I Want You Back (Want You #1)(66)

Thirteen





LUCY




Jax hadn’t been with a woman in three years.

Holy shit.

As I tried to wrap my head around that and his confession about one-night stands, the elevator door started to close on me, prompting me to move.

Plastic sheeting hung everywhere. As I headed toward the sound of their voices, mysterious crunching noises sounded beneath my feet. I glanced down and saw the flooring hadn’t been put in yet. Weird. From what I could see this place was still several weeks from move-in ready.

I ducked between two sheets of plastic and found myself in an enormous room. A bank of windows spread along one entire side, providing an unobstructed view of the city. A double-sided glass fireplace served as a breaking point between this room—I assumed the living room—and the kitchen.

Walking into that kitchen was like stepping into a kitchen showcase magazine. A marble-topped island anchored the center of the space in a modified U shape with enough seating around the eat-in bar for at least a dozen people. On the backside of the island was a huge farm-style sink and food prep area. Stainless steel appliances gleamed amidst the coffee-colored cabinetry. The marble countertops were stunning with the craziest pattern of brown, black and flecks of vivid blue that I’d ever seen. That pop of color tied in the front panel of the island—the same blue as in the marble—painted such a high gloss I suspected I could see my reflection in it.

“Holy moly, Jax. I don’t even know what to say. This place is breathtaking.”

He looked up at me and grinned. “Thanks. I designed the kitchen, and I cannot wait to cook in here.”

“I can’t wait either! There’s two ovens, Mommy, so I can make a whole bunch of cookies at one time.”

I noticed Jax’s pleased grin that Mimi was looking forward to cooking with him. “That is pretty cool.”

Mimi tugged on Jax’s hand. “Come on. I wanna see the rest.”

“You lead the way. I’ll let you guess which room is yours.”

We passed a formal dining room off the kitchen. Just beyond that was a theater room with seating for at least thirty. Farther down the hallway was the first bedroom—with an en suite bathroom. The next bedroom had been painted a soft pink, and Mimi squealed.

“This is my room! I just know it.”

“Yep. Check out the bathroom.”

I followed her into a dream bath, with a shower and a soaking tub. Next to the vanity was a built-in dressing table, with fancy makeup lights and crystal light fixtures. Even the knobs on the drawers were crystal.

“Daddy, I love it!”

Jax beamed when he showed Mimi the walk-in closet, roughly the size of her bedroom in our apartment.

Don’t compare. Don’t get jealous. He’s doing this out of love.

That’s when I realized I was all right with this. Maybe because Mimi wouldn’t have to go far between the princess-style opulence of this room to her cozy, funky bedroom in our apartment. She literally had the best of both worlds.

“Let’s see what’s next!” Mimi bounded out.

Jax loomed over me. “You okay with this?”

“Yes.”

“You’re sure?”

“Jax, you’ve never really had a place of your own. It’s exciting that you get to have everything you’ve ever wanted in one place.”

He looked relieved. “A decade later and you still keep me guessing on how you’ll react.”

“I will admit total jealousy of the theater room.”

“Feel free to use it anytime.” He took my hand and towed me out of the room. “I’m installing a commercial popcorn machine.”

“Of course you are.”

Mimi zipped out of the doorway ahead of us. “Another bedroom and bathroom.”

“How many bedrooms total?” I asked him.

“Five, including the master suite. Which is right here.”

My heart beat faster for some reason when we paused in front of a set of double doors.

Mimi wormed her way between us and pushed the doors open, and we stepped inside.

My first thought was: How had he known that this was my dream bedroom? The platform where the bed would sit was in the farthest corner of the room, away from the windows and access to the other features of this suite. There were no built-in dressers, so no matter how this space was decorated, it would maintain clean lines. A sitting area opened onto a balcony. The windows wrapped around the corner, providing a different view of Minneapolis.

I followed Jax through another set of double doors that separated the bathroom from the sleeping suite. First thing I noticed was the ginormous walk-in shower. Next to it was a sauna. A soaking tub was wedged in the corner with a great view. The toilet was separate with its own door, twin sinks and an even larger built-in dressing table than in Mimi’s bathroom. Which indicated that Jax hoped to have a woman sharing his life and home at some point.

But the real kicker was the his and hers walk-in closets, both with dressing “areas” in front of a gigantic mirror. In the center of the room was a built-in cabinet for accessories and jewelry. I imagined getting ready in here, Lindsey and Mimi both offering their opinions on the outfit I picked for date night with Jax.

I froze. Why had my brain put me in this scene?