Page 19 of The Sin Bin

Heat crept up Lauren's neck. "I might have watched some clips online. For context."

"Professional curiosity," he supplied, his eyes twinkling with restrained amusement.

"Exactly," she agreed, fighting a smile.

After the photographer had packed up and Stephanie had whisked Oliver away to discuss some social media strategy, Dmitri lingered behind, watching Jax and Lauren with undisguised interest.

"You look happy, Jax," he said suddenly, his usual joking manner giving way to something more sincere. "Is good look on you."

Jax shifted uncomfortably. "I'm just doing my volunteer work, same as always."

Dmitri shook his head. "Not same. Different. You smile more." He turned to Lauren. "He never smiles this much. Is like seeing bear doing ballet—unexpected but impressive."

"Thanks for that image, D," Jax muttered.

"You welcome," Dmitri replied cheerfully. "I go now. Leave you to flirt with pretty doctor. But remember team dinner at seven!" With a wink at Lauren, he sauntered off.

"Can I ask you something?" Jax said after they'd finished the exercises and were watching Taffy eat her well-deserved treats.

"Sure," Lauren replied, curious about the sudden seriousness in his tone.

"Why are you here on my volunteer day?"

The directness of the question caught her off guard. Lauren considered deflecting but found herself wanting to offer the same honesty he'd shown her.

"I judged you unfairly," she admitted. "Based on what I saw during the game." She swallowed, unused to such candor with someone who was still mostly a stranger. "I'm trying to correct that mistake."

Jax studied her for a long moment, his dark eyes thoughtful. "We all make judgments based on our experiences," he said finally. "I can't blame you for that."

Something in his understanding made Lauren bolder. "The way you played was controlled, disciplined. You had opportunities to fight, to retaliate, and you didn't take them."

"Would it have mattered to you if I had?"

Lauren considered the question, wanting to give an honest answer. "Yes," she said finally. "It would have. I've seen what happens when men can't control their anger, when they use their strength to intimidate and hurt." The admission cost her, but it felt important to offer him this truth. "That matters to me."

Understanding dawned in Jax's eyes, along with something else—a protectiveness that should have set off warning bells but instead made her feel oddly safe. "I'm not that man, Lauren," he said quietly. "Not off the ice."

"I'm starting to see that," she acknowledged, holding his gaze.

As they began packing up, Jax's movements suddenly slowed. He kept his eyes on the medical supplies he was arranging, not meeting her gaze.

"I'm probably not what you're looking for," he said quietly. "Someone with my background, my job doesn't exactly scream 'stable relationship material.'"

The vulnerability in his voice caught Lauren by surprise. "What makes you say that?"

Jax shrugged, still not looking at her. "Most women I meet either see the hockey player—the money, the status—or they see the enforcer and get scared off. Neither one is really me." He finally met her eyes. "And someone like you deserves better than a guy who's one bad hit away from being out of a job, with nothing but scars and old game footage to show for it."

The raw honesty in his words made Lauren's chest tighten. "I think I can decide what I deserve for myself," she said gently.

A small, hopeful smile touched his lips. "Fair enough."

"I should wrap up here. I've got a full schedule tomorrow."

"Me too," Jax said, rising from his crouch with unexpected grace for his size. "Morning skate, then a team event at the children's hospital."

"More PR for your image rehabilitation?" Lauren asked, then immediately regretted the words, afraid they sounded more cynical than she'd intended.

But Jax just smiled ruefully. "Been doing the hospital visits since my rookie year, actually. But yes, PR is definitely capitalizing on any opportunity to show I'm not a complete Neanderthal."

---