Running Into Love - The Complete Box Set

by Annalisa Nicole

  Shit. That means Jax is coming out.

  I grab my napkin out of my lap and wipe the fry sauce off my face and say, “If you’ll excuse me, I need to use the restroom to clean my face now, thanks to Amelia.” And I high tail it to the restroom.

  My heart is pounding a mile a minute. I don’t want to run into Jax again. I wet a paper towel and clean my face and the glop that dropped onto my shirt, and then give it another five minutes before I think the coast is clear and leave the bathroom.

  I open the door and take one step out, and I’m immediately blocked by a man dressed in white. Right at eye level embroidered in dark blue on the white jacket is the name, Jax.

  Shit.

  “I wanted to make sure your plain cheeseburger was to your liking?” he asks, drawing out the word ‘plain’ in a sarcastic tone.

  I take a step back and groan. Then I cross my arms over my chest. Unfortunately, it was a fantastic cheeseburger, but I can’t let him know that.

  “I have a picky eater at home and I just wanted to make sure it was to your liking and wondered if you liked the secret ingredient,” he says with a chuckle.

  Secret ingredient?

  “What secret ingredient?” I ask, looking into his amused eyes. I, on the other hand, am so not amused.

  “Did you like it?” he asks again.

  “I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me what the secret ingredient was and then I’ll tell you if I liked it or not,” I say, getting slightly angry.

  “If I tell you the secret ingredient, then you’re for sure going to tell me you didn’t like it. Because I know Sky doesn’t like it either, but she can’t get enough of it when I make burgers at home. Did you like it or not?”

  “Alright, I did,” I say, giving in with a sigh. “It was hands down the best burger I’ve ever eaten. Are you happy now?”

  “I am,” he says, then turns around and walks away.

  “Hey, wait just one minute. I told you I liked it; now tell me, what was the secret ingredient?” I say, catching up to him. He stops mid-stride, making me walk right into his back.

  He turns around and puts his meaty hook on my arm to steady me, bends slightly down and whispers in my ear.

  “Blue cheese. I stuffed blue cheese in the center of the burger. It melts into the beef and adds amazing flavor.”

  His hand on my arm and his breath in my ear sends goosebumps down the back of my legs. I’ve never had goosebumps run down the back of my legs before. I want nothing more than to yell and scream at him. How dare he put gross, moldy cheese that’s blue in my burger without me knowing it? What if I were allergic to blue cheese? What if I keeled over in my chair in the middle of his crowded restaurant? And why are my feet frozen where I stand? He lets go of my arm, gives me a sideways smile, then he winks at me.

  He winked at me.

  Of all the nerve, he seriously winked at me then just turns around to leave.

  I suddenly come unglued from my frozen spot, and I don’t know why or how the thought even entered my mind, but I reach down and flip off one of my Gucci black patent leather open-toe pumps and hurl it at his back. It lands with a thud dead center, and then falls to the floor. Clearly, I didn’t think this thoroughly through. Shoes aren’t like cats. They don’t land on their feet or in their case on their soles. He stops, my heart stops, then he slowly turns around. He takes two giant steps back toward me and I take two steps back and plaster my back to the wall. He comes a hairsbreadth away from my cheek, then takes a deep inhale. My nipples instantly get hard and if he doesn’t touch me soon I may combust. He growls in my ear like the Neanderthal he is, and then walks away again.

  What the fuck was that?

  I walk back to the table and slide numbly in my seat, as the rest of the family devours what looks like red velvet cheesecake. That’s my favorite. I push mine away and sit there like I was just stunned with a ray gun.

  “I have to go. I have to go back to the office. I have work to do. Thanks for dinner,” I say, and walk out of the restaurant.

  Outside, the typical Seattle sky opens up and pours on my head. I don’t have an umbrella with me, and seriously, I don’t even care. I need to cool down, like literally from what just happened in there. I think if Jax hadn’t have left when he did, I may have lost all control, and I may have dragged him back into the ladies room and locked the door.

