She kept thinking of him in her living room, stretched out on the foldout sofa that was far from comfortable but better than outside in his car.
She still couldn’t wrap her mind around it. Jax had saved her from being abducted. He had come to her rescue just like in her fantasies. He had fought for her, held her in his arms, and even called her honey. If the circumstances were different, it could have been the best night of her life.
Unfortunately, reality intruded. Men had tried to kidnap her. She had no idea why or what would have happened if Jax hadn’t been there to stop them.
A chill washed through her just thinking about it. Were they rapists? Murderers? Did they want her to drive to an ATM and clear out her bank account? She had heard of that happening. But she didn’t have much in her checking account and only a rainy-day amount in her savings.
Surely it wasn’t enough for the kind of risk the three men were taking in a kidnapping attempt. For God’s sake, it was potentially a death penalty offense!
Mindy closed her eyes, but she couldn’t fall asleep. Would the men try again? What could they possibly want? Jax couldn’t protect her forever. What if they just waited until he was gone?
She listened for sounds of him. She had left her door cracked open so Muffin could reach her food and water in the laundry area off the kitchen. Every once in a while, she could hear Jax moving around in the living room or turning on the tap at the kitchen sink. Eventually the knowledge that he was there and not leaving lulled her enough to fall asleep.
The sun was up when she awoke the next morning. She was halfway to the bathroom when she remembered she wasn’t alone. Jax had spent the night in her living room!
Being up so late, she had managed to oversleep. Was he still there? But she knew deep down he wouldn’t leave her. Not while he thought she still might be in danger. He just wasn’t that kind of man.
It was Saturday. Mindy showered and brushed her hair, dressed in dark blue skinny jeans and a loose-fitting lavender print blouse, shoved her feet into low-heeled sandals, put on her glasses and opened the bedroom door.
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee made her smile. She hurried down the hall to her sunny yellow galley kitchen, and saw Jax sitting at the round white table next to the window, a steaming mug next to a big, powerful hand.
“Good morning,” he said, sensing her presence without turning his head. When he did, her lungs seemed incapable of filling with air. His short dark hair was uncharacteristically mussed and he hadn’t shaved, leaving him with a day’s growth of beard along his hard jaw.
There were words for a guy who looked as good as Jaxon Ryker, but they all seemed to have escaped her head. Only the basics formed. Hot. Sexy. Incredible. Thank God he was wearing a T-shirt over that massive chest. Although...
“Good morning,” she finally managed to say as she poured coffee into a mug for herself and loaded it with sugar and cream. “Did you sleep okay?”
“I wasn’t here to sleep. I was here to make sure no one bothered you. But I managed to catch a few hours off and on.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t expect you to stay awake all night for me.”
Something flashed in his eyes; then it was gone. “I need to look at your laptop. I didn’t want to do that without your permission.”
“Of course. That’s not a problem. I’ll get it.” She hurried into the living room to retrieve her computer from where she had left it on the coffee table last night.
Her apartment wasn’t large. She preferred a smaller, cozier place to live, where she felt safe, more in control of her environment. Her decorative tastes ran to the traditional: a moss green carpet, a rose-and-moss-green-flowered sofa and wingback chair with matching throw pillows. Brass lamps sat on delicate mahogany Duncan Phyfe tables.
She had lots of antiques and family heirlooms: crocheted doilies that had belonged to her grandmother, Hummel figurines her mom had collected, some Blue Willow porcelain dishes. The items made her feel closer to her mother, and family she had lost in the accident.
She grabbed her laptop and carried it into the kitchen. Jax set it on the table and opened it. When he sat back in the chair, Muffin jumped up in his lap.
“Muffin!”
“She’s all right.” A big hand stroked gently over the cat’s soft black fur. When Jax rubbed beneath her chin, Muffin started to purr.
“I hope she didn’t bother you last night.”
“She paid me a visit, didn’t stay long.”
“She...um...doesn’t usually get along with men.”
He smiled. “Maybe she’s just choosy.”
Mindy smiled back. “Maybe she is.”
Jax set the cat on the floor. Muffin ambled away, and Jax returned his attention to the computer.
“My password is c-o-u-r-a-g-e,” Mindy said, spelling out the letters.
