Page 3 of Jaxon

Jaxon nodded, his gaze distant as he thought about Harper’s face, the way she’d looked at him when Mia had been introduced.She had wanted to say something, he could feel it.She had wanted to tell him, but she hadn’t.And now, here he was, holding onto a truth that should’ve been his from the start.

“Any idea why she kept this from you?”Gunner asked.

Jaxon’s jaw clenched.“I don’t know.But I plan to find out.”

Gunner gave a knowing look.“You should talk to her, Jaxon.Figure it out.Don’t let her shut you out again.”

“I won’t,” Jaxon said, his voice hardening.“Not this time.”

He stood up and made his way to the door, his steps firm.Gunner called out behind him, “Good luck, brother.You’ll need it.”

Jaxon didn’t reply.He had one mission now: to find Harper, to get the answers he needed, and to make things right for Mia.Whatever it took.

Chapter Two

Harper sighed, brushinga strand of hair from her face as she stood next to her car, its hood propped open in a futile gesture of hope.

The late afternoon sun beat down on her and she could feel a thin sheen of sweat forming at her temples.Her blouse clung to her skin, uncomfortable and damp, but it was the least of her concerns.

She stared at the engine as if willing it to miraculously fix itself, though she knew next to nothing about cars.The car had sputtered to a stop a few blocks from her bookstore, a situation she had no idea how to resolve.She should have called a tow truck, but that would’ve meant relying on someone else, and right now, she couldn’t afford to ask for help.

The bookstore had closed an hour ago, and all Harper wanted was to get home to Mia.To get back to her little bubble of safety and routine.The only bright part of her day had been hearing Mia’s giggles earlier, the way her daughter’s bright energy filled the house.But that moment felt far away now, just out of reach as she stood alone by the roadside.

The engine of her car was completely dead, and she was about to start walking home when the low, familiar rumble of a motorcycle made her stop in her tracks.The sound grew louder as the bike approached, the roar of the engine vibrating through her chest.Harper’s heart skipped a beat, a flutter of something too familiar stirring deep inside her.

She’d been doing her best to push all thoughts of Jaxon out of her mind, but the universe clearly had other plans.She turned toward the sound, her breath catching when she saw him.Jaxon.He was riding his usual bike, a black, custom Harley, sleek and imposing.As if everything about him had been designed to stand out.

He slowed as he neared, his gaze locked on hers, his expression unreadable.For a fleeting second, Harper considered ducking behind her car, pretending she hadn’t seen him, that this wasn’t happening.But it was too late.He was already here.

With a soft whirr, the engine cut out, and Jaxon dismounted in a fluid motion, his movements smooth and practiced.He didn’t look at the car, his focus was entirely on her.

And that gaze—those sharp, dark green eyes that seemed to see right through her—suddenly felt too heavy to bear.His presence, as always, was overwhelming.Like a storm she didn’t want to face but couldn’t avoid.

“Harper,” Jaxon’s voice was low, familiar, like the rumble of his bike.“Need a hand?”

She swallowed hard, her mind racing.What was he doing here?Did he know she’d been avoiding him?Had he figured it out somehow?

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