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“You look exhausted, angel. I’m going to head out so you can get some rest. Walk me to the door?”
“Yeah, sure, I can do that.” I stumble out my reply.
He turns and makes his way back down the hallway as I trail behind him. When he reaches the door, he turns back to me while reaching into his pocket. He pulls out a key ring with two keys on it.
“This key is to the apartment door,” he says, pointing to a silver key. He then points to a slightly bigger brass key. “And this one is for the door leading to the stairs.” He drops both into my palm.
Next, he pulls out an envelope and hands it to me.
“Your tips for the night. Mia cashed you out while you were waiting on me to bring you up here.”
I take the envelope, feeling the excitement of finally making money on my own again. I haven’t had a job and my own money since my last year of college. It’s such a nice feeling, knowing that I actually earned the money that’s resting in my palm. Steven always made plenty of money for the both of us. He said there was no sense in me working when he made enough for us to live the high life. Of course, I know the true reason he didn’t want me to work. He didn’t want to take the chance of people finding out about his extracurricular activities regarding me.
As I clutch the envelope, I glance up at Jaxon. “Thank you, Jaxon. For everything.” I feel moisture reach my eyes, and I quickly blink the tears away. He is such a kindhearted and sweet man.
“Have breakfast with me tomorrow at Maggie’s?”
The question takes me by surprise. He looks so hopeful and earnest. The eagerness I see makes my decision for me. There’s no way I can say no to him when he’s helped me so much. If he truly wants to spend time with me by having breakfast, it’s the least I can do. To be honest, I find the thought of spending time with him exhilarating, even if it does make me a little nervous.
I tip the corners of my lips up in a shy smile and say, “I’d like that.”
His gaze drops to my lips for a second before returning to my eyes. There’s something in his expression that makes me fidgety. He’s looking at me as though he wants to reach out and touch me, like I’m the most precious thing in the world to him.
He takes a cautious step forward and reaches out. I stiffen, but hold myself still, not taking a step back. He places his hands on either side of my face and lowers his lips toward my forehead again. It’s one of the sweetest gestures anyone has ever made to me. If being touched by a man wasn’t so frightening, I could seriously get used to having his hands on me, which he seems to like to do a lot.
His thumb rubs across the scar on the side of my face, and I close my eyes as a lump forms in my throat. I wish so much I could be a normal woman. A woman worthy of Jaxon’s affections. Any woman would be lucky to have a man like him in their life.
After he kisses my forehead again, he rests it against mine. I open my eyes to see him watching me. His eyes are back to the color they were before, when he was watching me laugh earlier tonight; deep purple and steel blue. When he speaks, I feel and smell his warm, minty breath against my lips. It sends shivers down my spine, and I catch my breath. For some odd reason, him being this close doesn’t cause the usual effect of wanting to cower and cringe. I’m still leery and slightly uncomfortable, but I don’t get the usual run-for-the-hills feeling. It’s a pleasant change. It’s unexpected, but still nice, nonetheless.
“What in the hell are you doing to me, angel? You make me feel things, things that I know you don’t want—and are not ready—to hear yet.” The sound of his voice is so light that I can barely make out his words. But I do.
I try to pull my head away, suddenly afraid of where he is going with this. “Jaxon, I—”
“I know, Bailey. I know you can’t accept what I’m telling you right now. And I understand. I’m aware that it’s not normal for me to even feel them when I don’t really know anything about you. But they’re there, and I can’t rein the feelings in. I don’t want to. But I hope that one day you’ll welcome them and welcome me into your life. I know it’s a scary thought and you feel like you can never accept them, or return them. Just know that you’ve become important to me, and to others in this town, in the short time you’ve been here.”
There’s no way I can accept his words. It’s just not feasible for me to be with another man, whether physically or emotionally. I don’t have that part in me anymore. It was beaten and battered out of me long ago. I’m too broken and flawed. Jaxon needs someone who’s whole and without scars, inside and out. Someone who can give him all of herself. He deserves someone special.
“I’m sorry, I just can’t….” I squeeze my eyes shut, worried that I’ll see disappointment in his.
“Hey, look at me.”
I shake my head.
“Angel, please look at me,” he urges.
I force my eyes open and look at him. What I see isn’t disappointment. I see a mixture of emotions swirling in his beautiful eyes. Sadness, passion, desperation, and a whole slew of other feelings. It’s the sadness that brings moisture to my eyes. I know my eyes reflect the same emotion.
“It’s okay. I know you’ve been hurt, and I accept that it’ll take time for you to let me in. I’m willing to wait.” His lips look so soft when he lets loose with a small smile.
He pulls back and drops his hands. I don’t like the feeling of loss once his hands fall from my face. I want them back where they were, which confuses me. It’s such a strange feeling. I’m tempted to reach out, snatch his hand, and place it back where it was. It’s a contradiction to have these feelings.
“Hand me your phone,” he says, holding out his hand.
I reach into my purse, which is still on my shoulder, and pull out my phone. I hand it over and he starts pushing buttons. A minute later, his phone dings. I take my phone from him and place it back in my purse.
“You have my number. I want you to use it if you need anything, okay?”
“Okay.”
