by Pepper North
“I’ll take the key to this apartment. The team will help me move your things into my house. You’re not safe here.”
“You want me to live with you? But you don’t really know me.”
“I’m looking forward to learning everything about you. That should take fifty years or so. Key.”
Taking several deep breaths, Ember calmly stated, “Jax, I won’t give you my key. I’m not ready to move in with you yet. Can you give me some time?”
“You’re not safe here, Ember.”
“I know you’re worried. Can we discuss this when we’ve had more time to talk? I want us to do this right.”
Jax’s shoulders lowered, and he exhaled. “Baby, you’re killing me. I don’t want you to look back on how our relationship started and feel like I rushed you. You aren’t safe here. At least let me put another lock on the door.”
Lifting onto her toes, Ember pressed a light kiss against his lips. “Deal. One key for one lock.” She removed her key from her phone case and started to place it in his hand. “You’ll give it back tonight when you pick me up?”
“Yes, baby. Let’s go. You don’t want to be late.” Out of time, Jax ushered Ember out of the door and locked it carefully. Escorting her down to the truck, he tucked her inside and quickly jumped in behind the driver’s seat. Negotiating the heavy traffic with skill and ease, Jax delivered Ember to the front of the building with ten minutes to spare.
“Have a good day, baby. I’ll pick you up tonight at six. Call me if you need me to come sooner or later.” Jax pulled her close to press a fiery kiss to her lips when he opened her door to help her out. Lifting her out of the truck, he set her gently on her feet.
Touching her fingers to her mouth in appreciation of his goodbye, Ember turned and floated into the building. Amazed at the difference a few days could make, she pressed the up button on the elevator and smiled. This was going to be a wonderful day.
Chapter Ten
The blue carriage with her handsome prince inside sat at the curb. After giving a quick toot of the horn, Jax jumped out of the cab to wave her over. When she neared him, the muscular man pulled her tight to his hard body.
“Hey, baby. I missed you today.” His mouth descended to press an urgent kiss to her lips.
Captivated by his ardor, Ember leaned forward to give him a sweet kiss from her. “I missed you, too, Jax!”
“Will you come home with me, Ember?”
She nodded enthusiastically. “Please.”
Jax helped her up in the truck. Leaning in to fastening her seatbelt securely, he took advantage of the webbed material’s path to caress her. Ember loved feeling that he couldn’t keep his hands from her. Still, she worried he would tire of her.
When they had merged with traffic, Ember placed a hand on Jax’s thigh. “I can get myself into the truck. I love your manners, but it’s okay to skip it when we need to rush.”
Jax wrapped his fingers around hers and squeezed. “There is nothing more important than taking care of my little girl. The traffic will wait.”
Ember sat back in her chair. He means it. There had been so many kids in her family that while everyone watched out for each other, you had to be self-sufficient, too. No one had ever focused just on her.
Interrupting her thoughts, Jax asked, “Do you want to stop by your apartment first and pick up a few things?”
“You want me to stay with you?” she asked, peeking at him from the corner of her eye. Ember didn’t want to assume anything.
“I want you with me always, little girl. I just haven’t convinced you yet. The extra lock is on your door now and I put in a peephole, too. The apartment manager is a fool not to have those in every door.” Jax’s voice hardened, revealing his concern.
“Thank you, Jax. I’m sure I’ll feel safer there now.” She wanted to reassure him. His worry was palpable.
Silence filled the cab as they became lost in their thoughts. When he pulled into a parking spot a block from her house, Ember suggested, “Do you want to stay here with your truck? It won’t take long.”
“I’m not letting you out of my sight, baby. The truck was here all morning while I worked on your door. It will be fine for a few more minutes.”
She waited patiently for him to open her door and lift her to stand on the sidewalk. Jax took her right hand as they walked to her door. Looking in all directions, Jax was obviously on alert. Ember could feel the tension in his body as he held her hand securely. She realized he would risk his life to make sure she was safe.
