She hesitated. “It’s really late, Jax.”
“But you’re up.”
“What time is it?”
“Late. I’m outside your door. Let me in.” It was a cheap way to make her forget our real issues and worry about the fact that she wasn’t in her apartment.
I heard more rustling and it made me wonder if she was putting her clothes on.
Did she sleep naked with him? Did she let herself unwind that much or had that only been with me a long time ago?
She sounded a little out of breath when she responded with, “Jax, it’s three in the morning.”
I smiled a little because I recognized the tone she used when she wanted to be nice but was getting rubbed the wrong way. The girl I used to know couldn’t keep up a front that long. Her annoyance and emotion bled through.
I had lived for those moments.
“Yeah, it’s late.”
“Look. We don’t have anything to talk about, but I can do coffee tomorrow if you want. Would you like to do that?”
“Would you like to open Roman’s door?”
She sucked in a breath.
“On his way out he mentioned where you were sleeping.”
“Great,” she said. Then she hung up.
I promised myself I would only wait about another minute before I walked away but I knew if it took her longer than that, I’d probably break the door down. I had invested too much of my night to not see her now.
When the door swung open only seconds later, I took in the woman I’d fought like hell to make just another notch on my bedpost. Her dark hair laid on her shoulders and spilled down her chest in messy enough curls that she’d either been sleeping or rolling around in bed.
The idea made me want to toss her curvy little ass into a box that only I had the key to. Then, when I wanted to explore all the shit she made me feel, I’d let her out to play. She was my toy, not anyone else’s.
“You’re wearing gray again, I see,” I started.
“Yep. It’s a nice, bland look. You know I don’t like to draw attention even if I was on the news earlier today.”
I crossed my arms, ignoring her attempt to rile me and tsked as I looked her up and down. “Peaches, anything you wear that is that short and tight on your ass is going to draw attention.”
She rolled her lips between her teeth, and it was like my enemy showing me their weakness. It egged me the hell on.
“Did Roman tell you he was only looking in a nice, friendly manner?”
Her green eyes narrowed just a little. “I’m tired, Jax. So, if you don’t have anything important to say …”
Damn, she’d gotten so much better at holding that temper.
I wondered how much longer it would take to light her up and get a rise out of her.
I also wondered why I was here in the first place.
That had me holding back, knowing we had to figure out this pull between us.
“Let’s talk.”
She stared at me like I’d morphed into a creature she didn’t understand.