writing blog~

Since moving his mother and his own life to a new state ten years ago, Jax hadn’t really done much venturing far from home. Things were stable now, especially with Ava having started school. At least they were until Shane Sumner had stepped foot into his Bed & Breakfast. She had unknowingly shaken up a life that was all too settled for the adventurous soul, and for the first time in years, had him on a plane. The entire plane ride was spent starting and stopping movies, his ability to concentrate on one thing completely derailed by the thought of having the gorgeous blonde wrapped up in his arms.

The cold metal of the door to Shane’s office in his grip felt weird and yet so right at the very same time. There was both a combination of nerves and excitement that consumed him as he pulled the door towards him. Their undefined relationship had evolved through technology and in his space. It was time that he had done some of the traveling. The idea of seeing her in a space that would give him a better understanding of where the woman that he was falling for came from had his mind reeling. 

When the blonde came into view, a smile immediately stretched across his features, and his bags were immediately dropped at the entrance of the space. “It’s pretty late for you to still be at work, Miss Sumner.” Without hesitation, he moved across the room to her, his heart beating in time with his eager steps. “I figured it was only right to spend the first week of the New Year with you.” 

JAX EDGRUN & SHANE SUMNER.

     The southern blonde was nothing but happy smiles and laughter as Jax talked and talked. It was so good to not only hear his voice but also see him, she was hating these forced separations more and more as time went on. As her affections grew for the inn owner so did her attachments and longing.

     “I miss you too. Both of you,” she confessed with another giggle as she stared happily into the screen of her phone. Mossy eyes searched and scanned his entire face, committing it freshly to memory once again. “I think I’m inclined now to tell you that I’m not stuffing my face nor enjoying time off of work…” Because really, she was still working, but also Shane was curious if Jax would make good on his words. “Well, tell Ava I miss her and that I’ll be seeing her soon. I’ve got some gifts for her.” She wondered for a moment if he would elaborate on the parents thing but didn’t want to ask just yet.

     “What’d you get her when shopping? Four hours is really nothing though, especially in this busy time of year.” Shane shook her head, “I think you just want to munch and… I can’t blame you there.” The blonde investor stalled, it wasn’t fun to confess that she was still stuck working throughout the holidays. Mostly, it was habit, years of practice that was hard to break. “There’s not much to fill you in on. I’ve been working and trying to avoid my family. Is there any way I can convince you to make a rescue?”

The Inn owner had the habit of losing his train of thought at the sight of Shane’s smile, which often made it difficult to be articulate when he was around her. Although being able to Facetime, call and text her made the distance a bit easier, he found himself growing more fond of her as time went on. It was early on into whatever it was they were, and yet he still felt a void during his holiday celebrations.

Both of you. The fact that she had embraced his life, or what some others would consider baggage despite being in the dark about Ava when she started to get involved with Jax made his heart swell. In ways, it was how he knew this was it for him. 

He wasn’t surprised by her response, which just worked to toy further with the idea of surprising her and heading out to the South for the first time since they had met. “Are you at the office right now?” For the first time since picking up the phone, Jax paid attention to her surroundings, looking for an indication of where she was. “That’s real nice of you to get her gifts...I think she’s got about fifty new toys. I’m never puttin’ all four grandparents in a room together again...the kid gets spoiled rotten. You’ll have to come next year. Ava wouldn’t stop talking about her new best friend, so now everyone wants to meet you.” Jax shrugged in an attempt to make what he had just proposed casual.

“Four hours is nothing? I don’t know if I could take any longer than that. You’re a shopper, aren’t you? You’ve got too many nice clothes not to be.” Her tasteful style wasn’t something that he was used to, and perhaps was a small part of what had initially captivated his attention when she had walked into the Inn. “She’s really big on getting presents for other people...puts a lot of time and effort into picking everything out, but we ended up getting her a big girl bike.” As much as he loved to talk about Ava, hearing about things on Shane’s end brought a new level of interest and excitement. “You haven’t told me much about your family. Are you just trying to avoid the holiday craziness with family, or are you guys not close?” Shaking his head, he offered his best sad expression. “No can do, beautiful. As much as I’d like to rescue you, it’s our craziest time of year at the Inn.”

