Page 88 of The Last Second Chance
“Are you moving in?”
“Eventually. We’ll probably have to add on. I’m thinking a nice, big sunroom off the back with another bedroom and office upstairs. But we’ll talk about that later.”
“You’re insane.” Joey shook her head.
Jax dumped his haul on the floor and yanked off his boots. He set them in the tray next to the door to contain the drips. Snowflakes as big as nickels clung to his head and shoulders. He shrugged out of his coat and hung it on the hook next to Joey’s.
“It smells like heaven in here,” he said, coming into the kitchen to investigate.
He dropped a kiss on her cheek as he peered over her shoulder at the stove. “Chili? And what’s this? If you tell me that’s cheesy cornbread, I’m going to marry you.”
“Then no, it’s definitely not cheesy cornbread, it’s boiled Brussels sprouts.”
“Liar. I’m totally marrying you,” Jax turned her around and put his hands on her hips. “Hi,” he said softly, before bringing his lips to hers.
It was a soft, warm kiss. The kind that melted Joey’s insides like chocolate over a low flame. Decadent, delicious.
“Hi, yourself,” she said, when he pulled back.
“You taste like beer and beautiful,” he told her.
“What does beautiful taste like,” she asked, arching an eyebrow at the line.
“You.”
“Oh, boy. The snow brought me Mr. Smooth,” she teased.
“Do I have time for a shower before dinner?” he asked.
“Sure, help yourself,” she said, giving him a one-shoulder shrug before turning back to the stove.
“Care to join me?”
“I already had my shower. Why don’t you take a beer up there to keep you company, while I finish dinner?”
“Have I told you that I love you?”
“Get out of my kitchen,” she ordered, rolling her eyes.
Jax grinned and helped himself to a beer from the fridge. She pointed at the bottle opener on the wall before he could ask.
“I’m serious about that marriage thing,” he said, taking a swig from the bottle.
“I’m serious about the you getting out of my way thing,” she said lightly.
He pressed a quick kiss to her neck. “I guess we’ll see which one of us gets our way.”
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Jax tossedthe dog beds into Joey’s spare room and took the beer with him into the shower.
Usually only a summer ritual, the shower beer seemed appropriate enough for tonight. His body was sore from the physical demands of the day, while his mind revved from the sense of urgency he’d worked under.
He cranked the hot water and let it pelt his aching shoulders and neck. Joey’s shower was a marvel, neutral stone tile walls with jets aplenty. There was room enough for two, possibly more in the walk-in. He felt like he was standing under a tropical waterfall as the water steamed and sluiced its way down his skin.
He was never leaving. He would stand under this water until his body dissolved and flowed down the drain.
He helped himself to a swig of beer and then began to peruse Joey’s bath accessories. He’d been in bathrooms of women with thousands of dollars of bath products, shelves crammed full of bottles that claimed they would tighten, soften, soothe, or protect.
