by Cora Seton
Picking up the reading glasses dangling from a chain around her neck, she perched them on the bridge of her thin nose and moved closer to her computer. Jax had to force himself not to lean over the counter so he could see the monitor. Instead, he waited impatiently while she tapped at the keys.
“Oh yes, here she is,” Emily said. “She inhaled a lot of smoke and she’s been on oxygen since she came in, but she’s going to be fine. In fact, the doctor will be releasing her in a little while.”
Jax breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God.
“Can I see her?” he asked.
Emily gave him a smile that was all too knowing. “Down the hall. She’s in the fourth bay on the right.”
He thanked her, then made his way past the first three bays. He stopped outside the fourth and peeked around the curtain. Skye was half lying, half sitting back on the exam table, her eyes closed and an oxygen tube under her nose. She was still wearing the soot-smudged jeans and T-shirt she had on when he found her. Her breathing was so slow and steady that for a moment Jax thought she was asleep. He was wondering if he should wait outside when she opened her eyes.
“Jax!”
Skye jumped up and ran over to him, completely forgetting the oxygen line attached to her. She almost choked herself with the tubing as she got stopped short a few feet from him, and he quickly stepped forward to help her get untangled.
She laughed and gave him an embarrassed look, her face coloring. He laughed, too. Her voice was a little scratchy from inhaling all that smoke, but other than that, she really did seem fine.
The moment she was free from the oxygen lines, Skye threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. He hugged her right back. What else was a guy supposed to do when a girl he’d known since she was five years old threw herself into your arms?
But being this close to her reminded him again that his best friend’s little sister wasn’t so little anymore. Even though he was six-four, Skye came up to his chin now. She had a lot more curves than he remembered her having, too. And some of those very nice curves were pressed up against his chest, letting him know that Skye hadn’t taken the time to put on a bra before bolting out of her room during the fire. He had to admit her soft breasts felt damn nice through her thin T-shirt.
And if those thoughts weren’t distracting enough, Skye smelled amazing under all the smoke still clinging to her. Like peaches and cream. How the hell was that even possible?
Realizing his cock was starting to harden, he reluctantly took a step back. As happy as he was to see Skye, he had no desire to pitch a boner in front of his best friend’s little sister—even if she wasn’t so little anymore.
*
Skye gave him a small smile as she pushed her hair behind her ear. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to tackle you like that. I just can’t believe you got me out of that hotel. I thought…”
She couldn’t say it out loud. Knowing how close she’d come to dying in that fire made her feel lightheaded and she almost grabbed onto Jax for support. Not that she’d mind putting her hands all over him again. But she didn’t want him—or the doctor—thinking she needed to spend the night at the hospital.
Jax returned her smile with one that almost made her knees go weak again, for a completely different reason this time.
“Only doing my job,” he said. “Good thing I ran into that older couple you helped downstairs. They said you’d gone back up to look for other people.”
“I don’t even remember falling to the floor up there.” Skye resolutely pushed the image out of her mind, preferring to focus on how amazing it had felt to look up when she’d been sitting on the curb and seen Jax standing there. “But then you came swooping in like a superhero and saved me.”
Another smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I’m not sure about the superhero part. More like just a regular ol’ firefighter.”
She arched a brow. “Strong, heroic, and humble—sounds like superhero material to me.”
Jax chuckled, and Skye decided he had the sexiest laugh she’d ever heard. That made sense since the rest of Jax Malloy was equally sexy.
Skye had never told anyone—well, maybe some of her girlfriends at the time—but she’d had a huge crush on Jax since she was a teenager. Of course, the almost four years in age that separated them meant Jax had never seen her as anything other than his best friend’s kid sister. But she’d thought he was the most perfect guy ever.
And he hadn’t changed one bit. Same whiskey colored eyes; same thick, dark hair; same square jaw with just a trace of stubble that she longed to run her fingers over. Same lean muscles.
She wondered if he still rode broncos and bulls at the local rodeo like he’d done back in high school.
Skye stifled a moan at the memory. Just her luck that when she’d finally gotten old enough for things to get interesting, Jax graduated from high school and left Dallas to work on an oil rig in some other part of the state. He never got a chance to see her mature into a woman she’d like to think would have attracted his attention long enough for him to see her as something more than a friend.
Not that it would have mattered because it wasn’t long after that when her life had taken a hundred-and-eighty-degree-turn in the other direction. A few years later, she was living in New York City working twelve hour days, and Jax was off doing whatever it was that he’d done. She hadn’t even known he was a firefighter until he rescued her tonight. Especially since he and her brother probably worked together.
Then again she and Dane hadn’t talked very much since she’d left.
Yet here she and Jax were nearly ten years later. She was still thinking how her life might have been different if they’d been more than friends back then when she realized he was talking to her.
She reached for the oxygen tube to hide her embarrassment. “What?”
His hands were gentle as he helped her get it repositioned. “I asked why the heck you went back up to the fifth floor looking for people.”