“We’re missing you over here...how’s it been over there? Are you actually taking the time to enjoy the days off of work, or are you working? ‘Cause if you’re not stuffing your face with good food I’m gonna have to come over there and do something about it. But really...Ava keeps asking about you, but she also is set on the idea of having Christmas with her parents in the same room. Did I also tell you that she made me take her shopping and we ended up being there for four hours? I think I ate 5 hot pretzels, but we got a few surprises for ya. Anyway...fill me in on you or I’m gonna end up going to the kitchen to eat more leftovers, and no one wants that.“

It had been three months since her move to New York and since Natalia had last spoken to Lena. The move was difficult and clouded in heartbreak, which was eventually covered up with a quick band-aid fix of one night stands and evenings out on the town after rehearsal. Her current lifestyle was reflective of the one she had left behind before finishing up college, one that in ways buried the woman Natalia had become over the years. Things had so quickly gone from simple and easy to complicated and messy, and she was to blame for it. The conversation between her and Lena had been lengthy and far more difficult and stressful than her audition for the Collaborative Piano program at Juilliard. Long distance seemed like a viable option until it wasn’t, and Natalia quickly talked herself into a clean break. She had held off on her dreams of playing music for so long, and with her dream just within reach, she couldn’t have any distractions. With her brother’s wedding in sight and non-stop pestering from her family, Nat had knocked down the wall she had intentionally built up and had reached out to Lena. 

It felt surreal to be seated beside her as family and close friends made toasts at the rehearsal dinner. The talking between the two had been minimal at best until now, the dread of mingling with her family slowly sinking in as her eyes caught Lena’s. Her heartbeat spiked with the mere closeness between them, so much left unsaid as they put on the facade of still being together. At times, Natalia had questioned whether her family had grown to like Lena even more than their own daughter. “Thanks for doing this...” Her voice was a whispered tone, her hand reaching out to touch Lena’s, only for her to quickly retreat it to her lap. “You probably hate me, and I know this isn’t ideal, but it means a lot, okay? I owe you. Need a new camera? I’ve got enough saved to buy you a top of the line disposable one.”

JAX EDGRUN & SHANE SUMNER.

“Wow,” Shane grinned, thoroughly amused and lured by Jax’s humor, “they have whole conferences for bellboy’s slash bed and breakfast owners? That’s incredible. I had no idea there were so many of you.” It was so fun for the billionaire to be so casual and open like this. When Shane was lucky enough to be around Jax, she found it easy to let her guard down and let her true self come out. There was a safety in his warmth and presence. It was scary, especially since no matter what he seemed so oblivious to whom she was or the amount of wealth and history that was attached to her, but for the first time in her life the blonde truly felt wanted for whom she was. Jax picked up on the details of her, not of all that surrounded her, and she supposed that’s why it was so easy to just fall into things with him. Her affections grew fast, whenever they got some time to see one another and even more so it seemed when they were separated by her obligations. That saying ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ was absolutely proving to be true. When he bent down to pick up her bag, she briefly ran her fingers through his hair. “You whip out the tie and we might not even make it away from the Inn.”

When they made it into her room, Shane went to set her purse down on the bed and was unable to hide the smirk that cropped up on her lips when she heard the click of the door as it shut behind Jax. By the time she straightened up and faced him, he had closed the distance between them. Her cheek leaned into his touch and she peered up at the man adoringly. It was hard to fathom how she’d become so lucky to meet someone like him. After all the trouble she’d been through, it felt like it was a little too good to be true. “Are my visits really too infrequent?” Shane knew the answer to that, but she couldn’t help their lighthearted teasing back and forth. “Maybe we can do something about changing that for the future. Any suggestions?” The blonde’s finger gently tugged at the collar of his shirt. “A hug is too much? Well… how about a kiss?” The counter wasn’t going in the right direction, upping the stakes rather than making them easier on each of them. She really couldn’t help herself though. Shane missed his presence so much and the way it felt to be held by him and kissed by him, and for the first time in her life she found herself surrendering to someone. A man that she could see a future with, and she was feeling that even with how new things truly were between them. When he stepped back though, Shane pouted a little. The billionaire wasn’t all that used to not getting what she wanted. Either her presence and power did it, or her looks. “You look more than handsome enough to just stay here and spend some time with me. Or maybe you can help me freshen up.” She took a step closer to him, not ready to let him out of the room without at least a little fight.

