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They reached Jax’s room at last, and seeing that it wasn’t located in the ICU gave her some relief. Jax lay in the bed with his eyes closed and his hands resting on his lap. A bandage stretched across his shoulder and down his right arm. His skin, usually tanned, glimmered pale under the LED lights.
Tae sat gingerly on the side of the bed and took Jax’s hand in hers. “What happened?” she whispered.
Jax’s eyes opened and captured her. He stared at her, and she looked back, silent and overcome with myriad emotions. After a few moments of him holding her prisoner, he released her and let his gaze lower to her chest. “Your shirt is on the wrong side.”
Tae looked down and frowned. He was right. That’s why Daniel had asked why she was dressed that way. “I’m not here for a beauty pageant. I’m here to see why you would go and get yourself shot! How are you? What happened?”
Jax smiled and shifted his position a little. His wince of pain made her do the same and squeeze his fingers. He rubbed her hand with his thumb as if to comfort her. “The guy I was looking for didn’t want to be found.”
Tae trembled.
“Shh, it’s fine. I got him before he got me.”
“He did get you,” she blurted.
“Only my shoulder. I’ll be good as new before you know it.”
She tugged her hand free of his and turned away. “Stop being flip, Jax. You’re not invincible. This proves it, and your job is too dangerous. I don’t know what I would have done if you…”
Daniel made a noise nearby. Tae looked up in time to see him disappearing through the doorway. “Going to find…” he said, pulling the door closed. She didn’t catch the last part he’d said. Jax touched her clenched fingers on her lap.
“Tae, look at me.”
A tear slid down her cheek. She sniffed and wiped it away. “You keep trying to be there for me, but how will you do that if you’re gone?” She couldn’t bring herself to say dead. Just the thought was too much, and realizing she cared about him threw her for a loop. She couldn’t call it love exactly, but Jax was a good man. He was special and important to her, more so to his son or daughter.
“I said look at me.” The stern tone brought her chin up, but she met his slight smile. “I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”
“You didn’t keep your promise last night.”
“Ouch, you’re harder on me than the bullet.”
“So not funny.”
“Sorry.” He touched her cheek. “Are you going to forgive me, or do I have to use my charms?”
She rolled her eyes, looking him up and down, dressed in the hospital gown. “You think you can pull off a statement like that dressed the way you are? That gown won’t get you on the cover of GQ magazine.”
“The nurses aren’t complaining.”
She stood up.
“Tae, marry me.”
Her mouth fell open, but she lost the ability to move.
“Give me a chance. I know I can make you happy, and I’ll be there to take care of you.”
She rounded on him. “I don’t need to be taken care of, Jax. I’m a grown woman. Besides, you’re only here because I’m pregnant.”
“Is that so wrong?”
“No.”
“The baby will have an easier time if he or she has both a mom and dad present.”
She didn’t want or expect declarations of love from Jax, but damn, couldn’t he have pretended for a moment? Despite what she’d said about the hospital gown, he was sexy as hell. She just bet the nurses were falling all over themselves for him, just as that one nurse had done with Daniel downstairs. Jax would eat it up and flirt without reservation. Daniel hadn’t exactly denied flirting while he waited to know his friend was okay. “I’m not marrying anyone for that reason.”
To her surprise, Jax frowned. “If Daniel asked you, you would say yes.”
