“I like your beard.” Jax stroked it a few times, and Tristan shivered. “When are you going to ask me for my number?”
Tristan grinned. “Can I have your number?”
“Maybe.” Jax handed over his phone.
“Are you free next week?” While he thought he wasn’t ready foranything, Jax had been placed right in his path, and he felt like he’d be breaking his own heart if he said no over a twelve-year age gap. Yet he was still a bit hesitant.
“Are you asking me out?” Jax smirked.
“I am.” Tristan bit his own lip this time, leaning on whatever fortitude he’d built. “But as I said, I got out of a long, bad relationship last year. Can we take things slow?”
“We can do whatever you want.” Jax’s tone was so suggestive that Tristan blushed again.
He might already be in too deep for slow.
9
JAX
“NoApocalypseNow?”Maesquinted at her screen as Jax spun, showing off his outfit.
“It’s a date, Mae.” He fixed the collar of his black turtleneck. “Not a rave.”
“Well, you look like a hacker trying to take down the government,” she declared, the room swirling behind her as she spun in her desk chair.
“That’s exactly what I was going for.” Brushing lint off his shiny, black jeans, he stared at his reflection, nodding with approval
“Are you sure you don’t want to bring him to the place we went to last month?” She crooned into the phone. “They’re doing a fake Yuma room complete with disco shark.”
Jax laughed, thinking about Tristan in the club around a bunch of people rolling their faces off. “I mean, it would definitely be a unique first date.”
“Jaxon, listen, you have to spill the tea. How is it living with your brother andtheOlleelicious?” Batting her eyelashes, she lounged back in her chair.
“Really good, actually.” Ollie and Finn couldn’t have been more welcoming, never making Jax feel like the townhouse wasn’t his home or that he was a third wheel. In fact, Ollie had helped him with a little makeup earlier, so Jax’s skin glowed and his eyes popped. He needed to learn his future brother-in-law’s magic.
“Good.” She glanced down at her manicure. “I’m not going to ask you again to introduce us because obviously you don’t want to.”
Jax tried not to sigh, wishing he’d called her so he wouldn’t have to hidehis emotions. “I promise, I will ask him next week.”
“Sure, sure.” She clicked her nails at him. “Anyway, I am going to the Yuma room, have a great time on yourdate.” She enunciated the last word as if she were making fun of him and cut the call.
He needed to buckle down and either tell her no or speak with Ollie, but he didn’t want to risk their friendship or Ollie’s health. And he didn’t have to think about that right now, because he had to find his jacket.
Heading to the front closet, he stopped as he got into the living room, where Finn and Ollie sat on the couch. While Finn seemed sterner than usual, Ollie was rolling his eyes so hard that he could probably see the inside of his skull.
“Are you heading out on your date?” Finn asked, trying to make his voice casual and failing as Ollie sighed hard.
“Not yet.” Jax furrowed his dark eyebrows, frowning. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” Ollie flung his hands in the air. “Except that Finn is in big-brother mode right now.”
This time, Jax’s eyebrows went up. “What?”
“Sunshine…” Finn glanced at Ollie before focusing on Jax. “I know you’re going out with Rain’s stepdad. But there are a lot of years between you.”
“Really?” Ollie barked out a laugh. “The call is coming from inside the house.”
Maybe Jax was maturing because he found Finn’s concern heartwarming. It was nice that he cared, but it was none of his business.
