and dribbled down the paint. “Shit,” I whispered. I rushed to put the pump back on its holder, and grabbed a paper towel next to the window squeegee. I crouched down to wipe the gas off.
“You should use a cleaner for that.” I glanced up and immediately forgot to breathe. Jax towered above me. Backlit by the morning sun and dressed all in black, he was practically glowing—like a freaking dark angel, coincidentally a costume he’d also worn in my mind. He looked like he’d just come from the gym. His sleeveless black shirt hugged his chest, and his biceps were corded with muscle. A blue and black tattoo of the number seventeen mixed in with a tribal design framed his upper arm. His matching black workout pants sat low on his hips, and his dark chocolate hair was clumped together in wet pieces. He was only a few feet from me, but I was confident that I’d be able to smell his pheromones from at least twenty paces.
Images of his SAG card earning roles started flashing through my mind. Between that and lack of air, I almost passed out. I remembered to inflate my lungs at the last second. He grinned, totally aware of my reaction to him. I narrowed my eyes, annoyed. I was acting like a giddy teenager with a crush. This was stupid. I was an adult. I needed to act like it. Yeah, he was attractive. So what? I spent time with a lot of attractive people and managed to function. This should be no different.
But it was.
And that was the problem.
“Move the car out of the pump lane, and I’ll grab something to clean it with,” he said, moving toward the garage.
“Okay.” I pulled She-Ra to one of the parking spots in front of Red’s. Jax came back out holding a paper towel and bottle of cleaner. He poured some cleaner on one of the towels before handing the bottle to me and rubbing the area the gas had dripped on. “This will take care of it, and you won’t have to worry about your paint.”
“Thanks,” I said, watching him. A chilly gust of wind kicked up out of nowhere. I shivered, and wrapped my arms around myself, eager to get back inside the car.
Jax noticed. “Are you cold?” He stood, tossing the paper towels in the trash. Reaching over, he put his palms on the sides of my arms and pushed gently, methodically, as he rubbed his hands up and down from my shoulders to my elbows. I shivered again—for a completely different reason—feeling like sparks were arcing at his touch. He was so warm, probably from his workout, and the contact was heating me up in more ways than one. The caress sent a thrill of excitement straight through me. I inhaled a rattled breath, trying to pass it off as another shiver. One corner of Jax’s lips lifted in a knowing expression. I didn’t think my fake shiver had worked.
“I’m fine. September just gets chilly sometimes in the mountains.” I loved this time of year, but wasn’t thrilled about the looming threat of winter.
“This is my favorite season,” Jax said. “I love watching things change, and the temperature is perfect…most times.”
“Mine, too,” I agreed. “I love driving through the mountains to see the fall colors on the trees. And I love when it’s still sixty or seventy degrees outside.”
He bent down and wiped the car one more time with a dry paper towel. When he finished, he straightened back up, turning to me. “Plus,” he said, slowly licking his lips, “sex in a pile of leaves is always fun.”
I tried not to register my surprise, but it was definitely present. I added ‘sex in leaves’ to the fantasy list in my head, as well as a reminder to inhale—and another to exhale. He didn’t need to know all of that, though. I attempted a blank face as I responded, “That seems unsanitary.”
He eyed me. “Do you ever have fun, or is everything by the rules for you?”
“There’s nothing wrong with rules,” I said, defensive. “They keep things organized and in line.”
He leaned toward me, curling his finger for me to move
“You should use a cleaner for that.” I glanced up and immediately forgot to breathe. Jax towered above me. Backlit by the morning sun and dressed all in black, he was practically glowing—like a freaking dark angel, coincidentally a costume he’d also worn in my mind. He looked like he’d just come from the gym. His sleeveless black shirt hugged his chest, and his biceps were corded with muscle. A blue and black tattoo of the number seventeen mixed in with a tribal design framed his upper arm. His matching black workout pants sat low on his hips, and his dark chocolate hair was clumped together in wet pieces. He was only a few feet from me, but I was confident that I’d be able to smell his pheromones from at least twenty paces.
Images of his SAG card earning roles started flashing through my mind. Between that and lack of air, I almost passed out. I remembered to inflate my lungs at the last second. He grinned, totally aware of my reaction to him. I narrowed my eyes, annoyed. I was acting like a giddy teenager with a crush. This was stupid. I was an adult. I needed to act like it. Yeah, he was attractive. So what? I spent time with a lot of attractive people and managed to function. This should be no different.
But it was.
And that was the problem.
“Move the car out of the pump lane, and I’ll grab something to clean it with,” he said, moving toward the garage.
“Okay.” I pulled She-Ra to one of the parking spots in front of Red’s. Jax came back out holding a paper towel and bottle of cleaner. He poured some cleaner on one of the towels before handing the bottle to me and rubbing the area the gas had dripped on. “This will take care of it, and you won’t have to worry about your paint.”
“Thanks,” I said, watching him. A chilly gust of wind kicked up out of nowhere. I shivered, and wrapped my arms around myself, eager to get back inside the car.
Jax noticed. “Are you cold?” He stood, tossing the paper towels in the trash. Reaching over, he put his palms on the sides of my arms and pushed gently, methodically, as he rubbed his hands up and down from my shoulders to my elbows. I shivered again—for a completely different reason—feeling like sparks were arcing at his touch. He was so warm, probably from his workout, and the contact was heating me up in more ways than one. The caress sent a thrill of excitement straight through me. I inhaled a rattled breath, trying to pass it off as another shiver. One corner of Jax’s lips lifted in a knowing expression. I didn’t think my fake shiver had worked.
“I’m fine. September just gets chilly sometimes in the mountains.” I loved this time of year, but wasn’t thrilled about the looming threat of winter.
“This is my favorite season,” Jax said. “I love watching things change, and the temperature is perfect…most times.”
“Mine, too,” I agreed. “I love driving through the mountains to see the fall colors on the trees. And I love when it’s still sixty or seventy degrees outside.”
He bent down and wiped the car one more time with a dry paper towel. When he finished, he straightened back up, turning to me. “Plus,” he said, slowly licking his lips, “sex in a pile of leaves is always fun.”
I tried not to register my surprise, but it was definitely present. I added ‘sex in leaves’ to the fantasy list in my head, as well as a reminder to inhale—and another to exhale. He didn’t need to know all of that, though. I attempted a blank face as I responded, “That seems unsanitary.”
He eyed me. “Do you ever have fun, or is everything by the rules for you?”
“There’s nothing wrong with rules,” I said, defensive. “They keep things organized and in line.”
He leaned toward me, curling his finger for me to move
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