Page 39 of Fierce-Jax

“Can I be honest with you?” he asked.

Her heart sank.

This was where he was going to tell her he wasn’t interested but didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

“I’d like you to be.”

“It’s because they are always right, and though you’ve been throwing out signs, I’ve been blind to them. You know, the nice guy that always finishes last.”

She nodded her head. “And you didn’t want to change what we had? Or you were still feeling it out as you said?”

“Yes,” he said. “I’m confident in every aspect of my life but when it comes to women. If you looked up how fast to get slammed into the friend’s category, you’re going to see Jax Hollister with the speed record. Or maybe I’m the instructor now. I might have graduated to that.”

“Stop,” she said, waving her hand. “I highly doubt it’s that bad.”

“I could give you examples but don’t need to embarrass myself one bit.”

She smiled. “You couldn’t embarrass yourself in front of me. I happen to like nice guys.”

“You’d be the first,” he said. “No, that’s wrong. From my experience, some women like a man who is nice if they think he’s a pushover.”

“You’re not,” she said. “I can tell right away.”

“Not even close. So it contradicts them. I’m not a jerk though. I’m not some big macho man getting in someone’s face. No one would say I’m a bad boy and that coming out of my mouth makes me cringe just thinking of it. Do womenreallywant that?”

She thought of Alec and his problems.

She didn’t know what he could be classified as and didn’t want to think of it either.

What she wanted was no drama.

That’d be a pleasant change of pace in her dating life.

“Not this woman,” she said. “I’d hope that is all you’d be concerned with.”

It was the slow smile that filled his face. “I can’t tell you how nice it is to hear that. But being in the friend’s category doesn’t just pertain to personality...unfortunately.”

She knew where he was going with that statement, but she wasn’t about to admit that her body had told her what she needed to know long before they talked.

13

TOUCH OF DANGER

If this was a dream, Jax was going to wake up kicking and screaming like a toddler getting his favorite toy taken away from him.

“Would you like dessert?” the server asked, coming over and interrupting his good time.

Probably the best date he’d had in years.

He looked at Dillion to see what she’d say. She looked at her watch, waited a second, then said, “How about that chocolate cake that I saw the other table get?”

“Great choice,” the server said. “And you?”

“I’ll take the same,” he said.

They were left alone again.

“I’ve got a crazy sweet tooth,” she said. “When I was pregnant all I did was eat chocolate left and right. It’s a good thing I didn’t blow up more than I did, but I was on my feet running around so much in my residency.”