He bit his bottom lip and cocked a brow. “Wouldn’t you like to find out?”
The trouble was, I really did want to. I knew, without a doubt, that sex with Jackson West would be mind-blowing. And I got the feeling he had an adventurous streak when it came to carnal activities. That made me excited—in more ways than one. I’d never had a partner like that before.
I eyed him over the mixing bowl. “Are you going to turn all of the instructions into innuendo?”
He grinned. “I might. I have a gift.”
I laughed as I beat the eggs and added milk. “You didn’t tell me you were going to bring dinner. And I definitely didn’t know you were a chef.”
“I’m a mystery,” he said, pouring the pasta into the pot. He grabbed a glass pan for the chicken.
“Yeah, I thought we were going to fix that.”
He didn’t say anything as he dipped the chicken in the egg mixture and then coated it all in bread crumbs. When he was done, he put it in the oven and set the timer. He checked the pasta, and then leaned against the countertop, his palms pressing into it, making his biceps bulge.
“What do you want to know?”
I was pretty captivated by his arms—and body in general—so it took me a minute to remember what I’d been asked. “Oh, umm…where did you grow up?”
“A small town in Arizona. There wasn’t much to do there. I left as soon as I could.”
“Where did you go?”
“California.”“For work?” I could easily see him booking a job as a model. And he’d acted in the haunted house…maybe he’d tried to get a job in Hollywood.
He took a sauce pan off our pan rack, and started mixing the red pasta sauce on the stove. “No. For school. I studied mechanical engineering.”
My eyes went wide. With a mechanical engineering degree, he should be doing a job that was far more complicated than fixing blown tires and radiator hoses. “Then how did you end up in Winchester?”
“I like to move around. A job I enjoy and life experiences are what matter to me.”
Oh. My stomach felt like it dropped to the floor, and I tried not to let the disappointment show on my face. So even though he was here and we were in a relationship for now, he probably wouldn’t be staying long. Maybe that was for the best, though. I could move forward in the relationship with the knowledge that it wasn’t long term. It might help me become less attached.
He drained the pasta and poured the sauce over the top. He sprinkled bread crumbs and cheese on top of it, then put the pan in the oven with the chicken. “This is almost done. Do you want to grab some plates and wine glasses?”
I opened the cabinet and put everything on the kitchen table. I went back to grab napkins and heard the front door open. “Damn! That’s a hot truck in our driveway. I’m almost not pissed that it’s taking my spot and I had to park on the street.” Brynn sauntered into the kitchen leaning against the counter and smiling playfully. “Hey there, Blue Eyes.”
Jax raised a brow at the nickname. I was surprised she hadn’t used it in front of him before.
I rolled my eyes. “Jax, you remember Brynn—from all of the times you’ve rescued us. Brynn, Jax.”
She slowly shook her head. “Nope. He’ll be Blue Eyes forever.” She inhaled deeply, noticing the heavenly smell coming from the oven. “Oh. My. Shit!” Her mouth fell open. “Blue Eyes can cook, too? Jesus, Syd! Marry him!”
Color rose in my cheeks. She didn’t seem to care. “Actually, better let me taste it first. Then we can decide if you should make a run down to the courthouse tomorrow.”
Jax grinned and pulled the food out of the oven. He opened a bag of fresh rolls, and put it next to a salad on the counter.
I shook my head at Brynn. “You’re ridiculous.”
“I thought you had higher standards than just a man who can cook,” Jax said to Brynn. “I remember the conversation from Soup and Spoon. There seemed to be a size requirement.”
She grabbed a cherry tomato from the salad bowl and took a bite. “Yeah. Well, I’m pretty sure you’ve got that covered.”
“Brynn!” I yelled, completely humiliated.
Jax’s lips lifted in an unapologetic smile. “Yeah. I do.”
“But you’re dating my best friend. So, it doesn’t matter to me. I am, however, looking out for her, and have decided you’re one in a million,” she turned to me mouthing the word ‘million’ again, “And she needs to get on you immediately.”
