A grin stretches across Jax’s face as his gaze locks on Sloane like a heat-seeking missile. “Guess it must be my lucky day. I was hoping we might run into each other.”
“I’m sorry,” Sloane says flatly, glaring at him. “Do we know each other?”
Undeterred, he moves closer. “Come on now. I’ve been asking you out for nearly two straight months.”
She snaps her fingers. “Ahh, that’s right. And if memory serves, I’ve been shutting you down for two straight months,” she replies. “I’m beginning to think you’ve taken one too many slap shots to the head since you don’t seem to understand that I’m not interested.”
“Anything’s possible, sweetheart.” He shrugs. “Including love at first sight.”
For the first time since I’ve met Sloane, she looks flustered as color creeps into her cheeks. When she doesn’t immediately annihilate him with a cutting remark, Jax’s grin widens.
“Okay,” he says, clearly pleased with himself. “Maybe we’re actually getting somewhere here.”
Sloane opens her mouth before snapping it shut again and then muttering, “I need to get back to work.”
With that, she stalks through the swinging door into the kitchen.
Knox grins as he leans against the counter. “Watching you in action answers so many of my burning questions.”
Jax lifts a brow. “I hope you took notes, McNichols. You could learn a thing or two.”
“Oh, you bet I did,” Knox says dryly. “In fact, I titled the memo How to repel women.”
“Just keep watching,” Jax says with confidence. “She’ll come around. They always do.”
“To filing a restraining order on your ass?” Oliver throws in. “One hundred percent. It’s not even a question at this point. More of an issue of when.”
“You’re hilarious, Van Doren,” Jax mutters.
“So are your flirting skills,” Oliver fires back with a laugh.
As soon as Laiken’s gaze finds mine, warmth spreads throughout my body, lighting me up from the inside out.
My brother drops onto the chair beside Rina before nudging her knee. “Hey, babe. How’s little O doing today? Are you making sure to get enough protein?”
Her expression softens as his fingers splay over her belly. “He seems good.”
Satisfied by the response, Oliver nods. “That’s exactly what I like to hear.”
River presses a quick kiss to Callie’s lips before leaning back against the counter. Steele takes the chair opposite Lilah, stretching his long legs out in front of him.
Only then do I notice Jax slipping through the swinging door into the kitchen.
Apparently, so does Knox because he shakes his head. “That guy has it bad.”
“So,” Callie says, glancing at Knox. “What about you? Anyone special in your life?”
Knox lets out a sharp bark of laughter. “Hell no.”
The entire table erupts in collective groans.
“Sure,” Lilah teases. “That’s what they all say right before they fall.”
“Famous last words,” Steele adds.
Knox gestures toward the table where we’re seated. “I see what’s happening around here, and I don’t like it one damn bit.”
Laiken steps closer, resting a hand on the back of my chair. When his thumb brushes against my shoulder, I reach around and cover his hand with my own. There’s no second-guessing. Just the quiet certainty that this man is who I belong with.
