Page 59 of Close to Heaven

Seventeen

After wrapping Avery’s ankle, Jax picked her up, carried her into the guest bedroom, and carefully set her down on the bed.

“What’s this?” she asked, looking down at a folded pile of clothes.

“Dakota left some clothes here the last time she stayed. I thought you could wear them for pajamas.”

“That’s my girl,” Avery said as she picked up the T-shirt and baggy sweatpants.

“Do you think you can manage on your own?”

She gazed at him with amusement. “I think I can handle it.”

He nodded and started to leave, but then he thought of something else and turned around. “If you need to use the bathroom or anything…”

“I will after I change.”

“I’ll wait outside and help you across the hall.”

She laughed. “You can’t carry me everywhere.”

“It’s just for tonight. You can try walking on it tomorrow.”

He went out the door and shut it behind him, but he stayed nearby in case she needed him. Was he going overboard? Maybe, but he also knew what it felt like to twist an ankle, and he didn’t want her to cause further damage.

He listened to the rustling sounds from inside the bedroom and sighed. The woman he’d been fantasizing about for weeks was undressing less than ten feet away, and he couldn’t do a damn thing about it. Now that he’d admitted to wanting her, it was going to be even harder to deny himself, especially since she’d admitted to wanting him too.

He needed to be sensible for them both, though. They shouldn’t go rushing into something without considering the ramifications. She wasn’t some stranger he’d met at a bar. If things went wrong, he couldn’t just blow her off and never see her again. Not only was she Dakota’s best friend, but in the short time she’d worked at Sawyer’s Ridge, she’d become a part of the family. It would be selfish of him to risk all that for a night of passion.

“All set,” she called through the door.

He reentered the room and found her sitting on the edge of the bed in Dakota’s clothes, her hair in a ponytail. She looked both sweet and sexy, and he wished she were calling on him for a different reason.

“Where’d you get the ponytail holder?” he asked, more to distract himself than for any other reason.

“I always wear one on my wrist.”

“Oh.”

He glanced at the opposite side of the bed, where she’d placed her discarded clothes, and saw her bra lying on top of the pile. He swallowed hard and quickly looked away.

“I’ll help you to the bathroom,” he said.

“I hate feeling so helpless.”

“I don’t mind helping you.” He slid his arms underneath her and picked her up like one would a small child.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight as he carried her out of the bedroom.

There were only a few steps between the bedroom and bathroom, but he relished the feel of her cradled in his arms. He gently set her down in front of the sink and instructed her to lean on the counter for support.

“You had an extra toothbrush too?”

“I always keep a spare.”

She eyed him quizzically, and for some reason, he rushed to explain. “Not that I have many overnight guests. It’s usually just Dakota.”

She nodded, seemingly pleased with his explanation.