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“Do what you have to do.” He winked and then left.
I was beyond frustrated with all of it. The nosey boss, staff calling off, my insecurities with dating Jax—and his not being entirely human. Not to mention, he was out of my league. I needed to do something about all of it.
I fired up my laptop, and as soon as the screen loaded, I pulled up a job site. Maybe I could look for another job while searching for someone to replace Tanner.
**
I glanced at the GPS map on my phone to make sure I was in the right place. It seemed like it. Jax lived a lot farther inland than I did, which I found surprising, given that Jax was supposed to be a water nymph of sorts. Wouldn’t he want to be as close to the beach as possible? I shook my head, still unsure whether to believe the claim, but what he’d done at the beach the night before wassomekind of magic.
Jax had invited me over, but I wasn’t sure what to expect. I got out of the car and made my way to the front door of the building. It looked like an old plantation house with tall columns framing the entryway. In the front hallway was a lobby with mailboxes on one side and a stairway up to the second floor on the other. After a minute of exploring, I found elevators tucked behind the stairs. Jax lived at the top, on the third floor. Up I went.
Jax opened the door and let me in when I knocked. The place was nice, with warm wood flooring and white cabinetry throughout, making it light and airy but still cozy at the same time. It was one open room with a little kitchen tucked into the corner and a bench built into the wall behind a small table and chairs. The kitchen and dining room area was immediately adjacent to a living area with similar cabinets and a built-in bench, but this one also held a flat-screen TV and a few books on a shelf beneath it. A small door to the side stood open, and I could see the gorgeous tilework in what appeared to be the bathroom. “But where do you sleep?” I asked.
“There.” Jax pointed to the couch. It looked comfortable but certainly not big enough for a sturdy man like Jax to spread out every night. “It pulls out into a bed.”
“Oh.”
“This was the nicest place I could afford on short notice. There were trade-offs.” He shrugged.
“I get it. Small, but I like it. It’s nice.”
Jax looked around as if inspecting the place to be sure my words were true. “For now.” He motioned to the couch in question and sat on it. “Come here.”
I didn’t waste a second. I slid down beside Jax and leaned in for a kiss. “What do you do to afford a place like this, anyway?”
“Freelance stuff mostly. I teach surfing, dabble in photography. I have an online t-shirt shop. I like graphic art. Sometimes, I sell my work to a few marketing firms. Oh! I’ve won a few surfing contests over the years, but it’s been a while.”
I was impressed. Jax had a comfortable life and a very flexible work schedule. Lately, it felt like I was always working. “Seems like surfing contests would be cheating? No?”
When Jax smiled, his eyes lit up with mirth. “Maybe. Like I said, it’s been a while. I’ve kind of grown since then. A little. Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
Jax’s smile widened even further. “Yeah. I thinksomeonemakes me feel a little more grown-up. Seriously.”
I leaned back against the couch and exhaled. “I think I’m looking for new work.”
“Oh, why? It’s not my father, is it?”
“No. He’s fine.” I didn’t want to tell Jax about what Eric had said. “I’m a bit disillusioned about the job as a whole. Feeling kind of trapped.”
Jax frowned. “What else could you find here in Cambria? You know, it’s pretty much a resort town. You’re not going to get a lot of different options.”
“I know. And this is home for me, but I’ve been checking out other places, too. Maybe moving more inland. Maybe a change would be good for me.”
“What’s that mean forus?” Jax asked. He seemed serious with worried eyes.
“I don’t know. We’ve only just started seeing each other.” I shrugged. “But I don’t want to end it. This could be something real. Couldn’t it?” Despite my earlier conversation with Eric, I couldn’t help throwing the question out, especially when Jax looked so damn sad.
“I think it could. I don’t want it to be over. Not by a long shot.” He reached over and cupped the back of my head, pulling me closer. The first touch of our lips was soft and questioning, but in a heartbeat, it turned passionate. We joined together with our tongues and searched out skin with our fingers.
“Let me pull this bed out. You have a promise to keep.” Jax stood and groped at the cushions on the couch.
“I’m in. Got supplies?”
Jax pointed to the bathroom. I had been right—the entire room was tiled with a cool ceramic that gleamed under the light when I switched it on. “Nice.” There was only a walk-in shower, no tub, but it was gorgeous and huge, and I hoped we’d be in there later.
I searched around and finally found three condoms in a strip and a bottle of lube—half empty. I shouldn’t have expected to be the first. Eric had warned me, but maybe…
