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I flew out the front door and crashed right into a solid chest. My weight tipped and braced for impact, sure to hit the ground.
“Easy now. I’ve got you.” Strong arms wrapped around me, and I drew in a fresh, woodsy scent.
“What are you doing here?” my voice snapped out before I could stop it.
Jax tilted his head, and the corner of his mouth twitched. “So, not a morning person?”
That was an understatement.
“Sorry, I was just surprised to see you. Good morning,” I said, trying to give him my most innocent look.
A half grin curved his lips. “That’s okay, I can take it.”
Jax looked good with his cap pulled low, gray sweats, and a dark blue hoodie. He looked soft, welcoming, sexy, and I wanted to curl my entire body against him. He cleared his throat, drawing my eyes back to his. His gaze was dark as he leaned forward, and his lips barely skimmed the shell of my ear. “I’m here to drive you to class.”
A shiver ran all the way through to my core. “It’s a few blocks. I could’ve made it.”
“Wouldn’t be able to make it now, though. Come on, get in.” He pointed over to a black truck parked at the curb. “Let’s get moving. Don’t want you to be late.”
I wasn’t sure if he was saying that to himself or me as he ever so slowly broke contact, taking in a deep breath before stepping back. I fixed my eyes on his, precious seconds ticking by as we were caught in this trance.
“Hey, Jax,” some guy shouted from down the road, but Jax didn’t turn from me. Instead, he held out his hand and guided me to his truck. He opened the door like a gentleman, crowded in closer when I sat, and reached over, buckling me in.
He tapped a finger under my jaw and said, “You look good in the morning, Trouble,” before shutting my door with a click.
My stomach flipped, and I checked out his truck as a distraction. It smelled fresh, with a soft undertone of pine. There were notebooks in the center console and a gym bag in the back seat, but it was also clean. Not a speck of dirt, pristine condition. Jax was someone who liked to take care of his things.
With that thought, my eyes caught on his smiling face as he got into the driver’s seat. He had that crooked, cocky smile you’d expect every star athlete to have, but on him, it was almost impossible to escape. His smile grew at my blatant appraisal, and he raised a coffee. I gasped in excitement as I took it from him. “Oh my god, thank you.”
“You should see your face right now. Fucking perfect.” He burst out laughing, but I was too busy taking my first sips to care.
“You got it the way I like it.” I hummed in my throat as I took another sip. I could hear the reverence in my voice. This man had moved up into saint territory.
He turned onto the road, making the quick trip to the school, and last night’s NHL highlights came on the radio. I switched the station, and his brows furrowed in question. One that I wouldn’t explain.
His gaze turned back to the road, but he looked at me from the corner of his eye. “I remembered from the library.” His voice was low, and his cheeks were pink. Maybe this wasn’t the type of thing he usually did? If it was, he had all kinds of game. Women didn’t stand a chance, and that might end up including me.
Get yourself together, girl. Guy gets you one coffee, and you fall out of your clothes? It was three. And the answer is, yeah, pretty much.
I twisted my hands in my lap, trying and failing to not be awkward. “So, do you make it a habit of rescuing people late for class?”
He raised his eyebrow, silently asking,Seriously?“No, I couldn’t give a shit most of the time.”
That sent a shiver down my spine. “But you give a shit now?”
I needed to learn when to shut up.
He cleared his throat, skipping my question. “How are your classes?”
“I have this one class that’s ridiculously hard, and the guy that sits next to me is a practical storm cloud ninety-five percent of the time. So, there’s that.”
His grin was back, making him look boyish. “And the other five percent?”
The other five percent. He looked at me like he was going to eat me. And I sat there like I might let him.
“Barely tolerable.”
My little rant won me a startled laugh from Jax, the smile softening some of his hard lines. He narrowed his eyes on me. “I should make you pay for that ‘barely tolerable’ comment.” His voice deepened, and after last night, I had no doubt he’d make good on his promise.
