“Ah,” she said. “That explains his attitude when I talked to him. He thinks I’m another one of those women. ”
“Not…exactly. ” Jax grimaced. “And sorry about the attitude. I’ll straighten that right out when I talk to him. He’s a good guy. Trying to look out for me, but I’m not exactly—”
“The perfect patient?”
“Something like that. He, uh…also set me up with the girl I was dating…”
“I see. It’s all becoming very clear. ”
He tugged the strand of hair from his finger and touched her cheek. “I’ve also never been in love with a woman—other than you—and I’ve certainly never told another woman that I loved her. Ever. ”
Her smile was so sweet it made his chest tighten. He leaned down and kissed her.
“You’re a good man, Jax,” she whispered against his lips before she opened and tasted him.
Love flowed through him, swift and hot, whipping up a fierce desire. He groaned into her mouth, slid his hand around her waist, and pulled her to him with his good arm.
She moaned but pulled away. “You’re just getting better. You should rest. ”
“I’ll rest better after I’ve made you come two, three…six times. ” He kissed her again as she laughed.
The abrasive tap of metal on glass cut into his bliss. Lexi pulled back with a frown. She turned her head toward the balcony.
The sound came again, louder. Tap-tap-tap. “The front door?” Jax asked, sitting up with Lexi as a wave of protectiveness swept through him. “Rubi?”
“She has a key. ” Lexi stood and started toward the balcony. “And she knows you’re here. She wouldn’t bother us. ”
“Have the photographers ever done this?” Jax asked. Stitches or not, if that was a reporter knocking on her door, the guy was going to lose more than his camera.
“What the…?” she said.
“Who is it?” he asked coming up behind her.
Lexi swung around and put both hands on his chest. She walked him backward, out of sight. “It’s Martina. ”
From the way she said her name, Jax knew this Martina was important. “Who’s that?”
Tap-tap-tap,
then a muffled, “Lexi? I need to talk to you. ”
“Shit,” she muttered. “This cannot be good. Jax, please, please, stay up here. I’ll tell you about it when she’s gone. ” She must have read the frustration in his face, because she said again, “Please. ”
Stay up here hidden from anyone who mattered to her career.
But he rubbed her arms and said, “Fine. ”
Lexi’s beautiful face filled with dread, but she straightened her shoulders, and went to unlock the front door clad in bare feet, shorts, and T-shirt. He loved that she didn’t rush to change for whoever this was.
Jax pulled on his jeans and sat on the corner of the bed, forearms on thighs. He could just see over the edge of the balcony as Lexi unlocked the front door.
“What are you doing in Los Angeles?” were Lexi’s first words to the other woman. Martina. “And why are you here? Why didn’t you call?”
Martina didn’t smile, didn’t greet Lexi, but she did say, “I’m sorry for not calling, but this was urgent, and I was nearby. ”
Jax thought she might be a relative, only Martina was dark skinned, dark haired. She carried a purse and a manila envelope.
In Jax’s experience, manila envelopes were never good. Anything good was already out of the envelope. Things that stayed inside envelopes were time bombs. His chest tightened with apprehension.