Page 42 of Jax: Untamed

“I’m surprised you found these so fast. In my size.”

“I have my connections. And I felt your body last night. I knew what size you were,” his eyes catch me again and flutters swim down my hips again.

He begins to display the food options, “You need to look through the things I brought and let me know if you need anything else. I’ll grab whatever you need.”

The words take me back again, feeling like I’m forbidden from my own home, but then I remember the horror last night and I know again…his intention.

“How long do you think I’ll be here?”

“Don’t know,” his answer is short as he plates our food.

“But I have work Jax.”

“No, you don’t,” he smiles at me, almost condescendingly. “don’t you remember our talk last night? We own the place. I told them you are taking some much-needed personal time.

My mouth falls open, uncertain what to say, but as I think about my comeback, I realize I don’t need to be there until we figure this out. And I’m not so sure I hate the idea of taking time off and spending it here…with him.

We eat our lunch, mostly without words, but full of observations of each other, and when we finish, he puts our plates in the sink and meets me at the stool. I watch his every step, swiveling around to face him as he reaches me. I’m sure this is it, he’s going to take me.

He sighs, and the back of his hand lightly rubs my cheek. My eyes close as I lean into the touch and I feel his other hand pushing strands of hair behind my ear, “Red looks good on you firefly.”

And he turns away, grabbing his keys again, “I’ve got some things to do this afternoon, you stay here and rest.”

“Like what?”

“Come again?” he turns to me looking almost angry and I take it not many people question him. But he doesn’t scare me

“What do you have to do? Why can’t I come?”

His head drops as he heads back to me. His lips delicately touch my forehead, “I have to find out who’s doing this. It’s safer for you here.”

I nod, knowing he may be right. I look around this big house as he walks away, almost scared to be in here all alone and it’s almost as if he reads my mind.

He turns one more time before he leaves, “My guards will be watching the house from outside. They won’t step a foot inside unless you ask them.”

“Guards? That’s new.”

“Safety first,” he smiles.

I nod feeling the void as he leaves.

***

I roam the house, now that I’m alone, visiting each room and taking note of any and every change from when I stayed here years ago. The décor and wall fixtures are the same when I go in his study, but I see something I didn’t see before. A few pictures of him and Danny are scattered on the shelves along the walls and my heart skips a beat as I reach for them.

There’re framed newspaper clippings on the wall with the headline announcing some sort of business opening where Jax’s dad is shaking hands with another man. Jax and his brothers stand next to their father and on the other side of the man shaking Mr. Astor’s hand is a tall blonde. I recognize her. It’s Alessandra.

I knew her circle overlapped Jax’s somehow, but I didn’t realize their fathers did business together. Her face was tight, solemn, discontent, similar to the looks she always sent my way; in fact, no one in the picture looked happy which I found odd for a new business venture.

I move on from the pictures and come to his desk, tracing my finger over the edge. I imagine there is so much in this grandiose piece of wood that explains this man, and part of me wants to tear through it. But I can’t do that. He doesn’t deserve that.

I make my way out of the room I know is full of secrets, and a beautiful view awaits me from the wall of windows in the living room. The backyard is pristine, with plush flowers and bright green grass, just as I remembered. The water in the pool sparkles like crystal and looks so inviting and I want so badly to stick my feet in, maybe more.

I reach the back door and go to grab a door knob that doesn’t exist. The smile that once graced my face falls as my fingers trace the double doors looking for any sign of a knob. There’s nothing except for an entry pad on the wall next to the doors and I back up confused.

That’s new, and definitely a change since I’d last stayed here. It’s fine though. I’ll just go out the front door.

I reach the front door and my face screws up again when I see the exact same thing there. I tap on the screen of the pad and it asks for the code, which of course I don’t know.

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