  Jax

  When I saw Shay and Adrian come into the restaurant, it put a smile on my face. But when I saw the rest of the family coming in, too, I suddenly became a klutz in the kitchen. I dropped one completely dished plate and burned two steaks. Parker finally pushed me out of the way before I made an even bigger mess. Every thirty seconds I’d look out the swinging doors to see if Ava was here, too. There was one vacant seat at the table and I was hoping she’d be the one to fill it. I know when I left her office this morning she seemed like she was pretty mad at me, but she’d still meet her family here for dinner, right?

  The next time I looked out the door the seat was occupied. I could see the all familiar brown hair hiding behind an open menu. I smiled to myself knowing that she was trying to hide from me. When Jenna came back and turned in their order, she told Parker that she had a special order for a picky eater. My ears perked up. When she said the guest wanted it cooked well-done, I had to know who had ordered it. Of course it was Ava. First Parker cringed, because everyone knows a good burger is cooked to medium-rare. Then when she described Ava, I was the one pushing Parker out of the way and I knew just what Ava was going to get. I live with one of the world’s pickiest eaters, and I know how to put things in the food that will make it taste better without them knowing it. When you stuff blue cheese in a burger, it melts into the meat and makes for one hell of a juicy delicious burger. I also cooked it just a tad over medium-rare. I perfectly timed it and took it off the grill so there was no pink showing, and not well-done like she ordered.

  I told Jenna I wanted to come out to the table, and sure enough, not fifteen seconds later I saw Ava leave the table. I quickly made an appearance at the table and offered complimentary cheesecake, then parked myself outside the ladies room. I smile at myself for being so cocky.

  She was less than pleased to see me, and even less pleased to know I put something in her burger that she didn’t know about. I saw her eyes roll in the back of her head when she took the first bite, so I knew she loved it. The banter between the two of us in the hallway had my dick in my pants straining for the first time in two years. When she threw her shoe at me, it was like the dam broke and I just needed to be close to her. In two strides I had her pinned to the wall, her sunshine scent infiltrated my nose and all I wanted to do was sink my tongue deep in her mouth. The hitch in her breath as I took in a deep breath of her, told me she wanted this just as much as I did. I heard the men’s room door open to my left. I caught a glimpse of Parker’s white chef coat before he exited the men’s restroom, and I growled in frustration. Before Parker could see what I was doing, I turned away from Ava and walked back toward the kitchen.

  As soon as I walked in, I turned around and walked right back out. Looking out the front windows I see Ava standing on the sidewalk, face to the sky, while the rain drenches her. I see everyone at her table looking at the same thing I am. Several of them start to get up from their chairs, and I don’t even think. Before any of them can get completely up, I rush to the front desk, grab an umbrella and exit the restaurant. I open the umbrella and place it over both of our drenched heads.

  “What are you doing? You’re completely soaked?” I ask, looking into her face.

  She turns her head and looks into my eyes, they’re filled with lust and conflict, and I’m mesmerized by them. The umbrella falls to the street as Ava takes one step toward me, she grabs both sides of my face with her hands and pulls me to her lips. One of my hands grabs the side of her head and threads in her wet hair, as my other arm snakes around her back and I pull her against my body with a hard thud. The warm rain pelts my face as her sof
t lips caress mine. Cars on the street honk their horns as they speed by. She stands on her tip toes to get all she can take. I spread my stance to come down to her level as her tongue enters my mouth.

  Her hands come down to my chest and she pushes me slightly away breaking our kiss. Her forehead comes to my lips, then she turns her head toward the restaurant and sees the entire Wellington family standing in the window staring at us with their mouths hanging open. She takes a step back then closes her eyes. Her hand comes to her lips and I immediately feel lost without them. Then it’s her turn to turn around and she walks away from me.

  “Ava,” I call.