“We’re a small but mighty breed. I’m thinking about stepping down from my bellboy duties when you’re not around.” Every moment that was spent with Shane proved to be worth the wait and the distance that at times felt unbearable. Jax often reminded himself that it had only been a few months of knowing one another, but that didn’t change the way his heart felt like it swelled three sizes around her, or the way he could easily get lost in her words every time he heard her voice through the phone. He knew that this wasn’t the best idea and that the distance between them would likely provide too many complications. He also knew that he hadn’t felt this alive and excited about something since Ava had come into the world. He still questioned how he had managed to capture the attention of a woman like Shane, but he was in no place to question it. If life had taught him anything, it was to hold onto moments like these, and he wasn’t about to miss out on any with the blonde.

Nodding, Jax held Shane’s gaze in hopes that his words would resonate with her. “Just a little bit. I’m thinking I might have to pick up the slack and pay you some visits too.” The thought of his semi-serious proposal being too forward or too fast moving for whatever this was between them crossed his mind, but it was fleeting. Everything about Shane was alluring to him, the closeness between them causing an excitement to build in him that he hadn’t known was there. “A kiss?” At the mention of a kiss, Jax would argue that he had no choice but to retrace his steps and return to his spot before her, capturing her lips in a kiss that only conveyed a fraction of what he was feeling in that moment. “I’m thinking it’s definitely too much, but I’m open to testing that.” The bed and breakfast owner didn’t have it in him to resist her and found his lips just inches a part from hers again. “Now that I think of it, I was meaning to take a shower…and I’m always telling my guests to be mindful of how much water and power they’re using.” He was quick to pull his shirt over his head, letting it fall to the ground beside him before his palms landed at her hips. “It would be pretty fucked up if I didn’t take my own request seriously.”

When it came to a woman like Sofia, so remarkably gorgeous and possessing a dynamic personality, it was the most tasking chore in the world to put her attention anywhere but on the honey haired blonde. She was magnetic in a room, and this was only her second day in the same place as Sofia. 

“Oh my god, that’s your friend…?” Maya did attempt to not sound judgmental, but she was sure it wasn’t hidden well. Then there was the fact that she couldn’t resist turning her head to get a glimpse of the male friend, also ignoring the relief she felt that it was male and not some competition for her when it came to Sofia. Although, she never did find out in the limit conversation they had if the blonde before her was into men as well as women. “He’s obnoxiously loud in bed. And he does this weird throat clearing thing…” Maya shrugged, only trying to give the so far one night stander some tips to subtly let her neighbor in on if he wanted to keep fucking Julie.

“But… you’re into breaking hearts otherwise?” A brow quirked at that one and hid her smirk by raising her glass to her lips once more.

Aside from her looks and figure and also her witty personality, Maya knew right then at the mention of food, that it was likely a big part of the draw to Sofia. She didn’t want to get ahead of herself on any fantasies of wining and dining when it came to the slippery one standing in front of her. Maya had already been slipped out on once, and she wasn’t in any rush for it to happen again.

She swallowed thickly, like she had honey stuck in her throat. When really, it was just Sofia and her flirtations and then her presence imposing on her even closer. “Shame on yourself, sweet thing. You played yourself slipping out before I woke this morning.” The brunette shrugged, it was a tit for tat, a play back and forth between two cats and no one willing to be the mouse. 

