Page 7 of Stalked by His Ex
“I feel the same. Is this weird?”
“Weird? No. Unexpected? Yes. But a good unexpected,” he admits, but at whatever expression is playing across my face, he adds, “Don’t feel overwhelmed. Let’s just take this slow and see where we go.”
“Excuse me,” the server interrupts our conversation, standing next to our table. “We’re getting ready to close. Do you need anything else?” She’s practically bouncing on her toes, eye-humping Jaxton like she’s won the lottery. Jealousy burns through my veins.Maybe I’m more invested than I thought? Wanting to stab her eyes out is a good indicator.
“I’m fine. Do you want anything else?” he offers.
“No, I’m good. Thanks.”
“Here’s the check. Let me know if you needanything,” she purrs, tracing a hand down his arm as she walks away.
My mouth is pinched as I watch the exchange. Jaxton appears extremely uncomfortable, noticing the scowl on my face. He glances at the check, and I follow his eyes. The bitch actually wrote her phone number on the paper.
“I’ll be right back.” He slides out of the booth and walks to the cash register.
His jeans sway back and forth when he walks away, captivating my attention. I’m too distracted to notice when he glances over his shoulder and catches me gawking.
I’m polishing off my fries when he returns, slips his fingers into mine, and tugs, “Let’s hurry and get out of here.”
“What’s the rush?” I glance back, seeing nothing amiss. I thought we were having a fun time. Now it seems like he can’t get out of here fast enough.
Jaxton pulls me through the small diner, people openly staring, including the girl who served us who is now animatedly talking on her phone.
“Sorry about that. The waitress was making me uncomfortable.”
I relax, since that made perfect sense. My body flushes, thinking about that girl running her hand down his arm, my lip curling in annoyance. “Does that happen to you a lot?” Just because he looks the way he does, doesn’t give people the right to put their hands on him.
“I’m used to it.” He shrugs it off, like it’s no big deal.
“You shouldn’t have to get used to things like that. She had no right to touch you,” I growl. My reaction is reddening my cheeks, this time in anger. The idea of another female touching him has me irritated.
Once we’re in the car, he reaches over and pats my leg, resting his hand on my thigh as he chuckles, “Easy, Kitten. It’s fine. It rarely happens anymore.”
I’ve had nothing like that take place. Sure, guys have hit on me, but to give me a full body rub down in front of a date, that’s uncalled for. We’re silent for the return trip to my vehicle, his hand remaining firmly on my upper thigh, thumb caressing back and forth.Insanewould be the category for this date. But my overwhelming attraction to him is undeniable. We like the same things, want to travel to the same places, and enjoy the outdoors.How did he stumble into my life?
Once we pull up next to the dark windows of The Sweet Tooth, I hesitate to end the evening. The reluctance is radiating off both of us as we climb out. Jaxton comes around and walks me to my car, but instead of leaving, we lean against its side and chat about random topics.
“You keep asking me about my life, but what about you? Tell me something about yourself.” I prompt, leaning closer to Jaxton until our arms touch, enjoying his warmth. The air is chillier than expected, so I appreciate the body heat.
“You’re right.” Jaxton chuckles. “Is there anything in particular you’d like to know? Open book to you.”
“Anything you want to share is fine.”
“I hope I’m not being too forward,” Jaxton wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me closer until I’m snug to his side. “You’re getting cold?”
Looking up into his beautiful eyes, I’m mesmerized. “It’s chilly, but I’m warming up quickly.” This cat-and-mouse game is exciting, especially with him.Who would have known I was such a hussy underneath it all? Probably Roman.Settling against his side, I remind him, “You were telling me something about yourself.”
He squeezes me against him. All his hard muscles under his tight shirt are on display. “A quick run through. My brothers and I were born in Delight, Louisiana. We lived there until we turned eighteen. Then moved to San Diego, where we still live.”
“Thatwasa quick run through.” Not satisfied, I start with a logical question, “You said you live with your brothers—who are they, and are they older or younger?”
His entire face transforms. Love radiates for his family and it’s clear as speaks. “Liam and Lennox are twins and the babies of the family, then there’s me—I’m closest in age—separated by only nine months.”
“What about your older brothers? What’re they like?”
His smile continues to grow. “They still try to boss us around, even though we haven’t been kids in a long time. Kamden’s the oldest at twenty-five, and Cash is a year younger. Liam, Lennox, and I were born the same year and are twenty-two.”
“Aww… that’s sweet. No wonder you two looked like trouble earlier,” I giggle, playing to his humor. “What do they do for a living?”