Page 44 of My Vigilante Valentine

His eyes were a little bit brighter. They crinkled at the edges in a way that made my stomach flip, and when he licked his lips before allowing them to curve into a beautiful—slightlybegrudging—smile?

I full-on swooned.

Internally, of course.

“Anyway, whatever. That’s why it’s safe for me to do what I do.”

I got that we’d circled back to me and that he was done talking about himself—but I was still hyper-focused on these new tidbits of who he was, and I wasn’t ready to resume our earlier argument.

“Being The Blade is also the only way for you to put your powers to good use, huh?” I asked quietly, seeing him in a whole new light. “To help people, I mean. It’s not like you could’ve joined the Slate Harbor PD. It would probably be way too noticeable with a body cam on your chest and civilians with phone cameras all over the place.”

His expression was heavy at first, filled with self-deprecation, but that didn’t stop the tiny lift I spied at both corners of his mouth.

Maybe that meant he was okay with my assessment—like maybe it was okay that I’d seen him as easily as he seemed to see me.

A girl could dream, right?

“Thanks for telling me all of that,” I said, wishing it’d come out with my normal voice instead of in a weird, strangled whisper.

“Thanks for…” he trailed off, almost like he couldn’t find the words.

I could hardly blame him, though, right? I’d heard more words from Jax Thorne’s lips in the last few minutes than I had in the last few months.

But, unfortunately, a knock at the door saved him from figuring out whatever he wanted to thank me for.

I dashed over to it, telling myself not to be rude to the person on the other side. It wasn’t their fault I was living out a million book and movie plots in my coffee shop’s storage room.

“Hey, there you are,” Wednesday said the second I opened the door. She opened her mouth to speak, but then she closed it with a snap after spotting the man taking up way too much space behind me.

“This isn’t what it looks like,” I exclaimed, feeling my cheeks warm. “We were just talking.”

“Right.”

She didn’t believe me.

Real talk—I wouldn’t believe her either.

“Did you need something?” I asked brightly.

“Um, yeah.” She shook her head after tearing her fascinated gaze from Jax, focusing back on me. “Chris is here, and he wants some cereal from your secret stash.”

I snorted. “Tell him I’m off cereal, so he’s out of luck. Anything else?”

“Nope.” Wednesday snickered. “I’ll let you two get back to…talking.”

Rolling my eyes, I returned her suggestive wave with a sarcastic version before promptly closing the door.

When I turned back to Jax, my knees went weak.

Was he blushing? I mean, I knew I was, but was he?

Somebody take my pulse. I think I might be dead.

Recovering quickly, Jax jammed his hands into the pockets of his dark wash jeans, lifting a curious brow. “What did you mean about the cereal?”

“That I’m off it?”

He nodded.

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