Page 93 of Close to Heaven

“You don’t get to call her that anymore,” Jax growled.

“I’m just teasing her. That’s what I do.”

“Find someone else to tease,” Jax said, pointing his fork at Cody like it was a weapon.

Avery put the pan back on the stove. Then she came over and took the fork out of Jax’s hand. She perched on his knee, speared some egg with the fork, and brought it to his mouth.

Jax eyed her curiously, but then he opened his mouth and accepted the bite.

“Man, that’s it. I’m outta here,” Cody said, pushing back from the table.

“Stop by and tell our guests I’ll be down in a few minutes,” Jax said to Cody’s retreating back.

“Don’t be late!” Cody called, closing the door behind him.

Jax squeezed her hip. “Why’d you feed me like that?”

“It got Cody to leave, didn’t it?” She speared some egg and lifted the fork to his mouth again.

He grinned at her and opened his mouth wide.

Then she set down the fork and shifted on his lap to face him. “I don’t want to be the cause of arguments between you and your brother.”

“We argued plenty long before you came along.”

“Please, Jax. Let’s not make this harder than it has to be.”

He sighed. “You’re right. I’ll let up on him.”

“Thank you.” She started to move off his lap, but he tightened his grip around her waist.

“Sorry for acting so…”

“Macho?”

“I was going to say possessive.”

She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. “You don’t have to be. I’m not going anywhere.”

He moved in for another kiss, but she pressed a finger over his lips. “Uh-uh. You need to get dressed and see to your guests, remember?”

He scrunched up his nose, and she laughed. “You can drop me off at my cabin, and then we’ll meet up later.” She’d walked there the night before, thinking it would be better than parking her car in his driveway, yet Cody had discovered them anyway.

She scrambled off his lap and Jax headed toward the stairs, but she hung back.

“Aren’t you coming?” he asked.

“I’ll be there in a minute. I’m just going to clean up.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I want to,” she said, shooing him away with her hand.

“If you insist.”

After he’d gone upstairs, she leaned against the kitchen counter and sighed. She planned on cleaning the kitchen, but first she took a moment to catch her breath. The thing she’d minded the most about Cody’s impromptu visit was Jax’s reaction to it. She didn’t like feeling like they’d done something wrong or that they needed to sneak around to be together. It didn’t feel right.

She was happy he’d asked her on a date, but would they always have to hide away in the mountains or an isolated cabin? She wanted the freedom to go anywhere and do anything with him without fear or repercussions.

She’d made too many concessions in her past relationships, and she didn’t want this to be a repeat. She wanted to be with Jax, and if he wanted to be with her, their relationship would have to be in the open or not at all. Now that she’d made up her mind, she decided to tell him later today when they went to Clingman’s Dome.

Then she felt a flicker of doubt. What if he disagreed with her terms? No. He wouldn’t, would he? The very thought of it made her heart hurt because, now that she’d been with Jax Sawyer, she couldn’t imagine them ever being apart.