing you was considered being distant.”
Jax chuckled and squeezed her hand. “Aside from that.”
Sure, she could keep avoiding the question, but that wasn’t going to help the situation. “I’ve been thinking.”
“Okay.” He squared his shoulders as if he was bracing himself for whatever it was she was about to say.
“I think we should take Taylor to the zoo to see the lights on Saturday night.”
That was clearly not what he’d been expecting her to say. “All three of us?”
“Yes.” Gabby swallowed. “And I was thinking about Christmas.”
He’d been rubbing the inside of her wrist with his thumb, but he paused and held her gaze. “What about Christmas?”
She took a deep breath and prepared herself for what she was about to say. Several things had become clear to her in the last week. For one, she was still as much in love with Jax as she’d ever been. She wasn’t sure anything was ever going to change that. He’d broken her heart and still he was the only man who could make her heart race with nothing more than a look or a touch. She was tired of fighting it—tired of trying to remind herself of all the reasons she should guard her heart.
It was useless anyway. Her heart already belonged to him. It always had.
“I think you’re right. We should have Christmas together as a family.”
His lips curled into a smile that lit up his face.
“And,” she said before he could comment, “I think it should start here.”
Jax’s grin faltered a little. “You want my mom and dad to come here first?”
She shook her head. “No. I figured you and I would watch Taylor open her presents here first, and then we could go over to your parents’ for dinner or something. Or maybe we could all go over to my mom’s.”
He sat up a little and reached for her, turning her to face him. Scooting his stool closer, he held on to her waist and situated her between his knees. His brow was furrowed, deep in concentration, as he mulled over what she’d said.
Deciding to let him off the hook, she reached out and cupped the side of his face. “That’s what families do, right? They wake up on Christmas morning and open presents together?”
“You want me to spend the night on Christmas Eve so I can be here for Christmas morning?”
Gabby nodded and waited to see where his thoughts went next.
He leaned into her touch, covering her hand with his. “Don’t you think that might be a little confusing for Taylor? Or are you going to make me sleep on the couch?”
“I think Taylor would be used to you spending the night by then.”
Jax closed his eyes and took a deep breath before meeting her gaze again. “Sweetheart, I need for you to spell it out for me. I’m dying here.”
Slipping off her stool, Gabby stepped in between his legs and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Do you promise never to leave Taylor and me again?”
“You couldn’t drag me away.”
“That’s good.” She pressed her lips to his in a barely there kiss. “I want you to move back in with us. I want to wake up with you beside me every morning. And I want to fall asleep every night knowing you’re there.”
“That’s what I want, too.” He tucked her hair behind her ear. “I love you.”
“I love you, t—”
His mouth covered hers and she let herself be swept away by the kiss.
When they finally came up for air several minutes later, he’d snaked his hand up her shirt and was working his way under her bra. She needed to get out of these clothes. Pronto.
Gathering what little willpower she had left, Gabby tore her mouth away from his and backed away. Before he could protest, though, she grabbed his hand and began leading him toward the bedroom—their bedroom.