Taking a few steps away, hoping to lead and lure the blonde to come with her, Maya smiled. “You wanna follow me to the hors d'oeuvres? I suppose we have to get our fill that way since someone couldn’t stay for breakfast this morning.” She winked at Sofia before heading for the table.

“I don’t know if I’d call him a friend…more of a neighbour who was a little disappointed when I wouldn’t fuck him…ended up being his wing woman, but he’s kind of useless in that department.” A laugh escaped her while she watched as the brunette gave her the lowdown on what Julie had been experiencing. Although the content that was spilling out of Maya wasn’t heavy or of serious matters by any means, she had managed to garner Sofia’s full attention, which wasn’t an easy feat. “I’ll make sure to pass the tips on. Julie’s got to be at least three ranks above him. He needs all the help he can get if he wants to keep her around.”

“It’s better than the alternative, isn’t it?” Sofia had never really been one for commitment, ensuring that she was the one to end things before anyone could reverse the roles and thrust hurt upon her. While she looked at the woman in front of her though, she felt as though Maya was one of the few who could take the reigns and reverse those roles. It scared her and intrigued her at the very same time. Wanting to rid herself of the thought, Sofia brought her own glass to her lips, polishing it off.

“You had some pretty good feedback for my neighbour…got any tips for me? You know, aside from leaving and missing out on a shower and breakfast with someone way out of my league?” Sofia was confident almost to a fault, but at the same time it wasn’t difficult to see that there was something incredibly special about Maya. “Think I’ve got another shot?”

Sofia was more than willing to follow in the brunette’s path, a smug grin taking to her lips when she was finally situated beside her at the table after what felt like closing a long distance. Eyeing the food, she handed the other woman a plate before taking her own and piling it up with a small sample of everything. “Hypothetically, what kind of breakfast foods should I be cooking for you tomorrow?” Her statement seemed to lean towards over confidence, though for Sofia it was riddled with hope.

“You can’t just leave”

“You don’t have a clue about how hard you are to leave, do you?” James ran his fingers through his hair, his hand moving so that his fingers now tapped anxiously at the nape of his neck. “Dani...this was a shit idea and we both knew it.” Finally he allowed his gaze to meet Danica’s. She was so goddamn perfect and always had been, the way those few strands of hair sometimes fell in her face and she remained careless about it, the way her tone almost always was telling of how she was feeling, and the way she had never been afraid to vocalize how she felt about something, this being no exception. Hadn’t it been her words that landed him where he was right now, a corporate asshole who had lost sight of who he was? “It’s funny,” he paused as a sigh escaped his lips. “I built myself up to this initially,” he gestured at himself, confined by a suit and tie he would argue he looked damn good in, “thinking it would help me get you back, and now that you’re here I feel like I’ll just end up right back there and lose all of it.” There was a time when losing everything if it meant having her was seen by him as an opportunity to jump at. Now, she felt like she could very easily be his downfall. “This sneaking around is fun, but shit...we can’t keep doing it. And you’re not making resisting it easy on me, either.”

If Jameson had been aware what was about to greet him walking into his favorite Chinese restaurant, simply just picking up his phone-in order, he would’ve gone somewhere else. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see Andie. He absolutely wanted nothing less than to fill his sapphires with the vision of the stunning blonde he’d grown so emotionally attached to. It hadn’t been easy for him to open up and let his guard down, but he and Andie connected in ways that he hadn’t felt in a long time. He was able to relate to her suffering relationship, the way someone checked out on you, the feelings of betrayal.

Then she ended up doing something very similar to him. She checked out.

It had been months since the detective had seen, let alone had a chat with Andie. There she was though, standing there looking as perfect as ever and making his heart ache. He’d felt a deep void in her absence, something that had actually surprised him, not having been quite aware of the depths their intimacy had reached until she was around no longer.

