Page 4 of Donner

I carried Jax outside and headed for the first available clearing against the brick building.

"Can you stand?"

"I think so." Jax leaned even further into my neck. "Dizzy."

"Should I call an ambulance?"

He groaned. "No. I'll be fine after I shift. I walked from my hotel. I should be able to walk back, I hope."

I set him down, and he swayed on his feet. I gently pushed him against the building and held onto his shoulders until he steadied. "I'll walk you home." My break would probably end well before I returned. It would be a topic of discussion at tomorrow's staff meeting, I was certain. Until then, I wanted to do right by my customer, and that meant making sure he made it back to his room for the night. "Which way is your hotel?"

He glanced at the shoreline across the street, and then up at our building, and then pointed to the large curved building across the parking lot on the same side of the street.

"Winter Orange Resort?" I asked.

He nodded. "Thanks for confirming. I wasn't sure I remembered right."

"You must have hit your head pretty hard."

Jax nodded, causing his hair to fall into his eyes. It changed color with the red and blue strobes of the approaching fire trucks, much the same way mine did under the flashy neon club lights. Our hair color was where our similarities ended. He was petite in all the ways I wasn't. Short. Slight. Sleek. Graceful.

"Does anything feel broken?"

He leaned toward me and inhaled deeply. I thought he was being haughty, but then he said, "I heal as fast as you do. I'll be fine.

"Do you need me to carry you to your building, or can you walk?" I tried again.

"I might have bruised a rib or two, but my legs work." He leaned his head back against the building and winced. "I got kicked pretty hard, but I think I can make it."

I helped him off the side of the building. Another fire engine blared its horn as it drove past us. The sidewalk was still packed with milling hotel guests, but it cleared once we passed the building and started toward the large parking lot.

Jax was quiet. Too quiet. I wanted to keep him talking so I knew he wasn't going to pass out and tumble to the sidewalk mid-step. "How do you like Miami so far?"

"This was my first night out, and I ended up on the wrong side of a stampede for the fire exit. How does that sound for a good time?"

I tried to hold in a laugh and snorted instead. He laughed at me, and then we were laughing together. His laugh was high, melodious, and addictive. I wanted to spend the rest of the evening making him laugh, but I needed to get back to work. I could only hope I could escort him to his hotel and back before the hotel sounded the all-clear and we could return to the club.

He leaned against me, and I sniffed his hair. Beneath the hair gel, I smelled hay and peppermint again. It was a strange combination during pumpkin spice season, but alluring.

His head snapped back and he gave me a fierce glare. "What are you?"

I leaned closer so no one could overhear, though even if they did, they would probably assume I was talking about a football team. "Eagle."

"Like … bald?" He frowned at my hair, still curled in a top knot, like it was fake news.

"Golden."

"Why are you walking me to my hotel? You could be some weird stalker for all I know."

"You hit your head," I reminded him. "You could have a concussion. I can't take that chance."

"You can't?" He gazed up at me with less animosity this time. I felt like he really saw me, even in the near dark between streetlights.

"I'll make sure you get to your building, at least."

He nodded. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

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