Page 89 of Reckless

“Aunt Jackie is getting another goat.”

Out of all Serena’s relatives, Aunt Jackie was one of Jazz’s favorites. The woman had a delightful sense of humor and a way of looking at the world that was both unique and hilarious.

A knock on the front door surprised them. Since they had decided to spend the night here, they weren’t expecting anyone.

“Would you mind getting that?” Serena asked. “My nails are still wet.”

“Sure thing.” Pulling herself up from the floor, Jazz took one last sip of her drink and then made her way to the door. Since she rarely drank alcohol, two margaritas would have to be her limit, as she was feeling a little loopy. Not bothering to look out the peephole, since their caller could be only a member of Serena’s family, she opened the door with a big smile on her face.

“Now that’s what I call a welcoming smile.”

“Xavier!” Her heart soaring, she leaped into his arms.

As his arms closed around her, Xavier felt himself settle with a serenity and peace he’d never known. She was here, she was healthy, and she was his. Two long, agonizing weeks without holding her had been all he could handle.

“I’ve missed you so much,” Jazz whispered against his neck.

Squeezing her tight, he muttered, “Not nearly as much as I missed you, baby.”

Pulling her head back, she looked up at him and gave the brightest, most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. “I can’t believe you’re here. Did Serena know?”

“Of course she knew,” Serena said from a few feet away. “And now she’s going to leave you two alone.”

“Thank you, Serena,” Xavier said.

“Wait.” Jazz dropped her arms from around Xavier’s neck and turned to face Serena. “Was that text really from Aunt Jackie?”

“No. It was Xavier, letting me know he was out front. But Aunt Jackie really is getting a new goat. You can meet him tomorrow.”

With a wink, she scooted past them out the door, leaving them alone.

The instant the door shut, Xavier pulled Jazz back into his arms and gave her the kiss he’d been dreaming about since the last time he’d kissed her. Her lips were even sweeter than he remembered, and it took all his control not to devour her there on the spot.

Instead, he lowered her feet to the ground and loosened his hold, wanting to get a full assessment of how she looked. The healthy glow of her skin and the brightness in her eyes said it all. His Jazz was healthy once again.

“Come on in,” she said as she took his hand. “Have you eaten? We had tacos and margaritas. I think there’s some left.”

Following her into the kitchen, he breathed in the spicy scent of tacos and felt his stomach rumble. “That sounds good. I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

Delight danced in her eyes. “Sit down, and I’ll fix you some. Serena’s mom made them, and they’re spectacular.”

She chatted as she moved around the kitchen, reheating the meal. “Any news? Any new clues?”

“Yes, and yes.”

She stopped in the middle of stirring the taco meat. “Really? What?”

“I had a visit from your brother.”

She rushed over to him. “You saw Brody? How is he? What did he say?”

Since she didn’t appear to realize she was animatedly waving a spoon around, he grabbed her hand to keep taco meat from flying. “I didn’t actually see him.”

“What do you mean?”

He explained the encounter and told her word for word what her brother had said. Keeping anything from Jazz was out of the question. Secrets were no longer part of their relationship.

A frown furrowing her brow, she returned to preparing the tacos. The pensive look in her eyes concerned him.