He smiled at the clerk behind the counter, Xio, whom he’d seen on a fiarly regular basis. About once a week. And approached the counter, clearing his throat as he kept searching for the blonde in his peripheral. “Yeah, man. You know me, just here to pick up my usual.” Jameson was told they were a little backed up, and apologized to, but that it would like be another ten minutes to wait.

Sure. No problem. He could wait. With Andie Klein standing right there, smiling at him and talking to him.

Did she touch him?

Jameson felt it and turned to face her, letting out a sigh as he did so. What a sight for sore eyes she was. How could he harness and cage his heart in that moment so that it didn’t attempt to leap right on out of his chest and into her hands? He missed her. Everything about her. While he’d always wanted more than what she was available to give, he cherished the friendship and pushed aside any fantasies of carnal realities and some relationship. It hadn’t been realistic. She was married, despite the fact that her husband was a cheating asshole that didn’t deserve her, Jameson respected the boundaries.

“Andie,” he greeted, wanting to reach out and touch her to be sure that she wasn’t a mirage. “Hey, don’t fat shame me.” Jameson let out a small chuckle that had bubbled up his throat. “You know good and well those party platters are for me and me only. Don’t act like you didn’t order for you and five families.” The distinction for half was made, teasing that she could pig out too, just maybe not as much as he could wolf down.

“Didn’t I get this place in the divorce?” It was meant as a tease but he internally winced at his word choice. Though, upon further thought, Jameson wasn’t sure how else to word it.

After a failed marriage, the blonde didn’t feel ready to dive into anything new, and was confident that taking a step back from her relationship with Jameson was the only way to not get swallowed whole by it. It was her decision not to acknowledge how far deep she truly was with her feelings when it came to Jameson that currently filled her with regret. He was so close and at the same time felt more out of reach than he had during her marriage.

Andie’s nerves had never been easily elevated. From a young age she challenged herself and step outside of her comfort zone. She was adventurous to her core, which was part of what had landed her back in stunt work and far removed from law. She wondered if he had even been aware of her drastic decision, but didn’t dwell on it for long.

If tonight went the way she wanted it to, they’d have the time to talk about it all.

She had been in denial for so long in her last relationship. Despite knowledge of Adam cheating, Andie managed to convince herself that they could come back from it…that their love could overcome it. It wasn’t until after the papers were signed that she allowed herself to acknowledge that her heart had been somewhere else for a while now.

She felt like melting into the floor when Jameson focused his attention on her. How was it that with just a look he managed to make her feel like his gaze held more interest than any other man’s ever had with her? Even at a time where his eyes should have held anger or disappointment in her.  Instead, his words and that laugh held a tone that felt forgiving.

Andie Klein hadn’t let her nerves surface since she was a young girl, and here Jameson was, standing in front of her in his perfection challenging her with that exact feeling.

“Jameson,” she matched his greeting, the smile she had been trying to keep at bay surfacing as soon as his laugh filled the space between them. “It’s only fat shaming if you don’t own it…and I ordered for me and six families, actually.” She had been frequenting his favourite restaurant more than normal lately, perhaps a small sense of hope leading her there.

It was easily to see the discomfort immediately as the words left him, though they managed to pry a laugh out of her. “I was going to sign the papers until I read that clause.” Lifting her hand, she ghosted her fingers over his bicep, an attempt at reassurance. “I keep coming here and it just doesn’t taste as good eating it alone…imagine the dinner we could have with both of our orders. And it’s been a while since I’ve been at your place.”

Waking up to an empty bed in the morning when she was sure the sandy haired companion she’d brought back to her place had been just as exhausted by their sexual affairs, wasn’t all that surprising. They had barely exchanged first names, were fueled by lust and alcohol, and each got exactly what they wanted.

In Maya’s case, she got what she needed.

She lived her life fully as a bisexual woman, but it wasn’t widely known or acted upon that she had a stronger preference of women. It had actually been by chance that her last string of hookups in the past year had all been men. So when she’d come upon the beautiful and sexy Sofia, she didn’t really hold back. She drank up every bit of what the Cuban woman had to offer her as though she’d found a cool water fountain in the desert.

