Font Size
Line Height

Page 4 of Fierce-Jax (Fierce Matchmaking #18)

SLAMMED INTO THE FRIEND ZONE

“ H ey there, big brother.”

Jax turned before he could get on the elevator to go to his floor.

“Roni,” he said to his sister. “What are you doing here?”

“Coming over to meet with new tenants on this floor.”

“Dr. Patrick?” he asked.

“No,” Roni said, frowning. “She’s not new. She was one of the first ones here. We’ve got an insurance firm going in on the other side. How do you know Dr. Patrick?”

He held his hand up. “Just went to see her,” he said. “This was driving me nuts. Thankfully I got in quickly.”

Roni grabbed his hand and pulled it closer. “That looks annoying.”

“Very,” he said. “And itchy as all hell. I’ve tried everything on it and nothing made it go away completely.”

“What did Dillion say?”

“Dillion?” he asked.

“Well, I’m not a patient and I’ve talked to her a few times. I’m on a first-name basis with most people,” Roni said, grinning. “Did you know it was a woman when you went?”

“No,” he said.

He wasn’t going to admit his shock when she came in.

Nor his reaction to how stunning she was.

Light brown hair that was falling past her shoulders in some loose waves and layers.

Her eyes were a unique shade of hazel. He’d bet anything that they changed colors with what she was wearing.

She had a lab coat on but was dressed in black pants and a peach and black sweater.

Roni smiled. “She’s nice. I remember when I first read the name I thought it was a guy too. I was surprised it was a woman and one so young. She bought that practice less than a year ago.”

“Oh?” he asked. His sister would have some good information for him. She always researched the occupants in the buildings.

“She’s been practicing a few years, I think. She worked for someone else and bought the practice when he retired. She didn’t buy the building he was in and opted to come here for the location and hoped to expand on her services.”

“It is a great location,” he said.

“She’s one of those practices that doesn’t only treat skin conditions but offers beauty treatments too.”

“Hope no one thought I was going there for that,” he said, laughing.

“I doubt it,” Roni said. “But think of the number of people in this building when it’s filled and the other one a mile away. Many could slip in quickly for some Botox or other things they do. I saw the menu of services. They offer products and scrubs and facials.”

“Sounds like a gift from Trent,” he said. “Do I need to slyly put a good word in for it?”

“No woman would ever turn down a gift like that,” she said, laughing. “And I need to get a move on. I’ll stop up and see you when I’m done. I want to look around and see if there is anything anyone needs. They know to call me, right?”

“They know,” he said. “But they don’t know you’re my sister. Not sure if you want that as public knowledge.”

Her head went back and forth. “Does it matter?”

“Not to me, but it might to you,” he said. “They might feel they can call you for stupid shit if there are problems.”

“Or ask me all these personal things about you,” Roni said, wiggling her eyebrows. “Like if you’re single.”

He inhaled and let it out. “I never get involved with anyone I work with. It’s too messy and would give me and my agency a bad reputation.”

“I understand,” she said. “Many people feel the same way. Unless their last name is Fierce.”

“Which worked for you,” he said.

His sister had fallen prey to the Fierce matchmaking. More like interference, but it still worked.

If Roni wasn’t so thrilled with her new husband, he’d say it was a joke.

But since everyone the Fierces had talked to or touched with their plans was working out beautifully, he started to wonder how funny it was.

“It did,” Roni said. “Even with me fighting it. Sometimes you just can’t fight it all in life.”

“I’ll take my chances at being slammed into the friend zone again, thank you very much.”

Roni laughed and ran her hand on his arm. “You’re too nice.”

“Says every woman I try to date,” he said.

Which was why he was cooling off some now.

He had a big ego when it came to his career.

But women, yeah. He always lacked confidence there.

Could go back to all the girl friends he’d had.

The ones who were nice and sweet to him and he’d fall for them in school. They’d lead him on so that he’d think it’d be more.

The minute he’d ask if they were interested in going on a date, it’d turn awkward, and he’d be told he was such a good friend.

Heard loud and clear by the time he got to college.

He didn’t even want to count the times he did date someone for them to say they weren’t feeling it for more than friendship.

Since when was being nice, friendly, and considerate of another’s feelings a negative to a woman?

“Stop,” Roni said. “I think you’re great. You can’t help being who you are. It’s why you went for social work too.”

“Another thing women don’t find sexy,” he said.

He’d never been nerdy in his eyes.

Not even in the women’s eyes he did date. They always said his looks didn’t match his personality.

That never made much sense to him.

He played sports in school.

Hung out with just about everyone. Jocks. Cool kids. Smart kids. Even the rejects.

He got along with everyone .

Never caused problems unless he was breaking up fights or trying to stick up for someone being bullied.

His size meant he didn’t usually have a bully turning on him.

And if they did, he brushed it off. When a bully can’t get a reaction, they moved on.

But he could never find that one person to call his own.

No matter how many times he wanted it and thought he had or could get it, it was always the same thing.

He was too nice.

He never lost his cool.

He was the furthest thing from a bad boy. He’d even had one ex try to get him to role-play into one.

Yeah, he ended that relationship quickly.

“You don’t need to care about women,” Roni said. “You need to only care about the woman . Just one. The one for you. She’s out there.”

“If you say so,” he said. “For now, I’m going to focus on what I know and do best.”

“Work,” Roni said. “I know. Been there and done that. Don’t continue though.”

He closed one eye at her. “You’re going to be late meeting your client. You don’t want to get in trouble with your bosses.”

She laughed. “Almost impossible with them. You know... if you want to find someone.”

“Don’t even go there,” he said. “I don’t need anyone matching me up.”

“We’ve all said the same thing and yet... look at us now.”

She did have a point.

“Bye,” he said, hitting the button on the elevator. Luck was on his side that it opened immediately and he could halt this conversation.

What he couldn’t halt were the butterflies in his stomach over Dr. Patrick’s touch on his body.

Not just his hand, but his back when she was spreading lotion.

Even through her glove, he felt a heat he’d been missing in his life.

Guess he’d have to continue to go on missing it for now.