My heart squeezes in my chest. “That’s... really incredible, Jax,” I say gently.
He shrugs, looking somewhat embarrassed by my praise. “It’s no big deal.”
“Yes. It is,” I insist. “You’re using what you went through to make a difference in other people’s lives.”
Jax goes quiet for a moment, his gaze drifting up to the sky. The sun has fully set, and the stars are winking to life. Out here during certain times of the year, it’s so clear you can actually see the Milky Way. It’s incredible.
I glance at him, the dragonfly tattoo on his neck snagging my attention. The wings are delicate, blue and silver, almost luminous in the fading light. I’m not sure why I haven’t noticed it until now; maybe I’ve been too wrapped up in everything else about him lately to pay attention.
Before I can second-guess myself, I lift a hand on instinct, brushing a finger gently along the ink.
Jax stills.
“Why a dragonfly?” I ask softly.
Clearing his throat, his voice is a low rasp when he answers. “Dragonflies spend most of their lives underwater before they fly.” Jaw clenching once, his eyes stay latched on the horizon. “There was a time in my life when I’d thought I wouldn’t get a second chance to rise above the surface. That I would just drown in my addiction. But when I finally did...”
He shrugs.
I let my hand fall, unsure of what to do with the unexpected warmth seeping into the center of my chest. “It’s beautiful,” I whisper.
He huffs out a soft laugh. “Not exactly what I was going for.”
“Still. I get it,” I murmur.
That earns me a look, and it’s one I feeleverywhere.
Then he shifts, his shoulder brushing against mine, and the moment folds back into the quiet between us.
When he finally speaks again, his voice is almost hesitant. “You should come.”
Not sure I heard him correctly, I blink. “What?”
“To the ranch,” he clarifies as he looks at me. “Come with me.”
“You want to go away with me for a weekend? Seriously?” I shake my head in disbelief. “You said you just wanted to be FWB. Not that you wanted to date.”
A slow smile spreads across his face, and he leans in close enough I catch a hint of spice and wood. “Friends go on weekend trips too, ya know. We don’t have to have sex. Unless you want to,” he winks, making my stomach do a little flip. “I still want to get to know you, even if what we’d potentially be doing isn’t serious.”
I bite my lip, considering. “But isn’t that your thing? Spending time at the ranch?”
“It’s not just for me,” he says with a shrug. “And I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t want you to come. Ryder’s gone with me before. In fact, I even took everyone from Skin & Ink for a team-building weekend once.” His sincere eyes meet mine. “You’d love it.”
The idea is more tempting than it should be. “When are you going?”
“Next weekend.”
I don’t understand why his offer makes me want to cement another brick onto my carefully constructed wall. I know Jax is agood guy, so why can’t I just let myself relax and have some fun? No strings, just sex. What’s the worst that could happen?
I hesitate, not quite ready to commit. “Can I get back to you on that?”
“Sure,” he says easily. “We’ll put that on the maybe list.”
That makes me laugh. “You have a maybe list?”
He tilts his head and looks me in the eye. “I have a feeling you’re going to ‘maybe’ me a lot, so yeah, I’m starting a list.” He grins, then waves a hand in my direction. “Now. Tell me why you decided to forgo sports medicine and become an entrepreneur.”
eighteen
