fresh-fallen snow. Warm as fuck. She was one pair of jeans and one pair of whatever she was wearing away from riding him, and his balls would probably never forgive him for not mounting up. But for the first time in his life, something more tugged at him. He wanted to know her. Wanted to bask in all that sunshine, to enjoy the innocence before he took that, along with her body.
A lock of hair had fallen in her face. No doubt his fault after dragging his fingers through the strands, so he pushed it back. Almost kissed her again. “I tell you what, Colorado. Let’s spend the day together because we want to. I’ll try not to want you so hard that I forget to see the desert through your eyes, every damned moment of it, and if you’re not sick of me when it’s over, I’ll take you back to my room or you can take me back to yours.”
One of her eyebrows lifted. That strand of hair bounded loose and caressed her cheek, making him want to do it all over again. “And then what?” she asked.
He grinned. “Then you’ll find out firsthand what happens in Vegas.”
Chapter Six
Ellie almost shook with nerves. She wasn’t sure if she’d been rejected or propositioned, but it didn’t matter. The day wasn’t over, and in fact, Jax had just asked her to spend it with him.
In. The. Desert.
“If you’d rather stay on the strip, I understand. I know you came here for…the convention.” His voice, so husky even with such ordinary words leaving his lips, mired her further under his spell.
She shook her head. The haze was still there. Better yet, he was there, hot as sin, sweet as honey. Someone with his rough edges shouldn’t be so playful, so ready to smile. “The city will be there tonight,” she said. “It’s not quite as interesting without the neon.” A conclusion that had found her as she stood in her hotel room, staring at the streets below. Waiting for him to reply to her text.
And what convention? She could not care less. Not as long as Wolverine remained an option.
“But you don’t know me,” he said, “and going off grid isn’t in the safety handbook.”
She looked up, surprised.
He laughed. “I figured if you weren’t into walking the strip alone, an excursion to the desert might wave a red flag or two. I probably shouldn’t have asked, but what you said about the mountains…that’s how I feel out there. I want to share it with you.”
She averted her eyes for the briefest moment before zeroing in on him. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yes, but I’m telling a friend where I’m going. And with whom.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” He pulled his security ID from his pocket and handed it to her. “Take a picture and send it to your friend.”
Ellie accepted the tag and grinned. Or maybe combusted. Even staring straight-faced at the camera, he was smoking hot. The eyes…they were incredible. Taylor would lose her mind.
Ellie probably already had.
“You know,” he said, “if you looked at me like that—actual me, not just a picture of me—I’d be a goner.”
“I was just thinking the same thing,” she said. “But don’t think I haven’t been.”
His brow lifted. A grin touched his lips.
Her stomach dipped, roller coaster style. She shook it off, or at least pretended she could, and snapped a picture of the ID. As she handed him back the card, she asked, “Where are we headed?”
“Valley of Fire,” he said. “It’s just up I-15 north, less than an hour out of the city. Exit seventy-five.”
She tapped out her message and hit send. “If I end up on Dateline, I’m going to haunt you.”
“Got a feeling you’re going to haunt me anyway, Colorado.”
“That’s not comforting,” she said. But it was. God, it was.
They left her room. She pulled shut the door, then he took her hand. Why did that simple gesture have to feel so good? Why did a guy she was destined to know for three days, tops, have to be so thoughtful?
And she…hadn’t been at all
A lock of hair had fallen in her face. No doubt his fault after dragging his fingers through the strands, so he pushed it back. Almost kissed her again. “I tell you what, Colorado. Let’s spend the day together because we want to. I’ll try not to want you so hard that I forget to see the desert through your eyes, every damned moment of it, and if you’re not sick of me when it’s over, I’ll take you back to my room or you can take me back to yours.”
One of her eyebrows lifted. That strand of hair bounded loose and caressed her cheek, making him want to do it all over again. “And then what?” she asked.
He grinned. “Then you’ll find out firsthand what happens in Vegas.”
Chapter Six
Ellie almost shook with nerves. She wasn’t sure if she’d been rejected or propositioned, but it didn’t matter. The day wasn’t over, and in fact, Jax had just asked her to spend it with him.
In. The. Desert.
“If you’d rather stay on the strip, I understand. I know you came here for…the convention.” His voice, so husky even with such ordinary words leaving his lips, mired her further under his spell.
She shook her head. The haze was still there. Better yet, he was there, hot as sin, sweet as honey. Someone with his rough edges shouldn’t be so playful, so ready to smile. “The city will be there tonight,” she said. “It’s not quite as interesting without the neon.” A conclusion that had found her as she stood in her hotel room, staring at the streets below. Waiting for him to reply to her text.
And what convention? She could not care less. Not as long as Wolverine remained an option.
“But you don’t know me,” he said, “and going off grid isn’t in the safety handbook.”
She looked up, surprised.
He laughed. “I figured if you weren’t into walking the strip alone, an excursion to the desert might wave a red flag or two. I probably shouldn’t have asked, but what you said about the mountains…that’s how I feel out there. I want to share it with you.”
She averted her eyes for the briefest moment before zeroing in on him. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yes, but I’m telling a friend where I’m going. And with whom.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” He pulled his security ID from his pocket and handed it to her. “Take a picture and send it to your friend.”
Ellie accepted the tag and grinned. Or maybe combusted. Even staring straight-faced at the camera, he was smoking hot. The eyes…they were incredible. Taylor would lose her mind.
Ellie probably already had.
“You know,” he said, “if you looked at me like that—actual me, not just a picture of me—I’d be a goner.”
“I was just thinking the same thing,” she said. “But don’t think I haven’t been.”
His brow lifted. A grin touched his lips.
Her stomach dipped, roller coaster style. She shook it off, or at least pretended she could, and snapped a picture of the ID. As she handed him back the card, she asked, “Where are we headed?”
“Valley of Fire,” he said. “It’s just up I-15 north, less than an hour out of the city. Exit seventy-five.”
She tapped out her message and hit send. “If I end up on Dateline, I’m going to haunt you.”
“Got a feeling you’re going to haunt me anyway, Colorado.”
“That’s not comforting,” she said. But it was. God, it was.
They left her room. She pulled shut the door, then he took her hand. Why did that simple gesture have to feel so good? Why did a guy she was destined to know for three days, tops, have to be so thoughtful?
And she…hadn’t been at all
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