"You said you couldn't go to the benefit with me," he murmurs, grinning. "You didn't say I couldn't bring dinner to you." He holds up the brown paper bag in his hands. "I brought your favorite."
The name of my favorite diner is emblazoned across the side of the bag. I don't even have to ask to know what's in it. He knows how much I love their breakfast burger. It's ridiculously unhealthy but so good.
I narrow my eyes on him.
"You going to let me in, baby?" he asks, grinning at me.
"Fine, but only because I'm hungry," I mutter, reluctantly moving to the side to let him in.
He brushes past me, close enough that his body grazes mine. I grip the door handle like my life depends on it as his scent envelopes me, sending my body temperature skyrocketing.
His warm breath touches my temple.
I bite my tongue, trying not to whimper.
The way I react to him isn't fair. I'm twenty-two and no one has ever made me feel the way he does. He doesn't even have to touch me to turn me into a mess of aching desire and trembling limbs. Just seeing him, smelling him is enough to wreck me and leave me aching for days.
"Hey, Roo," he murmurs to Ruby, who is going insane trying to get to him.
My dog is an attention whore with no sense of loyalty. She catapults her tiny body out of my arms, flinging herself at him. Luckily, he's coordinated enough to catch her crazy ass. She barks and squeals like a tiny demon, jumping up to lick all over his face.
How pathetic would I be if I confessed that I'm jealous of my dog?
Jax twists to the side, setting the bag of food on the credenza table by the door. As soon as he's got it out of the way, he flips Ruby over onto her back to scratch her belly. Naturally, she lets him do it. If I try to scratch her belly, she acts like I'm trying to murder her.
"Traitor," I mutter, slamming the door and then sliding the lock home. I stand there for a second, taking deep breaths, trying to get my heartrate under control. Had I known he was coming over, I would have put on actual clothes instead of the leggings, sports bra, and tank top I basically live in at home. Thank God I straightened my hair so I wouldn't have to do it in the morning.
"I brought you something too," Jax says to Ruby.
She probably doesn't understand him, but she barks like she does.
I take a deep breath and turn to face him. He puts her on her feet, chuckling as she jumps around, still excited to see him. I swear, she loves him as much as I do. And it shouldn't be legal for big men to be so good to little dogs.
Who can resist that level of adorableness?
No one, that's who. It's a lethal weapon.
He reaches into the bag and pulls out a little container for her. The hamburger patty inside is bigger than her head. We both know she'll eat every bite of it though. I don't know where the heck she puts it all, but she eats like a dog fifty times her size.
As soon as he puts the container on the floor for her, she dives in like the savage she is underneath that black and white fur and tiny body. The container scoots across the floor as she wolfs down her doggy burger.
I look back up at Jax to find him staring at me. He looks so damn good with that half smirk on his face. The little dimple in his right cheek is visible. His mocha eyes run all over me, his smirk growing. I cross my arms, trying to hide my boobs from him.
"I thought you had a benefit to attend."
"I decided to skip it."
"Can you do that?" Surely, he's supposed to be there. He owns the freaking hotel.
"Don't know and don't care," he says, those mocha eyes locking on mine. "There's no one there I want to see."
"Gwen and Cyrus are there."
"She got the tickets?"
"You're her hero right now."
He flashes that dimple at me again. "I'd rather be your hero, rabbit."
"She'll probably lose her mind when she sees you next time," I warn him, ignoring his comment because it's not like I can tell him that he's already my hero. Can I?
No. Bad, Jessa.