“It’s beautiful. Ty and I had fun today. I think he showed me every square inch of this place. You have a very sweet boy.”
Chuckling, Jaxson opened the kit. “I bet he loved it. Mom said you didn’t mind helping out with him. He’s a lot for her to handle. I’ve hired sitters, but so far it hasn’t worked out.” With a bottle of alcohol, Jaxson gently held my elbow over the sink. “This may sting.”
I winced as the liquid initially hit. The cut wasn’t bad, but alcohol even in a paper cut wasn’t pleasant. “Why haven’t the sitters worked?”
“He’s active. They have ulterior motives. The hours are hard. It’s been several things.” I was sure I knew what the ulterior motives were. “So what did you mean by me being old?”
Closing my eyes, I let my head fall. “I think there are only so many times someone should die of embarrassment in one night.”
A cloth was put to my elbow. He was making a bigger fuss of the small cut than it was worth. Bending to meet my eyes, Jaxson smile wide, showing two dimples. He was beyond sexy. Stop! Stop! Stop! And that smell. I would die a happy person wrapped in that woodsy manly smell. “You’re secret is safe with me.”
Before answering, I watched the Band-Aid get applied.
I leaned my head against the mirror. “No judging. Okay. Oh, geez.” Taking a steadying breath, I continued. “All day long Ty has been talking about how old you were getting. It sounded more geriatric than . . .” I cut off the sentence, stopping where my thoughts were headed. Sexy as hell cowboy. Please let it be bedtime.
“Than . . .”
I hopped off the counter. “No way, lurker. I have had enough humiliation for one night. I need to get some shut-eye out in the guesthouse. Alone. I mean I didn’t think you were coming.” I paused. “I’m going now. Thanks for the Band-Aid.”
Backing out of the bathroom, Jaxson followed me. “I’ll get it out of you at some point.”
“I’m pretty stubborn.”
“I think you just issued a challenge. Consider it accepted.”
I was near the back door when his words registered. “No, no, no. No challenge. I’m not stubborn at all. I was going to say it sounded more geriatric than younger.”
Jaxson prowled closer to me. The blood heated within my veins. “I don’t think that’s what you were thinking.”
Ducking out the door, I waved. “Night, Jaxson. I’m going to go die of mortification.”
He chuckled and followed me. “I’ll make sure you make it to the guesthouse okay. It’s the middle of the night.” The deep timber of his voice had me all kinds of messed up inside. Parts of me felt alive. This was crazy. I needed sleep. A fresh perspective.
I entered the code on the panel. The lock clicked, granting access. As I grabbed the door handle, I glanced b
ack toward Jaxson. “Night. Thanks for seeing me to my door.”
“Night, London. It was my pleasure.”
Pleasure. Quivers in my stomach danced about as I thought about that word.
Opening the door, I quickly traipsed inside and locked it. I took a deep breath before pushing off the wall and heading to my bedroom. For now, I would pretend this was all a dream. A bad dream. A really bad dream. Except Jaxson was hot. That part wasn’t bad. Oh my gosh! I needed sleep stat!
I touched my arm where his firm yet gentle grip sent an electrical charge through my body. It was as if his touch branded me.
This was crazy.
I was crazy.
Before I could delve any further into my chaotic thoughts, I buried myself under the covers, pretending none of it happened.
“LONDON, ARE YOU AWAKE?”
This felt like déjà vu. Slowly, I peeked an eye open while I got my bearings straight. I was back in the guesthouse. Ty stood there in his super hero pajamas. Memories came back from the night before.
The water. The screaming. Jaxson. The mortification. Jaxson. The bathroom. Jaxson. Sleep hadn’t cured my outrageous thoughts.
“Daddy, doesn’t know I’m here. Your phone woke us up. Daddy’s talking on it.”