Page 97 of A Little Crush
“I know.” I take a deep breath. “And I, uh, I like you, too. Which you already knew, but…”
“It’s nice to hear it out loud every once in a while,” he murmurs. A warmth hits his gaze, making it hard to breathe.
“And I’m sorry I told Tate,” I add.
“Don’t be.” He brings my hand to his mouth and kisses my knuckles just like when he touched me in my parents’ backyard. “I like that you have someone to tell. Someone you trust.”
“What about you?” I prod. “Do you have someone you trust?”
He lifts a shoulder and pulls out of the parking spot. “To be honest, the only person I’ve ever fully trusted with something like this is…” His eyes cut to mine. “You.”
And damn, if it isn’t the sweetest thing he’s ever said.
34
RORY
Ihaven’t seen Jax since he dropped me off after our date. Despite asking him to take me somewhere else so I could return the favor, he took me home, announcing that he had to be up early the next morning for a flight. And even though I knew it was the truth, it didn’t ease my disappointment. This whole sexual awakening is kind of fun, and I’ve been dying to get my hands on him the same way he’s had his hands—and mouth—on me.
The downtime has been weird, too. Staying home while he travels with the team. But since it was still Iris’s week with Poppy, I had no choice but to stay in Lockwood Heights and twiddle my thumbs, watching Jaxon in action through the television instead of in person. Now that we’re kind of seeing each other, and I’m not mad at him anymore like I was during the first home game, I’ve learned I definitely prefer being at the arena.
He’s texted me though. A lot, actually. And it’s been fun. Reconnecting and flirting and being open in a way we’ve never been before. Tatum told me it’s probably a good thing. That we’ve had some distance. We can test the waters whilestill connecting and taking the physical side of things a little slower than I’d probably like and he probably needs.
She might be onto something, though I refuse to admit it to her. The woman’s head is already big enough, thank you very much.
He got back yesterday, though I haven’t seen him yet. Thanks to Jaxon’s busy schedule with the Lions, and Iris’s penchant for not accommodating said busy schedule, here I am in Jaxon’s penthouse, waiting for Iris to drop Poppy off, so I can take her to the Lions’ home game.
I’ve decided sharing a kid seems like a pain in the butt. Especially when the person you’re sharing the child with has no understanding of what being on time actually means.
I check the time on my phone again and wipe down the counter in hopes of feeling useful. She’s an hour and half late. Normally, it wouldn’t be a huge deal, but Jaxon asked if I was planning to bring Poppy to the game when he gave me the instructions for getting into his penthouse, and there’s no way we’re going to be able to make it if Iris doesn’t get here soon.
Thirty minutes later, I give in and text Jaxon, telling him the crappy news, though I doubt he’ll see it since the game has already started, and he always leaves his phone in his office during games.
Reaching for the remote, I turn on the game when the elevator’s buzzer sounds. She’s here! I skip toward the panel, hit accept, and allow the elevator to come to the penthouse.
I stand at the entrance folding my arms, then tucking my thumbs into the back pockets of my jeans before grabbing my wrist and, yup. It’s official. I’m the most awkward person on the planet.
Seconds later, the elevator doors slide open, and Hades barks beside me. “Hades, hush,” I order.
With a low grumble, he plops his butt down on theground, staring at a very displeased Iris with a car seat on her arm.
Despite working for Jaxon for a couple weeks, Iris and I have barely said two words to each other. Not that I blame her. She didn’t hire me. Jax did. But since Jaxon isn’t here, it seems she has no choice and is less than thrilled at the prospect of interacting with “the help.”
Her irritated gaze flicks over me with enough disdain to make me squirm before her attention lands on Hades. Being the excellent judge of character he usually is, he growls low in his throat but doesn’t stand, proving he’s more annoyed than anything.
Join the club, buddy.
“Sorry, it’s nothing personal,” I tell her. “He doesn’t like…people.”
Her lips purse. “And yet he’s around my daughter twenty-four-seven.”
Yikes. I didn’t think about that. How Hades acting like an asshole might affect Iris’s perception of him in general.
Determined to put her mind at ease, I rush out, “Don’t worry. He loves Poppy. I can even send you videos of them together so you can see it for yourself. They are so cute.”
Ignoring me, Iris sets Poppy’s car seat on the kitchen counter, then checks the time on her phone. “Tell Jaxon I need her a day early.”
A day early? She wants Poppy a day early after basically dropping her off an entire day late? The woman has to be joking. We’re missing Jaxon’s game because of her ineptitude. Yeah, her request is problematic on a few levels. Besides, there’s no way the timeline will work, regardless of my pettiness to keep things fair. The Lions have two away games this week, so we won’t be back in Lockwood Heights by then. But is it my job to defend Jaxon’s time with his daughter, letalone fill his ex in on the potential constraints and unreasonable expectations of her request?
