Livie came to her feet, hands on her hips as she stared down at him. “Are you always this direct?”
“I’m not going to dance around the topic, Livie. Whether you want to admit it or not, there’s an attraction. Whatever business you want to conduct is a whole other issue.”
She continued to stare at him, her eyes wide, her hair hanging in damp ringlets. Livie Daniels had a feisty side, but she was also easy to read. She was afraid of this tension between them. She wanted to focus on why she came to Haven to begin with, but here she was thrust into an unwanted attraction just the same as he was.
“Listen, I’m not thrilled about this either,” he went on. “I was getting along just fine before you came into town. I have a daughter who is my number-one priority. I haven’t dated since her mother left because I’ve been too busy. But here you are making me want and damn it, I’m not ready for that.”
“You
think I like this?” she demanded, throwing her arms wide. “I have more important things to do than argue with you about this place or that kiss.”
Jax came to his feet, standing directly in front of her. He leaned over until she stepped back. He snaked an arm around her waist and hauled her flush against his body. Mists of rain hit them, droplets landing on her smooth skin.
“You think my life isn’t important? That I’m not filled with things I’d rather be doing than constantly replaying how your lips felt against mine?”
Her hands went to his chest, but instead of pushing him away, she curled her fingers and gripped his shirt. “You haven’t—”
He tightened his hold. “I have. I’ve thought of you, of us. You think all those years ago I wasn’t infatuated with you? I’d see you strut in, totally ignore me, and waltz out like the princess of the palace.”
Damn it. He didn’t want to just expose every single thought he’d had about her. She made him forget every pep talk he’d given himself and she totally tore through the red flags waving around in his mind.
“If you want to work together, then by all means, let’s work.” He nipped at her jawline, pleased when her head tipped back. “But I’ll give you this one and only warning—I want you and I intend to have you.”
When her eyes widened, then darted to his lips, it took every single ounce of willpower for him to pull back and release her. His body protested at the loss of her touch. But he wanted her to be just as aching, just as frustrated as he was. Only then would he get to see the real side of Livie, the side he’d wanted to expose since she stepped foot into that hangar wearing her proper suit.
“If we’re going to really dig into this idea, we can’t be . . .”
She waved her hand between them. Amused, Jax reached out and wiped a damp tendril from her forehead.
“Can’t be what?”
Her eyes narrowed. “You know,” she said, swatting at him. “Stop touching me.”
“You just arched your body against mine and moaned. Now you’re choosing to say no?”
“I didn’t arch or moan,” she argued. “Maybe we should have chaperones when we discuss renovating.”
Jax couldn’t stop the laugh from slipping out. “You think someone in the room will stop me from doing what I want? You don’t know me very well.”
“I don’t know you at all,” she all but shouted over the pounding rain. “I know you worked for my father, now you’re a single dad, and you make me—”
“What?” he asked, more intrigued than ever.
She let out the most unladylike growl. “Forget it.”
Jax wasn’t sure if she was talking to him or herself, so he merely shrugged. “I’ll drive you home. Let me pull my truck into the hangar and put Piper in.”
Livie opened her mouth, then closed it.
“What?” he asked. “You want to argue about that, too? You don’t honestly think I’d let you walk home in this rain, do you? Besides, it’s pitch-black out. I’m a Southern gentleman, Livie. I’ll make sure you’re properly taken care of.”
Her swift intake of breath was all he needed to know he’d hit his mark with that last line. He wasn’t messing around. She may have thought this talk of attraction was done, but he’d barely gotten started.
Suddenly, Livie’s eyes widened as she peered over his shoulder. Jax turned, catching sight of Piper standing in the doorway with her lopsided ponytails. She rubbed her eyes and yawned.
“Hey, sweetheart.” Jax crossed the cracked concrete and lifted his sleepy girl into his arms. “You ready to head home and get tucked into bed?”
“You promised to read the Amelia Earhart book tonight,” she whined as she lay her head on his shoulder.