“I’ll look for a new apartment tomorrow,” she promised. Jax just squeezed her hand and followed her up the stairs to her apartment.
A big, bright deadbolt lock and a matching peephole decorated her door. Jax handed her a keyring with her key and a new one. “Always make sure to lock both when you’re at home and at work. The lock won’t work if you don’t use it.”
“Thank you, Jax.” She took the keys and fitted the new one into the lock. It turned smoothly. Her other one had always jammed slightly, and she had to jiggle it. Ember slid the old key into the knob. When it turned freely, she looked at Jax in surprise. “You did something to this one, too.”
“Yes. It should work better as well.” Walking into her apartment, she closed the door and started to walk away.
“Ahem!”
Ember turned to look at him in surprise. “What?”
“Lock the door, Ember.”
“But you’re here and we’re going to leave soon.”
“Lock the door.” His tone was definite.
Hurrying back to the door, Ember secured both locks and rattled the doorknob to make sure. She rubbed her bottom without thinking as she walked to the closet to grab some clothes. Her gaze landed on a small bookshelf she used as a pantry. She’d been down to her last jar of peanut butter. It was stuffed full now.
“Where did all that food come from?”
“I called Texas. He ran to the store for me.”
“Did he buy everything in the store? I don’t know if I can pay him back,” she worried. She’d never have bought all these extravagant things. Look, there was a bakery bag of cookies. Holding it up to her nose, she inhaled pure butter, vanilla, and cinnamon.
“I took care of it, baby. Just indulge me. I wanted to make sure you had enough to survive.”
“Jax, that just sounds dramatic. Of course I’d survive.” She rolled her eyes as she began to open the enticing bag.
“No cookies before dinner. Grab some clothes and I’ll take you home. There’s an apple in the fridge if you’d like one,” he suggested.
“Apples?” She turned to the small apartment-sized refrigerator and opened it. “Oh. My. Goodness! How many trips did he make to the store?”
“You haven’t noticed how much Texas eats. That’s about a week’s worth of food for him,” Jax laughed before adding, “Rosie’s got you on her care list now, too. That woman’s cookies are addictive, and Tex is the worst influence. We always have to run extra miles when the captain sees him passing a bag around.”
Ember looked at him speechless before dissolving into laughter. “Your friends are amazing.” She grabbed an apple and took a big bite.
“Our friends,” Jax corrected. “Clothes, baby. I have food in the slow cooker. I don’t want it to be ash by the time we get there.” When Ember looked around for a good place to set her apple down, he held out one hand. “Give it to me.”
Within a few minutes, Ember had packed everything that she would need for several days. She only had tomorrow to work and then it was the weekend. A couple of pairs of shorts and T-shirts and she was good through Sunday.
As he started unlocking the door to leave, she asked, “Is it okay if I bring something important with me. I don’t like to leave him here alone.”
“Go get your stuffie, baby.”
“You know about Pockets?” she asked, running back to the kitchen. She twisted around the filled bookshelf and pulled out a blanket-wrapped bundle.
>
“Texas spotted him when he fixed that loose shelf. We figured you put him there for a reason,” Jax explained.
“There have been a few break-ins here. I didn’t want him to get stolen. He’s the only thing that’s super important to me.” She stood with the bundle held safely in her arms. “You’re going to think I’m silly, but this has been my best friend for a long time.”
Unwrapping the soft fabric, she revealed a stuffed kangaroo. It was well-loved with floppy ears and worn, fuzzy material. There was even a carefully repaired scar on his lower right abdomen. “Pockets and I had our appendix out at the same time. I think I’ve had him forever.”
Leaning slightly away from his body, Ember held the stuffed kangaroo in front of them. “Pockets, I want you to meet someone very important. This is Jax. He thinks he’s my daddy.”
Jax’s arm tightened around her waist. He leaned down to kiss her tenderly before addressing the stuffie. “It is very nice to meet you, Pockets.” He released her waist with one hand and gently shook the kangaroo’s paw. Ember giggled with delight as her two favorite people greeted each other.
