“She was so tiny,” he continues, voice soft. “Her mom died giving birth, and we weren’t sure Ember would make it. I spent three weeks sleeping in the barn, bottle-feeding her every few hours.”
Mesmerized by this glimpse into a side of Jax I’ve never seen before, I move in close. “You saved her life.”
“We saved each other,” he corrects, finally looking at me. The vulnerability in his expression makes my breath catch. “Two years is still pretty fresh for recovery. Having something to focus on besides myself, something that needed me... helped.”
Instinctively, I reach out and give his arm a gentle squeeze. His muscles tense beneath my touch for a split second before they relax again.
“Can I pet her?” I ask softly.
He nods, stepping aside to make room. “She can be a little skittish with strangers, but I have a sneaking suspicion she’ll like you.”
Slowly, I reach out my hand and she stretches her neck, nostrils flaring as she takes in my scent. Holding still, I give her time to decide if she wants to accept me. After a moment, she bumps my hand with her nose, and I smile, gently stroking her face.
“Must be my natural charm,” I tease.
Jax chuckles, and it makes his eyes crinkle at the corners. “Must be.”
Never once in my life have I ever thought eye crinkles were sexy. Until now.
There’s definitely something different about seeing him here in this space. He’s so much more open and relaxed. For some reason I can’t quite put my finger on, I find this version of Jax even more attractive than the flirty, cocky tattoo artist.
“Want to see the rest?” he asks, giving Ember a goodbye pat.
The way he’s looking at me makes my stomach do a slow roll. “Definitely.”
As we continue our tour, Jax shows me the indoor arena where they hold therapy sessions, the tack room, and the outdoor paddocks where some of the other horses are grazing.
We end up at a wooden fence overlooking a large pasture where several horses are grazing peacefully.
Jax leans up against it, resting his forearms on the top rail, and the sight nearly takes my breath away.
The afternoon sun catches in his hair, highlighting the sharp angles of his jaw and the curve of his full lips. There’s something about his profile against the backdrop of the mountains and open sky that makes my heart stutter.
“You planning on staring at me all day, sweet cheeks?” he asks, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth as he watches the horses.
Heat creeps up my neck as I lean against the fence beside him. When I don’t answer, he shifts just a little closer and looks at me.
Damn those brown eyes are sexy.
He’s been overly attentive all day. His hand keeps finding the small of my back as he guides me around, brushing his shoulder against mine as we walk side by side. Each casual touch feels deliberate, almost as if he can’t help himself. Even now, his arm is pressing lightly against mine, sending warmth radiating up my side.
“You know what I just realized?” he asks. “We’ve beentalking all this time about me and the ranch, but there’s still so much I don’t know about you.”
I tilt my head. “What else do you want to know?”
Turning to face me fully, he leans a hip against the fence. “You said earlier you met Noia when you were twelve?”
“Yeah. About half-way through the school year. Saved her from a group of girls who were bullying her because she was the nerdy new kid.
“One day during lunch she was sitting, reading over by the gym, just minding her own business. They started giving her shit about the book she was reading. Calling her names and shit.”
His eyes spark with interest. “What did you do?”
“I stomped over there and threatened to tell everyone what Lexi did at summer camp. That shut her up real quick. They scattered like the cowardly little bitches they were, and we’ve been best friends ever since.”
“What did she do? Lexi, I mean,” he asks. He leans in, eyes full of laughter. Damn, he smells good.
“She peed the bed.”
