Boneless and shaky, Em fell into him, burying her face in his neck, inhaling his scent, the scent of their lovemaking.
When Jax caught his breath, he rolled her on her back, still inside her, nuzzling her jaw and making her squirm with the rough scratch of his five o’clock shadow.
“Thirsty?” he asked, pulling out of her and rolling to a sitting position.
“Are you sharing?”
He rose and reached for the bottle in the ice bucket, popping the cork. “Depends on what you have to barter with?” Jax wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her.
She loved to watch him move, loved to see the way his muscles flexed, tightened and released beneath his skin. While Jax poured, she sat up and stretched, reaching for the glass when he handed it to her.
“So what are you going to do with all this space? Wouldn’t it make an amazing playhouse for Maizy?” She’d had all sorts of ideas about how to renovate the guesthouse with its shabby walls and rotting barn wood.
“We still have to finish my house, and if we turn this into a playhouse for Maizy, we have nowhere to do all the wicked things we’ve been doing. We’d have to relocate.”
It wasn’t like they could renovate it overnight. He said those words like they’d be doing these wicked things for a long time to come.
She pulled her thoughts up short and called her daydreaming to an immediate halt. There would be no placing meaning on any of Jax’s words. She shrugged, keeping her response light and her smile warm. “I guess we’d just have to figure it out.”
“Besides, where would I put all this stuff?” He nodded toward the boxes stacked as high as the ceiling, taking the glass from her and sipping.
The wheels of Em’s mind began to turn as she took in the possibilities of the space, unable to keep herself from making suggestions. She wrapped the itchy army blanket around her and wandered toward the first pile by the door. “Built-ins, maybe? Some tall whitewashed ones? You know, the size of wardrobes? You could make a desk for Maizy right next to it.”
Her fingers went to the box as she thought out loud, startled when Jax yelled, “Be careful!”
Boxes came tumbling down around her head just as Jax lunged for her, dangly bits exposed and all. He pushed her out of the way as glasses and picture frames came spilling from the mouth of the top box, crashing at her feet. “Oh, Jax! I’m so sorry. I hope it wasn’t anything expensive.” She muttered another apology, tightening the blanket under her arms and stooping to begin cleaning up.
A black frame, worn around the edges, with a vivid streak of red caught her eye. She grabbed it just as Jax was pulling his pants on to help her.
Her breath lodged in her throat as she plucked the frame up and eyed it. At first she’d thought it was a picture of Maizy, but a closer look revealed a warehouse-type building behind them as the setting and Jax with his arm around two people. The first a man, blond and athletic looking, with the same hard jaw as Jax, but smiling, playful blue eyes, and the other...
Maizy’s mother. There was no doubt in her mind. She had the same amazing shock of vibrant red hair, the same beautiful skin, the same eyes. Gorgeous, this woman was absolutely breathtaking. Em couldn’t even summon up an ounce of jealousy for her—she was that beautiful. The gorgeous woman’s gaze was on Jax’s face, and her eyes screamed head over heels for him.
“Maizy’s mother?” She knew she should hush, but her curiosity, her mother had always said, would be the death of her. Looking up at Jax and the hard line of his mouth, she definitely should have just hushed.
His nod was curt. “Reece.”
This was a no-no subject, but did that stop her? “Where is she?”
“Gone,” he said, and then he was silent. So silent, she heard him purposely being silent.
Em hopped up, cursing her shredded nylons. Danger, Will Robinson. Stop. Do not trespass. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude. Here.” She held out the frame to him, putting a hand on his arm, but he turned away, brushing her off.
“Just throw it in the pile.”
Em frowned. This was his child’s mother. She spoke before she thought. “But it’s a picture of Maizy’s mother. Won’t she want it?”
“It’s also a picture of my dead best friend, Jake. Throw it in the pile, Em.” His voice had risen just enough to warn her she should back off.
Suddenly, he was all angry vibes and tense gestures, the light mood between them gone. Time to go home and glue her lips shut. “I’m sorry about the mess. I’ll help—”
“I got it,” Jax said, running a hand over his jaw.
She waved a hand like it was no big deal he was angry for some unknown reason he didn’t care to divulge. “I have to go anyway. Six o’clock comes really early.”
Without another word, she gathered her clothes, pulling on her silly trench coat and heels and gathering up her purse.