“And I know that Ember is my little girl. I just have to finish convincing her. What’s that, Pockets?” Jax leaned in to listen to the stuffie’s secret whispers. Ember leaned close, but she only heard a jumble of sounds.
Jax straightened and looked at Ember as if the two had been talking about her. “I agree, Pockets. She is the prettiest little girl ever.”
“Daddy,” she protested in embarrassment before freezing. Had he caught that she had called him Daddy?
“Come on, baby. Let’s get home and you can show Pockets your nursery.”
“I get to go into the nursery?”
Jax winked at her and handed back the apple. “Here, eat something before we go eat something.” She dissolved in a peal of giggles as her own words came back to haunt her. Ember followed him out into the hall, holding her apple and Pockets.
As they headed to the exit, a man popped out of that ramshackle apartment across from hers. He was brandishing a knife, and his eyes were shiny bright and bouncing back and forth. “Give me your money or I’ll cut you.”
“You don’t want to threaten me,” Jax warned, pushing Ember behind him and dropping the bag to free his hands. She stood on tiptoes to watch over Jax’s broad shoulders.
“Since I’ve got the knife, seems like I can do whatever I want. Give me your money before I start carving you up.” The sneer of derision on the man’s face said it all. He didn’t have much to lose.
Shrinking back against the cold wall with Pockets held close to her heart, Ember had seen Jax automatically move into a defensive position. Now, with the threat imminent, his posture morphed again to become aggressive. While he balanced his weight to be ready for the onslaught, Ember dropped the apple to the floor. Unwilling to take her eyes from the men before her, she pulled her phone from her pocket. Desperate, she felt around until she had it unlocked and oriented the right way up. Thank goodness she had an older phone that had a distress button. Hitting the red button, she quickly talked to the dispatcher giving their location and the bare facts before ignoring the other questions to focus on the scene before her.
Ember hoped that help would arrive quickly as the man lunged forward, slashing toward Jax. She watched the flash of the light on the blade as the assailant brought the knife down. Jax’s leg kicked out to push him away. He moved fast, but never abandoned his position in front of Ember.
She realized he was creating a human shield to protect her. She moved to create more space for Jax, and her foot knocked into something. Looking down, she saw the apple. When their attacker looked away from her, Ember shoved her phone back into her pocket and grabbed the apple. With all her strength, she threw the apple as hard as she could. It struck his temple, and Ember watched him reel back in pain. Score one for the good guys!
Jax flew forward to capture his hand and force him to release the weapon. Kicking it away, he threw the man to the floor and dropped to pin him in place. “Talk to the police, baby, before I kill this man for threatening you.” The man continued to thrash below him in desperation, but Jax’s expertise held him secure. Curses filled the air as their attacker realized he had chosen the wrong victims.
A flash of bright red lights reflected on the ceiling. When heavy footsteps echoed at the entrance, she yelled, “Officers! We’re up here!”
“I have the mugger restrained, Officers,” Jax added.
Following their training, the police cautiously ascended the stairs and quickly assessed the scene as being under control. While the bad guy protested that he was the victim, Jax calmly retold the events and pointed out the knife and the condemned apartment with the police tape. While he talked, Jax kept an eye on his Little.
When her adrenaline ebbed away, Ember began shaking in reaction to the threatening events. Jax asked, “Can you take over here? I need to get to her.”
Immediately, two officers cuffed the assailant and took control. Jax jumped to his feet and pulled Ember against him. “You’re okay, baby. It’s all over.” He stroked a firm hand up and down her back as he held her close.
Clinging to him, Ember focused on the reassuring scent of Jax that filled her nostrils. She held on to Pockets desperately as she fought to control her emotions. “You’re okay?” she whispered.
“I’m fine, thanks to one little girl with a killer aim. Remind me not to give you apples anymore. I’m sure you’d like grapes just as well,” he teased to distract her. To his relief, Jax felt her body soften against him.
