“You had a long night, I’d guess. You’ll want a little extra oomph for today.” She patted him on the chest as she passed.
Despite the coffee, he was whip quick and caught her hand and held it in place. “Marissa.” He set down the coffee and scooped up her other hand, careful of the bruise. “About last night.”
She sighed if only to cover up her racing pulse. “No need to rehash.” Even if it was the best sex she’d had in God knows how long. She glanced up and all but fell into his gaze. The same intensity and desire held her captive. It hadn’t waned in the least. And it was intoxicating.
Before she knew what she was doing, Marissa leaned up on her tiptoes and settled her mouth onto Jax’s. He didn’t hesitate. He released her hands and wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her flush against him as she threaded her fingers into his hair. He tasted of longing and desire. Familiarity and promise. It was a heady, intoxicating rush.
Jax shifted until Marissa was up against the table, then sitting on the table. He wedged himself between her thighs. She wrapped her legs around him.
As his tongue danced with hers, he ground himself against her. It wasn’t enough, wasn’t close enough. Marissa needed more. Needed him against her. In her. She trailed her fingers from his hair and down his strong, sturdy back until they landed on his spectacular ass. She gave him a quick little squeeze, which he rewarded with a nip at her lower lip. Then his teeth trailed across her chin to nibble at her ear.
Hunger built intensely and Marissa would not wait any longer. She snaked her hands between them and unbuckled Jax’s belt and was working on his zipper when he pulled back. He paused her hands and glanced around the small baking area. “Here?”
She was breathing heavily. “Here. Or my sofa.” She slid off the table and kicked off her sneakers and proceeded to remove her jeans and panties. Her apron hung, shielding her from him, but the way his eyes danced, he remembered too well what lay beneath.
Jax gave another quick look around the baking area, then to Marissa. It took him mere seconds to unbutton and unzip his pants. Marissa didn’t wait for him to remove them completely. She walked over to him and touched his cheek, then his lips with the tips of her fingers. When she walked her fingers back to his nape it was all the encouragement he needed. Jax grabbed her to him. His kiss was gentle at first. Sweet and coaxing. His hands slid down and cupped her bare ass, kneaded it gently. At first. Then his ministrations increased. Urgency rallied and he held on to her to lift her up against him, coaxed her legs back around him. When he had her in his arms, he turned her to the large walk-in freezer door until her back rested against it.
He devoured her with his mouth. Kissed the very breath from her until she almost begged for mercy. Then his hand found her, found the wet and ready part that longed for him. He slipped one finger inside her. Pumped into her for a moment before he added a second, his thumb feverishly tracing back and forth across her swollen clit.
Marissa had to rip her mouth from his as the pressure inside her built. “God, Jax.” She bit down on his shoulder to stifle the cry that wanted to burst from her until she shuddered in his arms. Before the last shudder ripped through her, Jax shifted and plunged inside of her. He rocked his hips against her. She held on for dear life as the pressure built once again and crashed in satisfying wave after wave. “Jax…” the word slipped from her in a whisper.
Jax pumped harder and harder until he shuddered with his own completion.
He settled his forehead onto hers. “Marissa. Jesus.” His breath came out in spurts.
It was only then, with the chill from the freezer door on her bare ass, that reality sank in where she was and what she’d just done. Anyone, a customer or one of her employees, could have walked in on them. “Shit. Jax.” She pushed against his chest. “I left the front door wide open.”
Muscle after muscle tightened under her hands as Jax tensed. He backed away and let her feet touch the floor. He was yanking up his pants as he craned his neck to look to the front of the shop. “Looks clear.”
Marissa nodded and started to back away to the restroom, but she needed to grab her jeans and panties. As brazen as she was, there was no point in acting all coy now. She rounded the table and snatched up her clothes. “Be right back.” She turned her back to Jax and walked as calmly as she could to the restroom. Over her should, she called, “Why don’t you dump out that coffee and fix yourself a fresh cup.”
