The Dangerous Curves Series

Chapter 78

“Can we reschedule?” Naomi dug deep to be cool. “Maybe for tomorrow?”

“Sure. Should we come to the center?” Sarah asked.

Naomi almost sagged in relief that she’d be away from Curves. Or any bar. “Yes, that would be great. I could go over some of my budget proposals, and show you some plans for expansion.”

“You have all that ready?” King said.

“Yes. I have a five-year plan.” She took a deep breath. “But with your help, I may be able to accomplish much of it in just one year.”

“Great,” Jax said. “So tomorrow. Maybe at noon?”

“Oh, no,” Sarah said. “I have physical therapy until noon, remember. Maybe one o’clock?”

“Perfect.” Naomi shook hands all around, avoiding King’s intense stare, and then shot out the door.

They all sat down again, and King rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. “She seems nice,” he said casually.

“You think?” Jax said, amused.

“Yeah. Cute little thing, huh?”

Sarah and Jax burst into laughter. King looked offended.

“What?” he said.

“Oh, King, come on.” Jax shook his head. “She’s a normal kind of woman. Smart, professional, not walking around the city half-naked. Doesn’t pack heat to go to work, probably can’t bust your nose with the palm of her hand. Though I admit I’d be intrigued to see her try.”

“So?”

“So. All that means that she’s not your type, man.”

King c****d his head at Jax, and smirked. “Didn’t stop you, now did it?”

Sarah laughed again. “He’s got you there, babe.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Jax glared at King mockingly. “So are you going to go after the cute blonde in the business suit?”

“Dunno. She kind of looked at me like I terrified her, don’t you think?”

“That’s for damn sure.” Sarah grinned. “I thought she was going to pass out when you joined us.”

King looked down at himself, at his forearms covered in muscles and tattoos, at his worn jeans and tight black t-shirt, at his motorcycle boots. “Too much?”

“Yeah, man,” Jax said. “You’re much too much for a woman like that.”

“Yeah.” King sighed. “You’re probably right. Dammit.”

****

At his house, Jax opened Sarah’s door, helped her out of the truck. She winced when her right foot hit the ground, and she swayed a bit. Jax steadied her until she recovered, wishing for the millionth time that it was him struggling with these basic things.

“OK, baby?” he said.

“Yeah. Thanks.”

“Come on. Let’s get you inside.”

He put his arm around her and helped her into the house. She moved slowly, really focusing on her balance. It was getting better, but when she was tired or she got distracted, she lost her center of gravity so easily and quickly, it stunned her.

Good God. For almost twenty-five years, I just got up and walked. Never thought about it, never even noticed it. Now it takes every ounce of my concentration to stay vertical, and move in a straight line.

She got herself up the stairs and into the living room, and that was where her strength finally gave out.

“Jax…”

Knowing that she’d hit her limit, he grabbed her, and swung her up into his arms. She sighed and rested her head against his chest, loving being close to him.

He lay Sarah down on the sofa, then stretched out next to her. His weight pressed down on her as he kissed her, and she closed her eyes as the now-familiar sense of ‘I’ve done this before’ slowly came to her.

She pulled away. “Have we done this before? I mean... here? On this sofa?”

His eyes lit up, and she thrilled to see it. When he got this look, it was the clearest sign that she had just remembered something that really meant something to him.

“Yeah.” Jax ran his hands over her hips. “On our third date, you cooked for me, and while dinner was in the oven, I picked you up and brought you over here. We spent some time on the sofa, just having some fun.”

“What did we do?” she asked, suddenly breathless as sensations rolled over her skin.

“You want me to show you?” He was only half-joking.

“I think I know…”

“Do you now?”

“It involved that wicked mouth of yours, didn’t it?”

“Uh-huh. Yours, too.”

“God, I remember.”

Their eyes met and locked, hot and blazing with pent-up desire. Although they shared a bed, they hadn’t been naked together since Sarah had come out of her coma.