“I need to talk to you about that. Want to sit somewhere?” he asked, stalling for a few more minutes to gather his thoughts.
“Yeah, sure. Want something to drink?”
When he shook his head, she grabbed her water bottle from the table and headed into the living room. She took a seat on the old yellow-and-brown plaid sofa that faced the fireplace. “You look so serious,” she finally said when he sat next to her.
“Your tires were slashed, Maple. All four of them.”
She gasped. “Why? Who would do something like that?”
“That’s what I’m trying to get to the bottom of. Is there anyone that you know of who might want to cause problems for you? Who knows that you’re here?”
Maple ran her fingers through her hair. “Not that I can think of, no. As for who knows I’m here, only you, Bonnie, and my grandmother. I didn’t tell my boss or coworkers where I was going. Maybe it’s random vandalism? I mean, some punk kids could have come across my car and gone a little too far, right?” The tension in her body climbed with each word she spoke. Even her thigh next to his tightened.
“It’s possible, but since this happened on private property, I don’t want to leave anything to chance. For now, it might be best if you stayed close to the cabin, and keep that rifle with you when I’m not around.”
Sighing, she got up and paced the length of the living room. “I was going to go out to the old Sugar Shack tomorrow and see what kind of shape that’s in. I’m hoping some of the equipment will be salvageable.”
Jaxon stilled. “What do you need the equipment for?” Maybe she’d had a change of heart about opening the family business again, but something told him that wasn’t the case.
“I don’t. I need to see if it’s still operational. I’m hoping to be able to sell some of it off, or maybe sell the property and equipment as a whole to someone who can make use of it. It’s been empty for too long already,” she finally said with a shrug. “I wish I could keep it, but it’s not possible.”
Jaxon barely managed a grunt as her words sunk in, and his stomach clenched. He’d known all along that she was planning on leaving in a few weeks. After her incident with the wolf, telling her he was a shifter right then would send her running back to the city so fast his head would spin. The rest of their talk would have to wait. In the meantime, he’d let the mating pull work its magic and hope he could figure out a way to get her to stay.
“Unless a plumbing fairy showed up while I was gone, there’s a shower that needs new faucets, and I’m just the man to take care of it. Let me get my tools, and I’ll get that fixed up for you,” he offered. Once he got done with that, he’d find something else to do, and then something else, until he made himself so indispensable that she wouldn’t even think of leaving him.
Twelve
Jaxon had stiffened as soon as she mentioned getting the place ready for sale, but she wouldn’t lead him on. Sure, she looked forward to spending her time with him while she was there, but she had a life she had to get back to in New York, even if it wasn’t much of a life. Opening the Sugar Shack for business had been a pipe dream that reality had erased long ago.
When Jaxon came back in with his tools, rather than take a direct route to the bathroom, he came straight to her. He placed the red metal box on the floor next to her feet with a clang, then brought his hands up, cupping her face, before brushing his lips against hers. The barely there caress had her toes curling and her body pulsing to life. With a soft moan, she melted into him.
Just when she was about to pull him closer to deepen the kiss, he pulled back. “I never got to give you a proper hello when I came in,” he said in way of explanation.
“Hello,” Maple said as she leaned in for another taste, but he took a step back and grinned down at her.
“If I get any closer to you, your shower won’t get fixed today, and I can guarantee we’ll both need a shower come morning.” He adjusted the front of his tan shorts and reached for his toolbox sitting on the floor between them.
“Staying the night, are you?” she asked as she followed his backward retreat toward the bathroom.
“That, sweet Maple, depends on you, now doesn’t it?”
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as though contemplating his words. “I think I’d like that. In fact, I know I would. I’ll get the steaks going for dinner while you’re working in here,” she told him when she’d cornered him in the small bathroom. He placed his tools on the floor, and when he straightened, Maple came into his space until only a couple of inches separated them. The heat coming from his body engulfed her. His scent enveloped her, making her almost dizzy with want. Trailing a finger down his chest, she came to a stop at his waistband.
Jaxon moaned at the light touch.
“Maybe for dessert we’ll get to finish what we started on the beach.”
He didn’t say a word as he tipped her head up and kissed her again. He burrowed his fingers in her hair, holding her for his invasion. In complete contrast to the tender kiss he’d given her in the kitchen, there was nothing soft or sweet about the way he claimed her mouth this time. When she sighed and melted into him, Jaxon seized the opportunity to plunge his tongue into her mouth, caressing hers with strong, sure strokes. Her nipples pebbled and
