Page 20 of A Dangerous Proposal

Instead of the instant scream she was expecting, Jax gave Alex a sleepy smile and burrowed his face into Alex’s hard chest, two fingers stuffed in his mouth.

Madison wasn’t sure which of them was more shocked. Alex’s frame had frozen, and he looked vaguely terrified. She smothered a laugh before a thought struck her.

Jax had let Alex take him. Twice, now that she thought about it. He seemed to instinctively trust Alex in the same way she had.

Don’t they say kids and animals are excellent judges of character?

You’re looking for excuses.

Shifting Jax onto his opposite arm, Alex again pressed a thumb to a panel and then opened the large wooden door.

Madison did her best not to gawk at the foyer. It was grand, and not at all what she expected. The room was elegant and modern, with a limestone staircase in the center that rose to the floor above, where an open walkway disappeared down hallways on either side. The polished marble floor of the two-story foyer was only broken by a large round table in the center with an enormous flower arrangement.

She followed Alex down a hallway until he opened a door to a surprisingly cozy room. A huge, plush U-shaped sofa was arranged in front of the dark fireplace. She scanned the space, but the lack of personal touches was impossible to miss—no photographs, no knickknacks, nothing that revealed who lived there.

Alex placed the diaper bag and her purse on one side of the large sectional and handed Jax to Madison before bending to turn a switch on the side of the mantel. Instantly, a fire roared to life. Madison shifted Jax to her chest, and now that the shock was wearing off, she was uncomfortably aware of her damp clothes.

“Please sit.”

Not sure exactly why she was going along with him, Madison sank onto the end of the sofa and set Jax on her lap.

Jax tugged at his jacket and made an unhappy noise as she slowly unzipped his thick winter coat. Other than an irritated snuffle, Jax thankfully stayed calm as she eased his arms from the fabric.

“You hold him like he’s a ticking bomb.” Alex's lips lifted at the corner.

“You have no idea,” Madison muttered, and then felt instantly guilty. “He’s really even-tempered most of the time, but when he’s sick… He’s a little more moody than usual. And I’m sure what just happened isn’t going to help.” A ragged breath escaped her lips.

“He won’t remember,” Alex said softly.

“You can’t know that?” Madison shook her head, feeling like a complete failure. All she wanted to do was love him and keep him safe, and she was failing at every turn.

“There have been lots of studies about children and at what age memories imprint. Some believe that even if young children don’t understand what they’ve seen, exposure to violence affects their brain development. One study even suggested that it can permanently alter their synapses. Though I haven’t had the time yet to see if their study was peer reviewed.”

Madison knew she was babbling. Data dumping on a subject she was fairly certain he had no interest in. “I did a research paper on early childhood trauma in grad school and?—”

“Look at him.” Despite the quiet tone, the demand was explicit in his voice, and her eyes automatically went to Jax’s sweet face, his eyes already drooping with sleep again.

“He missed a full nap, and he hasn’t been sleeping well… I should get him home.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Jax’s head fell against her chest, and she welcomed his comforting weight.

“He’s totally relaxed. Obviously, he has no idea what has happened. He’s good, Angel.”

“Don’t call me that.” The response was automatic, but there was no heat behind it. Madison watched Jax’s tiny chest rise and fall with his breaths.

Alex was right. Jax was fine. He wouldn’t sleep so easily if he knew he’d just witnessed a murder, right?

A shiver rolled through her.

Grabbing a sumptuous camel-colored blanket from the arm of the sofa, Alex folded it into a pad and placed it on the sofa. “You should put him down.”

Madison shook her head. “We should go.”

“Let the boy sleep a bit. You can call your friend.”

Madison chewed her lip. After the last couple of hours, she felt as if she’d been pulled into an alternate dimension.

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