Jax slid me an inviting glance. “I couldn’t agree more.”
I rolled my eyes at Brynn. “I might regret this, but do you want to eat with us?”
She grabbed another tomato, popped it in her mouth, and answered around it. “Can’t. I have a date.”
“Someone new?”
“Yep. Nothing better than combining research and pleasure.”
I pushed my brows together, concerned. “Where did you meet him?”
“In class. We’ve done some projects together. He’s nice.” She glanced at the clock. “I better go change or I’ll be late.” She leaned down and gave me a hug. “Have fun. And definitely do something I wouldn’t do…if you can think of anything.”
I shook my head. She had no filter.
“Good luck,” Jax said. “I hope he’s everything you’re looking for—you know, for the sake of research.”
She flashed a devious smile. “Me, too,” she said, skipping out of the room.
Jax and I sat down. “She’s a little hyper,” I said, spooning food onto my plate.
“I like her.”
“Most men do,” I answered as I cut my piece of chicken.
“Well, I like her personality.”
I frowned, thinking that Brynn was not someone I could compete with when it came to men. If Jax wanted her, or someone like her, I’d never be able to keep his attention. “And she likes pretty much everything about you.”
“Syd.” His voice was deep and soft. I looked up at the change in his tone. His gaze locked with mine, his attention totally focused on me. Like he’d read my mind and knew my insecurities. “There’s only one woman I’m interested in having a relationship with. And she’s sitting across from me.”
A warm feeling spread through me, and I grinned like a kid on Christmas. I couldn’t help myself. “Good answer.” I took a bite. “The food is fabulous! Where did you learn to cook like this?”
He shrugged. “I’ve been on my own for a long time. I knew I’d have to learn to cook if I didn’t want to eat stuff from the frozen or canned food aisles for the rest of my life. So I took some cooking classes.”
We continued eating as we talked. “How long is a long time? I don’t even know how old you are.”
“Twenty-seven. And you’re what, twenty-two, twenty-three?”
“Twenty-three.”
“What do you plan to do after law school?”
“Become a successful lawyer. I’d like to do pro bono work for non-profits on the side, though.”
He took a drink of his wine. “You have a big heart.”
I shrugged, not liking attention being drawn to me. “I just try to help where I can.”
The food was amazing, but I didn’t know what Jax’s plans for the rest of the night were. If they included me naked, I didn’t want to look like I was growing a food baby. So, I sat back and sipped the rest of my wine. “You’ve met my friends,” I said, “so when do I get to meet yours?” I remembered him telling me he didn’t have many friends, but there had to be someone.
He pushed his plate away and relaxed back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his stomach. I wasn’t sure where he was putting all the pasta because it wasn’t showing up on his body. I’d kill for his ability to eat carbs. “I don’t have a lot of friends. Well, that’s not really true. I have a lot of surface friends,” he said, emphasizing surface. I doubted he’d ever let the surface/deeper conversation we’d had go. “I’ll admit,” he said, “it’s been really nice having you in my life. You’re the first person
in a long time that I’ve wanted to get to know.”
I looked at him, eyes wide. I wasn’t expecting that confession. “Thanks, Jax,” I said sincerely. “That means a lot.”
The room fell into silence for a few minutes and Jax seemed to be thinking. I got up and grabbed our plates, and took them to the sink before bending down to load them in the dishwasher. As I stood, I felt his presence behind me. His arm wrapped around my waist and I leaned my head against his strong shoulder, my hand resting on his. I’d anticipated that he’d try to make a move and finish what had been interrupted at the theater. Instead, he just held me. Tight. Like he needed the touch and the connection, but not in a sexual way. He leaned down and kissed my cheek, his lips soft against my skin. “You’re unraveling me, Syd—” he paused. “—and I like it.”
“So, I hear you’re dating Jax,” Red said, as I pushed open the door to his shop the next day. She-Ra was due for an oil change.
Jax was such a private person, I was surprised he’d told Red. “Yeah. Having a free mechanic on call was too much temptation to resist.”
