Running Into Love - The Complete Box Set

by Annalisa Nicole

  “This is a very mild white fish, with a creamy lemon sauce and sweet potato fries. I promise if you don’t like it, we’ll go out for dinner, your choice?”

  I would never want to hurt his feeling by not at least trying it. And there is the thing with the ketchup. I take a small forkful of fish with the sauce and put it in my mouth.

  “Oh my God, this is…really good,” I say, putting my hand over my mouth.

  It’s light, and the fish isn’t overpowering at all. The sauce goes perfectly with the fish. I take another bite and really think that I’ve been missing out in this world by not eating this before. I think I’m having a mouth orgasm. I take a fry and dunk it in the wonderful ketchup, and he hit the nail on the head. This dinner is truly one I won’t forget anytime soon. Jax watches me devour the plate of food with a big smile on his face. He digs into his own food, and if I didn’t think it’d be rude, I’d lift the plate to my face and lick it clean.

  I finish my food and wait until he finishes his. His eyes come to mine, and I plaster a huge ‘for real’ smile on my face. I hold my hands in front of my face and wiggle them back and forth just dying to know the ketchup recipe.

  “Alright, first you put together a sachet d'épices,” he starts to say, and I immediately get lost.

  “A what?” I ask.

  “It’s just a cheesecloth sack with herbs and spices. But my secret ingredient is harissa,” he says, like that’s something I should know what it is.

  I smile and nod my head, and pray to God it’s not like a goats head or chopped up pig intestines. After that I’m really lost. I’ve come to the conclusion that I really don’t need to know what’s in any of his food, and truly with me, it’s safer that way. All I know is everything he cooks is amazing and I love it.

  I help Jax clean the kitchen and put everything away. He wraps the dish towel around my waist and pulls me to him, then rests his butt on the counter. His lips touch mine, they’re soft and being with him just feels safe and right. He breaks our kiss, then grabs my hand. He leads me upstairs and into his bedroom. His hand comes to my chin and his eyes lock with mine. He searches my eyes, his are glossy and filled with emotion, like that look, right before you’re about to cry. I wrap my hand around his wrist at my jaw and move the rest of the way to his lips. His hand goes in my hair as I reach for his pants. He pulls his shirt over his head, then sits on the edge of the bed. I stand in front of him, and he places his head on my stomach. I bend down and kiss the top of his head then step away. I remove my shirt and skirt and stand in front of him in a pair of matching lacy white panties and bra. Reaching behind my back I unhook my bra, then slide one shoulder down, then the other, while still holding it over my breasts. His eyes are glued to mine and his Adam’s apple bobs in his throat.

  His erection is growing in his boxers, as I toss my bra to the side. I slowly pull my panties down my legs, then stand in front of him completely naked, bearing it all, only for him. He reaches for my hand and pulls me in his lap, straddling his thighs. Leaning in I find his lips, his hand goes between my legs and I move back and forth on his hand. I can feel the pressure building just by his touch alone.

  “Ride it, Ava. Let me hear you,” he demands.

  I moan and ride his hand harder. He takes a nipple in his mouth, and then kisses his way up my chest, to my chin, and then my lips. Using his massive shoulders as leverage, I push up and down until I come. He flips me over on the bed so I’m lying flat on my back, then he partially lies on top of me while his fingers still work between my legs. He reaches in his nightstand and takes out a condom. He gets up, removes his boxers then gets on his knees and puts the condom on. He parts my thighs, then plants his knees on either side of my right leg; he slightly turns me to the side and drapes my other leg over his thigh. He pulls me into him and starts to move. I twist my body so my palms are on the bed and with every inward thrust, I push back meeting him move for move. I bury my face in the bed and pant as another orgasm pulses through me. Jax stills over me and moans with his own release.

