Chapter Sixteen
“You’re playing with fire.”
Jax snorted and put the casserole in the oven before turning back to Cash. “I sure as hell hope so. It’s been too long since I wanted a woman and I’m damn sure going to enjoy this.”
“You better make sure this doesn’t blow up in your face and affect the airport renovations.”
Jax stared out the kitchen window over the sink and watched Piper as she swung on the old tire swing. With a fenced yard, he wasn’t worried about her outside alone, but he always kept an eye on her. She’d made the dough and now it was in a bowl with a towel over it waiting to rise.
“I won’t let anything stop those renovations from going through,” Jax vowed. He turned around and rested against the counter. “They’ve come up with some great ideas, so I really think it’s on the right track. With those three women and all their business sense added with my determination, we’ll be fine.”
“I hear you’re getting ready to teach Brock Monroe.”
Jax nodded and crossed his arms. “He’s an impressive kid.”
“He and Zach were in the gym the other night talking about it.” Cash reached for his bottle of water and toyed with the label. “The women’s resort they have is really booming. You may want to consider working on a plan with them as well when the renovations are done. Maybe some package for travelers coming into the area.”
That was actually brilliant. “I’m impressed,” Jax stated.
His cousin flipped him the finger. “Just because I run a gym, doesn’t mean I don’t understand business in general. You always have to be thinking of ways to expand and grow.”
Jax and Tanner often teased Cash that swinging kettle-bells and flipping tires wasn’t a job, but Cash always threw everything back in their faces with some snarky remark. If they didn’t tease and crack on one another, there would be something wrong. They’d been through it all together and this next chapter in Jax’s life was just another step he’d take with his favorite guys backing him.
“I’ll discuss it with Livie,” he promised.
“Could you discuss before you two hit the dessert course?”
Piper burst in through the back door crying. Jax instantly crossed the room and crouched down to her. “What is it?”
She pointed to her knee while she wailed. “I broke it.”
Cash stood at his side as Jax examined the injury. A skinned-up knee, typical of summertime and playing outside. But he recalled being a kid and skinning his knees, usually while riding his bike downhill and falling off, so he knew how much this stung.
“I don’t think it’s broken, but we need to clean it up.”
She continued to cry, and Jax picked her up and carried her over to the center island and sat her down. “Cash, grab the first aid kit from under the sink in my master bath.”
He blew on her knee to take away some of the sting while he waited on Cash to get back. “How did you do this?”
Piper sniffed. “When I pushed off the tree, my foot slipped and I hitted my knee.”
Cash came back in and sat the kit next to Piper. While Jax carefully cleaned the area, Cash stepped up and started distracting Piper with his ridiculous, toddler-friendly knock-knock jokes.
Jax was thankful to have someone else here because it was times like this he needed the backup. Being a single father wasn’t the easiest, but it was definitely the most important job he’d ever have. Having Cash here, no matter how annoying the jokes were, was a blessing. Piper loved Cash and Tanner just as much as he did and in a way, they were one big happy family.
“There you go,” he told her as he placed the bright blue Band-Aid over her knee. “Good as new.”
Jax swiped her tears and picked her up, giving her a bear hug. “You want to help finish the bread or would you rather go watch a movie?”
Those little arms around his neck meant everything and he wished he could prevent her from ever crying. Tears absolutely gutted him.
“I’ll watch a movie with Cash,” she sniffed again.
Jax eyed his cousin over Piper’s head. Cash nodded.
“That’s fine, but we have to leave in an hour to take you to Livie’s house, so you won’t be able to watch the whole thing.”
Cash raised his brows. No need to tell him about the whole ambush sleepover. He didn’t need more attention on the topic of Livie Daniels.
“Come on, little one.” Cash rounded the island and took Piper from Jax’s arms. “You go in and pick out the movie and I’ll bring in some snacks.”
“I’m not allowed to have more cookies today,” she told him.
Cash nodded. “I’ll make sure we’re cookie-free.”
He sat Piper down and she raced toward the living room . . . apparently snacks, a movie, and a Band-Aid were a cure-all.
“There’s some fruit cut up in the fridge or you can make popcorn.”
Cash went about getting snacks while Jax checked the casserole.
“So if Piper is going for a sleepover at Livie’s house, but Livie will be here . . .”
Jax moved to the covered bowl with the rising dough. “Shut up.”
“Awww...is this your first slumber party since the divorce?”