“I was scared,” she admitted.
“Being scared is a good thing sometimes. You were very brave, but next time, let me handle it. Okay?”
“O-Okay.”
The police separated them after a few minutes to interview both Jax and Ember. His Little flew to his side as soon as the policeman allowed her to leave. Wrapping an arm around her, Jax dropped a light kiss on her head. “I get the impression that you know that man?”
“Yeah, we’ve been looking for him. A few warrants out for his arrest. Thanks for your help.” Excusing himself, the officer rejoined the others outside and soon the parking lot was free of flashing lights.
“I don’t want to come back here, Daddy.”
“Done. The team will move you to my house tomorrow,” Jax decided firmly.
“I could get another apartment,” she suggested, looking away.
“Nope. I want you and Pockets with me. I’ve been very lonely.”
“I don’t want you to be lonely,” she answered softly.
“Come on, baby. Let’s go home. You have to be starving by now. You didn’t even get to eat before eating!” he joked as he picked up her small bag and ushered Ember from the building.
Chapter Eleven
“Food first,” Jax declared when they entered his house. He led her to the kitchen where he quickly gathered a few colorful sheets from the countertop. After tucking the paper and a set of paints into a cabinet, Jax uncovered a chair in the corner. She watched carefully as he pulled it to the table, before inviting her, “Come sit down, baby.”
“That’s beautiful,” she marveled, running her hand over the carved wood. Looking up at Jax, she asked, “Why do I sit in this chair?”
“I made this one for my Little. No one has ever sat in it since I finished it. Try it out for me,” he urged.
Nodding eagerly, Ember turned and sat in the chair. She wiggled on the seat. It was large and comfortable. “I like it,” she complimented him.
“Arms up,” he directed. When she complied, Jax slid the tray into place. Stepping back, he smiled at the picture she made in the highchair.
As she explored the tray with her fingers, Jax opened the cabinet to pull out a box of animal cookies. “No telling the guys in my squad, but I love these. Let’s have a few.” To his delight, Ember swore she’d never tell as he poured out a few on her tray. Snagging a fat elephant, he opened another cabinet to find a few soup
cans.
“I don’t like soup with vegetables,” Ember informed him helpfully.
“Vegetables are good for a little girl. How about potato soup?”
“Aren’t potatoes a vegetable?” she asked cautiously.
“Nope. Potatoes are a starch. That’s totally different.”
While she pondered that, he opened two cans and dumped them into a microwaveable bowl. While it heated, Jax poured a large glass of milk and filled a sippy cup as well. Snapping on the top, he set the cup on her tray.
Eagerly, she picked it up and took a big drink from the spout. Affectionately, Jax leaned over to kiss her head. “Good girl!”
“I’m in a highchair, aren’t I?” she asked, setting the cup down on the tray and pushing it with her index finger to watch it wobble.
“Yes.” He watched her studiously avoid looking at him. Brushing a hand over her head, he tugged on her thick braid.
She glanced up at him in response. “You made this?”
“I did. I made several pieces of furniture for my little girl whenever I found her.”
“You’ve been looking for her for a long time.”
“I’m not looking anymore. I found my perfect Little,” he assured her.
“You think I’m your Little.”
“Yes.” The beeping microwave interrupted, and he turned to remove the bowl. After stirring it up and tasting it for warmth, Jax carried it over to the table. Grabbing two fresh spoons and some crackers, he added those to the table before sitting next to her.
“Baby, the military routinely tests us all the time for diseases. I’m clean. Have you ever been tested?”
Ember nodded slowly. “My last boyfriend cheated on me with... with a bunch of people. I went to the health department, where I could be tested as cheaply as possible. Everything was fine.”
“When was that?” Jax probed.
“Two years ago.”
“You haven’t been intimate with anyone since?”
“No. I was pretty anti-boyfriend for a long time,” she admitted.
“I would have been as well. Jerk.”