Page 63 of Fierce-Jax

“I’ll always be honest with you. Never doubt that for one minute. And yes,” he whispered. “It was the most wonderful night of my life. Not to be cheesy or anything, but there you go.”

She leaned into his hand. “Good thing I finally pushed you, huh? Just think of how much longer we could have been waiting for this if I left it up to you.”

20

FEEL SO GOOD ABOUT MYSELF

“Your boyfriend spent the night I see,” her father said the minute she walked into her parents’ backdoor.

Dillion looked around like a deer in the headlights with a tractor-trailer bearing down on her to see if her daughter was anywhere within hearing.

“Where’s Gianna?”

It was ten, and Jax had left about thirty minutes ago. Plenty enough time for them to eat breakfast, race to her room and fling their clothes off fast, then clean the kitchen, her kissing him full of more to come as he walked out her door.

“She’s playing with your mother in the front room,” her father said.

“To keep her away so I could get a lecture?” she asked, lifting her chin. “I’m thirty-three years old and have a four-year-old daughter. I’m not a virgin, Dad.”

Dylan closed one eye at her, the frown not leaving his face. If anything, it only got deeper. “Don’t remind me.”

She laughed and walked over to pat his cheek.

She felt too light and happy this morning for anything to get her down. “Be happy for me,” she said. “Jax is a great guy.”

“So your mother has reminded me by the way you’ve been acting. I think you’ve been avoiding me though.”

“As if you’d let me avoid you for long,” she said. “I know it was your idea to put pressure on Mom for me to pick Gianna up this morning.”

Her father snorted. “It got you here. What’s wrong with me wanting to see with my own eyes if my daughter is okay?”

“Nothing,” she said. “As you can tell I’m doing great. Dad, I appreciate the concern. I do. Jax is not Alec.”

“Thank God for that,” Dylan said. “But I’ll be the judge.”

“Judge all you want when you get to meet him. They have completely distinct personalities. They are nothing alike. He’s sweet and nice and...just makes me feel so good about myself. I can’t even put it into words. Can’t that be enough for now?”

“Yes,” her mother said, coming into the room. “It can be. You’re absolutely glowing on top of it.”

“I’m leaving,” her father said. “I can’t be in here if you talk like that.”

She laughed when her father exited the room to go toward the front of the house. He was either going to his office or to see Gianna.

“What’s Gianna doing?” she asked.

“Watching a movie,” her mother said. “That should give us about ten minutes before she comes looking for me and knows you’re here.”

“You didn’t tell her I was on the way?”

“And give up a chance to see how your night went?” her mother asked. “No way. Coffee?”

“Sure,” she said. “I could use another.”

Her mother turned to get a few cups down and Dillion got the creamer out of the fridge.

“I wasn’t lying when I said you were glowing. I take it it went well.”

She walked to the hallway to make sure her father wasn’t within hearing distance. Her parents' house was bigger than hers and only one story so that made everything spread out much more.