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I’ve fallen in love with someone who is even more stubborn than me. She’s so stubborn, I can’t even tell her how I feel . . . that I’m madly, irrevocably, and completely in love with her.

Chapter 19: Back Home

Jess

I shouldn’t have let him convince me to stay the night at his place. His innocent “you can sleep in the guest room” didn’t fool me. I knew exactly what I was agreeing to when I said I’d stay the night.

I’ve spent the last several days trying to put distance between us. And now look at what I’ve done. I’m right smack dab in the middle of trouble—trouble with a capital D and a lowercase ax.

It’s already going to be hard enough to walk away from him. I don’t know why I continue to torture myself by prolonging the suffering. I need to rip him out of my life just like I’d rip a bandaid off my skin. Quick and painful. Yet, here I am, standing in the middle of his beautifully remodeled condo. His cousin Leslie performed some sort of miracle to get everything done before we got back.

As I wait for Dax to bring up our bags, I look around in awe.

The decor is something out of a magazine. Every corner of the condo oozes sophistication, from the sleek marble countertops in the kitchen to the plush velvet couches in the living room. Soft ambient lighting casts a warm glow over the space, creating an atmosphere that feels inviting and intimate. Unable to resist its allure, I find myself slowly drifting through the family room, running my fingers along the smooth surfaces as if trying to imprint this moment into my memory.

The real showstopper, however, is the walk-in wine cooler. It’s a glass-enclosed room tucked neatly under the stairs. There are at least a hundred bottles of wine neatly arranged on wooden racks and illuminated by a soft glow of LED lighting.

My gawking is interrupted by Dax swinging open his front door. He comes in carrying our two bags and then kicks the door closed behind him.

“Here’s the rest of our stuff,” he says. “I also asked the concierge to order us some dinner. I thought you’d want to stay in tonight. Since Leslie was still working in the condo today, I didn’t ask my housekeeper to fill the fridge yet. I’m afraid our dinner options are limited.”

I smile graciously at him. “Staying in is perfect. I don’t think I’ll get back into a car for at least a month.”

“It’s good to be back,” Dax agrees. “Are you still planning on staying with Lana while you look for another place?”

“Yeah. She and Jake will be back in town tomorrow. I didn’t want to stay there tonight with them being gone. So I appreciate you letting me stay in your guest room.”

His eyes dance over my body, and his adorable little dimple shows up as he smiles at me. “Guest room? Are we still pretending that’s going to happen?”

My heart flutters in my chest at the thought of sleeping with him again. Has it really only been a few days? It feels like a lifetime.

How’s it going to feel when I never see him again? Or worse, when I see him and he’s with another woman?

This is the last time, our last night together. He’s right. There’s no need to pretend. He damn well knows I’m going to end up in his bed, and I’m not the type of woman to play coy.

“I guess not. But I still plan to make you work for it,” I tell him.

He drops the bags by my feet, then he reaches up and touches my cheek.

“I like the sound of that,” he says before kissing the base of my throat.

And just like that, I’m a pool of mushy goo. I can’t be around this man for more than a minute without feeling lightheaded.

I put my hands on his chest and nudge him back. “Down, boy. We have dinner coming, and I’m starving.”

He laughs and backs away. “Have it your way. I’ll try to be patient.”

An hour later, Dax is relaxing on the couch. A loosely held glass of red wine is resting in his hand. When he sees me come into the room, he stands up and holds out the wine glass.

I take it but shake my head. “I shouldn’t have more wine. I’ve already had two glasses.”

“Yet you’re still tense. What are you nervous about?” he asks.

Despite my reluctance to accept the wine, I take a healthy drink from the glass. Liquid courage is just what the doctor would order. “We need to talk.”

He sighs loudly and slaps his hand over his eyes. “Please don’t say those words. That’s kryptonite for the male species. It literally has my balls shriveling already.”

“I’m serious. We should’ve had this talk already.”