Jax’s eyes nearly popped from his skull as he watched Marissa’s naked ass strut away. His mind had been pretty much blown from the moment she laid the first kiss on him. He’d never expected a repeat of the night before. He’d worried she might have regrets. Hell, he worried over the fact that he didn’t have regrets. His worry was apparently unfounded.
Marissa was more than he expected—good and bad. Good because she made him feel…everything. He wanted more, didn’t think he’d get his fill of her. And he wanted it all, everything, when he was with her. He wanted things he didn’t think he’d want for a long time. That was bad, too. She made him want things he’d sworn to put off for a while. He always worried about being with anyone, truly being with them. His family had a dubious track record at best. His mother was a master manipulator and his father—as much as he loved the man, now—his father had been weak enough to sell his son for cash. His idea of family was skewed.
But so what if he wanted things. It didn’t mean he knew how to go about getting them. Not with Marissa. She was difficult to understand. She didn’t trust Jax. Not completely. She wouldn’t tell him what he wanted to know about Hill. She’d taken the boy home with her against his advice.
Jax righted his pants, then swiped a hand over his face. Warmth spread through his chest when he looked at the freezer door he’d just taken her against. Hell if he wasn’t getting hard again. The woman did things to him even while he was trying to catch his breath. He leaned his hands on the stainless steel table, bent his head and took several deep breaths.
The restroom door eased open. Jax lifted his gaze as she stepped out looking fresh. You’d never know he’d just ravaged her except for the telltale gleam in her eye and the way her left eyebrow crooked up slightly. She walked over to him and without a word bent her head and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek, then she snatched up his coffee, poured the cooled drink down the drain and refilled the cup.
Jax stood when she handed the cup back to him. He was about to ask her if she was free after work when someone called from the front of the shop.
Damned if she didn’t blow him a kiss and pat him on the ass when she walked past him. Jax took a moment to doctor his coffee—he needed those packets of sugar more than ever—and let some of his ardor dissipate before he went out to the front of the shop. The woman at the counter’s head came up when he exited the back sipping his coffee.
“Jax, um, Chief. How are you?” Joan Barkley’s cheeks turned several shades of red.
The coffee burned its way down his throat. “Good. You?”
She gave a quick polite nod but didn’t answer as her gaze surreptitiously slid to Marissa.
“Any more trouble at your store?” He snatched up his hat from the edge of the counter and tucked it up under his arm.
“No. None. Thanks for asking.” Joan tapped her fingers on the counter as Marissa finished filling the small box with cupcakes. After Marissa handed over the sweets, then wrapped up the transaction, Joan narrowed her eyes a moment then asked, “So, Jax, about that dinner you promised me, why don’t you stop by the store and we can see what we can work out.” She didn’t wait for Jax to respond but gave a quick finger wave and walked out of the shop without even looking back.
Marissa stood stiffly at the counter, not meeting Jax’s gaze.
“It’s not what you—”
“None of my business.” She grabbed a rag and started wiping down the counter where Joan had left fingerprints.
“I never told her we’d have dinner.”
Marissa held up her hand.
“You don’t need to explain anything to me.”
Jax’s gut dropped. She was pissed. She wouldn’t say it, but the stiffness in her shoulders and the rigid arch to her mouth was all the indication he needed. Damn Joan. He’d never given her the impression that he was the least bit interested. Would Marissa believe that? Maybe if he had more time to explain.
Jax slapped his hat on his head. He had to be in at work—he checked his watch—in less than fifteen minutes. He had a tux fitting for Callie’s wedding during his lunch break. He’d pushed it off as long as possible, but with the wedding so close, today was the last day he could get it taken care of and have the alterations done in time. After work would be too late. He was working a double today. “Can I come by after work? I get off at ten.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Hill is there and…” She shrugged.
