Page 46 of The Last Second Chance
“Keep that in mind when you’re running your mouth.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Ed threw a salute. “What can I get you?”
She ordered her burger and onion rings and rolled her eyes when Jax ordered the same thing. “Seriously?”
“What? It sounded good.”
“I’ve been craving a Shorty’s burger and onion rings for the last seven hours. Change your order.”
“Nope.”
He was so good-natured in his response that Joey laughed.
“I’ve missed that sound,” Jax said, suddenly all smoke and heat.
She shook her head. “How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Go from friendly and benign to all come hithery in half a second.”
“Come hithery?” Jax grinned. “I forgot how much I like you.”
“Oh, so it’slikenow,” Joey said, feeling a chunk of hope and maybe the slightest hint of disappointment.
Jax lifted his glass to his lips, wicked thoughts evident in his eyes. “I never forgot that I love you. But it may have slipped my mind how much I like you.”
Her stomach did a loop-de-loop.
“Here’s a thought. How about we have a nice,quietdinner together without either of us pushing an agenda?”
“A truce?”
“A truce.”
“I’m willing to give it a shot,” Jax said, raising his glass to her. “To truces.”
She brought her pint to his. “To truces.”
In the low light of the bar, he looked like a handsome devil sent here with the sole purpose of tempting her. He looked comfortable, and not just in jeans that probably emphasized his spectacular ass and a bloodied thermal shirt that fit across his muscled chest and shoulders like a tailor sewed it to his body. He was comfortable in his skin. Confident, strong, and completely sure that he’d wear her down.
Why did she find that so sexy?
He had his hand on the back of her barstool, his knee was brushing hers. She hadn’t realized that she was leaning in until she felt his breath on her face. He smelled like the outdoors and wood fires. His Artic eyes were fixed on her face and she was so close Joey swore she could hear his heartbeat.
She was weak with hunger. It was the only explanation, besides her hormones revolting against her wasteland of a sex life. Either option was better than considering the possibility that she wanted Jackson Pierce as much as he wanted her.
“Hey, Jax. Hi, Joey.” The spell was broken by the skinny man with glasses and neatly pressed khakis who climbed onto the stool on Jax’s left.
Joey’s hand clamped down on Jax’s thigh. While Anthony Berkowicz looked about as harmless as a bucket of puppies, he was the son of Rainbow and Gordon Berkowicz and, as such, was second generation Beautification Committee, the nosiest, most meddling organization in town. He was also editor-in-chief ofThe Monthly Moon, Blue Moon’s community newspaper or tabloid. The expose he’d done on Summer and Carter before they were dating predicted they would have a half-dozen children after Summer gave up her career in the city and moved to Blue Moon.
Huh,Joey thought.
Well, he sure as hell wasn’t getting any fodder on her, Joey decided.
“I’m going to the restroom and he’d better be gone by the time I get back,” she hissed at Jax.
“If you don’t get your hand off my leg we’re going to have a bigger problem than Anthony Berkowicz,” Jax whispered, looking pointedly at her hand. “A much bigger problem.”