  She doesn’t stop or turn around. Her arm wraps around her stomach as she walks toward the parking lot. She gets to her car and she pauses. She rests her hand on top of the car, then digs in her soaking wet purse and unlocks her door with the key fob. I watch her get into her little red car and drive down the street, as her tires splash water in her retreat. Her entire family exits the restaurant, each with confused questioning eyes. No doubt they’re confused, because I’m just as confused about everything that just happened myself. First, she accuses me of being a stalker and tells me she’s going to get her brothers to beat me up, and kicks me out of her office. Then, she’s looking at me with those amazing sultry eyes, smelling like something I can’t describe other than sunshine, and kisses me.

  “Jax,” a voice says from just inside the restaurant.

  I turn my head to see Gabrielle standing in the doorway with a towel in her hand. The rain hasn’t let up. If anything, it’s pouring harder.

  I grab the towel from Gabrielle on my way inside and walk through the dining room. I ignore the curious stares from the customers, the gawking faces of my employees, and slam through the doors into the kitchen. I press the towel to my face, then run it through my hair. I’ve run into Ava three times now, and every time I run into her there’s this undeniable attraction. It’s like the universe is trying to tell me something.

  I run back through the restaurant, back into the parking lot, and I see Adrian holding an umbrella over the car door as his pregnant wife gets into their car.

  “Do you know where Ava went?” I ask, rushing to their car.

  “Now, why would I tell you something like that,” he replies.

  “Adrian!” Shay says, swatting him in the thigh. She looks up at me, then continues, “She said she was going back to work.”

  “Thank you,” I say, and run to my Hummer.

  “How does he know where Ava works?” I hear Adrian ask Shay.

  “Honey, can’t you see it? Now, get in the car and take me home. My feet are killing me.”

  I drive to Ava’s work and park in the parking lot directly in front of the building. I shut off the engine and realize what an idiot I am. It’s way too late at night and I’m sure the building is locked. This is stupid anyway. I have a restaurant full of customers and a staff that needs me to be there. I sigh and shake my head, and just as I’m about to turn the key and leave, a janitor catches my eye. He’s in the front of the building vacuuming the entryway. I smile to myself thinking the universe isn’t trying to tell me something, it’s screaming it at me, giving me every opportunity there is.

  I jog up to the door and it is indeed locked. The janitor has his eyes to the ground paying attention to his task at hand. I knock gently on the door and his eyes come to mine. He jumps back like he just saw the Incredible Hulk as his eyes go wide. He takes another look with a squint, then he smiles and shuts off the vacuum. I’ve seen him several times before, every time actually when I’ve come here to see Ava. Each time I’ve made a point of saying hello. He walks to the glass doors and unlocks it.

  He cracks it open slightly and asks, “Can I help you?”

  He’s an older gentleman with a kind face and the personality to match. He looks like he’s passed the retirement age and probably has this job to keep himself busy. He has a thick gold band around his ring finger on his right hand, probably a sign of European descent. Every time I’ve seen him, he’s had a smile on his face, and always looks people directly in the eye, smiles, and says hello. The badge on his shirt pocket says Gus, and if I’m correct again, it’s a Swedish name, and short for Gustav or Gustaf.

  I love knowing peoples’ backgrounds, where they come from and what their names mean. One of the first things I did when I met Ava was look up her name and origin. It’s funny that one of the meanings of her name is life. From the first day I met Ava, it feels like I’ve come alive again.

  “Can I help you, sir?” he asks gently, again.

  “Sorry, I was wondering if Ava happened to come back to work tonight. I need to talk to her,” I say honestly.

  He gets a sparkle in his eye and a huge smile on his kind face and holds the door open for me.

  “I could get fired for this, you know? I don’t think Ms. Ava will mind though. I’ll walk you up to her office. I’ll walk back by in thirty minutes to check on her, so no funny stuff,” he warns.

  We take the elevator to her floor, and when the doors slide open, I can see a light coming from her slightly cracked office door. I walk to her door and lightly knock my knuckles on the door as I push it open further. Her hair is still wet from the rain; she has her long brown hair gathered to the side, resting on her collarbone, with her left hand holding the ends wrapped in a paper towel. Her right hand is under her desk and she’s biting the side of her lip. Her cheeks are the cutest shade of pink, and honest to God, she has a fuck me now look on her face. She has papers spread out all over her desk, and the instant her eyes look up at mine, my heart skips a beat.

