Jax waited a beat. “You’re sorry…for what?”
“That I’ve created a situation between us that made you feel like you even have to ask. ”
But even through her frustration, his location sank in. He was awfully close to her studio, and she couldn’t help but wonder if that was sheer chance. One glance at Google would have told him everything he wanted to know about her career. About who she was. What she looked like. She’d thought about researching him at least a hundred times but hadn’t. Had wondered if he’d done the same.
“Jax…?”
“Lexi,” he answered, his voice smoky.
Her mind and body warred—her brain suspicious, her body needy. She couldn’t just forget about the men in her past who’d been difficult to shake. At the time, she couldn’t have imagined any of them acting so immature or insecure. If she just put those instances out of her mind and believed it wouldn’t happen again, she’d find herself right back in that hot seat.
She forced air into her lungs. “What are you doing at the intersection of 110 and 5 at this time of night in the middle of the week?”
“I was dropping a friend at home, stopped to talk on my phone, got the job in New York and…thought of you. ” He paused. His voice came quieter. “I must be close. You sound nervous. ”
She closed her eyes. Oh God, that voice. He could be caressing her through the phone. She replayed the sexy words he’d said to her that night.
“Tell me what you want, Lexi. ”
“I’ll do anything. ”
“You feel so good, baby. ”
“Fifteen minutes,” Jax whispered, pushing her toward the edge. “I’ll speed. ”
Lexi dropped her head back to look at the ceiling and swore.
“If you’re not with anyone,” Jax asked, his voice growing contemplative, “and we both know how good it is between us… Tell me again why you’re resisting this pull. ”
Her stomach seemed to float, giving her a giddy queasy sensation. “The truth is nothing’s very clear anymore. ”
A moment of silence hung before he murmured, “God, I miss you, Lexi. ”
The underlying vulnerability in his voice ripped her open.
“I know that sounds crazy,” he went on, “considering how little time we spent together, but… I can’t stop thinking about you, and knowing I can’t see you again…it’s just…”
“Hard,” she finished. “I know. I miss you too. ”
He breathed out, heavy and sharp, like the wind had been knocked out of him. “Baby…”
The almost-groan rippled over the connection and prickled Lexi’s skin. She grasped at her last strands of safety.
“I don’t want to hurt you. ” Even if Lexi could push all the image issues aside, even if she could forget about the partnership, her long hours and dedication to the business had always caused major problems in her previous relationships. And she certainly couldn’t cut back. Not now. “This is a critical time for me. The shop demands more of me than there is to give. I just…don’t have anything left. ”
“I understand what it takes to run a business on your own. And I’m a big boy, Lex. Let me worry about me. If you want me, take me. I’m offering. ”
“Christ. ” Lexi ran a hand over her face, caught her finger between her teeth.
“Just meet me, Lexi,” he said, that imploring rasp in his voice that made it impossible to say no. “Just talk to me, face-to-face. At least give me a face to go with my fantasies. ”
She grimaced with the certainty this would not end well. “Do you know where The Recovery Room is?”
“On Sunset?”
“Y-yes. ” Fuck, what am I doing? “I’ll meet you there. ”
Another breath whooshed out on his end of the line. “Wh—? O-okay. When?”