Page 26 of Fierce-Jax

“Over my dead body,” she said firmly.

Her father laughed. “See what it’s like having a daughter? Remember that the next time you want to give me a hard time.”

9

RANG HIS EGO BELL

The only thing worse than spending Valentine’s Day alone was spending it with an eight-year-old boy so that his sister could have a date night.

Jax had offered because he was sick of being alone.

Not that he thought he was much of a romantic in his life, but whenever he was seeing a woman, he put in one hundred and ten percent.

Maybe that was his problem. He put too much in and didn’t need to. Or shouldn’t.

But with that frustration over his Saturday night company, not that he didn’t have a great time with Eli, he decided he would ask Dillion if she wanted to get a drink the next time he saw her.

In the past two weeks, he’d run into her at least four times. Normally first thing in the morning.

Every time they had a fun easy conversation that let him think she was interested in getting to know him more.

Then he’d chicken out.

In this day and age, women asked men out just as much.

He’d been asked out plenty of times.

So in his mind, he figured she just liked the easy conversation they had.

Hence, the friend category once again.

But, as he’d told enough people, if you can’t change it, accept it.

Maybe he didn’t want to quite accept this.

When he pulled into the parking lot earlier than normal on Monday morning though, he didn’t expect to see Dillion getting out of her car too.

Shit, he wasn’t sure he was ready for this.

Funny, considering he could talk anyone into applying for a job at his place in less than a minute on a ten-second notice.

And since he was so good at the elevator pitch, that was what he was going to do.

“Morning, Jax,” she said when he held the door open for her.

“Morning to you, Dillion,” he said.

“I have to tell you,” she said, “I think I stole an employee from someone.”

He laughed. This was the confidence boost he needed. Right in his wheelhouse. “How is that?”

“I had to bring Gianna to the pediatrician the other day. When I was there, the nurse was just wonderful with her, but she was getting abused by some parents. I could hear it through the doors.”

“That’s horrible,” he said.

“It is,” she said. “I’ve been on the receiving end of it from past patients. I felt bad and just went in for the kill. I was thinking of you in my mind and decided to go for it, but you know, not in a mean way.”

The fact she was thinking of him and admitted it rang an ego bell.

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