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“Anyway, I bid on it and it’s mine. Well, I’m gifting it to you.”
Again, he said nothing. Olivia stared at him for another second before turning on her kitten heel, more than ready to retreat.
“Stop.”
That demand had her stilling in the doorway, but she didn’t turn back around.
“You bought me a damn airplane? Why?”
His questions caught her off guard. “Excuse me?” she asked easing back around. “Why did I get the plane? Because you’d been saving and we’re expanding. Call it a good investment, but I figured you’d be a little more excited.”
* * *
Was she out of her ever-loving mind? Excited? It took all of Jax’s control not to snap and go off on this frustrating, beautiful, sexy-as-hell woman. She drove him out of his mind and made him want to silence her with his lips and strangle her at the same time.
“You honestly think I want you to buy my affection or use this present as some type of payment for what . . . a broken heart?” Jax laughed and pushed off his desk. “You’re ridiculous.”
He closed the space between them and watched as her eyes widened. But he reached beyond her and just behind the door to the bag hanging on the hook. When he pulled it out, her eyes darted to the clear sack protecting the pink suit.
“I picked this up last night from the cleaners and was going to run it to Jade or Melanie today so they could get it to you.” He held it out to her, careful not to touch her in the process. “I have your shoes in my car.”
She draped the sack over her arm. “My shoes?”
Keeping his eyes on hers, and trying like hell to remain impassive to everything swirling around inside him, he shoved his hands in his pockets. “You left them . . . that first night.”
When her eyes widened, he knew she recalled sneaking out of his bed and out the door with no shoes. “Oh, um. Thank you.”
He was close enough to touch her, breathe in her familiar floral scent, yet he continued to guard himself. And the fact she thought she could drop off business, leave the journal, and casually announce she’d bought a damn plane and he would be all right with everything was absolutely insane. Who the hell did she think he was? Had he ever struck her as someone who cared about material things? He’d been saving for his own plane and he didn’t want her thinking this smoothed things over.
“Would you have bought the plane had we not gotten involved?”
Livie jerked slightly. “Excuse me?”
Shifting his stance, he gripped the doorframe right beside her head and leaned in closer. “If we hadn’t slept together, if we hadn’t formed a relationship outside of business, would you still have bought the Skyhawk?”
She blinked, glanced away, then looked back. “I have no idea. What does it matter?”
She still didn’t get it. Jax turned and paced through the office. “Forget it,” he commanded. “I’ll pay you for the plane. I don’t want your pity gift.”
“Pity gift?” she repeated. Livie stepped back into his office and flung her suit onto his desk, then dropped her purse to the floor with a thud. “I bought this plane for our business and I bought it because you need it. Believe it or not, I care about what happens after I’m gone.”
Jax widened his stance and crossed his arms. “Is that so? Because you’ve dodged me for two weeks, so you don’t care too much, because I’ve been here. You never bothered to stop and check on the place.”
“I’ve been busy,” she insisted.
“Getting on with your life, I’m well aware. But this is my life, Livie, and I’m done with you flittering in and out as you damn well please. If you’re done here, get your stuff and go. You’re not the only one with a busy job.”
Livie threw her arms wide, which only pulled her little pink tank across her chest and had it lifting just slightly to show the creamy skin around her waist.
“What the hell do you want from me, Jax?” she yelled. “I’m doing all I can to try to keep all these balls in the air. I’ve fixed up Dad’s house, I’ve jumped through hoops to get this partnership moving in the right direction, and now I have to get back to my job. I thought I was helping.”
“Helping what?” He took a step forward, then another. “Helping ease your conscience?”
“Why are you doing this?” she cried. “Do you want me gone so badly that you’re fighting and refusing to accept this gift?”
“I don’t want your damn gifts and I don’t want you gone,” he yelled, looming over her. “I want you to stay, I want you to be part of every step of this journey to your father’s airport. I wanted you in Piper’s life, in my life. I want too much, Livie, and all you want is to be done here.”
He stared down into her wide eyes and realized he’d opened a piece of himself he hadn’t meant to reveal. Raking a hand through his hair, Jax took a step back and cursed beneath his breath. Only a fool would show his true feelings at this point. But, hey, what did he have to lose?