“Then come by my house.” He looked over the counter until he found a pen and paper. He scribbled down his address and a quick, crude map—though having grown up in Oak Hollow, she’d surely know her way around as well as he did. “Here’s the address. I should be home no later than ten-fifteen.” He stood right in front of her, blocked her in next to one of the tables.
When she didn’t look up at him, he took hold of her free hand and kissed it. “I’d like to see you.”
Marissa sighed and raised her gaze up to his. “I’ll think about it.”
Jax leaned in. She didn’t shy away when he kissed her. “Ten-fifteen.”
“We’ll see.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Gaw.” Marissa let her head fall back to the freezer. Her shop had been closed for well over an hour. Instead of going home and catching up on her sleep, she stood in her shop trying to psych herself up to heading over to Jax’s house.
Her hands flattened on the freezer and a flush returned to her cheeks once again. She’d stuttered and hemmed and hawed when Kya asked her why she kept wiping down the freezer door. She couldn’t very well explain her to her employee she kept seeing her ass-print in the stainless steel. Not that it was really there—after the first disinfectant towel she laboriously wiped over it. But a wee bit of self-consciousness stole into her and she’d worried someone would be able to tell by looking.
The strangest part was, if she had to do it all over again, she would do the exact same thing no matter how many reasons she had to stay away. Jax turned her inside out, made her into a woman who had sex—fantastic sex—against a refrigerator in the middle of the day. No other man could make her feel this way. She didn’t want any other man. Despite their differences, Jax had gotten under her skin. She didn’t know if she could—or wanted to for that matter—let go.
That fact alone scared her. She’d been so focused on Sweets by Marissa that her personal life had taken a back burner.
Marissa closed her eyes and leaned her head back. It would be easy to ignore all the issues between the two of them. The sex alone was worth consideration. But those issues grew in leaps and bounds every time something other than sex came up. His family. Hill. Both were obstacles she wasn’t ready to traverse.
She pushed away from the freezer, shaking her head. “No. I’m not ready.” She packed up a few cupcakes, grabbed her bag and headed out of the shop.
Guilt and temptation warred in her the entire drive home; still she didn’t deviate. Even when she pulled into her driveway she was tempted to turn around, but she held strong.
At the door inside the garage, she couldn’t decide if she should sneak in or if she should make noise, in case Lexi was there. If the teens were doing something they ought not to, did she want to know?
Chalk that up to another thing pulling at her attention. Wise choice or not, she’d taken on the responsibility for a teenager.
She needn’t have worried, though. When she walked into the kitchen, she found Hill and Lexi sitting—on opposite sides—at the kitchen table. Doing homework.
“Hey guys.”
Hill stood to take the pastry box and her bag. “Marissa. You look like hell.” His cheeks burned red. “I mean heck.” He shook his head.
Marissa chuckled. “I’ve heard hell before. And I’m just tired. I worked longer than I’d planned to today.” She patted his shoulder. “How are you feeling? Arm bothering you at all?”
“I’m good.” He set her things on the table.
“He only complained once and I made him take some ibuprofen.” Lexi smiled up from the book in front of her, then she waved at it. “I got his assignments and we’ve been working on them.”
The pair went back to their homework. Marissa set two cupcakes next to each of them. Neither looked up from their homework, but they both managed to scarf down the treats. Once Lexi handed Hill a piece of paper, he marked all over it and handed it back. That was pretty much the only interaction the two had until Lexi leaned back and rolled her neck and shoulders. She glanced at her watch. “I need to get going. My mom gave me a ten o’clock curfew.” She wrinkled her nose. “Like I’m some kind of baby.”
“Your mom’s just being a mom.” Marissa gave her a lopsided smile. “Let me walk you back. It’s dark.”
“No, it’s okay.”
“Nonsense. It’ll only take a minute.” After all, Jax might have seen someone around her house.
“It’s not that far.” Lexi stuffed her things into her backpack.
