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“Hey!” he squirms, then giggles in a high-pitched tone. “That’s not a padd—hehehehe!”

I grin as I tickle up and down his abdomen, watching him writhe, enjoying this far too much. “What, you don’t like this?”

“Hehehe—it’s not what I exp—hehehe!”

“Well, I don’t hear a safe word, so I guess I’ll keep going,” I tease.

“Aw, shit, what was the—hehehe!”

I keep moving the feather over his body, making sure I givehim moments of respite to breathe, while Jax struggles to remember the ridiculous safe word I gave him. Suddenly, the doorbell rings.

I pause. “Who could that be?”

Jax slumps against the bed, breath coming in short gasps. “What?”

The doorbell rings again. “Might be something important,” I say.

He licks his lips. “Yeah, I should probably get that. Can you let me go?”

I oblige, removing the blindfold and unlocking his restraints. He sits up, rubbing his wrists and giving me a frustrated glare. I bite my lip against a smile, then let him leave the room before hastily packing my things and following him.

I meet him at the door just as he’s picking up a large gift basket.

“Weird, I didn’t order anything,” he mutters, his brow furrowed as he steps inside and closes the door with his foot.

“Who’s it from?” I ask, my heart pounding in my ears.

“Don’t know.” Jax carries the basket to the kitchen table and fishes out the envelope attached to the side before ripping it open. His face blanches.

“Who’s it from, Jax?” I repeat louder, trying to sound like a jilted lover.

Jax ignores me, dropping the letter to inspect the basket closer.

I pick up the letter and read it aloud: “‘I’m not too chicken to profess my feelings for you! This is just the beginning of our egg-cellent homestead. Keep these warm like you do my heart! E

As I finish the last sentence, Jax lifts a towel to reveal a clutch of speckled brown eggs nestled in straw.

“What the hell? Who is ‘E’? You’re screwing around on me!” I accuse with my best appalled expression.

“I have no idea what’s going on!” he shouts, shoulders around his ears.

I slap the letter to his chest, then turn on my heel and walk away. “I thought I was the only person you’re seeing!”

Jax is right behind me. “I swear, I have no idea who gave this to me!”

“Yeah, right.” I shove my feet into my shoes, then pull the door open “Well, I hope whoever they are you two have a nice life together.”

“Mariah!” he calls after me as I walk quickly away, but doesn’t follow.

It isn’t until I’m around the corner of his building and I see Ellie waiting in our escape vehicle that I breathe. She greets me with her trademark fist-clench-and-squeal as I jump in the passenger side.

“Go, go, go!” I slap the dash like we’re fleeing a bank robbery.

“Woooo!” Ellie howls, raising a fist as we peel out of the parking lot, home free.

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Int. James’s Apartment (Cont’d)