“Oh, all right,” Pinky agreed.
“Hey, I didn’t agree to this,” Grace said.
“Too bad, you’re involved. Now let me have another brownie,” Paige said, holding her hand out for the Tupperware.
“So, how are things going with you and Jax?” Pinky asked, changing the subject.
“We’re doing good.” Grace grinned.
“Well, I’d hope it’s still good. It’s only been a couple of weeks,” Tara said.
“No,” Pinky said, shaking her head. “It’s been twenty-four years.”
“That it has. He took me on a date yesterday.”
“And?” Paige asked.
“It was perfect,” Grace said, and then told them all about it.
“Well, it sounds like he’s doing pretty good so far.” Pinky smiled and stood up. “I’ve delayed long enough. I need to be getting back to the shop. I’ll see you guys on Thursday at the latest,” Pinky said, heading out the door.
“I’ll walk you out,” Tara said and followed.
Paige leaned back in her chair with a blissed out expression on her face. Her eyes were half closed. She was probably coming down from the sugar high.
“Have I told you you’re my favorite sister-in-law?” Paige asked.
“I’m your only sister-in-law.”
“That’s true. But you’re still my favorite.”
“Because of the brownies?” Grace asked.
“No, but those don’t hurt your cause. So how are things going with Jax?” Paige asked.
Grace didn’t say anything. She just reached for her keys and placed them on the desk in front of Paige.
“What am I looking at?” Paige asked, leaning forward.
“You see that bright blue one?”
“Yes,” Paige said.
“It’s to Jax’s house. He had it made and he put it on my key ring.”
Paige’s eyes were wide open as she looked up at Grace. “Seriously?”
“Yup. He also told me he wanted me to bring some of my stuff over to his place.”
“Wow,” Paige said, picking up the set of keys and looking at the blue one closer. “How do you feel about all that?” she asked, reaching across the desk and handing them back to Grace.
“I can’t believe it,” Grace said, shaking her head, still shocked. “The man has jumped in with both feet. I didn’t expect this. I wanted it, believe me, but I didn’t expect it. It’s Jax for crying out loud.”
Paige laughed. “I get it, sweetie. Brendan shocked the hell out of me when he gave me a key to his place.” She smiled as her face warmed.
“What?”
“I’m just remembering what happened after he gave me the key.”
“Spare me the details.”
“I’ve never given you the details,” Paige said.
“The details are evident,” Grace said, eyeing Paige’s stomach.
“That they are.” Paige winced and closed her eyes as her hand came to rest on her belly.
“You okay?”
“Yeah,” Paige said, opening her eyes and rubbing a spot on her side. “I swear this child has some sort of fascination with my ribs. But anyway, the key is exciting. He obviously wants you around.”
“He wants me in his bed.”
“And there isn’t anything wrong with that.” Paige grinned. “But he wants you in his house, Grace.”
“But for how long?” Grace asked, finally voicing her fear.
“Oh, sweetie, you can’t look at it that way. I was so scared that your brother was going to realize he didn’t want me in his house, in his life. It’s one of those things, though, if Jax is the guy you’re supposed to be with, he isn’t going to get tired of you, he isn’t going to want you to leave.”
“I know, but it’s Jax,” Grace said softly. “It’s stupid, it hasn’t even been two weeks, and I’m already being ridiculous.”
“Grace, it’s been much longer,” Paige said seriously. “Pinky was right, Jax has always been in your life.”
“Is it too much to ask for him to always be in it?” Grace asked.
“No,” Paige said, shaking her head. “It isn’t too much to ask for. I pray that boy knows how worth it you are, Grace.”
“Thanks, Paige.” The thing was, Grace had been praying that she was worth Jax for years.
“Excuse me.”
Grace and Paige looked to the door where a glowering Missy Lee stood.
Missy had overly teased blond hair and a pointy nose. She wasn’t a tall woman. She was about Grace’s height but always wore heels to make up for the lost inches; it helped her out when she needed to look down at people.
“Can I help you, Missy?” Paige asked sweetly.
“Is this how you spend your time on the clock? Eating and talking? Don’t you have things you need to do? Like actual work?”
“Have they ever taught you how ineffectual micromanaging is at any of these seminars that you go to?” Grace asked.
“Making sure someone does their job isn’t micromanaging. Don’t think I’m not going to report this to Mr. Adams,” Missy said, coming into the room, her hands on her hips.
“Report away. And I’m actually done for the day.”
“So you’re just wasting time here and getting paid for it?”
“I clocked out.”
“So you’re leaving early? Under whose authority?”
“Her doctor’s,” an agitated male voice said from behind Missy. Brendan came into the room and walked over to stand next to Paige. “In case you haven’t noticed, my wife is pregnant.”
“It’s kind of hard not to notice,” Missy said rudely as she looked over at Paige.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Brendan asked, narrowing his eyes.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” Paige said, reaching up and putting her hand on Brendan’s arm. “Missy was just calling me fat. But that’s fine. In a couple of months I’ll have Trevor and lose the weight. Whereas for Missy, in a couple of months she’ll still be the same bitter shrew she is today. Feel free to report that to Mr. Adams, Missy.” Paige smiled sweetly.