  He kisses my shoulder, then gets up from the bed and covers me with the sheet. He walks to the bathroom and I snuggle into his bed. He comes back from the bathroom and curls up next to me, pulls me close and within minutes his limbs are heavy on mine and his breathing becomes steady. With his arm draped over me, I get the first real look at the tattoo on his upper arm. I trace the outline with my finger. It’s a parachute with what looks like an angel holding a globe. On the top it says USAF Pararescue, on the bottom it says, ‘So others may live’. Other than the fact that I know his wife died a few years ago, he has two young daughters and a sister, and he owns his restaurant. I don’t really know much about this man. Was Jax in the Air Force? Tracing his tattoo must have woken him up because when I look at his face, his eyes are once again glued to mine. I tap his tattoo and look to see if it’s something he wants to talk about.

  Jax talked for over an hour. He told me about his grueling training days in the Air Force. He sounds a lot like me as far as having a goal and achieving it no matter how hard the road is. Then he told me about the day he met Scarlett. He told me how guilty he felt that he wasn’t at either of his daughter’s births. He told me how devastated he was the day he got shot, and just how he felt when he knew his life-long dreams had been ripped right from his hands. He also told me how Scarlett died and how helpless he felt being thousands of miles away. I never would have thought being a chef was not what he planned to do with his life. He’s so good at it. He told me about his fears with raising his girls as a single father, and his struggle with leaving what happened worlds away in the past. He told me how he and his buddies all got this same tattoo one night.

  The dedication and the training that had to have gone into such a prestigious career, only to then have it all ripped away along with your wife in a matter of a day, breaks my heart. I secretly wipe away tears as he tells me all about his wife and a life that seems so far away. In that moment, I know that he has opened up to me, and in a way, I don’t think he has to anyone else. I feel honored. As he continues to talk, his arm squeezes me every few minutes and he pulls me tighter to his chest. With every word, I fall deeper and deeper in love with him. His voice usually booms and is laced with authority, but here in his bed, lying in his arms, it’s soft and filled with raw emotion. It washes over me and fills me with something I never planned for…love.

  When I wake up, the room is dark and I’m in an empty bed. I sit up and try and figure out what time it is. It has to be very early in the morning, there’s no light coming in through the curtains yet. I get out of bed to go search for Jax. I pull on Jax’s t-shirt and look out into the hallway. The house is dark and silent. I wonder where he could have gone? Walking down the hallway, I pass a few bedrooms. I look inside each and determine that two must be his daughters’ and one his sister’s. Walking down the stairs to the main floor, I see a light shining around the corner. I follow the light and come to a door. Opening the door, it leads downstairs to the basement. I can hear Jax making grunting noises and the sound of metal clinking hard on metal. I walk halfway down the steps and bend down to see what he’s doing. He’s lifting a massive amount of weights on one of the biggest, most complicated weight benches I’ve ever seen. His back is turned to me and he’s doing some sort of leg pushing exercise, the muscles in his legs bulge as he makes a tsst noise with his mouth. I head back up the stairs and really wish I had brought my briefcase inside with me. Who’s stupid now?

  I should go over the case and my notes for court in the morning. I grab my keys and quietly open the front door and tip-toe to my car. I get to my car and ask myself, why am I tip-toeing outside? I roll my eyes, retrieve my briefcase, I quietly close the front door and take a seat on his couch. Spreading my papers on the coffee table, I get to work. I can hear Jax still clinking away downstairs as I work. I take out my yellow notepad and lay back on his couch and go over my notes from court yesterday.

  I know all of this. I can repeat, verba
tim, every word said in court today. Who needs a stenographer? I can tell myself I got my ass handed to me on a silver platter. I know this case backward and forwards. None of that will help me though. The only possible break I can hope for is for new evidence, or an eyewitness to come forward.

  I must have fallen asleep on the couch. The next thing I know, Jax is lifting me off the couch and carrying me back upstairs. His hair is wet and he smells like fresh soap. I feel like a tiny leaf in his hold. I wrap my arms around his neck and bury my nose in his neck. He places me back in his bed and curls up behind me.

  Jax

  Seeing Ava dressed only in my t-shirt sleeping on my couch with a notebook resting on her chest sent my own chest exploding. She looked so peaceful and beautiful and I wanted to make her all mine. When I picked her up and she clung to me, selfishly in that moment, I did make her mine.

