Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
KINSLEY
Jax’s shirt slides off one shoulder. I pull it back up, but it only drops again. Even with how tall I am, the shirt still drops a little below mid-thigh. You can’t see his boxers that I have on underneath.
As I stare at myself in the mirror with Jax’s clothes on, I really look like his lover. He’s not even my boyfriend. That term doesn’t sound right for Jax, even if we were together. Which, maybe we are? I don’t know. This whole day has been insane but oddly interesting.
When I step out of the bathroom, I see a tray sitting on the table in front of the fireplace. Jax’s room is massive. I bet it’s bigger than some people’s whole apartments in the city.
The house is a whole other level, but after Jax told me about his mom's dreams, I get it. If I had a family of my own, I’d want the same. I know I’ll be different from my own parents. We’re not built the same. If I’d been smarter, maybe it would have been different.
I peek into the closet to see if that's where Jax is. He had to have been back because of the tray. It wasn't there before.
"Holy crap," I whisper when I step into the closet. It's ginormous.
"Kinsley!" Jax shouts my name. I don't get a chance to respond or step back out of the closet before he's filling the doorway. I watch relief flood his handsome features when he sees me standing there.
"I wasn't snooping." I totally was.
"Told you, I don't care if you do." He steps into the closet, grabbing my hand and pulling me into him. His mouth claims mine in another one of his intense kisses. When it breaks, I have to gasp for air.
"The way you kiss me…" I touch my lips. I've read about these kinds of kisses, but to have one for yourself is a whole other experience.
I would have called them made up in the past. I would have insisted that kissing doesn't make your knees weak and your heart flutter.
That writers exaggerate, but damn, was I wrong.
“I kiss you like I mean it.”
“I know.” I can’t deny that.
“Come on. I got you food, and my sister gave me some stuff for you.” He leads me back over to the tray of food. There is garlic bread, salad, and lasagna. You can’t forget the sandwich that stands out from the other food.
“You made me a peanut butter and strawberry sandwich?” That is freaking sweet as hell. He really has been paying attention to me.
“In case you don’t like the lasagna, I figure the sandwich is a safe bet since you eat them every day.”
Before I can think better of it, I turn my head toward him and rise on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek, but he turns his head, stealing a kiss. Okay, it's not stealing because I kiss him right back.
"All right." He breaks the kiss. "Eat before I do things you're not ready for." I lick my lips as I sit down on one of the chairs, feeling dazed. How does he do that to my head? I forget about everything else but the moment we're in. “You check in with this Mary?”
“Yeah, I told her I was staying with a friend.”
“And this Mary is good with it?” Good with it? She was excited.
It was a reminder that maybe I don’t have the biggest social life.
I get along with everyone. You have to if you want information from them, but I fly solo most of the time, and I’m not sure why I do.
Is it me? That’s why people don’t try to get closer?
It’s a depressing thought I don’t want to get into. Today has been heavy enough.
“I mean, I am eighteen.” I pick up one of the cans of soda and take a sip. “Mary kind of manages our house, and I guess me too.” She comes for a few hours each day. “She’s the one who would notice if I wasn’t home. Your parents would notice, wouldn’t they?”
“Not much that they don’t notice.” Jax pushes the tray closer to me before grabbing one of the plates. “Your parents are doctors. Sure it keeps them busy.”
“Their hours can be crazy, and they love what they do.” Sometimes, I think that’s all they love. Then I remind myself that my situation could be a lot worse. There are people starving and homeless in the world. I shouldn’t complain.
“Not everyone should have children.” His comment catches me off guard.
“What do you mean? Not that you're wrong. There are a lot of people that shouldn’t have kids, but I’m pretty dang privileged compared to a lot of other people out there.”
“Not saying you’re not, but don’t have kids if you don’t have the time for them. You have to love your kids more than your job.”
“They’re saving lives,” I say defensively. I mean, I can give them a hard time about being absent, but it’s hard to hear the truth from someone else.
“They would hire more doctors. They’re not the only ones.”
“I’m also eighteen. They don’t need to be underfoot.”
“Kinsley.” He cocks his head to the side, and I can tell this conversation irritates him, but he’s not wrong.
“Okay, they have kind of always been that way, but whatever. It doesn’t matter.”
