I Want You Back (Want You #1)(78)

“Ask your father. It’s his place, not mine.”

Jax handed Nolan a set of keys. “Remember what we talked about, Meems. No going outside. Inside only.” Then he exchanged a look with Nolan and walked them to the door.

I should’ve told him that he was free to give the tour because I was too pissed off at him to speak. Instead I walked to my sliding glass door and stared out, taking in the barren treetops illuminated by sodium streetlights.

My heart already pounded something fierce, but when I heard him move in behind me, my pulse tripped double time.

“On a scale of one to ten, how mad are you at me?”

“One hundred and ten thousand.”

He didn’t laugh, but he understood I wasn’t trying to be funny.

Then he said, “I’m sorry.”

I waited, expecting him to tack on that she hadn’t really gotten hurt, but he didn’t.

“You broke one of the first rules we established of keeping me in the loop about all decisions.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Then you broke another one by not letting me know she’d sustained a hockey injury, and our agreement was I was to be told about all of them, regardless of how small you perceived them to be.”

“I know that too, and I’m sorry about that too.”

“When did it happen? First period? Second?” Then it hit me. “It happened right before that text you sent me, didn’t it?”

“Yeah. At the beginning of the third period. In my defense, the game would’ve been over by the time you got there.”

“In your defense, are you going to claim it was just a baby tooth?”

“Yes.”

I whirled around and then Jax had my full attention when he wrapped his hands around my face.

“Luce. I’m sorry. I fucked up. I should’ve made sure you were there.”

“Maybe it should be more important that your child’s mother is in attendance, not your child’s uncle.”

“You’re right.”

“She got hurt playing hockey, Jax. In the first month.”

“But she also scored a goal and she had a great time playing,” he pointed out softly. “While I know you don’t want to hear this, she is one tough little cookie, Luce. I tried to pull her out of the game and she refused. She insisted on finishing.”

That brought tears to my eyes faster than seeing Mimi’s holey gumline.

“Ah, shit, don’t cry.”

But I couldn’t stop. I was mad and confused and relieved.

Jax didn’t help matters by saying, “She’s fine. I was on the ice with her immediately after it happened. And she even managed to slip me the tooth for safekeeping for the tooth fairy visit tonight.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“It should make you feel better that Mimi isn’t upset about it.”

His logic dictated that I could just kiss good-bye the hopeful thought that she wouldn’t become obsessed with the sport.

“But this isn’t about Mimi anymore, is it?”

How did he do that? Know when I transferred one emotion to the next issue, making it one jumbled mess. And I’d always considered myself the intuitive one in our relationship.

“Ask me if I’ve broken any other rules.”

My jaw seemed hinged shut.

“Talk to me, Lucy Q. Come on. Yell at me if you need to.”

I shook my head—or should I say I tried to, but he had my face firmly trapped—so I closed my eyes.

“Shutting me out? I thought we were past that. In fact, I could’ve sworn we agreed to start over three weeks ago with a new relationship. But things have remained the same old, same old between us. I had to remind myself that no, I hadn’t been drinking and imagined kissing the hell out of you in the kitchen. I hadn’t imagined the feel of your skin beneath my hands. I hadn’t imagined the way you arched into me or that little hum you make when you get turned on . . . did I?”

I felt the tension vibrating from him as he awaited my response. “No.”

He moved his body closer to mine. “If I didn’t imagine it, then why haven’t you let me touch you, or kiss you, or hell, really even let me talk to you for the better part of the past month? Have you changed your mind about us?”

“God no.”

“Look at me.” When I hesitated, he said, “Now.”

I opened my eyes and he was right there, those baby blues mere inches from me.

Whatever he saw there had him softening his tone. “Tell me.”

“I said I wanted to take it slow, figuring you’d agree but ultimately follow your own agenda because you’ve never taken anything slow, Jax. I went on a date with you half an hour after we met. We had sex on our fifth date. I met your family two weeks later, and two weeks after that you’d practically moved in with me until you left for training camp in Chicago. Throughout that season we were together, you insisted on buying me plane tickets so we could be together at least every other weekend. You’ve got no clue on how to take baby steps, because everything with us has been a giant leap.”

“But you said slow, right?”

“Yes, but your definition of slow and mine are different once again.”

Confusion flitted across his face. “You’re saying I’ve followed your rules exactly and I’ve still managed to fuck this up?”