  I carried her back to my bed, a bed that I have never made love to a woman before in, and for the first time in years not only do I see color, but I feel love in my heart. Not the type of love that I have for my children, that I have in abundance, but one that’s been absent for years, one that I’ve missed, one that I never thought I’d feel again.

  The next morning we both wake up early, I made her breakfast, then she had to go home so she could change for court. I gave her a kiss and told her to meet me back here after work.

  At the restaurant, the first thing I need to take care of is finding out what the hell is Gabrielle’s problem. I search her stand and sure enough, there’s Ava’s name and number on a piece of paper. I pocket the paper and go to my office. I hear the front door open and see Parker walking in.

  “Morning, Parker. Can I have a word with you?” I say from the doorway.

  “Sure, what’s up?” he asks, heading into my office.

  “It’s time to make some changes. We need to figure out a new schedule. We’ve both been working our asses off and crazy long hours. I think it’s time we hire another chef. I wanted to know your thoughts on that.”

  “Oh, thank God,” he says with a sigh. “I’ve met someone and I was having a hard time making time for her. I’ve been feeling guilty about not spending time with her, and honoring my commitment to you and this restaurant,” he admits.

  “Yeah, I know what you mean,” I reply.

  “Wait. What? Let me guess the stunning brunette you chased out of here the other day?”

  Even the mention of Ava’s name brings a smile to my face.

  “Now, that’s what I like to see! Hey, I have a buddy of mine that I went to culinary school with that’s looking for a new job. I think he’d make a perfect fit at the restaurant. Can I give him a call and have him come in for an interview?” Parker asks.

  “Set it up,” I tell him.

  “I’ll call him right now,” he says, gets up and heads out of my office.

  Just then, Gabrielle passes my office and calls a cheerful, “Good morning,” as she walks back toward the break room.

  “Gabrielle,” I call, stopping her.

  She turns back around, places her hand on the doorjamb and smiles at me.

  “What’s up?” she asks.

  “Come in and close the door, please.”

  She comes in and immediately I can see the guilt in her face.

  “I…is something wrong?” she asks, closing the door, then takes a seat.

  “Did a woman stop by here for me?” I ask, getting to the point.

  “No, not that I can recall,” she states.

  I take the paper out of my pocket and slide it across my desk. The look on her face instantly changes from innocence to ‘oh shit I’m screwed.’

  “Oh, that. Yes, I totally forgot. A woman did stop by, but you hadn’t come in yet,” she tries.

  That’s lie number two. I was willing to look over the first one, but two isn’t going to fly. A knock at the door stops me from ripping into her.

  The door opens and Parker pokes his head in and says, “Mason will be here in an hour for the interview.” He pats his hand on the doorframe, doesn’t wait for an answer and leaves the door open.

  I stand and say to Gabrielle, “I have to say. I never pegged you for a liar. It’s something I won’t stand for. Come in Friday to get your last paycheck, your employment here is terminated effective immediately.”

  Instant tears stream down her face, but before she can plead her case, Jenna walks by.

  “Jenna,” I call, stopping her.

  “Yeah,” she calls from down the hall. “Morning,” she continues, coming in my office.

  She looks at Gabrielle’s face and no doubt wonders what in the hell is going on.

  “You’ve just been promoted to head hostess. Congratulations!” I tell her.

  Gabrielle wines, then storms out of my office and continues right on out the front door. That’s one thing I can’t stand, a liar.

  Now add hiring a new hostess to the list. I called Parker back in my office when Mason came in for his interview. I hired him on the spot. He’ll work alongside Parker for the remainder of the week, then he’ll be our new swing chef. Parker and I will take turns doing either the lunch or the dinner shift, switching off and on so we aren’t both constantly closing. If everything goes smoothly, we should be able to take at least one full day off work each week.