Jax pulled the dough out and onto the counter. “Kiss my ass.”
Cash’s laughter mocked Jax. “This is all just too easy, man. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t annoy the hell out of me if the situation was reversed.”
He pounded the dough, ready to get his nosy cousin out of here. “You were never married, so this isn’t the same. And I’m not looking for a wife, Cash. I like Livie and we’re going to be working together. No reason we can’t enjoy each other’s company while she’s here.”
“Keep telling yourself that.”
Cash whistled as he headed into the living room. Jax wasn’t getting caught in that bait. No way. It was bad enough Cash knew about Livie coming over and potentially staying for breakfast, but that would be her decision. He wasn’t going to press her or persuade her. As much as he wanted to go full-on seduction mode, he also wanted her to have this same need and ache he had. And she did, but getting her to admit it to herself was the frustrating part.
Jax readied the bread and put it in the loaf pan. He’d learned flying from Paul Daniels, but his kitchen skills were all from his grandfather. The grandfather who’d had to take over when Jax’s parents had been killed in a car wreck when Jax had been only ten. That time had been the darkest, scariest of his life, but his grandfather had done the best he could. They’d mourned together and healed together.
And once Jax’s grandfather had taken him on that first “for fun” plane ride, Jax had been completely and utterly hooked. Even though his grandfather had been older and weak at times, he’d made sure to make the most out of the days he was feeling good.
From the moment that first plane ride was over, Jax read anything he could on aviation and becoming a pilot. He’d learned a great deal from his grandfather, who had also been in the air force. Between those two powerful men, Jax was destined for the sky. He couldn’t wait to pass the love down to Piper, who already showed so much interest.
As he finished everything up, he listened to Piper’s giggles from the living room. Having Cash and Tanner as role models in his daughter’s life was priceless. Jax had been worried how he’d ever handle raising a child on his own, but he was raising such a remarkable, well-rounded little girl.
He turned off the oven and left the bread and the casserole in there to stay warm. Now all he had to do was kick Cash out the door and take Piper to her sleepover.
There was part of him that knew this was more than physical. He’d already let Piper into the lives of not only Livie, but also her friends. Whatever was happening between them went far beyond sex . . . and perhaps that’s what had Livie so afraid.
Well, that made two of them because he had no idea what the hell he was doing. The red flags were in place, but he forged beyond each one in his pursuit. He wanted Livie . . . and he damn well planned on having her.
* * *
“I’m impressed.” Olivia stared at the spread on the kitchen table. “Who knew you were such a good cook?”
Jax sat two glasses of sweet tea on the table. “You haven’t even tried it.”
Gripping the back of the wooden chair, Olivia shrugged. “The fact you have all of this is impressive enough.”
When he’d come to pick her up, she’d wanted to protest and stay home. But there was that part of her, the very feminine part, that wanted to come. She was a fool for even trying to pretend she didn’t want this, didn’t want him.
What was she supposed to do when she fell for this man? Because she was seriously heading in that direction. Honestly though, what had she done to stop it? She’d already spent the night with him and loved every glorious moment. Now she was ready for round two—but she was going to hold out. Maybe if she could resist him, maybe if she could keep this evening focused on the airport and not the fact he’d made a great dinner and he looked so sexy in his fitted jeans and T-shirt that stretched across—
Yeah. She was doomed. There was no hope at this point. Everything he did, from the way he looked, to the way he was with Piper, to the way he made her feel things she’d never known . . . it was a lethal combination for her heart.
“You’re thinking way too hard.” He circled the table and came to stand directly beside her. “It’s dinner, Livie. I won’t strip your clothes off until we’ve at least had salads.”
No doubt he intended to take the edge off with his sarcasm . . . and it totally worked. She shifted to face him and smiled.
“Well, I wore the ugliest bra and panties I had so I would leave my clothes on.”
Jax circled her waist and tugged her against his firm chest. Instantly she recalled exactly how he’d felt against her when there had been no barriers between them.
“I’ll rip them off anyway,” he growled as his eyes held hers. “You wasted your time putting anything on.”
Oh, that promise had her shivering all over.
“One night was fine, but how long are we going to keep this going?” she asked, forcing herself not to reach up to grab hold of him.
“I plan on enjoying you as long as you’re here. Do you see a problem with that?”
Olivia couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her. “I see so many problems, I don’t know where to start.”
