Jackson forced himself to focus on Judge Henry. “I’m not sure I know what you mean.”
“Don’t you?” When Jackson didn’t answer, the older man laughed and leaned in closer. “My sister Jo tells me you came by to see Aja last week.”
Jackson couldn’t help the smile that blossomed on his mouth. “Yessuh, I did.”
“If I didn’t think she’d kill me for trying to give you the what-are-your-intentions talk, I’d certainly grill you about where you think this is headed. But since I’m trying to be more progressive and less meddlesome, I’ll just ask that you treat her right. She’s carried a lot on her shoulders. It would be nice if she got to have some fun for a change.”
“Uncle Ricky, why do you have this man hemmed up in the corner?”
Aja’s voice vibrated through Jackson’s entire being, pulling at something in his core that instantly responded to its easy lilt. She slid an arm around his waist and nuzzled into his side as she placed her other hand on her hip. “He’s here to enjoy himself, Uncle, not to be cross-examined.”
Judge Henry placed a sweet kiss on the apple of her cheek and hooked his thumb toward Jackson. “We were chatting, Niece. No inquisitions involved.”
She cut her eyes to the side. Not the least bit fooled by her uncle’s denial, she wagged a finger at him. “I know you too well, Uncle Ricky.”
The man chuckled and threw his hands up in the air, making a show of backing away from the two of them slowly. When he was halfway across the porch, she stepped slightly to the side, dropping her arm from Jackson’s waist and putting a respectable distance from them.
“I’m sorry about the full-on PDA. I didn’t see any other way that would get him away from you.”
There she went again, worrying about everyone around her. Touched by her concern for him but slightly annoyed that she didn’t know how he craved her touch by now, Jackson placed his hand low on her waist and pulled her to him so they stood front to front.
“As long as you don’t have a problem with it, I don’t really care who sees when you touch me.”
“Be careful what you say,” she answered as she shared a coy smile with him. “You might just give me ideas.” He couldn’t tell if it was the deep, sultry tone of her voice that made his length twitch or if it was the dirty innuendo that tickled his senses and made lust unfurl deep in the darkest parts of him. Whichever it was, he lost himself in his building need and leaned down to press his lips against hers.
“How long do I have to wait until I can have that skirt of yours hiked up around your waist?”
“It’s a buffet-style dinner, so as soon as I make a toast to the honorees, everyone will go inside and fix their own plates, and you and I can find a quiet place to sneak away to.”
He kissed her again, this time letting his lips rest against hers a little longer. “Make it happen.”
“I’ll go get the champagne.”
“I’ll help.”
Between the two of them, they poured champagne for everyone in the small group in record time. He was so uncharacteristically giddy about the idea of touching Aja again that he didn’t even mind the knowing smile Colton gave him when Jackson handed him his glass of champagne.
Yeah, he already knew he would receive shit for this by the time the three of them returned to work, but Jackson didn’t care. A quick glance over his shoulder and the gift of Aja’s sweet mouth curled up into an inviting smile was all he could focus on. Nothing else mattered.
Which was when Jackson Dean, Texas Ranger, understood how deeply he was in. It became obvious this wasn’t just fun anymore when watching her smile from across the yard made his stomach drop. He realized then Aja Everett could do anything with him and he would gladly follow her wherever she led. Because that smile and the way her brown eyes twinkled with that spark of intellect and intrigue had somehow tangled him up in a web he didn’t want to break free of.
“You are in so much trouble,” Colton whispered. Jackson didn’t take his eyes off Aja as he listened to his friend. How could he? She had this ability to draw him in, to hold his attention even when he knew he should place it on other things like his friend and colleague who was giggling like an immature teenaged boy, giving Jackson shit.
“Yeah, I know.”
“What do you plan to do to stop it, Jackson?”
Aja gave him a quick wave and disappeared back into the house. He turned around to face Colton, his face muscles still tingling from all the exercise they were getting tonight smiling at Aja. He poured himself a glass of champagne and lifted it in a mock solute to his friend. “Not a damn thing.”
* * *
“Good evening, everyone. It’s almost time to eat the lovely meal my aunt Jo was gracious enough to prepare for us. And if you’ve ever sat at her table, you know I’m gonna try my best to be brief, because if you have the good sense God gave a goat, you don’t miss a meal Aunt Jo cooked.”
The dozen or so people gathered on her back porch and the extending deck laughed. A quick glance among the people, and Aja easily found her aunt smiling with pride.
“Two years ago, I had everything a woman could want: money, prestige, and the respect of my colleagues. I mingled in the world of celebrities and dignitaries. Figuratively, I was sitting on top of the world. I had everything at my fingertips, and yet still, I wasn’t happy.
“As wonderful as things looked on the outside, life was too busy stripping me of everything that mattered for me to embrace the blessings around me. So Aunt Jo called me and told me to come home.”
