Page 8 of Fierce-Jax (Fierce Matchmaking #18)

THE LEAST HE COULD DO

“ F ancy running into you here,” Jax said to Dillion the following Wednesday.

They’d both pulled into the parking lot at the same time. It was as empty as it usually was but for the exception of a few cars that looked to be part of the construction crew since they were parked next to Kennedy Construction vehicles.

She laughed. “I was thinking the same thing,” she said.

Now that he knew she drove a silver Mercedes, he’d be looking for it more, he was sure.

Maybe it was better not to know that so he didn’t look as if he was stalking her.

“And it appears as if you’re the one bringing in food for your staff today. Do you need help?”

She walked around to the passenger side, then bent in and he’d seen the cake box. Her shoulder bag was flopping against her body.

“Are you just returning the favor?” she asked nicely.

“I am,” he said. “Which do you want me to carry? That cake looks good.”

She pushed the cake toward him and hitched her bag up better on her shoulder.

“It’s one of my PA's birthday. I like to bring a cake in for the staff. Their choice of flavor.”

He glanced down at the white frosted cake with Happy Birthday Noelle on it. “What kind is this?”

“Chocolate with peanut butter and raspberry filling.”

“Double dose there,” he said. “Chocolate and peanut butter and peanut butter and jelly. It’s as if she couldn’t decide what she wanted.”

Her jaw dropped. “That’s what I said. It’s like my daughter having to wear mismatched socks all the time. I don’t understand the fashion statement, but there are worse things in life to argue about than that.”

He snorted. “I learned that with my nephew. He’s eight and black socks with sandals make me cringe. In my day, only grandparents wore socks and sandals.”

“Tell me about it,” she said. He pulled the door to the building open for her and held it while she walked ahead of him.

She had a dress on today. Green and cotton, long enough to go to her calves, but she had brown boots on under it. Her eyes were still blue with the blue jacket she was wearing, but he’d bet they’d switch to green once the jacket was off.

“I feel so old at times,” he said. “Which stinks because how am I going to feel when I’m actually old?”

“I can’t think that way,” she said. “I brought my daughter to a birthday party this weekend and watched the other mothers acting like they’d just gotten out of high school. Granted, they are younger than me, or I’m assuming. I shouldn’t judge, but it’s hard not to with the way they behaved.”

“I see it in the office. There is a clear line between age groups and behavior,” he said. “But as I tell my HR staff, if you can’t fix it, don’t bitch. Just accept it.”

“I like that thinking,” she said. “Pretty sure that is how I’ve adapted my thinking with Gianna. And I’m sorry, I talk about my daughter a lot and shouldn’t.”

They got to the elevator, the doors opened and they stepped in, him hitting the number three. He’d carry the cake in for her as she’d done his bag last week.

It was the least he could do.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “I like kids. I spend a lot of time with my nephew. My sister was a single mother for years. Well, she has shared custody with her ex, but she’s married now.

I still like to take Eli when I can. I don’t get him as much now because Eli likes having Trent around as his stepdad. ”

“Which is a great thing for Eli and your sister, but maybe not so great for Uncle Jax,” she said, smiling.

It was the first time that was voiced and it hit him hard how true it was.

“No,” he said.

The elevator door opened much faster than he would have liked.

“I can take that now if you want?”

“I have to give you door-to-door service like you did me,” he said, grinning.

“I’m going to let you,” she said.

He was pretty sure his smile was matching hers and he wished he had the courage to ask her for a drink or dinner.

The only problem was, he didn’t want to find out he’d be nothing more than a friend.

Wishing or wondering was better than the answer if it was an answer he didn’t want to hear.

Jax was getting in his head more than he ever had before and hated it but couldn’t seem to turn the dial back.

They got to her suite, she pulled her keys out and unlocked the door, then punched in the alarm code. He didn’t have an alarm in his office and wasn’t sure he wanted it. Too many people coming in at different times that could set it off if they forgot.

“Where do you want this?” he asked.

“I’ll take it now,” she said, her hands reaching for the box, their fingers touching, and the heat he’d felt when he’d been here as a patient was the same.

He hadn’t imagined it and he almost wished he had, as it would add to his other thoughts of not having the courage to ask her out.

She lifted the box out of his hands and he said the stupidest thing for a guy who was great with words. “Good thing the rash is gone. I would hate to give it to you.”

She let out a little laugh. “I wouldn’t have minded. I might know a thing or two about curing it,” she said.

A touch of heat filled his cheeks and he had to get the hell out of there. “Have a great day,” he said.

“You too,” she said after her smile dropped.

He wasn’t sure what that was about and didn’t want to stay and find out.

He returned to the hall and waited for the elevator. This time there was a woman in it when he got in and hit the button to his floor.

“You’re Jax Hollister, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” he said, turning to the woman. “I’m sorry, have we met?”

“No.” She put her hand out. “I’m Paisley. I work on the ninth floor but was trying to find a new job. I saw that you had an opening in your accounting department. I looked at your website to get an idea of the business and who everyone was. I saw your picture and recognized you.”

Now he was in his element.

His confidence bell was ringing.

In five seconds he liked that she knew who he was, was outspoken enough to approach him, and said that she looked into the agency and what was offered.

That was several steps ahead of many other people he interviewed.

“Why are you looking to leave your current job?” he asked quickly. They were almost on the sixth floor.

“They are sourcing out what I do to a CPA firm. I’ll probably get laid off soon. I decided to be proactive.”

Another good quality.

He pulled his card out of the side of his bag. “If you’re interested, send your resume in and make sure you say I gave you my card. It was nice to meet you.”

She put her hand out and shook his. “You just made my day. I’ll do that,” Paisley said.

“Are you stealing another employee?”

Jax looked at his HR Director who was unlocking the door. She was earlier than normal today. Only a half a dozen people had a key to get in.

“She approached me,” he said. “Recognized me in the elevator. She works on the ninth floor and might be losing her job to outsourcing. She brought up the accounting position.”

“What’s her name?”

“Paisley. I bet she applies within the hour,” he said.

“I’m sure you’ll win that bet.”

He was whistling as he walked to his office feeling confident with at least one conversation he’d had today with a woman.