Jax (Titan #9)(64)

"I can't remember the last time I had food. Day drinking, sex, and champagne is going to give me a hangover if I don't put something in my tummy."

Jax kissed the top of her head. Everything about the night had been mind-bending and sweet. "Get dressed. We'll get some grub." But he rolled on top of her instead of off the bed and kissed her as though he had no intention of going to dinner. "Come on, princess. Let's get you some food."

He bounded off the bed, and she smiled as his tight ass walked away. Jax turned. "Are you coming, or do you plan to starve to death there?"

It had been so long since anyone had taken care of her—if anyone ever had, to be honest—and she was worried that was why her emotions seemed to run so deep with him. But if anything, Seven had always been pragmatic to the point of boring when it came to lust and love. She knew what Jax had said about long-term, and she had no intention of pushing him on it. But they had a connection that was special, and no matter what happened tonight, tomorrow, next week, or next month, Seven knew all the way to her soul that Jax would be someone she would remember when she was old and gray. Or maybe just old; no telling what color her hair would be. "I really like this, Jax. You, I really like you." She shrugged her shoulders and crawled out of bed. "Just want to make sure that you're completely aware of where my head is at."

She almost steeled herself for the inevitable response that she should guard her heart and that he wasn't a made-for-forever kind of guy. But he winked and turned, heading back to where they had undressed, and said, "The feeling is mutual."

She laughed as she trailed him. "Now I know you drank way more champagne than me."

He pulled on his underwear and pants, making a face that would've melted her clothes right off if she had bothered to put them on yet, but he didn't deny that it was the alcohol talking. And that was okay. As long as she was being real with him and herself, everything would be fine.

They quickly dressed and headed out. It took just a moment to head down the hall, call the elevator, and get to the lobby. Jax had his arm around her as they walked across the main hall, and it felt good to be part of a duo. She and Johnny had never had that. They'd never had a spark. They'd always had a "supposed to." They were supposed to date, supposed to be friends, supposed to get married, supposed to go home together.

This was exciting and magnetic. Jax's fingers danced on her shoulder, squeezing, and she leaned into him.

"What are you feeling? There's everything, and it's open twenty-four hours a day. Asian buffet, 1950s diner, takeout pizza place à la New York City, and somewhere in here, I heard there was really good Indian food."

"Oh, that. Indian food."

"All right. Tikka Masala, here we come."

They wandered down one way before he came to an abrupt stop. "This is your first time in Vegas. We're not going to eat at the hotel. Change of plans. I know a great Indian place. Let's go."

They changed direction and were out the front door and under neon lights after a few moments. Jax was excited, and he knew where he was going.

"Slow down a little bit," she said. "The champagne and my equilibrium plus the high heels could be a recipe for disaster if we go too much faster."

"All right, all right," he jokingly complained.

As Seven slowed them down, the conversation wandered from his jobs to her coffee shop, then from her mom and kids to his family. She couldn't tell if there was something he was holding back or if he was distracted by the duty of finding her Indian food at midnight in Vegas, but when it came to who he was closest to or the topic of his family, he shifted right back to Nolan and Bianca and her mom. Which was fine because that was her favorite thing to talk about.

"Seven, I hate to break it to you, but we're never gonna get there if you don't go faster."

"Jax, I hate to break it to you, but we're going to go to the hospital with a broken ankle if you make me run in these boots."

The look on his face implied a challenge, and before she could register what his thoughts might be, he scooped her into his arms and made his way down the block.

Funny thing about Vegas, nobody seemed to notice or mind that there was a huge, muscly man walking down the block, carrying a woman with pink hair, who was wearing a leather skirt and shirt with badass boots. Barely anyone turned his head. But true to Jax's word, they covered significantly more ground at a much faster speed than they had been going even before she'd said they needed to slow down.

Finally, they turned a corner and—

"Motherfucker."

The Indian restaurant had their lights off and a big sign across the front door. Closed for renovations. Sorry.

Jax put Seven down, and she buckled over, laughing. He was so upset, and she was so hungry. They were both buzzed, and it was the funniest thing she could possibly have thought about.

"This is funny?"

She laughed even harder, barely able to catch her breath, and he started to laugh too. It wasn't any laugh that she had ever heard before from him, but a deep chuckle that rumbled from his chest. She leaned against him as he draped his arm around her. Tears streamed down her face, and it wasn't nearly as funny as their laughing would insinuate. This had everything to do with the champagne, but it needed to happen.

Finally, they took breaths and pulled it together. "What are we gonna do?" she asked.