My secretive grin spreads unbidden. “My boss is very lenient. No worries.”
He relaxes a little as he starts dragging the luggage over the beach. “This is a bitch,” he groans, cursing the wheels that dig deeper into the sinking sand.
I laugh lightly while going to help him, smiling as I unhook several of the bags from each other. “One at a time. Old school.”
He scoops up two of the heaviest and carries them without letting them touch the sand, and I watch appreciatively, possibly drooling. Three weeks of this.... Can I survive without breaking the rules? I’m already bending them by kissing him as I have, but under the circumstances, it has sort of been necessary.
A short, very lean woman walks out, her dark hair waving in the wind, and she struts onto the front deck wearing nothing but a bikini and a wrap, illuminated only by the moonlight.
Wow. Who the hell is she?
“Mom,” Jaxon says, answering my inner question.
Mom? That’s his mother? Sheesh. Plastic surgery has definitely improved these days.
“Jax,” she purrs, smiling as she reaches him.
Jax? Crap. I wasn’t aware of a nickname.
He pulls her to him and hugs her warmly before turning his attention back to me.
“I’ll get those, Bora. Don’t worry.”
His mother’s eyes cut coldly in my direction, and I swallow hard. I thought she was the one that invited me—I mean Bora. Judging by that look, she really doesn’t want me here.
“I’ve got it,” I murmur, my voice weak and hoarse. I’m so not a social person, and I’m even worse when I can tell I’m not wanted.
Everyone loves Bora, even if she is a selfish, spoiled, somewhat manipulative person most days. People adore her, but his mother seems to be very anti-Bora right now. So why invite her?
Jaxon—Jax seems to be oblivious to his mother’s death glare as he makes his way back down and starts collecting bags. As he grabs the rest, I carry one toward the deck. The faux smile she gives me is more chilling than her ominous glare.
“Bora, so glad you could make it.”
My smile is tight, brittle, and completely unconvincing, but it’s there. Jax slips his arm around my waist and kisses my cheek.
“Let Mom show you to our room while I get Dixon to help me with the gas and rest of the bags.”
His mother breaks her lock on my eyes to turn her attention to him. “Dixon couldn’t come. Work interrupted. Your sister is already irritated about it, so try not to mention it.”
I really want to ask who Dixon is right now, but... This is getting old.
“Of course,” Jax says dryly, rolling his eyes. “Then I’ll grab the gas while you and Bora talk.”
Hell no.
“I’ll help you,” I say quickly, too quickly, giving myself away.
His mother smirks as I retreat, almost sprinting toward the SUV. This is going to be a long three weeks.
Chapter 6
JAX
Bora is curled up on the bed, looking a little lost, but still exhausted. She slept the entire plane ride, then crashed last night the second we got into the room. I’m still confused by the small pillow barricade she placed between us last night.
Then again, I’ve never slept—actually slept—with her, so maybe that was her way of drawing the line. Now it’s well into the afternoon, and she’s sleeping again, as though she can’t sleep enough.
Hell, usually she runs on two hours of sleep and fifty energy drinks, so I’m not surprised she’s crashing now. It had to happen eventually.