Read Online Cheap Shot by Cheryl Douglas - Free Book Online Page B

emotional support she’d
needed, but he’d never treated her with less than respect and admiration. Except
for their last night together…
    “I’m tired. I think I’ll just go home and
crash tonight. Yeah, my shift just ended. I’m kind of hungry. I didn’t eat much
at lunch, so I might grab a snack and head home. Okay, I’ll talk to you
tomorrow. I love you too, Sheldon. Bye.”
    Those four little words nearly brought
Jaxon to his knees. I love you too. When he thought of all the times he
could have said those words to Sela, it made him physically sick. She’d just
confirmed his worst fear: She was in love with another man. Did that mean his
time had run out? Was he too late to get her back?
    Sela spun straight into Jaxon’s chest and
put up her hands. “Oh God! I’m sorry. I didn’t see you standing there. I guess
I was kind of distracted.”
    “Yeah, me too,” Jaxon said, gripping her
arms to steady her. “Are you okay?”
    “Yeah,” she said, sighing. “It’s just been
a long day. I’m tired.”
    “I can relate.” Fear superseded fatigue as
adrenaline coursed through his body though. “I was just going to grab a quick
bite in the V.I.P. lounge. Do you want to join me?”
    She glanced around as if looking for an
answer. “I probably shouldn’t, but you know I hate to eat alone, and I’m
famished. Okay, let’s do it.”
    Let’s do it. He smirked at her choice of words, and his hand moved to the small
of her back so he could guide her through the crowd. What he wouldn’t give to
hear those three little words in a different context.
    “What do you feel like?” Jaxon asked, once
they were seated across from each other. He was dying to delve deeper into the
conversation she’d had with her mother. He wanted her to know he’d always
admired and respected her, and her mother was way off-base in her assessment of
the situation. But to do that, he would have to admit he’d been eavesdropping,
which wasn’t an option if he wanted them to remain on speaking terms.
    “I don’t know,” she said, scanning the
menu. “What do you recommend?”
    “Depends how hungry you are. The nachos are
good. So is the fajita platter, but it’s a little big for one.”
    “The chicken fajitas sound good to me.” She
closed her menu. “Would you mind sharing?”
    Jaxon smiled as he thought of all the times
she used to steal food off his plate. She’d always order a healthy, low-fat
option, but when his decadent entrée arrived, she couldn’t resist the urge to
indulge. “Some things never change.”
    “What does that mean?” she asked, quirking
an eyebrow.
    “I was just thinking about the way things
used to be.” He closed his menu and set it aside. “I didn’t realize how happy I
was with you until you were gone.”
    “Jaxon, please.” She raised her hand. “It’s
been a long day, and I’m not up for a trip down memory lane.”
    “I understand, but I have to say this.” He
was finally getting the face time he’d craved with her, and he couldn’t resist
the urge to tell her what he’d been thinking and feeling in the months they’d
been apart. “You made me smile.”
    A hint of a smile crossed her face. “You
made me smile too. A lot.”
    “I guess what I’m trying to say is you made
me happy. I don’t know why I took that for granted, because I’d never been particularly
happy before you came into my life.” Jaxon would take advantage of every
opportunity to give her what she’d been asking for throughout their
relationship: full disclosure.
    She looked saddened by his admission.
“Don’t say that. You had your work and your friends. You dated a lot. You had a
full life before you met me.”
    “I was going through the motions. I worked
my ass off to build this business, mainly because I felt the need to prove I
was worthy.” He’d had a few sessions with a shrink in the past six months, but
he’d never been so open with him. “I wanted to give my life something it had
never