  An angry scowl forms on her face as her right hand shoots up from under her desk and she says, “How did you get in here?”

  Gus walks up behind me and gives Ava a nod and says, “Ms. Ava,” then turns around and walks back toward the elevator.

  “Gustav, you’re a sentimental old fool,” Ava yells after him.

  I smile at myself for correctly guessing his full given name.

  Chapter 5

  Ava

  I’m so frustrated right now, I’m honestly thinking of running my hand up my skirt and taking care of business to ease the tension. Every time I run into Jax, he does crazy things to me. He makes me mad, he makes me feel like my head is about to explode, and he makes me tingle in very delicious places. I’ve never done the deed in my office, but honestly, there’s only a small cleaning crew here and they’ve already done this floor and won’t come back up.

  I take my right hand and run it down my thigh. When I get to the hem of my skirt with my index finger, I slowly raise it three-quarters up my thighs. I slightly part my thighs and push my panties aside and run my fingers through my aching sex. I palm myself, then finger the spot in small circles that drives me wild. Small whimpers escape my lips, so I sink my teeth in my lip in an attempt to stay quiet. As the frustration leaves my body and the tension builds beneath my fingers begging for its release, I close my eyes and picture Jax, but instead of my own fingers, it’s his tongue on me.

  I can feel it building, and I’m on the brink of taking it home, when there’s a soft knock and my office door slowly opens.

  Holy shit!

  My eyes fly open and I look up into the eyes of the man I was envisioning, not two seconds earlier, doing very naughty things to me.

  Oh, my God!

  “How did you get in here?” I whisper shocked, then regrettably and rather hastily remove my fingers from their current position, and slam my hand on my desk.

  Oh my God, I hope he didn’t see what I was just doing!

  Gus walks behind Jax with a dreamy look on his face, like he’s playing some sort of matchmaker and says, “Ms. Ava,” with a slight nod. His eyes twinkle as he turns around and walks out of sight.

  “Gustav, you’re a sentimental old fool,” I yell out in the direction of my office door.

  That man can talk your ear off with stories of his wife when they first met in Sweden.

  Ja
x takes one step inside my office, and it’s then that I realize that I look like a huge hot mess. I toss the paper towel in the trash and run my hands through my hair to try and fluff it out a little. If he takes any more steps toward me, he’ll see my skirt hiked up and practically wrapped around my waist. I push away from my desk and roll my chair back as he takes one more step toward me. Chills run up and down the back of my legs again, and I stand.

  He takes two giant steps, presses his legs to the top of my desk, then leans his huge body halfway across my desk and places both hands on top of my papers. He plasters a cocky grin on his face, cocks his head to the left as the right side of his lip slightly tugs upward. I’ve never actually believed it, and I still wouldn’t if I weren’t looking at it right this second, but I swear to God his eyes are dancing with fire. The chill running up my legs hits the bottom of my ass cheeks as they begin to tingle, and I find it extremely hard to stay standing. Who gets tingling ass cheeks? Apparently, me, by just the look on Jax’s face.

  My skirt only fell a few inches when I stood and is halfway up my thigh. His eyes slowly travel down to my legs, then ever so slowly they move back up to my eyes. I’d gulp if I could, but my mouth and throat suddenly are made of sandpaper.

  “Did you need help with that?” he asks.

  Oh, dear God.

  “Did I need help with what?” I ask innocently.

  Oh, please tell me it isn’t true. Please, please, please tell me he doesn’t know what I was doing.

  He growls, removes his hands from my desk, then walks around my desk toward me in four giant steps. I take the remaining steps backward and plaster myself against the cool floor to ceiling glass windows behind me. My chair rolls to the left and I think I just stopped breathing.

  Jax stands so close, but our bodies aren’t touching. I don’t think you could get a piece of paper between the two of us, that’s how close he is. He bends his head down to my neck and inhales.

  “Sunshine,” he says.