Page 29 of The Sin Bin

"That's it. Apartment 1403. I'll let the security desk know you're coming."

"Great. I'll be there in about twenty minutes."

The call ended, and Jax stared at his phone, his mind racing. Lauren was coming to his apartment. Tonight. He glanced around, suddenly seeing the space through her eyes—the spartan furnishings, the hockey gear piled in the corner, the distinct bachelor pad vibe.

He spent the next fifteen minutes in a frenzy of cleaning—loading the dishwasher, clearing off the coffee table, shoving random items into closets. He'd just changed his shirt when the intercom buzzed.

"Mr. Thompson? There's a Dr. Mackenzie here to see you."

"Send her up, thanks," Jax replied, his heart hammering in his chest.

Minutes later, a knock sounded at his door. Taking a deep breath, he opened it to find Lauren standing in the hallway, his team jacket draped over her arm. She'd changed out of her arena clothes into jeans and a simple green sweater that made her eyes seem impossibly bright.

"Hi," she said, a slight flush coloring her cheeks. "Sorry to drop by so late."

"No, it's fine," Jax assured her, stepping back to let her in. "Come in."

Lauren entered, her eyes taking in his apartment with undisguised curiosity. "This is nice. Much neater than I expected."

Jax laughed, relieved by her directness. "If you'd called ten minutes later, you'd have seen the real disaster zone."

She smiled, setting the jacket on a nearby chair. "Where's Penalty?"

As if summoned, the kitten came bounding from the bedroom, his splint not hampering his enthusiasm as he headed straight for Lauren.

"Well hello there," she cooed, crouching to greet him. "Look at you, getting around so well on that leg."

Jax watched her with the kitten, struck by how natural she looked in his space, how right it felt to have her here. "Can I get you something to drink? Water, beer, wine?"

"Water's fine," she replied, straightening up with Penalty in her arms. "I can't stay long. Early surgery tomorrow."

Jax nodded, heading to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. When he returned, Lauren was examining the few photos he had displayed on a bookshelf—mostly team pictures, plus one of him with his mother at his first NHL game.

"Is this your mom?" she asked, gesturing to the photo.

"Yeah," Jax handed her the water. "That was my rookie year. First NHL game."

Lauren studied the picture. "You look so young."

"Twenty-one," Jax confirmed. "Barely old enough to drink at the after-party."

"She must be proud of you," Lauren said, setting Penalty down to open her water.

Jax nodded, a familiar ache settling in his chest. "She died three years ago. Cancer."

Lauren's expression softened with immediate understanding. "I'm sorry. That's... that's hard."

"It was," Jax agreed simply. "She was the only real family I had. My dad was..." He trailed off, not wanting to bring that darkness into this moment.

"Not in the picture?" Lauren supplied gently.

"Not in a good way," Jax clarified. "He taught me all about using your size to intimidate. Lessons I've spent years trying to unlearn."

The words hung between them, more revealing than he'd intended. Lauren's eyes met his, a depth of understanding in them that made his breath catch.

"That explains a lot," she said softly.

"About why I fight?"

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