“Then it will be a nice, quick walk.” Marissa turned to Hill. “Be right back.” It took her all of five minutes to walk Lexi down to her house and then get back to her own.
When she came back in, the teakettle whistled. Hill was standing next to the counter with a sheepish look on his face. “I wasn’t sure if you like tea. But you looked like you could use some.”
When was the last time someone had taken care of her? And here she was trying to take care of him. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“And you didn’t have to help me out. I don’t think I can ever repay you.” It was the first time Hill had ever thanked her outright. The teen showed his gratitude by helping out. He hadn’t caused a single problem and he’d been true to his word. “And I don’t understand why you’re doing it.” If she wasn’t mistaken, there were tears in his eyes.
She motioned for him to sit, then filled another cup of tea for him. Over their tea, Marissa explained about her mother. “I get that she was a grown-up and no one was responsible for helping her, but I’d like to think someone could, or would, if they were able. I’m in a place where I can help you. You deserve it.”
His shoulders slumped. “You’re the first one to think so since my mom died.” He laughed unhappily. “Even my dad took off because he didn’t think I was worth anything.”
“Aw, hon.” Marissa stood and went to the teen’s side. She took him in her arms and hugged him as tightly as she could while her heart broke a little.
She couldn’t have been more surprised when he started crying. He’d never shown that much emotion in the short time she’d known him. It started off quietly, then turned to a soft and sad whimpering sound as his shoulders shook. By the time he finally pulled away, though, his tears were dried up and his shoulders had straightened back to his proud and defiant firmness.
“You’re a good kid, Hill. Don’t ever let anyone tell you different. If they do, I’ll kick their asses. Got that?”
Her gave her a watery smile and nodded.
As she cleaned up the table, there was an insistent knock at the door while the bell rang simultaneously. She waved Hill back as she hurried to see who it was. Jax was standing on her porch. She rolled her eyes as she opened the door. “I never said I was going to show up. You don’t have to go all cop on me.”
Jax settled his hands on the utility belt around his waist. “That’s not why I’m here. I came to speak to Paul Hillman.”
Tension streaked through her stomach. “Why?”
“There was another robbery tonight.” He said it in his cop voice.
And they were back to that now, were they. �
�So.”
“It was a bunch of teens.”
Marissa matched his I’m-a-bad-ass-cop stance. “So.”
Jax rolled his shoulders slightly. “So I want to ask him a couple of questions.”
“No.” A fierce protectiveness came over her.
Jax narrowed his eyes. “No?”
Marissa fisted her hands at her side and she set her foot behind the door so he couldn’t push in. “Are you suddenly hard of hearing?”
He puffed out his chest. “I will haul him down to the station if I have to.”
“Like hell you will. You have no grounds to come over here harassing—”
“A witness described one of the teens. It fit Mr. Hillman.”
“Oh, really. And when did this happen?”
“Nearly an hour ago.”
Marissa crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, then your witness saw someone else. Hill has been here all damn day long.”
“Have you been here with him the entire time?”
“You know I wasn’t. I was at the shop until nine-thirty.”
Jax’s eyebrows rose then quickly fell back into place. He knew her shop closed at eight. Did he suspect she’d hung around, killing time, until she was supposed to meet him at his house? There was no way he could know that.
His jaw jutted forward. “When did you get home from the shop?”
“Nine-forty, forty-five at the most.”
“And he was with you the entire time?”
“Yes.” She frowned. “No, I left to take Lexi home.”
Jax’s eyebrows rose.
“She lives about eight houses down. It took all of five minutes. Unless the kid has some super powers I don’t know about, he couldn’t have gone into town, robbed some place and been back in five minutes.” She rolled her eyes, made sure Jax saw. “I’m sorry you wasted your time, Chief.” She stepped closer to him and lowered her voice, “I don’t know why you’ve fixated on this kid, but he hasn’t done anything wrong. You’re not going to pin something on him.”
Baker’s Law Page 16