Page 19 of Until Bax

“Yeah, I’ll be out in just a moment. Can you offer her something to drink?”

“Of course.” She smiles before grabbing the handle of my door and pulling it closed behind her.

Dragging in a breath, I then let it out slowly, attempting to put Julie, Bax’s support group, and everything that just happened out of my head.

I have a job to do, and even if things don’t work out for me when it comes to staying at this practice, I still need to build up my clientele list.

* * *

Sittingin the middle of Kourtney’s living room, surrounded by towers of boxes and piles of stuff, I wonder what the hell I was thinking when I decided to take Rebecca’s suggestion and have a company pack my apartment for me instead of doing it all myself. I mean, sure, everything is wrapped securely, and each box was obviously packed with care. But there is bathroom stuff in with bedroom stuff and kitchen stuff in random boxes of clothes, so my plan to just put the boxes for the kitchen and my living room aside to take them to storage has been foiled. Now, I need to go through everything.

When someone knocks, I look at the door, then the clock on the wall. It’s a little after six. Not very late, but still, I’m not expecting anyone. With a quiet groan, I get up from where I’ve been sitting for the past couple of hours and make my way across the room, trying not to trip over the piles of my stuff lying here and there. Thank goodness Kourtney won’t be home for a couple more weeks. I have a feeling if she saw the mess I’ve made of her living room, she would second-guess asking me to move in with her.

When I reach the door, I pull it open just enough to look out, and my insides instantly twist into a nervous knot when I come face-to-face with Bax, who is thankfully fully clothed. Not that he would be outside, wandering around shirtless on a cold October night.

“Uh… hey.” My eyes leave him when the door is jolted toward me, and I look down to find Gemma shoving her head through the small crack so she can greet me. Opening the door for her, I laugh as she bounces at my feet before falling to her back for a belly rub.

“I wanted to bring this back to you,” Bax says, and I look up at him from where I’m now squatting next to his pup. Darn, from this angle, he’s even better-looking, which seemed impossible before now. But then again, from down here, I get the full effect of his sharp jawline.

“I could have gotten it another time.” I stand and take the bag from him.

“How’s the unpacking coming along?” He looks past me into the house, and I glance over my shoulder.

“It’s a process.” I place the bag on one of my dining chairs, which is shoved up against the wall. “Hopefully, with the biggest pieces out of here tomorrow, I’ll feel like I’ve made some headway.”

“Did you get a storage unit?”

“Not yet. I’m going to see what I can fit in Liam’s, then figure out what size space I need.”

He nods, tucking his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Have you had dinner?” Before I can answer, he continues, “I got a couple of steaks and was going to put them on the grill. You’re welcome to join me.”

“Umm…” I glance behind me at the mess I’ve made. “I really should sort things out.”

My stomach chooses that moment to make a disappointed rumble loud enough for him to hear.

“Come eat. Everything will still be here when you get back.”

My teeth sink into my bottom lip before I let it go. “You’re sure you don’t mind me joining you?”

“I wouldn’t ask if I did.” He keeps a straight face and tone when he says it so it doesn’t come off as grouchy as the words might imply.

“Okay.” I shift on my feet and look down at what I have on. I changed into a pair of biker shorts and a tank when I got home since the heat is on, so I will need to wear something warmer if we’re going to be outside. When my eyes lift to his once again, I would swear he was just checking me out. Heat travels up my chest to my cheeks. “I’ll just change, then I’ll be over.”

“Take your time.” He takes a step back and looks down at Gemma. “Come on, girl.” She hesitates, looking between him and me, but when he taps his thigh, she joins him on the front porch.

“Do you want me to bring anything?”

“Just yourself.”

“Cool.” I step up to the door and grab the frame. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

With a jerk of his chin, he turns away, and I shut the door. I head down the hall to my room, flipping on the light as I walk to my closet and open the door.

If Bax was any other guy I was attracted to, I might wear something cute to show I was interested, but he’s not just some other guy. He’s Bax, my brother’s best friend, who likely only invited me over for dinner out of some weird obligation to Liam. So this evening won’t involve the two of us doing anything more than eating together. Which I refuse to admit is kind of a bummer.

After rummaging through my stuff, I pull out a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, then quickly change and slip my feet into my Birkenstock clogs. I leave my room, shutting off the light as I go, then walk down the hall to the kitchen.

Since there is no way I can show up empty-handed, even if he said I don’t need to bring anything, I take the strawberries, mini angel food cakes, and whipped cream I bought today out of the fridge and place it all in the shopping bag still on the counter. With my cell phone tucked in my back pocket and my keys and dessert in hand, I leave through the front door and walk across the driveway to his house.

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