Chapter 12
"Jax is here," Libby, the new store clerk, calls up the stairs as I'm just putting the finishing touches on a necklace.
"Send him up." I call back down. Since when did Jax ask to be announced when he arrived at my store? The fact that he had someone call up to warn me coursed through me as an ominous sign. I wasn't expecting to face him until tonight. After my coffee with Brighton, I'd come straight back to the store to get started on the constantly growing list of custom pieces I needed to finish.
"Beautiful." His voice wafts through the air and surrounds me. "I couldn't wait to see you."
I look up from my place at the table and I'm certain my mouth is hanging open. It's the first time in months that I've seen Jax dressed in a suit. His attire, since he walked away from corporate life, has been jeans and sweaters or t-shirts. I'd forgotten how gorgeous and commanding he looked when he was ready to take control in the business world.
"Holy crap." The words slip out before I realize and I pull my hand quickly to my mouth. I feel so underdressed. I was so tired after our argument last night that I only had the energy to pull on jeans, a white blouse and pin my hair messily on top of my head.
"You like?" The gleam in his eye has been missing too. I smile when I see it there dancing around the edges, pulling on his handsome face.
"I love," I say quietly. I do love. I love him. I love who he is and I even love how much of an ass he can be at times.
He moves so he can lean against the side of the table I'm sitting next to. He reaches for my hand and I let him take it. I need to feel that connection. I want to be close to him. I can't let this issue with Mark pull us apart.
"I'm sorry," he says the words quietly. They're not words that he speaks often so I know that when he does, they hold more meaning than with most other people. "I didn't handle things well."
I look down and rub my thumb over his. "This can't come between us." I want to say more. I want to tell him that he doesn't have to buy the shares. I want to tell him that I trust him enough to just give it all to him.
"I don't want it to." He doesn't want it to. That's different than he won't let it. I know Jax and business and I know he won't let much get in the way once he's focused on an end goal.
"You're dressed up today. Are you going to a funeral?" The words leave my mouth before my mind has a chance to catch them. It's a reminder of Mark and the fact that Jax wouldn’t go to the funeral with me. I didn't want to drag any memory of Mark into our conversation and I have. I'd done it within the first twenty seconds of us talking.
"A business meeting." He doesn't even flinch at my reference to a funeral. He's going to let it slide past him and I'm grateful that he does.
No details are offered and I don't press. I don't want to. I don't want anything to set him off today. I know he's been on edge since we first spoke about my inheriting all of Mark's estate. I just want this moment in time to be peaceful, drama free and quiet.
"I saw Brighton." I stand. I want to feel his arms around me. I need to. "We had coffee a little while ago."
"He told me." His hands encircle my waist and he pulls me between his legs. "He said you two talked about Liz."
I nod as I stare into the depths of his eyes. Something has shifted since last night. He's less tense. He seems happier. "He wants me to go with him to see her."
"Will you?" I feel his finger touch my chin lightly.
"For him." I tilt my head trying to grab more of his touch. I'm so hungry for it. I feel as though we haven't connected enough the last few days. I miss it. I miss him.
His brows rise. "You're good to him. I'm trying to be better to him too."
My mouth curves. "You're a good brother." I mean the words. Jax has tried desperately to strengthen his connection to Brighton the past few months. Doing that electronically hasn't been easy, but he's been putting in the effort.
"I can't stand when there's tension between us, beautiful." His words whisper over my lips as his mouth claims mine.
"I don't want that either." I pull back from the kiss. "It kills me inside when we're not on the same page, Jax."
"Me too." He breaks my gaze to look down. "It's hard, Ivy."
He doesn't have to say more. I know he's talking about Mark and about my seemingly never-ending connection to him.
"I won't let this come between us." I close my eyes as I say the words. I can't let this come between us. I need him too much to let that happen.
"We won't," he corrects me before he glides his lips over mine again.
I can only melt into arms, letting him pull me away from everything and into the heat of his kiss.