Page 68 of Then Came Love
“Because you weren’t supposed to notice it. I was still with Todd. It was totally inappropriate that I felt anything at all for Jax.”
“Ha! Are you kidding me?” Jillian laughed. “You can’t hide that kind of chemistry, and thank God. Jax had been off for so long, I thought he was losing his touch. But when I saw you two dancing, it all came together, and I realized you’d knocked my brother’s socks off last summer and had knocked him completely off-kilter.”
“You did?” Trixie’s brow knitted. “I remember you calling Jax charming, but I didn’t realize he’d had that kind of impact on you.”
“He was—is—charming, but there was something bigger between us. Not that we did anything about it. I didn’t even know he felt it for all those months.”
“Like I said, big, explosive fireworks,” Jillian chimed in. “Everyone seems to find them except me, but whatever.”
Jordan smiled at Jillian’s eye roll. “I wasn’t looking for fireworks. I cut our first meeting short because I felt so much for him, and then I spent the next several months trying to get him out of my head.”
“How’d that work for you?” Jillian asked. “Because we Bradens are kind of unforgettable.”
“Maybe Trixie could have warned me about that. Why do you think I postponed the wedding?”
“Oh my gosh,” Jillian said. “It was because of Jax.”
“That must have been so hard for you. Why didn’t you tell me?” Trixie looked hurt.
“I’m not really used to sharing my personal life, and you consult for the company. I didn’t want to complicate our relationship. But I was also uncomfortable about having feelings for Jax while I was with Todd, and I didn’t want you to think bad of me.”
“I wouldn’t have. I understand not wanting to mix business with pleasure and all that, and I know we haven’t gone out that often, but I consider you a friend,” Trixie said. “You can always come to me. I won’t let it make our business relationship weird.”
“And don’t blame yourself for having feelings for Jax,” Jillian added. “I mean, he is my twin, which means he’s pretty darn awesome.”
“He is a great guy, but with everything that’s happened, Jax and I are taking things slow. Thank you for not making me feel bad for how it all came together. It’s been really hard to deal with. Not only did I feel horrible for wasting Finlay and Isla’s time, but I also found out that Todd had been cheating on me for a long time.”
“That scumbag,” Jillian said. “I bet Jax wants to tear him to pieces.”
“Jax can’t go after him. He has a reputation to protect. But I could send Nick to teach him a lesson,” Trixie offered. “Or my brothers. They love a good fight.”
Jillian nodded. “That’s a great idea.”
“You guys, come on. I appreciate your support, but nobody is going to fight because of me.”
“You obviously didn’t grow up with brothers,” Trixie said. “That jerk disrespected you, and where I come from, he’d never get away with it.”
“Mm-hm,” Jillian agreed. “Family protects family, which means anyone in our circle—and that includes you. So if you change your mind, we’ve got your back. Well, our brothers do.”
“You can’t imagine how much that means to me.” She thought about Casey and debated telling them about her but quickly decided that conversation was too emotional to have at work.
“I guess this means we’ll see you at our birthday party tomorrow afternoon,” Jillian said.
“It’s your birthday?” Jordan asked.
“Yup! Jax and I are turning thirty. I can’t believe it, but I also can’t believe that I still haven’t found my soul mate, so there’s that.” Jillian rolled her eyes.
“Nick and I are throwing them a party. Jax hasn’t mentioned it to you?”
An uneasy feeling moved through Jordan. “No. But that’s okay. Like I said, we’re taking it slow, especially in public. There are still some people I need to tell that Todd and I broke up.”
“He probably didn’t tell you about the party because he didn’t want to put pressure on you,” Trixie said.
Jillian nodded. “Yeah, that explains it. I know Jax would want you there. But he’d definitely put your feelings ahead of his own. Our family can be a lot to deal with, and he’s never brought a woman to a family event. Everyone would make a big deal out of it.”
“That sounds like Jax.” Jordan’s heart warmed with thoughts of him. “He always puts my feelings first. I’ll find some way to make it up to him.”
“I bet you will.” Trixie waggled her brows.
“It is his birthday,” Jillian said in a singsong voice.
They all laughed, and Jordan thought of several naughty things to give the man who probably wanted for nothing.