Red laughed and grabbed some papers out of the printer. “He’s a good guy, Syd. I’m happy for you. You’ll both be good for each other.”
“I think so, too.” I smiled, and put my keys on the counter. “I’ll be back in a while.”
Red’s eyes went wide. “You’re leaving She-Ra here?”
“Yeah. I’m meeting Brynn for coffee.”
He nodded his head, as he leafed through the papers. “See, that’s how I really know you care about Jax. You’re leaving your car and not supervising.”
I laughed. “Jax knows he’ll be in serious trouble if he screws something up.”
“He should be terrified,” Red said. “We’ll have it done in about an hour.”
I glanced over through the window on the door, my eyes searching the garage. I found him leaning over a large metal tool box. He looked great from every angle, but especially this one. I couldn’t get enough of his shoulders, back, and ass. I sighed as he crouched down, muscles bunching in his legs. Red chuckled and I looked over at him. He shook his head. “You should go see him…before you hyperventilate watching him and pass out.”
I fought a grin as I gave Red a playful glare and pushed through the door. I flashed Jax a huge smile as he turned around.
“Hey,” Jax said, his voice husky. He looked me up and down, taking in my dark wash jeans, white sweater, and light blue scarf. “You look hot. I missed you.”
I smiled as I melted into his arms. I liked this new, open Jax. A lot. I felt like he was trying really hard to communicate with me, regardless of how hard it was for him. That made me care for him even more. “I missed you, too.”
“Are you going to wait here while I work on your engine?”
I smiled slowly, my eyes raking over him. His gaze darkened to a deep sapphire, the desire between us palpable. “I like the sound of that,” I said, licking my lips “but I’m meeting Brynn for coffee across the street. I’ll bring you something back.”
He picked up a wrench from the tool box. “So that’s what I’ve been missing out on by not having relationships. Coffee runs.”
I smacked him on the ass. “Just for that, I’m not getting you the whip cream.”
“That’s okay,” he said, bending over the hood of the car he was working on and giving me a sidelong glance, “I have some at home for us later.”
I blushed as I walked back through the door, avoiding Red’s knowing gaze.
I walked across the street to my favorite café. Brynn was waiting for me in our spot. She already had her drink—something low fat, with fake sugar for sure. Brynn had calorie issues. I picked up a chocolate chip cookie, then ordered my coffee—with full fat, real sugar, and chocolate—and met her back in the corner where she was sitting in the comfy overstuffed leather chairs. I was eager to hear how her date went.
“Hey!” I sank into the empty chair next to her. “How was last night’s research?”
“Disappointing,” she said with a frown. “He had the right equipment, but he was a piss-poor operator.”
I unwrapped my cookie and took a bite. “Maybe your standards are just too high?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Or maybe I’m dating the wrong guys.” Her eyes lit up and she gave me a conspiratorial smile. “Speaking of men perfect in every way—or at least the important ones—how was dinner last night?”
I grinned, replaying the night in my head. After he’d told me he liked that I was unraveling him, we’d moved to the couch and lost some essential pieces of clothing. I’d also found out that Jax is partial to lacy, slightly see-through bras—I figured most men probably were. “Fantastic.” I took a sip of coffee and winced, burning my tongue. “He’s an excellent cook. Apparently, he took lessons.”
She cocked a brow. “I’m sure he’s excellent at a lot of things. How was dessert?” She brought her cup to her lips, hiding a smile.
I grinned, and took another bite of cookie before answering just to torture her. “Even better than dinner.”
Her other brow shot up. “Did it involve chocolate sauce?”
“No, but there were a lot of wandering hands.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Hands? Only hands? Nothing else wandered?”
I shook my head.
“Jesus,” she breathed out, totally offended. “You’re killing me, Syd! Killing me!”
I rolled my eyes. “I told you, we’re taking it slow.”
She cursed again. “Slow is an understatement. You’re moving at snail speed! Have you seen the man you’re dating? You could wash clothes on his abs! He cooks! And he has a gigantic c—”
“Syd?” I looked up at the deep voice that had interrupted Brynn’s list of Jax’s attributes. It was Cade, my friend from school.