He kissed the tip of her nose—how freakin’ adorable was he?—and pulled out her chair.
“Let’s start with a salad and move on from there.”
He left her standing there wondering how he could be so casual, while he dished out their food. She knew Jax wasn’t one to bring women into his home, not with Piper around. He wasn’t that type of man. Yet he’d been adamant she come here; he’d steamrolled her into it, actually, and now he was pretending this didn’t faze him in the least.
That man was one outstanding liar.
Olivia took a seat and sipped on her tea. There was nothing like good sweet tea. She hadn’t had it for a while because she opted for water or wine.
“So, you do casseroles?” she joked.
Jax took a seat across from her. “I live in the South, Livie. Casseroles and sweet tea are staples. And fried chicken. Besides, my grandfather was a pretty good cook. I learned from him. Piper is a picky eater, though, so I’ve had to hone my skills.”
While they ate, Olivia kept the topic neutral. The airport was the common thread that held them together, so she wanted to hash out more details.
“Melanie believes we’ll hear soon about the grants.” Stuffed, Olivia leaned back in her seat and set her napkin on the table. “We’ve already gotten a list of contractors we’d be interested in getting an estimate from for the renovations.”
“Zach Monroe.” Jax set his fork down and eyed her across the table. “I won’t argue with you on most of this, but Zach is local, he’s good, and he’s a friend of mine.”
Olivia wasn’t surprised at Jax’s loyalty to his friends or that he would be so passionate about the process. This was going to be his long after she went back to Atlanta to continue her work. She would be more of a silent partner, whereas Jax would be here day in and day out.
“Actually, Zach is the first name on our list,” she explained. “We have two others that aren’t local, but—”
“Zach is the one who will do it.”
Olivia wanted to argue simply for spite because she hated being told what to do, but she also knew Zach from school and had met up with him again when she and her friends stayed at Bella Vous a few months ago. Zach and his brothers had truly tapped into a gold mine, so she was comfortable with him doing the work.
“That’s fine,” she conceded. “Anything else you won’t budge on?”
Jax shook his head. “Not that I can think of. But I’m sure there will be something along the way that we clash over.”
“I have no doubt.”
Her cell starting chiming from her purse, which she’d left in the living room. Olivia came to her feet with a sigh.
“Can’t you let it go to voice mail?” he asked.
“Never,” she replied as she headed to the front of the house. “Work is always needing something.”
Now more than ever she wasn’t letting her phone go to voice mail. After that slipup the other morning she had to be on her toes.
The shrill ring kept echoing through the house as she grabbed her purse and pulled the phone out.
“Hello?”
“Olivia, I hope this isn’t a bad time.”
Oh, no. Just the tone of Steve’s voice coming over the line made her cringe. What on earth did he want and why was he calling her so late?
She glanced to the large clock overtop Jax’s mantel and realized it wasn’t late at all. If she were in Atlanta, she’d still be in the office . . . even on a Saturday.
“Actually, I am a little busy,” she replied. If this had been her boss, she would’ve lied, but since her nemesis was asking, she opted for honesty. “What can I do for you?”
“I was put in charge of the budget meeting for next Friday and I wanted to know if we could count on you to be there.”
Olivia stilled. Steve was put in charge of the meeting? Nobody but the COO was ever put in charge of that. Surely, he hadn’t already been named. Maybe this was just one way they were continuing the interviewing process? How long was this going to take, because her nerves were about shot.
“I can be there,” she told him. No way in hell would she miss that meeting and let him gloat all over himself. She was fighting to the death when it came to this promotion.
“Fantastic.” His tone told her he felt quite the opposite. “The meeting will start promptly at eight. I hope you don’t miss this one.”
That jab referring to the last meeting wasn’t worth getting worked up about. Steve was a jerk and she refused to let him goad her into a verbal sparring match. She’d show him who was the best man, or woman, for the job.
Besides, she didn’t care what he thought. All she cared about was her boss and his opinion. He’d actually been understanding the other day when she’d missed the conference call, and a sliver of her felt guilty for lying about her absence.
Steve was nothing but an annoyance and he better start treating her with respect . . . considering she’d be one of his bosses soon.
Olivia hung up without telling him bye. All manners and common sense went out the window when she had to talk to Steve. He was a smarmy jerk. There simply weren’t enough negative adjectives to describe him. It wasn’t that he was bad at his job—he wasn’t a terrible accountant. But his inability to play well with others made her want to pull her hair out at times.
