“I care about my job.”

“Oh come off it,” I snap, waving a hand at him. “One day you’re going to stop acting like I’m just here for the fun of it.”

“Aren’t you?”

“No, Kyle, I’m not. I have the same passion you have.”

He snorts. “That’s a lie.”

I shake my head. “You know what, I’m not even going to argue with you. It’s like talking to a worm.”

He puffs his chest out and crosses his arms. “I could say the same.”

“Here’s something, go and suck a—”

“Delaney, Kyle.”

We hear Jax’s voice and with one last glare at each other, turn and stare at him. He walks in, eyes flicking to us both. “Nak said my idea is good and he’s down with it. Delaney, if you’re up for it, he said you can start rotating shifts with Kyle again.”

I turn to Kyle and grin. He looks like he wants to reach over and throttle me. Good. Jerk.

“Fine,” Kyle grunts. “What’s on the agenda today?”

“I’m at my office today.”

Kyle nods. “I’ll prepare the car.”

When he exits the room, I look over to Jax. I’m not entirely sure how he’s going to react. I’m fairly certain he’s going to tell me it was a huge mistake and that we can’t do it again, which is really what I should be saying to him. Instead we just stand there, staring at each other. I wonder if he’s thinking what I’m thinking—that I so desperately want to jump his bones right now.

“Fuck it,” he mutters and strides towards me.

He catches me around the waist and hauls my body up to his, before slamming his mouth over mine. This kiss is deep, hard and short, but it’s enough to make my knees tremble and my entire body break out into a thousand tiny shivers. He pulls back after a moment, his eyes scanning my face, then he turns and stalks off upstairs.

Well okay then.

That absolutely did not answer any of my questions, but damn … what a way to start the morning.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Kyle goes into the next room to rest around lunchtime, and I take over the afternoon shift. We’re at Jax’s office, and he’s busy on the phone with a long-distance meeting, so I’m staying very quiet. My back is pressed against the wall and I don’t miss the hungry look in Jax’s eyes as he watches me, not once removing his gaze from my face.

Talk about intense.

Just as he’s wrapping up his call, someone knocks on his office door. I turn and peer through the peephole to see Tori standing on the other side, her eyes to the floor. God dammit. This woman has truly shit timing. With a sigh, I open the door. When her eyes fall on me, she flinches and mutters, “You’re still here.”

“Nice to see you too, Tori.”

“Whatever,” she mutters, shoving past me.

Jax hangs up just as she appears, and their eyes meet for a second. She turns to me and mutters, “Can you give us a minute alone?”

I want to slap her.

“Fine, I’ll be in the other room.”

I make sure the door is locked, don’t look at Jax, and head into the private bedroom. I flop onto the bed, wondering what’s happening out there. It’s silent for a while, then I hear raised voices, though I can’t quite make out what they’re saying. All I know is it sounds as if Tori is crying and Jax sounds angry.

I can’t help myself, I push off the bed and walk towards the door, pressing my ear to it.

“He understands, Jax,” Tori cries.

“He doesn’t fucking understand, Tori, because he’s in love with you.”

“I told him about us and he said he expected it, why can’t that be enough?”

“Because he’s my damned best friend, too,” Jax roars. “And you’re asking me to break his heart.”

“I thought you cared about me,” she screams.

“Fuck me, Tori, I do but we went over this when you came by just the other night.”

“We didn’t do a lot of talking two nights ago, Jax, and you know it.”

My heart starts to pound. What does she mean by that? God, she can only mean one thing. It all makes sense now. Two nights ago was when Jax walked out of my apartment and didn’t speak to me for a few days—after we had been intimate together. He was sleeping with Tori? Something I’m unfamiliar with rises in my chest and spills over. It’s pure, raw jealousy. I gave him a piece of myself last night, I risked my job, I made a fucking fool of myself and in the end, he’s been busy sleeping with Tori.

“Enough, Tori,” Jax barks.

“Don’t you care about anything we’ve done? Does none of it mean anything to you?” she shouts.

“I can’t give you what you want.”

No, because you’re a lying, cheap, fucking manwhore.

I open the door, having heard enough. Jax is holding Tori, and both their heads swing to me as I storm out. I glare at Jax and he flinches. I know, I just know he sees the hurt in my eyes. I’m probably overreacting, I get that, but there was something in the kiss we shared, something intense and I thought … God, I don’t know what I thought but I certainly didn’t expect him to jump into bed with Tori the very same day. That hurts. It hurts to my very core. I don’t want to analyze why it affects me so heavily, all I know is that I’m angry. So damned angry.

“I’m going to tell Kyle to come back, I’m not feeling well.”

I walk past the two of them, and Jax lets Tori go, taking a step towards me. I don’t let him get close, I swing the door open and slam it loudly. With shaky hands, I pull out my phone and call Nak.

“Laney, what’s up?”

“I think I’m sick, Nak. Kyle is having a well-deserved rest. Can you put Duke on until he’s ready to take over?”

“You’re sick? What’s happened?”

“I, ah, I threw up. I thought it was nothing but it’s continuing.”

“Jesus. Can you wait ten, while I send Duke over?”

“Sure,” I whisper.

“You going to be good for the weekend?”

“I should be fine, these things don’t usually last long.”

I sit outside Jax’s door, and just before Duke arrives, Tori goes storming out. She glares at me, her face all red, and then she disappears down the hall. A moment later Jax appears.

“Delaney,” he begins.

“Save your shit for someone who cares. I’m going home, Duke will take over until Kyle wakes.”

“Jesus, kitten, you don’t know what you think you know…”

“Don’t.” I spin around. “Don’t you fucking call me that.”

“Delaney, if you’ll let me explain…”

I throw a hand up. “No.”

“Delaney,” he barks. “Just list—”

Duke appears then, cutting him off. I don’t let him finish. I push off the wall and walk over, giving him a weak smile.

“Laney, you look like shit.”

“I feel like it. Thanks for covering for me, Duke.”

He shrugs. “No problem.”

I don’t look at Jax as I exit the building.