“You have a beautiful house,” she said, craning her neck to get the full view of the old farmhouse with a wraparound front porch that went on for days. It needed work. The paint was peeling, the windows were sagging, the trees and shrubs were overgrown and out of control, but Em didn’t see that. She saw the possibilities.
His chuckle was thick when he leaned over and gently shifted her chin to point her in the direction of the full view of the house. “Are you kidding? Do you see what I see? It’s a dump. It doesn’t need a renovation, it needs a bomb squad.”
Em shrugged and smiled, lost in her mind’s revival of Jax’s home. “Well, you see what you see, and I’ll see what I see. What I see is beyond that, and this amazin’ house has tremendous possibilities. It could be a real showstopper. Add in the gorgeous location, the creek and the two acres of land, and it could be a divine place to hang your hat. That porch for instance, can’t you just see it in the summer? Close your eyes and picture ivy climbin’ up the trellis at each end. Hanging plants all along the porch full of petunias and trailing geraniums. Potted plants lining those wide steps in the fall in a riot of colorful mums and big fat pumpkins carved for Halloween. Maybe a vegetable garden over there where that patch of dead grass and leftover bricks are. Antique white rocking chairs to sit on with a glass of sweet tea while you listen to the creek. It could be magnificent—just breathtaking. And think about how much Maizy would love a swing right over there in that big oak.” She pointed to it with her finger, closing her eyes and exhaling to stop her rambling.
When she opened them, Jax’s eyes were crinkling up into another smile, an indulgent one. “You know, when you describe it, I can almost see it. You really like the DIY thing, don’t you?”
Realizing her enthusiasm had taken over again, probably making her sound rabid, Em toned it down. She lowered her voice a notch when she said, “I do. I love taking nothing and making it something. I love fixing what others think is unsalvageable. And I like knowing I did it myself.”
“Where does that come from?”
“What?”
“The need to say you did it yourself?”
Em pulled back. “Did that come out like someone was stopping me from doin’ what I like? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that it was anything more than me stopping myself. But nowadays, I just have a lot of...free time.”
His eyes pierced hers, blue and intense as he drew her back toward him, his hand strong on her arm, his face so close to hers she could see the twitch in his hard jaw. “You mean since your divorce?”
A hard knot had formed in her throat, one she had to fight the words around to get them out of her mouth.
She lifted her shoulders in a “maybe” shrug. “I guess.” Once the boys were in bed, it was just her and a long, lonely night. She’d decided early on, she could fill those nights with regret and sorrow, or she could fill them with projects and self-improvement.
“Em?”
“Yes?”
“I’m going to do something right now. Something that might piss you off. But I’m gonna do it anyway. Because it’s driving me damn crazy. You’re driving me crazy.”
Em flinched. Just when you thought your small talk skills had hit a new low, you aimed lower. “I’m talking too much, right? Boring you to death with my enthusiasm over something that obviously doesn’t interest you.” Her heart drove against her chest; embarrassment flooded her cheeks. Good heavens, Em. Will you never learn babbling’s not high on a man’s list of endearing qualities?
Jax’s breath was on her face, warm, coming in quick bursts, his hard features outlined by the blue glow of the dashboard lights. “Not even close. You’re enthusiasm interests me—makes me want to grab a hammer and start pounding nails. Chew some wood up with my teeth, maybe. Something we both know, and the evidence shows—” he held up his bandaged hand “—I just shouldn’t be allowed to do. That aside, everything about you interests me. And that’s why I’m going to do it. Too soon or not be damned.”
The words he spoke didn’t quite sink in. She didn’t understand where he was going. She only knew, their lips were so close she was slightly intoxicated by the heady heat between them. “Do...do what?”
“This,” Jax muttered, gravelly, sexy-low as he cupped her neck and pulled her as close as he could with the barrier of the bulky armrest in their way.
Em froze—stilled until her muscles ached from the tension.
He wasn’t going to...
Her?
Why would he want to do that with her?
Six
“Kiss you. I’m going to kiss you, Emmaline Amos, and I think I might do it without your permission if you keep holding things up. Interested in knowing why?”
Jax’s chest constricted when she clammed up. This was the adorably freaked-out Em. He’d had glimpses of this Em all through mattress shopping and right into dinner.
Every time he’d touched her, even just brushed against her, she couldn’t decide whether to enjoy it or run away from it. “Okay, then, I’ll tell you. Because your mouth is driving me crazy.”