“Yeah, I’m tired.”
He heads toward my bedroom door, saying good night over his shoulder, but watching him walk away only unsettles me further.
“Wait!”
He turns, a look of concern laced in his brows. “What’s wrong?”
I search for an excuse. “The guest bedroom gets pretty cold at night. You should probably just stay in here.”
He assesses me for a moment before nodding and heading toward my linen closet, gathering a pillow and some blankets. When he’s made a bed on the floor, guilt floods me. I should be able to be on my own, andJax shouldn’t have to sleep on the floor. He’s already done enough for me tonight. I’m asking too much of him.
What has gotten into me?I shake my head and blame the alcohol I ingested earlier.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay down there?”
“Yup.” He pulls the sheet up below his chin.
“It doesn’t look very comfortable.”
“At least this way I can make sure you don’t try to kiss me again,” he teases.
I throw my pillow at him. “I changed my mind. Youshouldsleep on the floor.”
He chuckles. “Good night.”
“Good night.”
Even though Jax is on the floor, I can hear every time he rolls over and every time he takes a deep breath. Still, I sleep like a baby knowing he’s there.
When I peek my eyes open in the morning, I’m surprised to see the sun shining through the seam where my curtains meet. I’m usually awake before the sunrise, even after a late night.
Jax is gone, and I start to think last night was a figment of my imagination until I roll over and find a glass of water and Advil sitting on my nightstand. The list Jax and I created is taped to my wall just above it.
I take a sip of water, leaving the Advil. Surprisingly, I feel okay. I grab a sweatshirt and as soon as I swing my door open, my nose is greeted by the scent of bacon and—is that pancakes?
I pad down the hallway and into the open area that includes the kitchen and living room.
Leaning my forearms against the kitchen island, I take in Jax, shirtless and flipping pancakes on the griddle. He still has a lingering tan from the summer, and his abs look like they’re sculpted by God himself. His Spidey senses must be tingling because he pauses, mid-whistle, and spins around to face me.
“Hey! How are you feeling?” He grins.
“Actually, pretty good.”
“That’s great because I was hoping we could check an item off your list today.”
“Already?” I draw back from the island, my nerves building. I no longer feel as brave as I did last night.
“Sure. Why not?”
Chapter Four
Jax
Hesitation floods Lauren’s face.It’s sad to see the bold and excited version from last night gone so soon. I hate Austin for doing this to her, and I hate myself for not stepping in to help her sooner.
“I just made the list. I should probably?—”
“It doesn’t have to be anything big.” I pull the bacon out of the pan and split it between the two plates on the counter. “We could just buy you a book at the bookstore so you can start reading.”