“Hey, Cade!” I gestured between my two friends. “Cade, this is my best friend, Brynn. Brynn, this is Cade from my criminal law and torts classes.”
“Hi,” Brynn said, dragging out the “i.” Her eyes traveled over his face, to his broad shoulders, large chest, and held around his waist.
“Nice to meet you,” Cade answered back. Brynn tore her eyes away from his musculature and traveled up. Their gazes met—and held. I stared at them both for a minute, unable to ignore the vibe. I knew Brynn, and I could tell she was attracted to Cade. I didn’t know Cade as well, but judging by his inability to look away, he seemed pretty interested in Brynn, too.
“Are we still studying in the library after class tomorrow, Cade?” I asked, trying to break the silence and remind them I was still there.
Brynn acted like she was coming out of a fog as she turned her attention back to me.
“Yeah,” Cade answered. He seemed reluctant to turn away and focus on me, but he finally did. “That sounds good.” He noticed my cookie sitting on the side table between my chair and Brynn’s. “They have the best cookies in town.”
“Yeah, and coffee. It’s our favorite place,” I said, nodding toward Brynn.
His gaze settled on Brynn again, and he seemed completely ensorcelled. “It was nice to meet you, Brynn. I hope I’ll see you both again soon.”
“You’ll definitely see me this week,” I said, reminding him of the study date I’d just reminded him about thirty seconds before. “The exams before Thanksgiving break seem like they’ll be brutal.”
“We’ll study hard and do fine.” Music started playing and Cade reached a hand into his back pocket, pulling out his phone. He checked the screen, and then glanced up. “I have to go, but have a good day, ladies.” He walked toward the counter to wait in line.
Brynn leaned over, her voice whisper low, expression serious. “Who. The. Hell. Was. That? And why have you been keeping him a secret?”
“I wasn’t!” I said, my voice defensive. I’d stopped trying to set Brynn up years ago. “He was in my law school prep class, and now he’s in a couple of my other classes. We sit by each other a lot and study together. He’s really nice.
”
“I don’t care how he acts, have you seen how he looks?”
My gaze traveled to where Cade was waiting for his order. I looked at him through Brynn’s eyes. Wheat colored hair, strong upper body and a nice ass—not as nice as Jax’s, but really, even Michelangelo’s David couldn’t compete with that perfection. I could definitely appreciate Brynn’s perspective. “He’s attractive. He’s not dating anyone that I know of. And he is nice. Maybe the problem you’ve been having lately is that you’re just going after appearance instead of heart.” She bit the corner of her lip. “You should ask him out.”
“Hmm,” she said, sitting back with a thoughtful expression. “Maybe.”
I shrugged. “I think you’d hit it off.”
Cade walked by with his coffee and waved as he went out the door. Brynn and I both waved back. She tapped the side of her coffee cup with her forefinger and I could see the wheels turning in her head. “I’ll think about it.”
Brynn and I talked for another hour or so and then I left to go pick up She-Ra.
“Jax washed her and parked her in the back lot,” Red said as I walked in the door.
“Thanks! You’re the best, Red.”
His eyes brightened as he smiled. “I know.”
I paid for the service and went out into the bay to find Jax. “Hey,” I said, grinning as I walked up to him and handed him the coffee I’d promised. He took a sip. “Mmmm, that tastes good. Like you.”
I blushed, thinking of the parts of me he had tasted—and the parts he hadn’t, yet. “You’re going to give me an ego,” I said with a smile.
“You deserve it,” he answered back.
I smiled wider, liking this whole relationship thing, and that Jax felt comfortable with me. “Red said you have my keys.”
“I do.” He took them from his pocket and dangled them in front of me.
“Can I have them?”
He dragged his bottom lip back with his teeth. “I’m holding them hostage.”
I quirked a brow. “In exchange for what?”
“Your obedience in all things.”
I burst out laughing. “Oh honey, you’ve really got the wrong girl if that’s what you’re looking for.”
Tempting Sydney Page 15
