He turns away, as he hangs the towel on a hook by the door and goes to sit on the couch. I walk toward the tank, taking in the beautiful colors of the fish as they swim about inside.
“How many do you have?” I ask.
“Thirty, so far. But I’d like more. Ship says I’m a nutjob for buying so many, but I love watching them.”
I notice a tendril at the bottom of the tank beside the glass and gasp as an octopus shoots past, its legs low to the surface as it flits into a fake clamshell.
“Wow. You really do have an octopus.”
“That’s Cordelia.”
I turn. “Cordelia? Oh yeah! I remember you telling me about your lady friend.”
Crouching down, I watch her, staying very still. I always hate it when I walk past a pet store and see kids hammering on the glass or tapping the fish tanks to get them to do something.
Cordelia eyes me warily, just visible at the mouth of the clam as Gray comes over to stand beside me.
“Doesn’t she try to eat the fish?” I ask.
Gray shakes his head. “So far, no. A lot of them are lionfish, and I try to make sure she has enough food to keep her occupied. I might have to separate her if she shows any interest, though. She was injured, so I’ve been looking after her. It’s kind of a new relationship. We’re still getting used to one another.”
He glances down at me with a little frown as he clears his throat.
“Well, she has a good home here. Look how beautiful it is!” I say, standing up and watching the fish. I turn to him after a minute and find that he’s watching me.
“Will you bite my head off if I ask what you need the money for?” he says suddenly, the question catching me completely off guard.
I purse my lips, annoyed that I admitted the truth to him in that moment of vulnerability between us. For some reason, I was desperate to make him understand that, despite the money, he still means something to me.
Fuck, it isn’t just about the money anymore.
I put my hands back in the pockets of my robe, and something twists low in my belly as I glance at him, feelings that have no business being there unfurling inside me, looking for something to hold onto.
“Are you in trouble?” he asks, his eyes bright in the light of the tank. I tense up, my fingers clenching into fists.
“Not exactly,” I say truthfully. “I need it for something.”
“What?”
“I can’t tell you.”
He frowns, and his fingers brush against my elbow. “Are you in danger, Jax?” he asks, his lips set in a grim line.
I shake my head, nervous to give too much away. The last thing I want is for him to find out about Monroe. The whole thing is such a shitshow.
I give him a wry smile. “I just have expensive tastes. You’ve seen my shoe collection, after all,” I say, crouching down again to look at Cordelia so I don’t have to stay caught in Gray’s electric stare.
He doesn’t move for a long time, letting out a gentle sigh, and then he steps away, and my heart begins to slow down again.
Chapter 30
Gray
Iwatch Jax walking around the apartment in my robe, unsure how to feel about her being here.
Actually, I know exactly how I feel, and that’s what’s freaking me out.
My overriding emotion is one of contentment. Like she belongs here somehow. She’s so uncomplicated—what you see is what you get.
