Page 85 of Fierce-Jax

“I’m glad,” he said. He pulled her close. “I’m not sure if you want to hear this, but I need to say it.”

She was smiling at him, her eyes a little misty. If it wasn’t for the smile, he’d probably lose his nerve. “I think I do want to hear it.”

He laughed and leaned down to kiss her. “I think I fell in love with you before I even asked you on that first date.”

She pinched his side. “Who asked who?”

“Fine,” he said. “Before I was given a few pushes to get the ball rolling. But I was afraid to do it. I saw myself falling for you and knew it’d hurt worse than anything else if you didn’t feel the same way.”

And it’s not as if she returned how she felt just now. He hoped the fluttering in his stomach was hunger and not nausea that he was moving too fast and she’d want to step back.

“You didn’t need to worry,” she said. “I know I don’t act as if I’m all old fashioned, but when it came to you, I was. Could be that I just didn’t want to put myself out there and feared the rejection too. It’s been so hard to let someone into my life. It’s not just me. It’s Gianna too. But you’ve made it so much easier than I thought it’d be.”

“Good thing for the Fierce women,” he said, kissing her.

“Good thing,” she said. “Without them, I’m not sure how long it would have been before we landed here and I’d get to tell you I love you.”

Jax let out a breath. “Thank God you feel the same way.”

“You haven’t told me you love me, just that you were falling in love,” she said. “I wouldn’t mind hearing it if it’s how you feel.”

“It’s how I feel,” he whispered. “I love you too.”

She hugged him tighter and then turned when they heard Gianna’s steps on the stairs. She didn’t move quietly.

He thought Dillion would step out of his arms, but she didn’t, just turned her head.

Gianna came around the corner.

“Jax, you’re still here!” Gianna shouted and ran toward him, her arms hitting his legs for a hug too.

“I am,” he said. “I’m making pancakes. Do you like them?”

“I love them,” Gianna said. “I’m going to eat three of them.”

Dillion stepped out of his arms and picked her daughter up. “I think I’m going to eat three of them too,” she said. “But Jax has only made four so far. Guess he needs to get to work.”

“Get to work,” Gianna said, clapping her hands. “You need to feed us.”

He laughed over Gianna’s bossy attitude. Got that from her mother that he was seeing signs of. Like earlier this week at his house during lunch. “Yes, ma’am,” he said.

“I’m hungry,” Gianna said. “Can I eat now?”

“You can,” she said. Dillion brought her daughter to her booster seat at the table off to the side, then grabbed a plate and put one pancake on it to cut up. “Do you want milk or juice?”

“Milk, please,” Gianna said.

Jax had four more pancakes poured and was ready to flip by the time Gianna was eating the one already on her plate.

“Go eat,” he said.

“I’ll wait for you,” she said, cutting up another one.

“Is that for you?”

She squinted one eye at him. “No. This way I’m ready for her when she wants another and we can all be sitting at the table eating together.”

Like a family, but he didn’t say that.