Grace had to cover her mouth with her hand to keep from bursting out laughing.
Missy inhaled sharply, her face turning red. “Oh, believe me I will,” she said before she vacated the room.
Brendan turned to Paige and held his hands out for her. She grabbed them and he helped her stand.
“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” he asked her, pulling her into his body. “Every single part of you,” he said, placing his hands lovingly on her belly as he pressed his mouth to hers in a sweet kiss.
“I love you,” she smiled as she reached up and touched his face.
“I love you, too,” he said, kissing her again.
“You know,” Grace said, “sometimes you two are nauseating.”
“Oh, really?” Brendan asked, rounding on her. “You’re a fine one to talk. You and Jax are pretty awful yourselves.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You two spent a night apart yet?” Brendan asked.
“Are you asking me about my sex life?” Grace grinned and raised her eyebrows.
“God no. I was just making a point. It’s just a matter of time before he gives you a key to his place.”
Grace froze, her mouth dropping open. This time it was Paige who had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing.
“He already did, didn’t he?” Brendan asked.
“This morning,” Grace said.
“Good for him and you for that matter. I’m happy for you, Gracie.”
“Thanks, Brendan,” Grace smiled at him, so freaking happy it was ridiculous.
* * *
Over the next couple of weeks, Jax and Grace settled into a routine. Jax marveled at the fact that it happened so fast, they fit into each other’s lives so easily, so perfectly. They were up in the mornings together, and after a quick, or sometimes not so quick, round in bed or the shower, they had a
cup of coffee and were out the door. They alternated between his house and her apartment, both of them accumulating a pile of things at each other’s place. Jax actually cleared out an entire drawer for her in his dresser, and he’d felt much more than a small amount of satisfaction when Grace had done the exact same thing for him. The icing on the cake was her giving him a key to her apartment.
Grace’s stuff accumulated in more than just Jax’s bedroom. She’d actually brought over more pots and pans than clothes. She cleared out space in one of the cabinets and now had all her spices lined up and alphabetized.
They went grocery shopping one day to stock up Jax’s rather pathetic food rations. He followed behind her, pushing the cart and watching in fascination as she quickly and efficiently shopped. And it was more than a little surprising at how fast the cart filled up.
“Do we really need all this stuff?” He frowned as he helped her stack everything onto the conveyor belt at check-out.
“This isn’t even a dent of what you need in that kitchen.”
“I don’t use this stuff to cook.”
“Yes, but I do. So why don’t you worry about the things that you know, and I’ll worry about the things I know,” she said, raising her eyebrows and giving him just enough sass for him to keep his mouth shut.
So Jax did just that. Good thing, too, because he’d never eaten so well in his life. He was surprised that he hadn’t gained any weight over the last month. Maybe it had to do with the fact that he wasn’t eating takeout that consisted mainly of meat and fried potatoes. Or it could have had something to do with the sex marathon he and Grace were currently partaking in. They were seriously burning up the sheets multiple times a day. It was awesome.
Another big change was that his kitchen was finally being put to use. The first time he’d opened the refrigerator door after their shopping trip, all he’d been able to do was stare.
He’d never seen it so filled with food.
A gallon of milk, coffee creamer, butter, cheese, orange juice, a package of hamburger, fresh strawberries, lemons, and so much more. He watched Grace put it all into the cart. He helped her load it into his truck and bring it into the house, but for some reason it just looked different all laid out in his normally barren fridge.
And it was more than just a filled fridge. With Grace, his life was full. He didn’t come home to an empty house anymore. He came home to her.
On days that Jax was working, Grace was always home before him. Whether it was her kitchen or his, when he walked in the door she was cooking dinner ninety percent of the time. Music would be playing and she’d be dancing around the kitchen as she threw stuff into a skillet or stirred something in a bowl. The way Grace moved around any kitchen was an art form. The way she handled the food, cutting it with fast precise motions, the knife acting like an extension of her arm. She was amazing. He could watch her cook for hours and still find it fascinating.
One Sunday night Jax came home to find Grace in his kitchen making fajitas. He changed out of his uniform, and when he came into the kitchen he leaned against the doorjamb and watched as Grace dumped a plate full of tomatoes into a bowl. She ripped off a few sprigs of something green and leafy from a bushel on the counter and began dicing. She dropped that into the bowl, too, and then squeezed in half a lemon before she stirred. She grabbed a chip from an open bag on the counter and dipped it in before she brought it to her mouth.
She’d made guacamole, and a small green dab of it was at the corner of her mouth. She absentmindedly wiped it with her finger before she put said finger into her mouth and licked it.
Jax pushed off the wall, needing a little taste himself.
“Looks good,” he said, coming up behind her, resting his chin on her shoulder and his hands on her waist.
“Tastes good, too,” she said, grabbing another chip from the bag and dipping it into the bowl. She turned in his arms and leaned back against the counter as she popped the chip into his mouth.
