“Okay.” I smile at him but he’s still rattled and he doesn’t smile back.
I follow him down the hallway and up the stairs and along a huge corridor which has at least half a dozen rooms leading off it. We walk to the end before he kicks open the door. “This is your room,” he says and I walk inside. It’s beautiful. A huge floor-to-ceiling window floods the room with the light from the sunset. It has polished hardwood floors and a huge bed in the center. Jax indicates another door on the far wall. “That’s an adjoining room for Matthias,” he says.
“It’s perfect. Thank you,” I turn around and he is in the doorway, filling it as he leans against the doorframe. My breath catches in my throat at the sight.
“Where do you sleep?” I whisper and then silently admonish myself because that sounded so much more loaded than I meant it to be and now there is a tension in the room that there shouldn’t be.
He clears his throat as though he feels this too. “Across the hall.”
“Good. I’m glad you’re close by,” I say honestly.
“For anything you need, Luce,” he says and my pussy walls contract as heat flushes over my cheeks. “Molly will be waiting for us. Let’s have some supper and I’ll show you around.” He winks at me and just like that the tension is gone. He’s Jax again—my father’s best friend—and not the man who I spent one incredible, sinful night with.
After a delicious meal, I take a sleepy Matthias to bed. I smile at his beautiful face as I tuck him in. We had such a lovely time at supper. Molly is fabulous. She is funny and smart and she makes Jackson squirm when she talks about his childhood. There is a genuine love and affection between them that is wonderful to witness. His father—who I learned is Harvey, Molly’s brother—didn’t make an appearance, although I’m not surprised the way Jackson warned him off.
After closing Matthias’ door I walk back to the kitchen to find Molly and Jackson leaning against the kitchen counter sipping a beer each.
“Shannon will be here tomorrow. I hope that’s okay?” I hear Molly say before they realize I’ve come back into the room. The hairs on my neck stand on end. Who the hell is Shannon?
Jax takes a sip of his beer before he replies. “It’s fine.”
“Okay,” Molly shrugs. “Just so you’re prepared.”
“Prepared for what?” I ask with a smile as I walk toward them both.
Jax holds out a beer for me and I take it from him; my fingertips brush his hand, reminding me of the things he can do with those fingers.Stop it, Lucia!
“Well, Jax and Shannon always had kind of a thing.” Molly whispers.
“Oh?” I keep the smile plastered on my face but I don’t like the sound of this.
Jax shakes his head but he lets her go on talking.
“But now Shannon is engaged to the local veterinarian. They get married next month.”
Now this I do like the sound of. “Oh?”
“I’m just making sure Jackson here isn’t going to find it too awkward,” she winks at me.
“We were never anything serious, Molly.” He frowns at her.
“Well you and she used to hook up every time you came down here, so you know…” Molly shrugs. “I bet she’d have married you if you’d asked her.”
Wow! Now I don’t like this again and I’ve already decided that I don’t like Shannon.
“No she wouldn’t,” he shakes his head and takes another sip of his beer. “But more importantly, I don’t want to marry her.”
“Oh of course. Jackson Decker. The eternal bachelor.” She rolls her eyes but she smiles at him. “My only nephew. I have no children of my own. I will never get any babies to spoil, will I?”
“I’m sorry I’m such a disappointment to you.” He leans in and kisses her cheek.
“You could never be,” she chides him. “I’ll make do with my horses.”
I watch the two of them. They share such a close bond that I wonder again why Jax doesn’t spend much time here.
“You should show our guest around the place,” Molly says, “while I wash up.”
“Oh, please, let me wash up,” I insist as I take one of the plates from the counter.