Skye hesitated, pretending to focus on fitting the ends of the tube under nose. The truth was she’d been terrified half to death the moment she woke up and realized the hotel was on fire. She hated fire. So much so that she couldn’t even stand to have candles on her birthday cake. When she’d heard the alarm and smelled the smoke, she barely remembered to get dressed and grab her purse before she ran down the stairs and outside.
When she’d gotten to safety, she was afraid to even look back at the building and the flames engulfing it. That was when she heard the cries for help from the hotel, and something inside her had torn open.
Her parents had died in a fire when she was in high school because they couldn’t get out of the house after it had filled with smoke. The thought that other people were about to die the same way made her realize she couldn’t just leave them in there to burn to death. So she’d somehow swallowed her fear and charged back into the hotel over and over again. She still wasn’t sure how she’d done it, or why she’d gone up to the fifth floor when she knew there was no way anyone left up there could still be alive.
“I know I shouldn’t have gone back up there that last time,” she admitted to Jax with a shrug. “But I couldn’t give up until I checked one more time. I didn’t want to leave anyone behind.”
“That was very brave, and I have no doubt you saved a lot of people’s lives.” He regarded her in silence, his dark eyes thoughtful. “What you were doing in the hotel in the first place? Why not stay at Dane’s place? I know for a fact that he has an extra bedroom. I’ve crashed there myself a time or two.”
Skye stiffened. Running into that burning hotel had been terrifying, but this question scared the hell out of her.
She slowly sank down on the bed. “It’s…well, it’s complicated. But I couldn’t stay with my brother. Actually, he doesn’t even know I’m in town. And I rather keep it that way for now.”
Jax winced. “That might be a bit tough. I just called and left a message telling him what happened. He’s going
to know you’re here as soon as he listens to it. Sorry.”
She gave him a small smile. “It’s not your fault. He was bound to find out that I’m back in Dallas sooner or later. I was just hoping to be a bit more settled before I got into everything with him.”
Jax frowned. “Skye, are you in some kind of trouble?”
She shook her head. “No, nothing like that, but it’s kind of a long story. One I’d rather not get into while sitting in a hospital emergency room.”
His mouth tightened, but he didn’t press the issue. “Okay. You’re obviously working through something, and after the night you just had, you don’t need me prying into your business. The nurse said the doctor was ready to release you, so I’ll check on that. Where are you going then?”
Skye chewed on her lower lip. “I don’t know. Another hotel, I guess. Do you mind giving me a ride?”
“You don’t have to stay at another hotel.”
“I’m not staying with Dane, if that’s what you’re going to suggest,” she said.
“I wasn’t,” Jax said. “I was going to say you could stay with me.”
Skye hoped her mouth wasn’t hanging open. It was just that she had never in a million years expected him to invite her to stay at his place.
“With you?”
“Yeah.” He shrugged. “I have an extra bedroom. And unlike Dane, you can stay with me no questions asked.”
His invitation was like a godsend. Besides the fact that she was suddenly extremely interested to see what kind of place he lived in, staying with him meant she wouldn’t have to spend more money on a hotel. It wasn’t like she was destitute, but she didn’t want to spend money she didn’t have to, just in case her new plans didn’t go as smoothly as she hoped.
Okay, no way was she about to look this very attractive gift horse in the mouth. But she also didn’t want to cause trouble for Jax, either.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t mind? I don’t want to get you into hot water with Dane.”
“I wouldn’t have made the offer if I wasn’t sure,” Jax said. “You can stay as long as you like. Let me worry about Dane.”
For some stupid reason, Skye felt like crying. She’d been living on adrenaline and prayers for about the past two weeks. Things had been tough, to say the least. And that was before the fire in the hotel. But for the first time in a while, it seemed like things were finally looking up. Like maybe fate had decided to throw Jax into her path right when she needed a friend.
Not wanting Jax to see her tears—guys always got so freaked out when a woman cried—she jumped to her feet and hugged him again. But as his big, strong arms came around her and pulled her close to all that muscle, she had to remind himself that he was her brother’s best friend. Because right now, the idea of staying at his place had her thinking things she definitely shouldn’t be thinking.
Chapter Three
‡
The nurse had told Skye she’d be free to go after she signed all the paperwork. That had been fifteen minutes ago.
She didn’t mean to complain. The medical staff was just doing their job, and on the upside, Jax was sitting beside her while she filled out the forms. But she was getting a bit antsy about Dane showing up and causing a scene. She loved her brother like crazy, but he could be a pain in the ass when it came to trying to tell her what to do all the time. And she was pretty much going to lose his mind when he realized what she’d done. That was why she hadn’t called to let him know she was back in Dallas.
Since Jax had left a message on her brother’s phone, she knew she was going to have to deal with Dane sooner or later. But after the night she had, she would take later rather than sooner.
Which was why she practically dragged Jax down the hallway to the hospital’s big automatic doors after she’d signed the last form. Unfortunately, they weren’t fast enough. Her brother was coming in as they were walking out, and he looked pissed.