After pulling herself out of bed and stretching, the brunette smiled, feeling more loose and satisfied than she had felt in too damn long. She had a bowl of hot Grape-Nuts drizzled with some honey, then showered up and fixed herself up into something comfortable for this brunch thing she was supposed to attend. Guilty she was for having missed the last few of her friend’s so she was holding onto her promise of getting there this time. No cancelling at last minute, no being a hermit, no saying ‘I’ll be sure to come next time’.

When she walked through the door though to her friend’s place, the last person she expected to greet her was Sofia with a mimosa in hand no less. It baffled her a little that the honey blonde was so casual, as though she hadn’t slipped from her townhome without a goodbye or a note. Not even a text. In fact, Sofia was acting like they were casual friends just bumping into each other like they hadn’t spent the previous night making each other cum as many times as possible before they passed out in an exhausted tangle of limbs.

“Nah, I definitely didn’t follow you here…” Her words came out a little slow. Maya was trying to gauge just how she should interact with Sofia and take in their surroundings at the same time.

There was her friend Julie. She waved. Gave her a big smile. Then proceeded to mouth and gesture with her hands that she’d come say ‘hi’ in a few minutes.

“Sofia, was it?” The brunette decided to play the other’s game a little when her attention soon turned back to the beauty in front of her. “My girl Julie over there puts a lot of time and effort into these brunches, I’ll be sure not to repeat your rating and break her heart.” Maya smirked.

She took the mimosa.

Then she had a sip. “Given that my friend is hosting this three out of ten star brunch,” the liquid in the glass sloshed as she gestured to Sofia, “I think the better question is if you followed me here. Did you creep through my phone this morning before you left?” She knew that Sofia had not, given that her passcode required a face ID, but it was fun to tease anyhow. “If you wanted to see me again you should’ve just stayed for a shower and a chat. We could’ve made plans, Sof.”

Sure, she could have and should have left a note or some sort of acknowledgement that she was slipping out, but the chances of that making things messy rather than a clean exit wasn’t something she leaned towards. One night stands with zero attachment had been working out for her and catered to her lifestyle. It was this exact comfort with securing no attachments when it came to sex that had bumping into the dark haired beauty throwing her for a loop. And it was that very same surprise that was also managing to bring her a sense of relief and comfort.

She worked to ignore the fact that Maya and the desire for another night with the woman through her ride home, and as she showered and got ready for the brunch. She fought even harder to suppress the thought as she let her gaze roam over the breathtaking woman before her, a woman who she might’ve been delusional to skip out on, especially with the teasing she was putting on the table.

Sipping on the mimosa, she watched as Maya interacted with her friend from afar. There was no doubt in her mind that Maya was a natural when it came to socializing in these kinds of settings.

A smile tugged at her lips at the teasing, a reminder of what had drawn Sofia to Maya after that initial physical attraction. She had easily been the most gorgeous woman she’d ever seen step foot in that bar, but it was her way with words and her confidence that had the woman hooked. She was a breath of fresh air in a time when Sofia felt like she was suffocating.

“My neighbour invited me…pretty sure he’s fucking your friend Julie.  And thank you for being considerate…I’m not so into breaking hearts of people who are keeping my friends happy.” Relieved when Maya took the glass, Sofia took a generous sip of her own. “Maybe I’ll reevaluate my rating once I get to taste the food.”

She couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle before polishing off her drink. “You don’t remember inviting me last night?” Sofia took a small step forward, feeling a deep-rooted need to be close to the other woman. “If I knew a shower was involved, I might’ve broken my rule for you, Maya…shame.”

She nodded along to the conversation that was happening around her, throwing in a perfectly timed ‘yeah’ or ‘agreed’ as though she were truly tuned into what her friends were discussing. She was more focused on the hunger that had her almost eating breakfast before brunch, and ridding her head of the thoughts of the night before. Who the fuck liked brunch anyway? As an early riser she could never hold out until 11 and always ended up eating brunches that consisted of mimosas and a waffle or two. 