“Everything okay?”
Olivia realized she’d been clutching her phone and staring at the clock. She pulled in a breath, but that did nothing to calm her nerves. She wanted to be in Atlanta right now. She wanted to march into the office and . . . damn it, do something. Anything to make her boss realize that she could handle her personal life and the promotion.
She spun around and the look on Jax’s face stopped her. With his dark brows drawn in, his square jaw set, he looked so serious, so . . . concerned. It was unusual to have someone other than Melanie or Jade look at her in such a way. Olivia wasn’t quite sure what to do because when she was upset or angry, her friends either made her a drink or they went on a run to pound out frustrations.
“That wasn’t work on a Saturday,” he stated, clearly knowing it was. “You realize that’s not normal.”
Livie brushed her hair back from her face and gripped her phone at her side. “I’m in the middle of a promotion process and I’m clawing my way to the top. Nothing about this is normal, but apparently, I have to be at a meeting next week so my archrival doesn’t steal this out from under me. It’s mine.”
Jax had the audacity to smirk. “He doesn’t know who he’s dealing with.”
“Oh, he knows.” Olivia turned to put her phone back in her purse. When she faced Jax once again, he was full-on smiling. “But he’s about to realize that I can fight just as dirty.”
“Did you know you sound even sexier when you’re fired up?” He took one step toward her, then another, all while keeping his eyes on her. “Just like that day you came barging into the hangar angry over the fact I wasn’t going to bow down and just sell the place.”
“I didn’t march,” she corrected, tipping her head back as he closed the gap between them. “If I recall, you came out to me and put your hands all over my ass.”
“You started to fall.”
That naughty grin nearly melted the clothes right off her body. “No, you made me lose my balance, then you put your greasy hands on me. By the way, where’s my suit?”
“It’s here.” He reached up, smoothing his knuckles over her cheek before gliding his thumb over her bottom lip. “Your shoes are here, too. Makes me wonder what you’ll leave for me tonight.”
Every breath she took, she simply inhaled more of that masculine scent she’d come to appreciate. The stubble on his jaw used to irritate her because she was so used to cleanly shaven men in suits. But there was something to be said for a man with a little scruff and a well-worn pair of jeans.
“Who said I was staying?” she countered, her voice betraying her as she got all breathy.
Why was it when she was with him she didn’t recognize herself? Jax made her turn into a completely different woman. When they were together, she wanted to see him succeed with the airport, she wanted to learn more about his life, she forgot about work—unless she received untimely calls—and she craved like never before. Craved his touch, his sultry glances, his snarky comments.
Damn it. She should’ve worn her nice underwear.
“I’m not even answering that rhetorical question.” Jax took a step back and sighed. “You ready for dessert?”
Olivia narrowed her eyes and tipped her head. “Dessert that you made?”
His rich laughter filled the living room. “Yes, dessert I made. I tried something new, but it has chocolate so I figure you’d be happy.”
“You’re speaking my language.” Olivia gestured toward the kitchen. “Let’s go.”
When she started to head that way, Jax stepped in her path. Without touching her anywhere else, he leaned down and captured her lips. He completely consumed her, causing her toes to curl in her kitten heels and tingles to shoot through her from head to toe. And he only touched her mouth.
Perhaps she was so affected because she knew exactly what he could do with those hands once they got on her body. A moan escaped her, but just as she was about to give in and wrap her arms around him, Jax released her lips and turned toward the kitchen.
And he whistled.
Seriously? He could kiss her in a way that made her achy all over and simply walk away so nonchalantly?
That whistle, though. He often did that when he was finished and now it was getting on her nerves. He was revving her up, ready to feed her chocolate, and acted as if nothing had happened.
A man didn’t go to this much trouble if he didn’t care. Which made things even more difficult for Olivia to grasp or make sense of. If he cared, and she was starting to care, where did that leave them?
Was this a relationship? What on earth would happen if they fell for each other? He would never leave Haven and she’d worked too hard in Atlanta to be pulled away.
Olivia rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes. There was no reason to try to hash all of this out in her mind. All she could do was live in the moment and just enjoy what they had going on . . . even if she was terrified of the outcome.
* * *
Jax poked the stick through another marshmallow and extended it over the fire.
“You’re going to make me fat,” Livie complained. “First dinner, which was amazing, then that Death by Chocolate Layer Cake, now s’mores.”
