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“I know you don’t,” he answered. The rough, low tone of his voice threatened to pull me under the surface, and I mentally planted my feet and refused to let it. “I shouldn’t have…”

He gritted his teeth and had the distinct look of a man who’d punch a wall if given the opportunity.

“It’s okay,” I told him with a tiny smile. “It’s not a bad story to say that I finally got you to propose to me. Took you long enough.”

Jax stared at me, a plaintive light in his eye that had my heart skipping a beat.

I blew out a slow breath, dragging my gaze away from his sternly handsome face.

“What do you need, Poppy?” he asked carefully.

I really, really needed him to shave that beard, but I decided to keep the request to myself.

It was impossible to answer right away, hearing those words from his mouth almost more than I could handle after a really hard day.

What did I need?

Not what Iwanted. Not what would magically make my life easier.

Giving the question the full weight of the past four months, I answered just as carefully as he’d asked.

“I need us to be friends,” I said softly. Risking a glance at him, I could see exactly how stunned he was. “I know that’s a lot to ask, but … I think it’s the best option.”

Jax ran a hand over his jaw. “Friends,” he repeated.

Vulnerable words crept up my throat unbidden, and I decided to risk not swallowing them down. “It’s all I can handle with you right now.”

The bend in his brow at my answer looked a lot like pain, but Jax gave me a short nod.

I pressed a hand to my cheek, the skin underneath my palm was tellingly warm. I took a few long, deep breaths before speaking again.

“So,” I said after my heart calmed down a little bit, “you’re heading to my brother’s house?”

Jax nodded. “Can’t say I’m looking forward to getting my teeth knocked in.”

I laughed. “He won’t punch you.”

He raised a disbelieving brow.

“He won’t,” I said firmly. “Cameron knows you. He’ll be fair. And if he’s not, just remind him that it’s horribly sexist to assume that I wasn’t the sexual instigator.”

“Fucking hell, Poppy,” he muttered under his breath. “Yeah, I’ll get right on that.”

I managed to hide my smile by turning to the side.

Jax slid the sunglasses back on his face, and the moment his eyes were covered, I felt like I could breathe just a little bit easier.

With the promise of talking soon, Jax swung his leg over the bike and the rumbling engine made my chest bone rattle when he turned it on. I could feel his eyes on me as he backed away, then I let out a slow breath when he turned and headed down the path toward Cameron’s house.

I sank back into the chair and stared out at the trees.

“Well,” I said to absolutely no one, “didn’t see that one coming.”

Chapter 15

Jax

This isn’t what I need from you right now.