It was when Maya walked through the front door that Sofia was fully able to tune out the conversation going on around her. She wasn’t sure if she was relieved to see the other woman or dreading their interaction. Her feet moved her toward the door, but not before grabbing a second mimosa in offering. She had never been confronted with someone she had snuck away from in the early hours of the morning, though a mimosa seemed like enough of an apology if necessary. “You didn’t follow me here, did you? Because I hate to break it to you, but on a scale of one to ten, this brunch is probably a three at best.” She held the second drink out in offering as her eyes moved over the brunette, a smug grin taking to her lips in appreciation of a night well spent.

That was until an emotional connection with Jameson slowly crept up on her. It started out with late night conversations while Adam was out of town doing god knows what, and right up until the divorce, it was stolen glances, almost kisses, and brushes of fingers. Without knowing it, Jameson had pulled her out of a dark place she felt stuck in, and in his own way, knocked down the walls she had built to expose the real Andie. In ways it brought fear, which was why she had distanced herself from him for the past three months. With someone who had so easily managed to redirect her emotions, there was no chance she could acknowledge what existed between them. Not when he heart was newly mended.

When he came into view, she felt her chest tighten and her cheeks flush. She had just wanted to pick up her take out and have a night in with a bottle of wine and some half-decent Chinese food, but in that moment her thoughts were completely turned around. “Hey stranger...” Her hand moved to touch his back lightly, only for her to pull her hand away, forgetting that she no longer had a ring on her finger that kept her from doing so earlier. “Did you order take out for you and ten families?” she teased, a smile taking to her lips as she took him in.

JAX EDGRUN & SHANE SUMNER.

               “Well in that case…” Shane wrapped her fingers around the strap of her expensive designer shoulder bag and pulled it from her shoulder, lowering her bag to the floor beside her feet. “I wouldn’t want to keep the most handsome bellboy slash bed and breakfast owner from doing his job.” The blond couldn’t stop smiling up at the man in front of her, she was completely enamored and enchanted by his personality and charisma, then there was that whole thing about how good looking he was and the deep voice that seemed to vibrate through her with each damn word he spoke. It didn’t matter that she was a southern girl of the finest upbringings, there was no way her thoughts had been impure when with him or away from him. Having his warmth so close, his scent filling her senses, and his beautiful smile accompanying each of his compliments made her wonder how she’d made due with just phone calls and texts in the time she’d been away. She brushed her fingers through her hair, “you really think this looks good?” It wasn’t that Shane was overly critical of her appearance as say her mother was, there was just something different when you liked someone and wanted to be sure to impress them. The blonde billionaire laughed, hand lightly clapping to his sternum, and shook her head. “Well, if you think I’m giving you a run for your money now… just you wait until I get cleaned up,” Shane winked. “You’re taking me and my bag upstairs right?” Her cheeks were beginning to hurt with how much smiling she was doing and she was doomed at the mention of a date. “Don’t ruin my surprise… but let’s get a move on so I can be wooed.”

               After moving forward and planting her lips to his cheek, Shane’s hand smoothed across his side as she passed Jax and headed for the stairs. She paused and smiled over her shoulder, “it’d probably fair better for you to be held responsible for things getting out of hand.” Her words were playful, along with the gleam in her emerald hues. “It’s really good to see you too. You really have no idea how much I missed that handsome face, but… if you hurry it on up you just might get yourself another hug.”

Even Shane’s small movements managed to captivate Jax’s attention with ease. “I’ll make sure to represent that title at the next bellboy slash bed and breakfast owners conference.” Every time he caught a glimpse of that earth-shattering smile of hers, he found his own smile widening. He let his gaze move over her again as he took her in, wanting to commit everything about her to memory before she was boarding a plane and states away again. There were the little things he had come to notice about her that he found himself thinking about when they were separated. The way her hair fell over her shoulders, often in loose waves. How even though he had only seen her done up, it was easy to see how naturally stunning she was. The way her breath had felt against his ear during their lingering goodbyes, and the way she managed to leave him craving more time with her once she was gone. There were so many things about Shane that had stuck with Jax and had him more excited than he had been in a long time with her return. Her words shook him from his momentary daze, his eyes catching hers as he picked up her bag. “We might end up being too good looking to be out in a small town like this. I might even be bold and whip out a tie.”