He watched the flames lick the edge of the marshmallow as he rotated the stick. “Dessert was hours ago and you’re not going to get fat. You’re sexy no matter what.”
What was it with her and weight? Did she really worry that much about appearance? As far as he was concerned, she looked better now than when she’d been eighteen and slenderer. Now she was all woman with curves in exactly the right places. He could definitely verify how much he appreciated those curves now that he’d had hands-on experience.
A raindrop hit the back of his hand, then another. Within seconds, rain poured from the sky, drenching them both. Jax dropped the stick and grabbed the sack with the candy bars, crackers, and marshmallows. When he glanced to Livie, he was stunned to see her with her head tipped back, arms wide, getting absolutely soaked.
“Come on,” he yelled over the instant downpour.
“I love the rain.” She turned in a circle. “It’s so refreshing.”
Refreshing? He was drenched and only getting more so by the second. How did someone so structured and refined and . . . well, uptight, get so excited about becoming the proverbial drowned rat?
A rumble of thunder and flash of lightning in the distance had him grabbing her outstretched arm and heading toward the back door. He ushered her in ahead of him and quickly closed the door behind him.
Jax dropped the dripping sack onto the bench of the utility room. “Get your clothes off.”
She swiped at her damp face and stared at him. “Is that your foreplay?”
Jax peeled his wet shirt over his head and dropped it with a sloppy smack onto the bench. “Yeah, it is. Get them off.”
Her eyes zeroed in on his chest. Arousal speared through him at the hunger in her eyes. Added to that, she looked like some sort of wet goddess with her hair slicked back from her face, her white sleeveless button-up molded to her breasts. The “ugly” bra she’d claimed she had on didn’t look so boring right now. The white outline only alluded to what lay beneath . . . and he knew exactly what she was hiding behind her clothes.
“You’ve got one second before I remove them myself.”
That damn defiant chin tipped up as she propped her hands on her hips. “Maybe that’s what I’m waiting for.”
She was going to be the death of him. Jax took a step forward, keeping his eyes locked on hers. Droplets settled on her dark lashes, making her seem like some sort of magical vixen and making him crazy with desire and wanting to wax some poetry . . . if he knew how. That wasn’t him, but Livie didn’t seem too concerned with pretty words at this point.
He gripped the vee of her shirt and ripped it apart, sending buttons flying all over the small room.
“That’s a shirt and a suit you owe me,” she laughed. “I’m expensive.”
“I’ll give you my credit card.”
Jax jerked her pants down, taking her plain white panties with it. As she stepped out of her wet clothes, he made work of wrestling his jeans down. As she stood before him completely naked, he truly wished he had the willpower to take his time and enjoy the moment . . . later, he vowed. Right now, he wanted her. It was that simple and that urgent.
There was no time to move to a horizontal surface. Jax gripped her around the waist and spun her until her back hit the wall just beside the door. Her legs instantly circled his waist, her ankles locking behind his back.
“I’m clean,” he muttered against her neck. Damn, she smelled so amazing. A mix of her perfume and the fresh raindrops. “There’s protection in my bedroom. We can go there—”
“I’m clean, too,” she panted as she arched against him. “I’m on the pill.”
Nothing else needed to be said at that point. He was way beyond words, anyway. With one easy thrust, he joined their bodies. Jax stilled, torn between wanting to make this hard and fast to give in to his need or taking just a moment to relish in the fact Livie was wrapped all around him. She panted, threading her fingers through his hair as she captured his lips.
Her urgency had him jerking his hips as he gripped a handful of her soaking wet hair and tipped her head to the side. Jax broke the kiss to slide his lips down her neck and back up to that sensitive spot behind her ear.
“Jax.”
The way she groaned his name only added to his desire for her. She pumped her hips faster, matching his own urgency. Jax slid his hand up over the swell of the side of her breasts, causing her to cry out even more.
Livie’s fingernails bit into his shoulders as she jerked faster. Her entire body tightened around his and Jax watched her; he couldn’t tear his eyes away even if he tried. Livie’s mouth opened wide, her eyes squeezed shut, and the random rain droplets on her skin were absolutely breathtaking.
Olivia Daniels in total abandon was the sexiest sight he’d ever seen in his life. And soon he’d take her upstairs, lay her out on his bed, and do this all over again.
