A tall, broad figure is standing on the other side of the big island when I cross through the doorway and I’m startled to see Jax leaning against the counter, the heels of his palms resting against the edge. I glance around the kitchen to see we’re alone.
Did he follow me?
My feet don’t want to move, I’m rooted to the spot as I watch him look over my face. Those icy-blue orbs seem to touch every inch of me, sending a flock of butterflies swirling in my stomach. “I wanted to check on you, lepa, to make sure you’re okay.”
I say the only thing that comes to mind. “Why?” The new pet name he’s given me warms my insides each time he says it.
The word crosses my lips softer than I intended. I’m not afraid of him, I think it might be the opposite. Which is confusing the hell out of me.
Just an hour ago I forgot everything around me while I danced with him. For the first time in fourteen years, every care around me melted away and I smiled and enjoyed myself. With him.
Pushing off the counter, he walks around the island and closes the distance between us in three cautious steps, stopping about a foot in front of me. He lifts his hand as a sigh fills his chest. Slowly, he slides his finger across my forehead to push a wayward lock of hair to the side.
The smell of soap and leather drifts to my nose, the scent that is always with him.
His eyes drop to the necklace sitting between my collarbones and the finger that just pushed my hair off my forehead moves to pick up the delicate horseshoe pendant with the small diamond set into the white gold metal. It came in the mail special order months ago, and even though I don’tknow who sent it, it was too pretty to send back.
When his fingertip barely touches the skin under the pendant, goosebumps erupt across my shoulders and down my arms. That’s never happened to me before.
“Because I need to know you’re okay.” His accent is more pronounced than usual and I can hear the lilt in his blunt words.
Shaking my head, I blurt out what my mind is screaming. “I’m not like other women, Jax.”
His eyes snap to mine, and the crease between his eyebrows is back. Letting the pendant drop back in its place, he softly grasps my chin, his fingers burning my skin. “I know who you are, Marley.”
Feeling defiant and wanting to nip this in the bud before any kind of false hope wraps around my heart, I say, “I’m your best friend’s sister. A challenge and nothing else.”
Anger flashes in his eyes, his stare holding my eyes captive. His eyes drop to my lips and then move over my face like he’s taking in everything. He props his hand on the counter next to my hip, invading my space, sending heat skittering across my skin.
I swallow audibly, but I won’t back down or let him think he can intimidate me. I have three annoyingly overprotective and dominant brothers, all of which are within earshot, and I square my shoulders as I lift my chin, pulling it free from his fingers.
One side of his lips tip and his eyes soften. “Do you remember the first time I saw you?”
The change of subject knocks me off guard, and I look away to think. It was the day we had our family Christmas tree decorating party. Mason and Sloane drove into town to get the tree that day and Tucker put too much whiskey in the eggnog.
Slightly nodding my head and meeting his eyes again, Isay, “Yes, you were in the pantry eating the cookies when I was talking to Callum.”
Moving his hand I just shook off my chin to one of my stray curls hanging next to my face, he loosely wraps it around his finger and stares at it, and shakes his head once. “No. We just got here, and you were standing in front of the Christmas tree, the lights flickering behind you. You were the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.” His eyes slowly drift back to mine. “Znao sam u tom trenutku da si moj.” [I knew in that moment you were mine]
Hope. The whisper in my head is faint, but it makes me angry all the same and I ignore that I don’t understand what he just said.
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. “Jax, stop. I’m not wired for this. You’re wasting your time.”
His rough fingers gently grab my chin again. “Lepa, look at me.”
I open my eyes, but I focus on the perfect knot of the peach silk tie in front of me. “No, I have to go.”
He sighs, but doesn’t let go of my chin. “You are wrong.”
His accent is thick as he says it, and his voice is soft, my traitorous thoughts whisper, ‘what if?’, and my heart beats a staccato score in my chest. Lifting my eyes back up to his, I say, “And you’re going to show me?”
“Yes.” No hesitation. The simple answer is matter-of-fact and confident.
“And then what? After you’ve got my attention, then what?”
“I’m going to show you how beautiful you truly are.”
Tears sting the backs of my eyes and I jerk my head to the side, he lets go of my chin but his open palm stays hovering next to my face. “I’m not your next conquest, Jax. I haven’t let a man touch me in fourteen years, and trust me when I say,this,” I wave my hand at his close proximity to me, “won’terase the ghosts of being forced. The pain I felt, the smell, the mean things he said to me, the humiliation, all of it, it’s just as much a part of me as my hands and feet.”
