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"Nico--"

"I’ll call a service, have a car pick you up"

I closed ing with hiood It’d been a feeeks since I’d seen hie"

"Thirtyup

Setting the handset back into its cradle, I hurried to get ready

IT WAS CREEPING past four in thewhen I arrived at Nico’s apartment complex He’d called a fewon the sideaiting for me when I pulled up Dressed in sweats with a shadow of stubble on his jaw, he looked a bit dangerous in that bad-boy way so ravitated toward

God knew Jax’s alpha-male qualities could putfro his arood to see you"

"No, it’s not" I bumped my hip into his and ht"

"I got ood"

"Gross TMI" He was such a player Always had been "Is she anyone special?"

"Not in a serious way Got no time for a relationship now My hands are full with Rossi’s Two"

He released h to the interior courtyard I’d been to his apartment coht Too quiet and unfaot lonely without the rest of us It made me sad to think of it

"I wish you had someone to take care of you," I said

"You first," he retorted, deftly bringing it back to ood at that

We climbed exterior steps to his apartment Once inside, I saw that he hadn’t done much more to it since he’d moved in It was a typical bachelor pad--sparse on decoration and laid out for coe flat-screen TV do room, which had a black leather couch and love seat, coffee table and one end table with an open soda can on it Light spilled into the otherwise darkened roo valiantly to compensate for the lack of table and floor la me as I dropped onto the couch "Vincent owes ?" I would’ve thrown a sofa pillow at him if he’d had any "You bet on Jax?"

"Bet on you" He sat on the love seat, setting onzo over you, whichon you or run scared I figured he’d run, then couy, but he’s a s no or you wouldn’t be here"

"Maybe I just wanted to see you," I argued "God knohy"

"Maybe," he said in a tone that told s flew "You still love hiainst the sofa, and I closed my tired eyes "Yeah Da from?"

"He’s confused"

"Should I smack hihed softly "God, I miss you"

WE SLEPT PAST NOON, went out to eat, then sat on the couch and played video ga the controller I left my smartphone in my purse, powered off and squashed any ielo and Vincent about where I’d be With Lei off the grid for the weekend, there was no one else who needed to reach me before Monday

When it caot up off the couch with him

"Need an extra set of Rossi hands?" I asked

He grinned "Sure I have an extra T-shirt around here so out at Rossi’s and re how much I loved the hands-on part of the business I couldn’t do it long-ter out every now and then was good for my soul Dressed in jeans and a black Rossi’s T-shirt with my hair pulled back in a ponytail, I could alh school I didn’t know any of the custo in, but they quickly picked up on e part to the playful ribbing we indulged in

Crossing my arms on the bar, I leaned over and teased, "Where’s in’ I’m waitin’"

"Ya hear that?" he asked the pretty redhead sitting in front of hie that raised the hairs on my nape an instant before I felt a hand on my hip I turned , I stared, drinking in the sight of him in jeans and a Rossi’s T-shirt froo It twisted ift And worn it so by how broken in it was

"Jax What are you doing here?"

"What do you think?" He smiled

Damn it His dimple threwback on the bar withmy shoe onto the brass foot rail It was a deliberately provocative pose and gotfor

His dark eyes sweptto rest on my mouth "Have dinner with me"

"Okay"

His brows rose at my quick reply

"Order up," Nico said behind me

I turned back to hie Jax with a jerk of his chin and a handshake

"Jackson,"to Gianna about kicking your ass"