Page 55 of The Sin Bin

Lauren smiled at the gentle teasing in his voice. "One of us has to be."

His answering smile was interrupted by a massive yawn that he made no attempt to hide. "Sorry," he said afterward. "Four games in four nights catches up with you."

"You should go back to sleep," Lauren suggested, brushing her fingertips along his jawline, enjoying the rasp of morning stubble against her skin. "I need to get ready anyway."

Jax caught her hand, pressing a gentle kiss to her palm that sent an unexpected shiver down her spine. "If you insist," he conceded, though his eyes remained on hers with an intensity that made her pulse quicken.

"I do," she said firmly, though her reluctance to move was becoming increasingly problematic. "You need your rest. Big game next weekend."

At the mention of the game, something shifted in Jax's expression—a shadow of the responsibility he carried, the pressure of the last game of the regular season. "Philadelphia," he confirmed. "Wilson will be gunning for me one last time."

The reminder of Brady Wilson—the Phantoms' player whose cheap shot on Ethan had triggered Jax's viral fight—sobered Lauren immediately. "Will you..." she began, then hesitated, unsure how to phrase the question.

"Fight him?" Jax supplied, understanding her concern. "Not if there's any way to avoid it. But if he takes runs at Ethan or Oliver again..." He left the implication hanging.

Lauren nodded, appreciating his honesty even as it reminded her of the violence inherent in his profession. "Just be careful," she said finally. "I've grown rather attached to that face."

A slow smile spread across Jax's features, warming his eyes. "Have you now?"

"Don't let it go to your head," Lauren warned, though she couldn't quite suppress her answering smile. "Your helmet barely fits as it is."

His laugh was deep and genuine, the sound wrapping around her like a physical embrace. "There she is," he said fondly. "The sharp-tongued Dr. Mackenzie I met that first night."

"She never left," Lauren assured him, finally forcing herself to sit up. "She just expanded her assessment based on new evidence."

"And what does your assessment conclude now?" Jax asked, his playful tone underlaid with genuine curiosity.

Lauren looked down at him—this complicated man who fought on ice but treated injured animals with infinite gentleness, who intimidated opponents but slept with a protective arm around her all night.

"That you, Jackson Thompson, are far more than your stat sheet suggests," she said honestly. "And that I'm very glad Penalty found you in that parking lot."

Something softened in Jax's expression, vulnerability briefly visible in his usually guarded features. "Me too," he said simply, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "More than I can say."

The moment hung between them, weighted with unspoken emotion, until Lauren reluctantly broke it by rising from the bed. "I really do need to shower," she said apologetically.

"Go," Jax encouraged, settling back against the pillows. "I'll be here when you're done. Unless you'd rather I leave?"

The question carried no pressure, just a genuine desire to respect her space. It was this, perhaps more than anything, that cemented Lauren's response.

"Stay," she said. "There's coffee in the kitchen. Make yourself at home."

As she gathered clothes and headed for the bathroom, Lauren looked back at Jax Thompson in her bed, in her home, in her life. It felt right.

Chapter Twelve

Lauren

March 15th – Last game of the regular season

Her morning proved unexpectedly chaotic at the clinic, with three emergency cases before noon. Lauren had just finished closing a Labrador who'd tangled with a pet porcupine when Barb poked her head into the surgical suite.

"Dr. Grayson is on line two. Says it's urgent."

Lauren frowned. Dr. Hal Grayson was the veterinary director at the county animal control center, a position she'd once been shortlisted for. "Can you finish here? Clean the quills from the surgical tray and start him on the antibiotics we discussed."

"Got it, boss," Barb said, taking her place at the table.

In her office, Lauren picked up the phone. "Hal, what's up?"

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