  Over the next week, Mason has worked out perfectly. I’ve hired a new hostess, Lacy, that Jenna is now training. Ava has been spending most nights at my place. We’ve come into a comfortable routine with me heading off to the basement to work out, while she works in the family room on her case. I go and pick up the girls Sunday, and I can’t wait to introduce them to Ava. Quinn texted me last night and said she, too, will be home Sunday afternoon. Ava has invited me to dinner at her mom’s house, so that works out perfectly. I’ll go get the girls in the morning, eat lunch with them at the lake, and then head home. Quinn should be home to watch the girls, and I can have dinner at Ava’s mom’s.

  I can tell the case is getting the better of Ava. I’m glad it’s Saturday, and she can have these next few days to recuperate and relax until Monday. After dinner, we take our wine into the family room and settle in to watch a movie. She snuggles up to my side, with her knees drawn into her chest and her feet resting between my thighs. My arm is draped over her shoulder and I’m rubbing up and down her arm with my finger. She has her arm draped over my chest, with her hand splayed on my abs. Every few minutes her hand descends down my shirt then back up to my chest. On a downward stroke, she lifts my t-shirt and trails up my bare skin. I squeeze her closer and kiss the top of her hair. She looks up into my eyes and I see nothing but love staring back at me. I bend down and kiss her. I lay her down on the couch and position my body over hers. I lift her shirt, as she lifts mine up and over my head. She sits up so I can remove her shirt, as I continue to kiss her. The movie is playing in the background as I unbutton her jeans, then I put my hands down her pants. She removes her pants as she pulls and grabs at my back, desperate for more.

  “What in the hell is going on here?” Quinn’s voice says over top of us.

  Ava screams, then pulls me tight to her chest. Her eyes go big as she looks between Quinn and me.

  “Oh, my God,” Ava whispers.

  Ava is mostly naked, and my sister is standing over the couch staring at the two of us.

  “Quinn, out!” I shout at her, covering Ava.

  “No, this is my house, too. I want to know what the hell is going on here. Who is this woman? Is this the reason you’ve had that fucked up look on your face for the past few weeks?”

  “Knock it off, Quinn,” I say as I get up off the couch, taking Ava with me.

  I turn around so Ava is behind me, then I turn back around facing Quinn blocking Ava from Quinn’s view. Ava bends down while covering herself, to find her shirt and jeans. She finds them and quickly puts them on.

  “I’ll just leave,” Ava says, trying to step around me.

  “No, please stay. Quinn you weren’t supposed to b
e home until tomorrow. This isn’t the way I wanted to introduce you to Ava, but you’re being incredibly rude.”

  “I’m being rude?” she gasps.

  “Jax, it’s alright. I should go anyway. I have work to do,” she says, trying to go around me again.

  “Ava, please stay. I’ll just have a little talk with Quinn. Then we can finish the movie,” I say, looking at Quinn.

  Quinn stares at Ava, just challenging her to stay. I don’t know what’s got into Quinn; she’s always such a friendly, loving person. This is so not like her.

  “It’s really alright, I honestly do have work to do. I’ll still see you tomorrow for dinner? You can come to my condo around four and we’ll drive together?” she asks.

  “Absolutely, I’ll walk you out.” She grabs her briefcase and her purse and I walk her out to her car. She unlocks the door and I open it for her. I pull her close and rest my forehead against hers. “I’m so sorry about Quinn. She wasn’t supposed to be back until tomorrow. I’m going to have a talk with her when I go back inside.”

  “Really, it’s alright. Don’t be too hard on her. She just found you making out with a woman on your couch that she’s never met before. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she says, lifts her forehead, then gives me a kiss.

  I watch her car back out of my driveway and disappear down the street. I look to the house and see Quinn standing in the doorway. As soon as she sees me, she turns around and heads back into the house, slamming the front door. I hang my head and count to ten before I head in, before I do or say something I may regret. Opening the door, she’s nowhere to be seen. I climb the stairs and find her in her room. She’s sitting in the center of her bed and she looks like she’s crying.

  “Do you want to tell me what in the hell that was all about?” She doesn’t answer, so I continue. “That was incredibly rude. I’m sorry you had to meet Ava that way, but I didn’t think you’d be home until tomorrow. I won’t have you being rude to Ava, or to anyone, in my house. Do you understand me?”