The more she jerked, the more difficult it was for him to hold back. The moment her body started to settle, he let himself go. Jax dropped his head to the crook in her neck, tightened his grip on her hair, and held her body firmly in place with his own as he let every bit of passion overtake him.
In the distance, her cell starting ringing, but Jax completely ignored it, as did she. He kept his head down even when his body stopped trembling. The last thing he wanted to do was look up and have her witness exactly what was in his eyes. He knew this was more than sex and if she saw him right now, she’d know it too.
Jax didn’t want to freak her out, he wanted to just enjoy their time together . . . because the clock was ticking.
Her cell started ringing again.
“If that’s your coworker again, I’ll kill him myself and you won’t have to worry about him getting the promotion.”
Livie laughed as she untangled her legs. “I can’t imagine that’s him, but someone apparently needs me.”
He eased away, instantly feeling the damp chill to his skin. Having Livie draped all over him was all he’d wanted, and having her in his life was becoming all too comfortable.
Wearing nothing but those delicious curves, Livie raced through his house toward her phone. Jax gathered up all the clothes and tossed them into the dryer. He’d let her borrow one of his shirts—after they made use of the warm shower and his bed. Hell, did she even need clothes? It was such a shame to cover up such perfection.
Jax locked the back door just as another rumble of thunder nearly shook his house. A pop-up storm, perfect for what he had in mind. If she loved the rain, then he’d open his bedroom windows and let the sound of the storm surround them.
Just as he stepped out of the utility room, Livie came back down the hall. She’d draped the throw from the couch around her shoulders, clutching it between her breasts as if modesty had a place here now.
“That was Jade.”
Jax froze. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” she reassured him. “But the storm is a little scary for Piper so Jade wanted to know if she could bring her home.”
“Yes,” he said without thinking twice. “I can go get her so Jade doesn’t have to come out. Call her back.”
Livie’s soft smile warmed him. With her hair in utter disarray, her face void of most makeup, and her wearing nothing but a grin and a blanket, he felt himself falling and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to stop it.
“I already told her to bring Piper.”
Yeah, there he went slipping down that slope again. He was quickly stumbling headfirst in love with this woman. The fact she didn’t ask him, but put Piper’s needs ahead of their plans spoke volumes for the type of woman she was . . . perhaps the type of mother she would be one day.
No. He wasn’t thinking along those lines. He’d gotten tangled up once with a woman who wanted something bigger out of life than what Haven, or a family, had to offer. Jax’s eyes were wide open this time around . . . unfortunately, so was his heart.
“Come to my bedroom.”
“We don’t have time for another quickie,” Livie grumbled as she shook her head.
Jax snaked an arm around her waist and jerked her against his chest. “When I get you in my bed again, it sure as hell won’t be quick.”
He smacked a quick kiss on her lips before releasing her. “We’re getting clothes before my daughter arrives and wonders what the hell kind of sleepover I was having.”
As he circled around her to head out of the room, he gave her a swat on her butt. She yelped, then laughed.
“Go get me a shirt and pants,” she scolded, following him. “I’m drawing the line at wearing your underwear.”
A visual of her wearing nothing but his clothes against her skin had his body stirring to life all over again. He stopped at the base of the steps and turned to face her.
Without any warning, he bent and put his shoulder into her midsection to lift her into a fireman’s hold. “If you keep talking dirty to me, your friends and my daughter are going to have to wait for us to finish.”
The electricity flashed as she smacked him. “Put me down before you drop me. If the lights go off, I don’t want to tumble naked down these steps.”
Jax tightened his hold. “I’d never let you get hurt, Livie.”
There was so much more to that statement, so much he could continue on about, but right now they had to get dressed because the storm was raging and he knew Piper was going to be scared when she got here. His night had been cut short with Livie, but he knew for certain that her feelings were just as strong as his. The question was, who was going to cave first and admit it?
* * *
“I can give you a ride back home.”
Olivia glanced from a trembling Piper being held in her father’s arms back to Jade, who stood in the doorway. “I think I’ll stay.”
Jade raised her brows. “You know what you’re doing?”
“Not at all.” And that’s what terrified her the most, but she had to figure it out. “You okay to drive in this?”
Jade nodded. “It’s not that far. Melanie is pulling out all the candles and flashlights. She already made snacks in case we lose power.”
Olivia laughed. “Food is important. I’ll see you guys in the morning.”
Jade looked as if she wanted to say something else, but she merely nodded and stepped out into the storm. Olivia watched as her friend pulled her hood up over her head and took off running toward her car.
