Filed to story: Breathe Story (Sadie White & Jax Stone)
“It’s the truth and you know it,” she said.
I couldn’t help but smile. I took the glasses and went to the table. Jax pulled out my chair, and I sat down. He sat down beside me and reached under the table and took my hand.
“Thank you for having breakfast with me.”
I smiled at him and nodded. I didn’t think saying “you’re welcome” sounded right. I should be the one thanking him.
I was so hungry, and today’s breakfast tasted much better than what I normally scarfed down after the Stones finished their breakfast. I picked up a piece of bacon and chewed, but the weight of Jax’s gaze made me uncomfortable.
I swallowed and whispered, not wanting Ms. Mary to hear me, “I won’t be able to eat if you are watching me.”
He grinned. “Sorry, it is just something I’ve never seen before.”
I frowned, not really sure what he meant. “You’ve never seen a girl eat?” I asked, confused.
He laughed. “Well, now you mention it, no, I haven’t seen many eat. They normally can’t eat in front of me, or they just don’t as a rule. But what I meant was I’ve never seen you eat, and it’s cute. I didn’t mean to stare. I’m sorry.”
He reminded me of that little boy again, trying to get out of a punishment, and I couldn’t help but smile. “It’s okay, but now you have seen me, so stop watching and eat your breakfast before it gets cold.”
He grinned and looked down at his own food.
The kitchen door swung open, and Marcus stepped inside whistling. “Morning Ms. Mary, got me something good to eat?”
Ms. Mary shot him a silent warning that clearly said behave, and Marcus frowned and turned toward us. Jax leaned back in his chair and took a drink of his juice.
“Ah, good morning, Sadie, Mr. Stone.”
Jax nodded his head toward Marcus, and Marcus’s gaze didn’t linger. He just headed back toward the laundry to get into uniform. I sighed in relief that he hadn’t said anything stupid. Jax leaned toward me.
“Nothing he can say will make me fire him, unless it is against you. Stop worrying. I realize he is angry with me, and part of me doesn’t blame him, but the other part is just relieved you wanted me.”
The place in my heart, where Jax had taken up residence, grew. I smiled at him. “Thank you.”
He shrugged and leaned back again. “You have nothing to thank me for, but you’re welcome.”
The rest of breakfast went smoothly, and Jax pulled me aside before I went to help clean up from breakfast.
“I will try to stay away from you, if I can, while you’re working. But as soon as you’re off, I’m coming to get you.”
A silly grin plastered itself on my face, and I nodded. He took my hand and kissed it before turning to walk away.
I forced myself to push all thoughts of Jax aside in order to stay focused the rest of the day. Several times, a warm tingling sensation coursed through me, and my heart would race knowing he watched me. The end of my workday couldn’t come soon enough. Just as I walked out of the laundry from changing out of my uniform and into my clothes, a hand came out and grabbed me by the arm.
“Come with me,” Jax whispered, and I let him lead me up steps I’d never used and through several doors and hall’s I hadn’t known existed. Finally, we were at his bedroom door. I remembered clearly the last time I’d been in there, but walking into it with my hand in his made everything different. This was the place where he slept and wrote songs. Something inside me knew each time I got closer to him, it would make it so much harder when I let him go. I stepped inside, and he closed the door and turned to grin at me.
“I wanted you to see my room. Well, I guess I should say I wanted you to see my room with me.”
He took my hand and pulled me over to the wall of guitars. He reached for the old worn guitar in the middle and took it down. The reverence he seemed to hold for the instrument made me smile.
“That must have been your first one. It looks well loved.”