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Jax heaved a sigh. “Avery…”

“I know, I know. You’re going to say you’re my boss, and I’m your employee, and it would be inappropriate for us to be anything more. Oh, and that Dakota wouldn’t like it.”

He chuckled again. “Man, I don’t know how you get that many words out so fast!”

She shrugged. “It’s a skill.”

He trailed his finger a bit further up her leg. She forced herself to stay still as she wanted him to keep touching her, and she was afraid that if she moved, he’d stop.

“Well, am I right?”

“Yes, but…”

He licked his lips, and she waited impatiently for him to continue.

“I would be lying if I said I didn’t think about other things too.”

She sucked in a breath. “What other things?”

“Inappropriate things.”

“Like us having sex?”

He paused with his hand on her leg and locked eyes with her. “Yeah.”

She was glad she was lying down, because she suddenly felt lightheaded. Had she hit her head on the same rock as her ankle? Was she dreaming this right now?

“Not just sex, though.”

“What else?” How she managed to keep talking while her heart was pounding so hard was beyond her.

“I like being with you, talking with you, and I’ve even thought about us…dating.”

She giggled. “You make it sound like a curse.”

“The only thing I’m cursed with is being your boss. Otherwise…”

“We’d probably be having sex by now,” she finished for him.

He gave her a full-blown smile for the first time in ten days, and her heart soared, but then he turned serious again. “Of course, we probably shouldn’t have sex with your ankle like this.”

“My swollen ankle doesn’t prevent other parts from working,” she teased.

He chuckled. “I still don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Tonight or ever?”

His gaze flicked over her and made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. Yay! Finally!

“We need to give this some serious thought before we do anything we might regret.”

“That’s all I’ve been thinking about. Oops. Did I just say that out loud?”

“Whatever we decide to do, it can’t be undone,” he said solemnly.

She was willing to take that risk, but she could see that he wasn’t, at least not yet. For now, she’d just have to be satisfied knowing he wanted her as much as she wanted him. Plus, they were talking, smiling, and laughing again, so there was that.

“Let’s just sleep on it for tonight,” he said.

She gave him a seductive smile, and he added, “Separately.”

“Of course,” she said, feigning innocence.

“But I’d feel better if you stayed here tonight. You shouldn’t be alone in case you need to get up in the middle of the night and fall again.”

She could barely contain her enthusiasm. “Yes, doctor.”

He carefully lifted her legs off his lap and stood. “I’ll go prepare the spare bedroom. Keep icing your ankle until I get back.”

“Okay.” As he was leaving, she called, “Jax,” and he turned back around.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for taking such good care of me.”

“My pleasure.”

Mine too, she thought as he walked away.