“But you get to make new choices now.” Jax reached out, gently touching my arm. “You get to rise from the dirt and thorns and become your own tequila sunrise.”
“You’re sweet, Jax.” I gave him a small smile before clearing my throat. “What do you say we take the rest of this back in the living room and pick up where we left off? I really think we were onto something.” I rose to my feet, feeling his eyes on me as I tucked the wine bottle under my arm, grabbing the board and my glass. “Do you mind grabbing the candle?”
He peered at me as though he wanted to say something more, but decided against it. Instead, he gathered his glass and the candle. “Lead the way.”
Chapter 10
Jax
We continued working through theevening and that second bottle of wine. I found myself seduced by the way she ran her fingers through her hair when it fell in her eyes and how she chewed her lip when she was deep in thought. Her voice cut right through my soul, breaking me wide open.
I couldn’t get enough. I wanted to know all of her stories, and I wanted to tell her mine.
Hours later, I placed the guitar back in its case, and we settled into a contented silence. She curled into the couch facing me, her feet tucked beneath her. I’d managed to sit close enough to her that I could easily reach out and hold her hand. I didn’t, but God did I want to. I looked into her eyes, which were hazy with exhaustion and wine. Maybe it was the alcohol or maybe she was getting more comfortable with me, but she didn’t try to look away. “Thank you for doing this with me, Liv. I don’t know what it is about you, but you seem to get me. I know I’ve got a ways to go, but today felt good.”
“I should be thanking you.” She bit her lip, resting her head on the back of the couch.
“You’re the one who did me the favor,” I reminded her.
“Maybe it started out that way, but writing with you tonight was like finding a piece of myself that’s been missing.” She looked at me through her dark eyelashes. “It’s been so long since I played or even tried to write a song. Short of the occasional karaoke night with Ella, I stopped singing altogether.”
“But why?”
She stared at her hands for a moment. When she looked back at me, tears were shining in her eyes. “Because it hurt too much. I gave it all up for Ben, but it’s nothisfault. I chose that path, and I chose wrong because the day I let go of my music, I let go of myself too. I let go of every dream I ever had.”
Her voice broke, and my heart clenched in my chest. I reached out, carefully wiping away a tear that had spilled onto her cheek. “Liv,” I whispered. I leaned into her slowly, stopping halfway. I cupped her cheek, my hand trembling slightly. Her lips parted, and my pulse felt as though it might beat out of my fingertips. My entire body flooded with warmth as she erased the distance between us. Her lips brushed against mine, soft like cotton candy. She moved her hands behind my neck and gently tugged me closer, our kiss deepening. Waves of desire nipped at my heart, threatening to pull me under when she suddenly pulled away.
Her face flushed, and she wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. “I think I’ve had too much wine.” She shook her head, laughing softly. “I’m really sorry.”
I winced. “I’m not.” I wasn’t sorry at all. I wanted to kiss her again, and again, and again. It stung a little that she blamed our kiss on the wine, but I had a feeling that wasn’t entirely true. The wine may have lowered her defenses, but I’d felt this connection growing between us from the moment I met her.
“I shouldn’t have done that.” She looked down at her hands, chewing her bottom lip.
“You don’t need to apologize,” I murmured, pulling her into my arms. My fingers lightly stroked the silky strands of hair that spilled down her back. She relaxed in my embrace, and I held her quietly for a few moments, feeling the gentle rise and fall of her breath. “You don’t have to put up any fronts with me. Iwantyou to open up to me. You don’t have to give up on your dreams, and you shouldn’t. You’re so fucking talented. I wish you could see what I see. Your voice is unlike anything I’ve heard before. People hire voice coaches and train for years and don’t ever come close to the voice you’ve got. You’ve got a way with words. You write from a place you can’t fake.” I paused, inhaling her sweet scent. “I’m a little in awe of you, to be honest. You’re real, you’re funny, and your heart is genuine. God, you’re so beautiful, and you don’t even realize it. I know you think we couldn’t work, and I know you’re scared, but Liv, I want this. I wantyou.You’re—”
A soft snore escaped her, and I realized she’d fallen asleep. I suppressed a laugh as I leaned back into the sofa with her still folded in my arms. “You’re perfect,” I whispered. I couldn’t stop myself from placing a soft kiss on top of her head before settling in and drifting off to sleep.
I was startled awake by the buzzing of the power being restored and the lights flickering back on. When I opened my eyes, I could see the morning sun already beginning to filter through the room. Liv raised her head from my chest, squinty-eyed and confused. The fact that she’d fallen asleep on me seemed to register, and her sleepiness was replaced with a look of sheepishness.
“Sorry about that.” She sat back, rubbing her eyes. “I didn’t mean to use you as a human pillow.”
“Don’t be sorry,” I replied. “I’m not.” Now that I knew what it felt like to hold her in my arms, I never wanted to stop. My lips still ached to touch hers again.
“Please tell me I didn’t snore.”
“Not at all,” I lied, a soft smile playing across my mouth.
She grabbed her phone off the table, illuminating the screen to check the time. “It’s already after seven. I need to get ready for work.” She stretched and yawned, seeming reluctant to move yet. “I’m going to text Ella to let her know I’m running a little behind. You want some coffee?”
“I’d love some.” I was determined to soak up every second I could with her.
“Come on.” She motioned with her head as she gathered the empty wine glasses. I followed with the remnants of the charcuterie board and the empty wine bottle. The sound of birds chirping their morning song filtered through the screen door we’d left open the night before. She placed the glasses in the sink and fired up the Keurig, busying herself with cleaning the dishes. “How about a latte? I think I still have some muffins from the shop if you’re hungry.”
“That sounds great.” She went to work brewing the espresso and steaming the milk for each of our drinks before finally handing me an oversized mug. She placed some blueberry muffins on a small plate, moving to sit at the kitchen table. I reclaimed my spot next to her, looking out beyond the patio and into the backyard, finally able to see it in the light of day. “Wow. Your patio is gorgeous. Is that a firepit back there?” I noticed the wrought iron table and chairs set, along with a large umbrella in the center on the distressed wood patio. A stone walkway led from the patio out into the yard where the firepit was surrounded by cozy outdoor couches. I could see the posts that surrounded the walkway and the entertaining area that held strings of globe lights. I imagined it looked stunning lit up at night.
“That’s one of the reasons I bought this place,” she explained. “I told myself I was going to start having people over to the house more. So far, it’s just been Ella and Grace. Katie has been here a few times too and now you.”
“I feel honored.” And I did. Knowing I was one of the few she’d let into her personal space made my heart do somersaults inside my chest. “Don’t let me forget to give you your shirt back before I leave, by the way.”