Olivia carefully closed the door and flicked the lock. When she turned, she met Jax’s questioning gaze and instantly felt like a fool. She hadn’t once asked if she could stay. Maybe now that they’d had sex he didn’t want her here—not that she got that vibe from him, but it was rude of her to just assume.
“I hope this is okay?” she asked, her hand still on the door.
“More than okay.” His smile instantly relaxed her. “When it storms we make a blanket fort in the living room. You up for it?”
“I’ve never made a blanket fort.”
Piper jerked her head from her father’s chest. “Never? That’s sad. Daddy gets all the blankets and cushions. It’s a mess.”
Jax laughed and hugged Piper tighter. “Why don’t you start taking the cushions off and I’ll grab blankets. Olivia will stay in the room with you in case the lights go off. Okay?”
Piper nodded and jumped to start her job. Jax crossed the room and stood directly in front of her.
“You look like you’re about ready to run out that door.” He pried her hand away and gripped both of hers between his own. “What are you afraid of?”
The truth slammed into her. She’d seen it dangling in the back of her mind before, but right now it was front and center. They’d just been intimate—for a second time—and now she was going to stay over and have a slumber party with the man she was falling for and his daughter. Things didn’t get much more serious than that . . . at least not for her.
“This all seems so . . .” She couldn’t say the words. Didn’t know how to verbalize her thoughts without sounding utterly terrified. “I don’t know how to do the family thing.”
Jax lifted her hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Right now we’re going to build a fort and have shadow puppets on the wall because I can just about bet the electric will go. We’re going to comfort Piper and laugh and tell stupid jokes until she falls asleep. That’s all you need to focus on.”
But when he touched her like that, so caring and so gentle, and when he looked into her eyes like she was special, precious, she had to worry about so much more. Like her heart, her mind . . . her life. She was getting too cozy here, she saw it happening. Little by little each day something happened that made her fall more for her hometown, for the people in it. For Jax.
“Daddy,” Piper cried. “Hurry.”
He shot Olivia a wink and darted up the stairs to retrieve blankets. Piper had all the pillows spread all over the floor. Throw pillows, sofa pillows, the pillows from the oversize chair.
“Can you move the foot thing?” Piper asked.
Olivia glanced around the room. “Foot thing?”
Piper pointed to the ottoman. “Daddy puts that here.” She pointed to the open area in front of the fireplace. “Then we put blankets over that and he sets the big pillows up. I crawl in the fort first.”
Olivia bent down to slide the ottoman across the hardwood floor. Conscience of the fact Jax’s shirt was huge on her, she didn’t bend at the waist because she would totally flash a toddler.
Trying to keep her breasts concealed by the shirt, Olivia carefully scooted it to the spot Piper still pointed to. Apparently, there was a system she and her father had down pat and Olivia didn’t want to screw it up.
“Why are you wearing my daddy’s shirt?”
Piper glanced down to the oversize tee that he’d apparently had from his air force days. “We were outside roasting marshmallows when it started storming and we got soaked. My clothes are in the dryer.”
There, that was vague, but honest.
“Okay. I have all the usual blankets.” Jax came down the stairs carrying an armload of comforters and blankets. “We’ll have to see about making this a bit larger since we have a guest tonight.”
Piper slid her hand in Olivia’s. “I’m glad you stayed so I can still have my first sleepover.”
Olivia couldn’t pull her eyes away from the delicate hand inside of hers. There was such innocence with Piper. She was sweet and honest and everything about her was Jax’s doing. He’d raised this precious girl from just a few weeks old and he’d done so single-handedly. Well, she was sure he had help from Tanner and Cash.
Everything about Jax was becoming more and more difficult to resist.
Jax dropped the blankets in front of her, pulling her from the moment. When she looked over and met his eyes, she saw that same look she’d seen earlier. It went beyond desire, beyond lust . . . and it ventured into a territory she wasn’t sure she could accept. Because if she let these emotions in, if she let them overtake her, someone was going to get hurt.
“I’m glad I could stay for your first sleepover too,” she told Piper as she turned her attention back down to the smiling toddler.
The lights flickered once again as a rumble of thunder boomed. Piper’s hand tightened around Olivia’s.
“It’s all right,” Olivia assured her. “You’ve got two adults here now and we won’t let anything happen to you. I’m excited to see shadow puppets. I don’t know that I’ve done that since I was a little girl.”
