Chapter 11 #2
Humor lit his eyes as he held up my phone to snap the photograph. “I won’t. You’re here to protect me. I can do anything with you by my side, even wrestle a magnificent, powerful snake into submission. Trust me. I’ve been doing it since the minute I first laid eyes on you.”
He winked and my jaw nearly dropped. Again.
Blood rushed to my cheeks as I widened my eyes at him. “Jaxon!”
Shrugging at the snake-trainer lady, he fought a grin when he looked into my eyes. “What? It’s true.”
Even the snake lady turned a shade darker than she had been when we’d gotten to her. Shaking my head at my roommate, I motioned to the constrictor and turned my gaze to her.
“What’s his name?” I asked.
“Fred.”
Jaxon laughed and came to stand in front of me again. “Hand Fred over, baby. Remember to take a picture of me not running away screaming because I’m used to handling things his size.”
“Really? You’re going to keep that going?” Sliding my hands beneath Fred’s scaly belly, I began the process of gently lifting him off me and transferring him over. “Also, what’s with all the nicknames?”
“It’s our honeymoon. Aren’t we supposed to use goofy nicknames and stare lovingly at each other all the time?”
“I think you’ve been misinformed about what honeymoons are all about.” Once he had the snake safely in his hands, I took a few steps away to put some distance between us. Being so close to him was definitely not good for my oxygen supply or my heart rate.
He smirked when he caught my eye. “I’m not the one who keeps blushing when any reference is made to what honeymoons are all about. Plus, what happens outside the bedroom is important too. Don’t you think?”
He aimed his question at the snake lady, who’d turned her back and who—I was pretty sure she was pretending—was talking on her phone.
False hurt entered his eyes as he pouted. “Maybe it’s just me who cares about what happens outside of the bedroom. I think goofy nicknames and staring lovingly at each other is important too.”
“Sure, big guy. Let’s get that photo and leave the nice lady in peace, shall we?”
Blinking away the pained expression on his face, he laughed and handed my phone back to me. “Just use yours. Unless you want to go digging in my pocket.”
“Nope. I’m good. I can just message it to you later.”
We took the picture, thanked the poor woman, and let her be.
Hours later when we were headed back to the hotel after a jampacked day, I was a little sunburned and had aching feet, but I was also relaxed and happier than I had been in a while.
It was like someone had lifted a giant weight off my shoulders that I hadn’t even realized I was carrying. While I still didn’t really know what to make of Jaxon, he was fun to be around and made me laugh much more than I was used to.
Somehow, he managed to challenge me but be a comfort all at the same time. He didn’t pretend to be someone he wasn’t, and he didn’t want me to either.
A straightshooter with a good sense of humor and a talent for give and take. I liked all that about him.
“What’s on the schedule for dinner?” he asked just before the driver dropped us off outside the lobby.
I leaned my head back on the rest and shook it. “I didn’t have a plan for dinner. Do you want to go back to Big Mac’s restaurant downstairs? It was the best meal I’ve had in ages.”
“Agreed.” He took my hand once he’d paid the driver—again insisting—and tugged me into his side as we made our way to the elevators.
We walked back to our room in a comfortable silence, our hands swinging between us as I leaned just a little into his side. No doubt we looked like a real couple right then, and the weird thing was that we’d both just gravitated into the position. It hadn’t felt unnatural at all.
When we got to the bungalow, my suitcase was waiting on the made bed and I let out a whoop of joy to see it.
Jaxon laughed from the lounge. “I’m assuming you want to shower and change before we go out?”
“Yes, please,” I called before closing the door and getting cleaned up.
Choosing a light yellow casual dress and sandals I’d bought specifically to match it, I was in such a good mood to have clean clothes that I even sprayed on some perfume after I got out of the shower.
Jaxon came out of the bathroom shortly after I emerged from the bedroom, stopping in his tracks when he saw me. He wore a pair of faded jeans and a black T-shirt that hugged his muscled frame perfectly once again, but this time, I wasn’t the one caught staring.
I also didn’t blush this time when I caught him staring. Propping my hands on my hips instead, I copied his move earlier and turned in slow circle. “Well?”
He swallowed heavily. “You clean up nicely.”
“Is that your way of saying you didn’t like my outfit before?” I teased.
“Nope, it’s my way of saying you look nice.” Moving past me to deposit his dirty clothes in his bag, I noticed how he folded them and tucked them into one side before zipping it up again.
So some of that famous military structure and discipline are left inside him after all.
He took my hand again when we left, tugging me against him and slinging his arm around my shoulders. We were still in that position when we walked into the dining area.
Big Mac spotted us immediately, coming over and starting to chat up a storm to us while also barking orders at people about what he wanted for our dinner.
He sat with us for a while, telling us about his time at the hotel and insisting we try everything he ordered for us. We got back to the room much later than I’d thought we would, and I was dead on my feet.
Jaxon released my hand once the door closed behind us, staggering to his bed to pull off his shoes. “Good night, honey bunch.”
“That one sucks. It’s not sticking.” I pulled a face at him. “Good night, pumpkin.”
He was still laughing when I shut the bedroom door. “That one’s not sticking either.”
“We’ll see,” I called in reply.
I got settled in bed after changing into the lacy pajamas I’d bought to try spicing things up on my honeymoon.
I found my thoughts quickly drifting to Jaxon.
I wondered what he’d think if he saw me in them.
What would come out of his apparently shameless mouth if I walked out there right that very second?
I didn’t do it, though. I liked that he was still sleeping on the couch, even though he could’ve been a dick about it and insisted we take turns.
Also, I needed to take a minute to think about the insane chemistry I had with him. I’d parked the thought earlier, but it needed my attention before I drifted off.
It felt like it was way too soon to feel anything like this with another man, and yet it wasn’t something I’d felt before. Not with Will and certainly not with anyone before him. I was drawn to Jaxon—certainly attracted to him on a completely different level.
Why hadn’t I felt this with Will? Is it okay for me to feel it with Jaxon? Why do I even care? Will left me at the altar. I was single again, and just because it was fast didn’t make what I felt any less real.
Nor did it dampen the excitement for tomorrow. That was new too, and I really fucking liked it.