Pretty Girl

“We’re going to your house?” I’m almost bubbling over with excitement at the idea.

He smiles and nods. “I love how excited you are to see it.” He has no idea. Being out in the Colorado mountains in a home away from the rest of the world where it’s only him and me sounds like the most wonderful thing in the whole world. He better be careful or I may never want to leave.

“Sir, we’re landing.” The flight attendant bends down to pick up his coffee. “Can I get you anything before we start our descent?”

“No, thank you.”

She gives a polite nod before heading back towards the front of the small plane.

Jax sets me down in the seat next to his before buckling in me. I lean my head on his shoulder again. “Is this your plane?” I ask. “Didn’t know retired FBI agents did so well,” I fish.

“No, it’s Sam’s. But I’ll get you one if you like. Family used to have one when my grandpa traveled a lot more, but I sold it after he passed. I’m more of a homebody now.”

“I was joking.” I poke his side but only come up against hard muscle. His home must have a gym in it somewhere.

“I wasn’t,” he teases me back. I’ve seen the inside of enough planes in my life that owning one of my own doesn’t even sound appealing. When I was younger the trips for work were exciting, but not so much anymore.

Jax tells me about his home and life growing up with his grandpa. He never knew his parents, who both died in a freak skiing accident, but his grandpa was more than he could have ever asked for and was hard to lose. I enjoy listening to him talk and telling me about his life.

When we exit the plane there is a truck waiting for us. Jax opens my door, helping me in. “Going to have to get side steps,” he laughs. I didn’t know they even made trucks this tall. He puts our bags in the back before hopping into the driver’s side of the truck. It’s still dark out.

“Drive is going to take a little. We’ll probably make it home before the sun comes up.”

“Dang. I was excited to see everything.”

“We’ll have plenty of time. I’ll show you everything.” He reaches over and slides me closer to him. He buckles me in and places his hand on my thigh in a possessive hold.

“I can’t wait.” I want to forget about the rest of the world for a while, but I’m not sure how easy that will really be. I know I still have some responsibilities that need to be taken care of. “What did they say?”

“They work for you, pretty girl. I want you to remember that,” he responds. I don’t even have to tell him who I’m asking about. I know the call with them must have been heated, and I’m also guessing he made it while I was passed out cold because he never left my side since we left the event and we went straight to the airport. He already had us ready to go. I didn’t comment that it was clear this was already planned because, well, I kinda liked it. He keeps taking care of me and I keep falling deeper and deeper for this man. My warrior. My protector.

“I know.” Right on cue my cell phone rings. Jax pulls it out of his coat pocket. I see my mom’s name. “Crap,” I mumble, taking the phone from him. He doesn’t look like he wants to hand it over, but he does.

“Hi, Mom,” I say, glancing at the clock. It’s three in the morning here, but who knows where she is. It might be the middle of the day for her.

“You canceled your shoots!” she yells into the phone. Jax growls and tries to snatch the phone back from me, but I dodge him, knowing I need to face her. I love my mom, but this is my life.

“I trust Jax. He thinks it’s safe for me to take some time off with all this stalker stuff going on.”

“Mila, please. You’ve had dozens of stalkers. What’s so different about this one?” I glance over at Jax, who has the steering wheel in a death grip. To be honest, I have no idea how to answer my mom’s question.

“I told you, I trust Jax,” I say again because that’s all I need.

She lets out a long, loud sigh. “I guess it is a little extra that he broke in and did all that crap in your new home.”

Jax must hear her because he lets out a string of curses that would make a sailor blush.

“Well, you don’t have to worry. Jax would never let anything happen to me.” I’m not sure if I’m reassuring her or myself, but I believe it. Jax won’t let anything happen to me.