Page 69 of Fierce-Jax

It’s not like it was all the time. Just one to two times a week she and Jax grabbed dinner after work. She was home an hour or so later than normal, but her mother was feeding Gianna dinner those nights.

“I will show you my house,” he said. “It’s nothing fancy.”

Not the first time he’d said that.

She didn’t want him to feel like he couldn’t measure up.

She’d had that problem with Alec too once he found out her background and who her father was.

The comments that he would be paying off his student loans for half his life weren’t ever lost on her.

She wouldn’t apologize for not having that debt, but she never flaunted it.

She never accepted crazy gifts or help from her parents because she didn’t want anyone to know.

“I don’t care about those things,” she said. “You didn’t even know who I was before so don’t make it about that now.”

He reached his hand over in his SUV and laid it on hers. “Sorry. I’m not really. Just that it’s not big like yours or in a gated community. We were middle class growing up, but I never wanted for anything. My parents took care of a lot of our education too, so we had little loans, but it’s not like I had what you did.”

“Jax, I don’t need to be with someone who is going to doubt their self-worth. I mean it. We said we were going to be honest with each other and this is me. I’ve had a hard enough time getting myself to date again. I’ve always hidden who my father was so someone could get to know me. Then you add the fact I’ve got a child and there is that worry someone doesn’t want to deal with a kid.”

“Stop right there,” he said. “I’m sorry. I will not lie and say it’s a little daunting. I’ve never thought I wasn’t good enough for a woman so this is just new for me. I’ve dated women who have a higher earning potential than me and never thought much of it. I’ve got a good job.”

“You have a great job and do awesome things for the community. I don’t look at money and rate people. I didn’t think you did either.”

“I don’t,” he said. “But other people might look at you as stepping down being with me.”

“Fuck them,” she said, lifting her chin. His head whipped around quickly to look at her, the shock evident. “What? You didn’t think I swore?”

“I had no clue,” he said. “But sure the heck didn’t think you’d say that.”

“I have a bit of a temper on me,” she said. “I don’t let people see it often, but it’s there and I’ll let it go if I have to.”

“Noted,” he said, grinning.

“I know you’re the same way,” she said. “You let people closest to you see it when it concerns those you love.”

“That’s right,” he said. “I’m very protective of those I love.”

“The same,” she said. “Maybe that is why the Fierces think we’d get along so well.”

They both laughed after that.

She needed to lighten the mood between them before she met his parents and brother-in-law and saw Roni again.

No Eli today, as he was with his father.

Which meant the child buffer wasn’t in play.

“They’ve been right,” he said. “But we already knew that.”

“I’m sure they are going to corner one of us to find out if we’ve gone on a date,” she said. “What are we going to say there?”

“I’m not lying,” he said. “We haven’t lied yet since she didn’t ask us direct questions. But if she asks me, I’m saying yes, we have. I’m not volunteering more than I have to, but will answer honestly.”

“Then I’ll do the same,” she said. “And keep you informed.”

He nodded his head and then turned onto a street with nice well-maintained homes.