“You’re right, it doesn’t.” He stabs the lasagna with his fork. “I’m here now, but I won’t be underfoot; I’ll be all over your ass.” I almost spit out my drink.
“Shut up.” I laugh. “Can we not talk about my parents?”
“We can talk about anything you like,” he offers.
“Really?”
“Hit me and let’s see.” I pick up my own plate. I never pass up an opportunity to get information, and this time is no different. There are so many questions floating through my mind when it comes to Jax and the Marino family as a whole.
“You like doing trades. You give, I give. Like we did today.”
“You want to trade questions?”
“Could be fun.”
“All right, your game, you go first.” I take a bite of my lasagna, which is really fucking good. It might be better than Mary’s. I ponder my first question. I don’t want to waste a single one.
“Your uncle,” I start, gauging his reaction, but he doesn’t have one. He simply takes a bite of his food, so I keep going. “Ronan, are the rumors true about him? Does he really cut people's eyes out and torture them? I mean, it sounds insane, and you know how people like to spin rumors.”
“Rumors often come from truths. A seed at least.” Whoa, hold on here. Jax's honesty takes me by surprise, and it probably shouldn’t.
"Wait, you didn't deny that."
"I didn't," he agrees.
"So you're saying…" I lean forward.
"That if a person from the Marino family cuts your eyes out, then you likely deserve it."
"Oh my God." I close my eyes tightly. "That's ah…"
"No one will touch your eyes, Kinsley. In fact, no one will touch you, period.
" He goes on to try and reassure me, but I hadn't thought of that. I should have, but I didn't. Even though I’ve heard all the rumors about the Marinos, I’ve felt nothing but safe and welcomed since the moment I stepped onto their property.
“Except you?”
“Only me.”
Damn. I think he might really be telling me the truth about how he feels for me. It’s still a lot to process.
“You’re getting it.”
“Stop reading my mind; that’s creepy.”
“Goes to show you, I have been paying attention to you if I can read you so well.”
“Well, Mr. I Know Everything, I guess you don’t need to ask me any questions since you know all the answers.”
“You’re not getting off that easy. I’ve still got my questions.” Shit, what is he going to ask me?
"Hold on." I pick up a piece of the garlic bread and take a giant bite. "Okay, I'm ready."
"Need carb support?" He chuckles. Jax can go from talking about eyes being cut out to being lighthearted. It's interesting how people grow up and what they consider normal.
"I always want carb support, and that was a question. My turn." Jax throws his head back and laughs. How does he get more attractive? It doesn't matter if he's kissing me, barking orders, or laughing. All of it is hot as hell.
"Not a chance. I want my question." His face grows serious.
"Hit me," I sigh.
"My bed is giant." I turn my head toward his bed. It is indeed giant, but what does that have to do with anything? "We can share it."
"Wait a second here." How did we take this random left turn?
"Not done." I press my lips together to keep from talking. Not talking is not my strong suit. “I can sleep here.” He nods toward the love seat thing he’s sitting on. It’s not a full couch, but it’s bigger than a love seat. Either way it’s not fitting his tall ass.
“I can sleep there.”
“Not happening.”
"This house is massive, surely—"
“I’m not done with the question.” A small growl leaves me, and I have no clue where it comes from.
It makes that dimple in his cheek appear.
I shove the rest of the garlic bread into my mouth.
“My question is, if I suggest we share my bed—it’s big enough—will you only fight me because you think we shouldn’t or because you really don’t want to share it with me? ”
I narrow my eyes at him. "You crafty bastard."
"Told you, I can be an asshole to get what I want." I don't think I'd call that being an asshole, maybe because I kind of do want to share the bed.
It could be fun, not because we'll do anything, but because we could talk.
As lame as that might sound to some, it doesn't to me.
I often feel my loneliest at night when Mary leaves and I'm left all alone.
It's a lot of teen dreams, but it gets old fast. Plus, it will be my first official sleepover. I will never admit that out loud, but I’ve never been invited to sleep anywhere.
"We can share the bed. But”—I pause a few seconds to be dramatic—“then I get to keep asking all my questions."
"Deal." Jax is quick to agree. I find he agrees to just about anything when it comes to me.