Holy guacamole. It was rich and tangy and just incredible. It burst on his tongue and made him want more, except he had a better idea of how to eat it than on a chip.
“Sure does,” he said as he reached around her to grab another chip and scooped a generous amount of dip up. He brought the chip to her mouth and purposely bumped it against her lips, leaving a green smudge.
“You going to clean up your mess?” she asked after she swallowed.
“Absolutely,” he said as he brought his mouth down to hers and sucked her top lip into his mouth.
Her arms wrapped around his neck as she stretched up. He pressed his body into hers, pushing her up against the counter.
“The meat’s going to burn,” she said against his mouth.
“Is that a euphemism for something? Because I’ve never heard it.”
“You’re ridiculous.” She pushed on his chest. “Stop trying to distract me.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said as he stepped back from her and let her pass by him.
“How was work today?” she asked, and went to the stove to stir the steak that was sizzling in the pan.
“Mind numbing. I was going over files for the burglary cases,” he said, leaning against the counter and helping himself to another chip.
“Anything new?”
“Not at the moment. I’m trying to find some link, but I just don’t see one.”
“You’ll figure it out.”
“Here’s hoping,” he said as he dipped his finger into the bowl of guacamole. He came up behind Grace and ran his finger along her neck.
“What are you—”
But she stopped talking when he bent his head and ate the dip off her neck. She tilted her head to the side, giving him greater access.
“Mmm,” he hummed into her throat. “Tastes perfect.”
“Don’t get any ideas,” she said, turning to look at him.
“Too late.”
“Dinner will be ready in about five minutes. And I made tortillas from scratch. So no funny business.”
“Come on, we could have a lot of fun with that guacamole.” He grinned.
“I made dark chocolate custard for dessert; I think we could have more fun with that.”
“I like the way your mind works. All right, I’ll try to control myself.”
“Well, while you control yourself why don’t you fix the margaritas? They’re ready, you just need to salt the glasses and pour.”
“That I can do,” he said, going to the refrigerator and pulling everything out that he needed.
“Done,” he said, sidling up to her a couple of minutes later as she pulled a skillet to the side of the stove and turned off the burner.
“Thanks,” she said, turning to him as he handed her a glass. They both sipped at their drinks. Grace knew how to make a mean margarita; it was loaded with tequila.
They ate dinner and as they were clearing the dishes, Jax’s cell phone rang. It was another deputy.
“Give me a second,” Jax said to Grace before he stepped out of the kitchen to answer the phone.
Roy Hough’s mother-in-law had passed away and he and his wife had to go up to Memphis. He needed Jax to cover the evening shift for him the following week.
“That won’t be a problem, Roy,” Jax said.
“Thanks, man. I owe you one.”
When he walked back into the kitchen, Grace had finished cleaning and was wrapping something up in aluminum foil. There was an identical package sitting on the counter.
“What’s that?” he asked, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist as he looked over her shoulder.
“Your lunch for tomorrow.”
“Why do you always worry about me eating?”
“Because a protein bar and a banana is not a lunch. And you’re going to be working on your house all day. You need sustenance.”
“Hmm,” he hummed into her throat. “I might just have to keep you around.”
“For food purposes? I pro
vided that before.”
“That’s true,” he said, kissing the spot just under her ear.
Grace pulled out of his arms and went to put the last of the food and his lunch in the fridge. He leaned back against the counter and watched her.
“You know you’ve never answered my question,” he said.
“Which question?” she asked, turning around. Her hair was up and in a ponytail, but a couple stragglers had fallen out and framed her face.
“Why you feed me all the time,” he said, crossing to her.
Something flickered in Grace’s eyes. “I’m a cook, Jax. I like to feed people.”
“I believe that,” he said, taking a step forward and caging her in against the counter. He reached up and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “But you have this need to feed me.”
She hesitated for a second before she cleared her throat. She reached up and put her palms down on his chest. “Growing up, I saw you hungry a lot. My mom and Grams started this mission to feed you whenever you were in their sight. You were always so much smaller than Brendan and Shep. I thought that the bigger you were, the stronger you would be, and the less likely it was that your dad could hurt you. You’ve always been so hell-bent on protecting me, it was the only way I knew I could protect you. The only way I still know how to protect you.”
There were no words that were good enough at that moment. There was nothing Jax could say to express just how much Grace meant to him. This beautiful, caring, compassionate woman standing in front of him knocked him on his ass.
He looked at her, stunned, for a moment, before he leaned down and pressed his mouth to hers. He was desperate to show her just how much she meant to him. The problem was he had no idea how to do that. He didn’t deserve her, didn’t deserve anything like her in his life. But he kept that thought to himself and just kissed her.
* * *
Since Jax had switched shifts for the week, he was working from seven at night until seven in the morning. Which meant that out of the last six nights, Grace had not slept by her man for four of them. She was not a fan of it. Not. At. All.
To make matters worse, Grace’s period had fallen on Jax’s days off, so they were now going on day six of no sex. She was about to climb the damn walls.
Undeniable (A Country Roads Novel) Page 18
