Chapter 33
thirty-three
Balancing a bottle of wine in one hand, I knock on Jax’s front door. I’d insisted on bringing something despite his protests he had everything covered.
The door swings open, and there he is, in all his sexy glory.
Wearing worn jeans and a faded blue T-shirt, his hair is slightly damp and pulled back in a flat ponytail, like he just showered. And, fuck, he smells amazing.
“Hey,” he says, eyes lighting up as he takes me in.
“I brought wine.” I hold up the bottle. “Even though you said not to bring anything.”
“That’s cool. I have beer,” he replies with a grin, stepping aside to let me in. “But wine works too.”
When I step inside, I’m immediately enveloped in the inviting warmth of Jax’s home.
The layout is open concept, with a spacious living room flowing into a modern kitchen similar to mine. His style is surprisingly tasteful. It’s a subtle mix of industrial and mid-century modern with a large sectional leather sofa that looks super comfy facing a massive TV mounted to the wall.
“This is nice.” My tone comes off a little more surprised than I mean it to as I slip off my shoes.
“What did you expect? Beer bottles and takeout containers all over the place?” he chuckles, taking the wine.
“That and maybe a few more tattoo designs on the walls? A couple of skulls hanging around?” I shrug. “I don’t know.”
“Those are all in my art studio. Maybe—if you’re good—I’ll let you see it sometime.”
My heart skips a beat at the words if you’re good, but I brush it off with an eye roll.
I stare at his ass approvingly as he takes the wine into the kitchen. “I ordered pizza.”
“Pizza sounds great,” I say, trailing behind him. “So the fair’s coming up next weekend.”
“Yeah, it’s kind of a big deal around here.” He opens the fridge and pulls out two beers, offering me one. “The whole town goes all out.”
“Thanks. So what are you doing for it? Is Skin & Ink going to have a booth or…?”
“We’ve got a few things going on.” He leans against the counter. “I’m doing a shift at the dunk tank Saturday afternoon. Then I’ll be manning the batting cages the rest of the day.”
I can’t help the grin that spreads across my face. “Noia mentioned the dunk tank.”
He winks at me. “You like seeing me all wet, don’t you?”
“Sure. For charity,” I shrug, taking a sip of my beer to hide my smile.
“Ha. We’re also gonna have a temp tattoo and face painting booth. Nothing crazy, mostly just some fun designs for the kids... and maybe a few adults who want to test drive some ink before committing.” He tilts his head. “What about you? Is Summit doing anything?”
“Actually, yes. I’m going to offer free mini-yoga classes throughout the day. And I’m donating a one-month free membership for the silent auction.”
“Smart,” he nods approvingly. “Get ‘em hooked with the freebies.”
“Exactly. There’s something special about community events like this. It’s a great way to meet people.”
The doorbell rings, and Jax pushes off the counter. “That’ll be the pizza.”
While he answers the door, I take another look around.
There are a few framed sketches on the walls that I assume are his work—detailed, intricate designs that showcase his raw talent. But what catches my eye is a photo on the bookshelf of Jax with an older man who I assume must be his dad, standing in front of what looks like the J & R Ranch.
“Ready to watch the movie?” Jax asks as he sets a large pizza box on the coffee table.
“Sure. What are we watching?”
He moves to grab some paper plates from the kitchen. “Pretty Woman.”
I almost choke on my beer. “Pretty Woman? Really?”
“What? It’s a classic.” He looks almost offended as he comes over and hands me a plate. “Don’t tell me you don’t like it.”
“No, I… love it actually,” I admit, taking a seat on the couch. “I’m just surprised you picked it.”
“Hey, now. I love a good rom-com just as much as the next guy.” He drops down beside me, leaving at least half a foot of space between us. “And… I’ve got layers. Lots of layers.”
We dish out the pizza and he starts the movie. It feels comfortable, sitting here with him like this. No pressure, just two people enjoying good food and an even better movie. It strikes me how easy it is to be around him when we’re not... well, tearing each other’s clothes off.
As we watch, I find myself getting drawn in despite having seen it multiple times.
When we reach the scene where Edward comes home from work to find Vivian sitting at a table naked, wearing just a tie, Jax lets out a low chuckle.
“What?” I ask, glancing over at him.
“That…” he says, pointing his beer bottle at the TV as Vivian tells Edward she bought the tie for him. “…is on pretty much every guy who’s ever watched this movie fantasy bucket list.”
Intrigued, I study his face. “Oh, yeah? Is it on yours?”
He meets my gaze, eyes going dark. “Maybe.”
The air between us suddenly feels charged, and I’m acutely aware of how close we’re sitting, disappointed we’re not touching. I can almost feel the heat radiating from his body.
“There are so many things I could do with a tie.” He licks his lips, his gaze lingering on my mouth.
But he doesn’t make a move. Instead, he just gives me a slow, deliberate smile, before turning his attention back to the TV.
Throughout the rest of the film, he makes a few flirty comments, giving me heated looks that make my skin tingle. But he keeps his hands to himself. At one point, he stretches his arm along the back of the couch behind me, but never quite touches my shoulder. It’s maddening.
When the credits finally roll, I’m a bundle of sexually frustrated nerves. I stand up, stretching my arms above my head, letting my shirt ride up a little, grinning inside when his gaze locks in on my skin.
“This was fun,” I say, trying my best to sound casual, but only manage to sound breathless instead. “Thanks for having me over.”
“Anytime.” He walks me to the door, hands in his pockets. “We should do it again sometime.”
“We should.” I hesitate, wondering if he’s finally going to make a move.
He doesn’t. He just flashes his fucking dimple at me and says, “Goodnight, Sasha.”
Feeling oddly disappointed as I step outside. “Goodnight.”
The walk home takes all of thirty seconds, but feels longer as I mentally kick myself. What the hell is wrong with me? I’m the one who suggested the no-sex-when-hanging-out rule. I’m the one who wanted to establish boundaries. So why am I so irritated that he respected them?
The truth is, I wanted him to give in. Wanted him to pull me close and kiss me senseless. Pick me up and carry me to his bedroom. Make me forget about how my world could come crashing down on me at any second.
As I get ready for bed, my phone buzzes with a text. My heart jumps, hoping it might be Jax changing his mind and requesting a booty call, but it’s just Noia asking how my night went.
He didn’t touch me. Not once. Didn’t even give me a kiss goodnight.
She volleys back with a quick response.
NOIA
Isn’t that what you asked for?
I stare at her text for a long moment before I reply.
I hate it when you’re right.
NOIA
Frustrated, I set my phone down and crawl into bed.
Tomorrow, I promise myself. Tomorrow I’m going to just focus on work and the studio’s grand opening and forget all about Jax Riley and my stupid no-sex during hang out time rule.
But all I can think about are his eyes, and how dark they got when he talked about the tie scene. How much I not only wanted him to tell me exactly what other things he could do with that tie, but show me too.