Jax worked on shifting pillows and spreading out the blankets. Olivia picked up Piper and held on to her as the lights flickered once more.
“Let’s get that flashlight and you can show me your best shadow puppet.”
Piper nodded. “But hold me until Daddy gets the fort ready.”
Her little arms wrapped around Olivia’s neck and something in her heart turned over—almost as if something clicked into place. Never once had she thought about a family of her own. Never once did she dream of having children or a husband. No, Olivia had been too busy building her corporate world exactly the way she’d envisioned. She’d had a plan and she was well on track to the biggest success she’d ever known.
Getting sidetracked by her hometown and diving into renovations at her father’s airport was one thing, but falling headfirst in love with Jax—
Damn it. She’d let that word slip into her mind. She’d tried so hard to avoid it. She knew once that dreaded “L” word entered the scene, she would be screwed.
“The flashlight is over there,” Piper said, pointing to the end table.
Olivia turned her head and Piper ran her little fingertip over the side of Olivia’s neck.
“You have a birthmark?”
Confused, Olivia glanced back to Piper, whose eyes were still focused on her neck. “Birthmark?”
“This red mark. I have a birthmark, too. It’s on my shoulder, but Daddy says it’s shaped like a strawberry.”
Red? On her neck?
Olivia jerked her attention to Jax, who had the nerve to start whistling. As if that weren’t frustrating enough, he shot her a quick glance and winked. If Piper weren’t in her arms, Olivia would be all too happy to explain to him she’d never had a hickey and at the age of thirty-four she sure as hell didn’t intend to start getting them now.
“I must’ve burned myself with the curling iron and not realized it.” The excuse was lame, but it was all she could think of on the spur of the moment.
The electric flashed once, twice, and finally went. Tiny arms tightened around Olivia’s neck.
“It’s all good,” Olivia assured Piper. “I’ve got the flashlight.”
She clicked it on and shone it against the far wall. Piper lifted her head. Instantly she started with her puppets and before long she was giggling.
“Let me see yours,” Piper exclaimed, clearly having more faith in Olivia’s talents than she should.
“I can’t hold the flashlight and you and do a puppet.”
Piper took the flashlight. “Now.”
Jax’s soft chuckle from the other side of the room mocked her. Oh, so he thought she couldn’t do them?
Olivia held up her hand in some obscure angle and watched on the far wall. Yeah, she was terrible at this. But there hadn’t been a need to learn such social skills. Drawing up spreadsheets and attending forced cocktail parties for clients was pretty much as social as she got.
“What animal is that?” Piper asked.
Olivia put one of her fingers down until it looked somewhat like . . . a dog?
“Dog,” she quickly said. “Roof, roof, roof.”
She bounced her hand around in the circle of light and kept barking.
“That’s not a dog,” Jax stated, coming to stand beside her. “This is a dog.”
He was all too eager to show her, not with his own hand, but he reached around her from behind and adjusted her fingers. The warmth from his back, the weight of his daughter, it was all so much. Too much. Was he doing this to torture her? Did he want to shove her deeper into this rabbit hole? Because at this point she was having a difficult time recalling why she wanted in and out of Haven so fast.
Yes, she had to get back to her job, to the potential promotion, but part of her was growing more and more content here. When did that happen? How did that happen?
“That’s a dog,” Jax stated once he got her hand in position.
Light briefly flashed in the room as the thunder boomed and lightning streaked across the sky.
“Okay, squirt. You climb into the fort first.” Jax lifted Piper from Olivia’s arms. “Keep the flashlight you have with you. We have others.”
Piper crawled into the mound of pillows and blankets. “This is huge. We need this size all the time.”
“What were you thinking giving me a hickey?” Olivia gritted between her teeth in a low whisper. “Do I look like someone who wants to be marked?”
Jax curled his fingers around her neck and stroked his thumb over where the mark was. “You didn’t seem to mind anything I did earlier. In fact, you were beg—”
“All right.” She batted his hand away. “Let’s get in the fort where I know you’ll be on your best behavior.”
He aligned their torsos and nipped at her lips. “You’ve already seen my best behavior.”
The next second he released her and disappeared inside the fort. Piper’s giggles started instantly while Olivia remained standing in the dark trying to figure out how her life had gone from trying to dodge this small town to suddenly finding herself falling for it.
But it wasn’t Haven she worried about missing when she left.