Matthias is waiting for us on the porch by the time we get back to the house. Jax helps me down from his horse then carries me inside.
“I can walk,” I protest but he glares at me, so I stop. Being held by him isn’t all that bad, after all.
“Let’s get some ice on that,” Molly says as soon as Jax puts me down. “Take off her shoes,” she barks to Jax and I smile at how he so easily complies.
He kneels on the floor in front of me, his head bent low as he removes my sneaker. This time when his hands brush over the skin of my ankle I feel tingles of electricity skitter up my leg. He looks up at me, a wicked glint in his eyes as his fingertips trail over my skin.
“Stop that,” I whisper.
He looks around the room. Matthias skipped after Molly to get ice and Cody is taking the horses to the stable. There’s nobody else here.
He dips his head low and presses a single soft kiss on my foot; it sends a surge of pleasure straight through me.
“Here we are,” Molly says loudly as she comes back into the room and hands me some ice wrapped in a dishtowel. “This is all I could find, sorry.”
“It’s perfect. Thank you,” I say with a smile.
“Let me,” Jax takes it from me and presses it against my skin. It feels so soothing against my inflamed ankle. I try not to look at him because then Molly will see that I’m completely besotted with him and that he just made me come in the middle of a field.
“Will you be able to walk soon, Momma?” Matthias asks as he sits beside me on the sofa.
“Most definitely,” I assure him.
Jax winks at me and I swear the rush of heat between my thighs almost makes me pass out.
The rest of the day is much more uneventful. Molly insists that I sit on the den with my foot up and watch TV while Jax agrees to take Matthias to see the horses. I know he’ll be teaching him how to ride but I try not to think too much about the possibility of him falling off. I know that Jax will look after him.
By suppertime, my ankle is much better and I can walk on it without much pain at all. I help Matthias wash up for dinner and I change into a summer dress because the evening is hot and humid. The ranch hands join us too, as well as Harvey. Jax sits at the opposite end of the table to his father and they barely make eye contact. Matthias sits next to Cody, who seems to be his new best friend, and that leaves a seat for me next to Jax.
Everyone is eating and talking when I feel Jax’s warm hand on my knee. I carry on my conversation with Cody as I try not to react while it slides between my thighs.
“So the Bulls or the Lakers?” Cody asks me.
I blink at him, so distracted by Jax’s wandering hand that my brain can’t form a word.
“Lucia?” he frowns at me and I remember that we were talking about basketball and the fact that I grew up in Chicago but now I live in LA.
“The Bulls,” I say. Glancing at Jax from the corner of my eye I see him grinning wickedly.
Cody starts talking about his high school record as Jax’s hand slides higher until his fingers brush my panties.
I almost choke on my own breath. How the hell does he expect me to maintain my calm here?
“Wow,” he mumbles and Cody and Molly look at him.
“I just didn’t expect it to be so hot and sticky is all.” He coughs loudly as he pulls his hand from beneath my dress. “The weather,” he adds but my cheeks flame with heat because that is so not what he meant and what if they know it, too?
Molly looks confused. “It’s always like this at this time of year.”
“Hmm,” he smiles to himself
I can barely breathe by the time supper is over. I stand beside the kitchen counter watching Matthias helping Molly as Jax walks over to me.
“What was that?” I hiss.
“Sorry,” he grins at me. “I couldn’t resist. And you need to stop coming to dinner in that dress. Cody couldn’t take his eyes off you.”
“What about you?” I grin at him.
He bends his head lower until his lips are close to my ear and whispers, “Well you already know that I can barely keep my hands off you. I just almost finger fucked you at the dinner table.”
I close my eyes as the thought of him doing that and the memory of him in the field earlier today makes the wet heat surge between my thighs. “Jax,” I mumble.
“Jackson can you help me?” Molly shouts across the room. “My current helper seems a little sleepy.”
I look over and see Matthias yawning. I laugh. “He’s had an eventful day. I’d better take him to bed. Come on, munchkin.” I hold out my hand to him and he walks over.
“Night little buddy,” Cody, Harvey and the other ranch hands shout to him.
As I’m walking down the hallway, I hear footsteps behind me. I turn to see Jax and my heart skips a beat. “As soon as he’s settled”—he looks down at Matthias—“I’m across the hall if you need me.”
“Okay,” I whisper and then he winks at me and goes back to the kitchen.