The kiss to his cheek partnered with the near ghosting of her hand on his side was almost fleeting, building up a desire to be closer to her that he hadn’t realized was so close to the surface. Normally he was good at keeping attraction at bay, but it hadn’t been since he had first met Ava’s mom that he had experienced an attraction even close to this. He laughed, following as she made her way up the stairs. “I’m a pretty damn responsible man, but no can do…not when your visits are this infrequent. We can come back to it on your next visit.” He used her words as a cue to slip past her, holding the door to her room open and set her bag down. When they were both in the room, he allowed the door to shut and closed the distance between them, his right hand moving to cup her cheek, his thumb tracing softly across her chin and jaw line, his eyes set on her lips. “I’m not sure I can settle for another hug right now.” The closeness had his heart racing, his gaze lifting to hers for a moment before he stepped back, his hands falling to his sides. “So I’m gonna let you freshen up or we’re not getting out of here. I’ll come back in half hour looking as handsome as ever.”

JAX EDGRUN & SHANE SUMNER.

               So many people were in her life on a daily basis. It was the necessary evil of being the head of a big investment firm, and also having ties to all of her family businesses. There wasn’t ever really a time her phone wasn’t full of notifications for something; whether it was emails, missed calls, or texts with the occasion of other social media notifications, Shane always had people contacting her. Though lately, ever since she had met Jax at his bed and breakfast and had spent some time getting to know him, the notifications she looked for on her phone all seemed to be connected to his name. Everything else seemed to fade away and if there was a message from him, the smile it put on her face was unmistakable. It had been only a month, yet there she found herself walking into the very same spot they met and her features had to brighten upon seeing him.

              “Hello to you too,” she gently reached for his arm and pulled him forward, wrapping her own around his neck to greet with a hug and kiss on the cheek. The blonde was smiling when she pulled back. “Can I put my bags down in my room first or are we going right now?” Of course she was free, she had only come to see him. “I also should freshen up, it was a long flight,” Shane brushed her fingers through her blonde tresses as though she somehow looked worn or something. It was actually rare the texan didn’t look put together, even if it was a barely there makeup day, given that photographers could be anywhere. Not that she was the most interest person to follow.

Jax hated technology and frankly wasn’t very savvy when it came down to phones or computers, but that had changed after Shane’s first visit. After badgering from almost everyone who knew him, Jax finally traded in his flip phone for a phone that would make the time spent without her presence easier. The reality of it all seemed ridiculous at best. They had only spent a few together together here and there, and yet somehow the blonde had managed to flip his world upside down and consume his thoughts. There was something about her, something that he couldn’t quite put his finger on that had him checking his phone far more frequently than he wished to, and had his gaze set on the front entrance to the B & B often. The pair were polar opposites in terms of lifestyle and upbringing, but there was some sort of magnetic force that made it almost difficult to be away from her. Why was it that for a man who was hardly ever flustered or caught off guard, she had been able to completely disarm him without any effort? Jax wasn’t sure what was going on between them or if anything would come of it, he just knew that he wanted to find out.

When she pulled him in for a hug he let his arms wrap around her torso, lingering for a moment before she pulled back. “My staff rallied together and actually demoted me to Bell Boy, so I think it’s my job to help you take ‘em up.” He allowed his gaze to move over her, taking in her presence and the way she carried herself. “Do you always look this good after long fights? Because you look gorgeous, right now...I’d even say you’re up there with me.” A teasing grin took to his lips as he raked his fingers through his own hair. “Try not to take too long, alright? We’ve got some catching up to do and I’ve got a pretty impressive date planned.”