“What the hell were you doing in a hotel on Jacobs Street, Skye?”
An inch or two shorter than Jax, her brother had the same stocky build he’d had when he played football in high school, but with even more muscle. Apparently, being a firefighter agreed with him. She only wished he was better at being an older brother. Ever since their parents had died, Dane had taken it upon himself to tell her how to run her life. But those days were over.
“I’m fine, Dane,” she said, ignoring his question. “Thank you for asking.”
No surprise that her brother hadn’t bothered to ask how she was. The way he probably saw it, if she was leaving the hospital, she must be okay. At least he had the good grace to look chagrined.
“I’m sorry.” He let out a sigh. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Thanks to Jax, yes.”
Dane’s blue eyes darted to Jax, and something unspoken passed between them before her brother turned back to her.
“What are you doing in Dallas?” he demanded. “And why didn’t you call me when you got in?”
Skye didn’t want to get into this with Dane now, especially not here in front of Jax and anyone else who might be passing by. But her brother was going to keep badgering her until she answered his questions. And if the only way to get him to stop running her life was to have a knock-down-drag-out right here, then she was damn well going to do it.
“I quit my job in New York to move back here and start my own business,” she snapped. “And I didn’t call you because you’re a jerk.”
If Dane was insulted by the jab, he didn’t let it show. “What the hell do you mean, you quit? What kind of business could you can open up here in Dallas that’ll be better than the job you had in New York?”
She folded her arms. “That’s not your concern.”
She probably sounded like a five-year-old, but she didn’t care. Dane didn’t get a free pass to run her life because they had the same parents.
The muscle in Dane’s jaw flexed. “None of my concern? Dammit Skye, I didn’t waste all my money to send you to college so you could open a business that’s sure to fail.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Skye clenched her hands into fists, ignoring the way her nails dug into her palms. God, her brother could irritate the crap out of her. “And as for wasting your money, I already paid you back every penny you ever put into my college education. So you don’t get to hold that over my head anymore.”
Not waiting to see if Jax followed, or even having any idea where he was parked, she pushed past her brother and walked toward the lot. Jax was at her side in two long strides.
“Where the hell are you going?” Dane called.
She should have kept walking, but instead, she turned to face him. He was regarding her with a bewildered expression.
“It’s late and I’m tired,” she told him. “I’m going to bed.”
“My truck is the other way,” Dane said.
“I’m not going home with you,” she said. “I’m staying with Jax.”
If she thought her brother looked pissed before, that was nothing compared to the anger on his face now. “The hell you are.”
Muttering something under his breath, Dane started toward them. Skye stood her ground. For all his bluster, Dane would never put a hand on her. He loved her too much for that—even if he did have a funny way of showing it.
Jax, on the other hand, must not have been as sure. He stepped in front of her, blocking Dane’s path. Her brother stopped short.
“You need to calm the hell down and take a step back,” Jax ordered sharply. “Skye almost died tonight and she doesn’t need to deal with your crap right now. Especially not in front of all these people.”
Skye felt her face flame. She hadn’t even noticed the handful of people in the emergency room who were staring raptly out the window at them like they were watching a freaking episode of Jerry Springer. They might not be able to hear what she and Dane had been saying, but it wasn’t hard to figure what was going on between her and her brother. God, this was so embarrassing
.
Dane must have been as surprised as she was because he didn’t even try to stop them as Jax put his hand on the small of her back, then gently turned her around and pointed her in the direction of a silver four-door pickup. He didn’t look back at Dane as he opened the passenger door to let her in, but Skye did. Her brother was standing there with a hard to read expression on his face. Underneath the obvious embarrassment, there was still a lot of anger.
This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.
Turning away, Skye climbed in the truck, then watched Jax walk around the front and get in beside her. Neither of them said anything as he put the truck in gear and pulled out of the parking lot. They’d gone about half a mile when Jax spoke.
“Do you need to stop and get anything from the store?” he asked, his voice soft in the darkness. “Not many places are open at this time of night, but I could probably find something if we drive around.”
She glanced at the clock on the dash board. It was after three o’clock in the morning already. She was way too tired to go shopping anyway.
“Any chance you have an extra toothbrush?” Hell, at this point she’d use her finger if that was all she could get. But thankfully, Jax nodded. “That’s good enough for tonight. I’ll get the other stuff I need tomorrow.”
They drove for another thirty minutes, turning down consecutively smaller and smaller roads until they’d left the big buildings and city lights of Dallas far behind. Skye was just about to ask how much farther they had to go when Jax turned into a neatly edged gravel driveway with white paddock fencing on either side. Even though she was tired, she couldn’t help sitting up straighter. She’d expected an apartment, or maybe even a townhouse, but it appeared that Jax lived on a real honest-to-goodness ranch.
She turned to look at him. She could just make out his profile in the soft lighting coming from the console. “You live here?”
She shouldn’t have been so surprised. Jax had been riding horses and working on ranches since he was kid, so it made sense he’d figured out a way to be around both.