Charlie was just shutting Jax’s oven door when his keys jangled in the lock. She straightened and threw down the oven gloves, halfway across the kitchen before he’d closed the door behind him.
She continued, wary as she tried to read his face. “Well?”
His lips curled, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s fine. What can they do to Jax Michaels?”
Lines dug into Charlie’s forehead as she smoothed his brow. “Then why do you look so worried?”
He shrugged and brushed past her, leaving her to look after him. “It’s fine, Charlie.”
“Jax.” She bit her lip. She’d been going over it and over it in her mind, sick to her stomach. “Do you blame me?”
He paused next to the couch. “Blame you?”
“If you hadn’t met me . . . none of this would’ve happened.”
Jax turned. His eyes burned as he strode back to her. His hands cupped her face as he slammed his lips down to hers. She clung to him for a moment. When he released her, she kept her eyes closed.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I’m not good with . . . sharing.”
“It’s okay.”
He released her and thrust his hands back through his hair. “What smells so good?”
“I’m making cupcakes—is that okay? You said to meet you back here and I needed to make cupcakes for the store, so . . .”
“Of course. It’s fine.” Jax smiled at her, but without his usual wickedness. His thoughts were clearly elsewhere as he wandered toward the glass coffee table. It was stacked with papers, ones from the folder he’d smuggled out of the Library. She’d been going through them in an effort to take her mind off what WFY might have been doing to Jax.
Charlie gestured as she stood behind one of the couches. “I was just going through. I hope it’s okay.”
“Charlie.” Jax dropped into a chair and put his head in his hands. “Stop.”
“Stop what?”
“Treading on eggshells.” He looked at her with tired eyes. “I want you here. I want you baking in my kitchen. I want you to do whatever you want to do.”
She pressed down onto the couch’s leather. “What are they going to do to you?”
“Luka doesn’t know.” Jax raised his foot and set it on the coffee table, leaning back. “He says we should hear some news by morning.”
Charlie bit her lip. Without a word, she walked to the cooling rack where she’d placed a dozen cupcakes earlier. Selecting one, she returned and slid onto Jax’s lap.
His eyes flew open as her weight settled on top of him.
Charlie passed him the cupcake. “Comfort food.”
He stared at the cake. A small, genuine smile curled his lips and made it to his eyes. “You’re amazing.”
“You are lucky to have me,” she teased, smoothing her hands through his hair and down his neck. “They won’t hurt you, will they?”
He slid her a glance as he bit into the cupcake. “Charlie.”
“Well.” She let it go and hoped he was right. “Have you heard about Winston?”
“He’s broken his nose and has to have plastic surgery for his teeth.” Jax’s eyes grew stormy with anger. “Not enough damage. I should’ve—”
“No,” Charlie interrupted. “You shouldn’t’ve. You should’ve let it go. I’ve heard it before from people. Ian, remember? It doesn’t bother me.”
“I don’t understand it.” Jax set the cupcake aside and slid his hands over her back. “Why can’t people see what I can?”
A warm rush of love bathed her in its golden glow. She touched his cheek. “Are you worried you’re going to lose your job?” She ignored his comment.
“Let’s not talk about it.”
“Jax . . .”
“There’s nothing we can do.” His hands slipped beneath the jeans she’d changed into. “I punched the ass and I’d do it again. I’ll take my lumps.”
“Couldn’t you apologize or something?” She didn’t like it, but he loved his job. Turns out, Charlie was as sappy as the next girl. She wanted Jax to be happy.
One hand moved to clasp her nape. He brought her face closer to his so his warm breath puffed against her lips. “I’m not sorry. About any of it.”
Charlie kissed him, sliding her hands into his hair and pouring her love for him through her lips. She sucked his tongue into her mouth and teased him, pressing her breasts against his chest. She broke away on a gasp. “Did I tell you I found the whole protecting-my-woman’s-honor thing very sexy?”
“Oh, yeah?” His thumb found her clit.
She moaned.
An hour later, she shot up and scrambled out of bed to the stench of burning. “Cupcakes.”
* * *
They were having breakfast the American way—on plates—when the news came.
Charlie had been arguing against Jax’s book club idea when something caught her eye on the TV Jax had on low. She sucked jam off her pinkie as she turned her head to look. It was a news channel, a press conference in the WFY building—she recognized the foyer from a field trip she’d taken as a girl.
A stunning woman was walking to the many microphones. Her hair was a vibrant red that set off her milky skin, her eyes a deep emerald with bronze flecks. She wore an apple-green skirt suit that clung to her curves with caramel-colored heels that tapped out a rhythm as she made her way to the podium. She couldn’t have screamed innocence more convincingly than if she’d had a bluebird perched on one finger and skin as white as snow. Underneath her image, a banner came up with her name: Rae McKenzie.
“Who’s that?” Charlie pointed with her pinkie.
Jax, who’d been occupied by massaging her foot, glanced at the TV. His hands slipped off her arch. “Volume up,” he barked.
The volume instantly increased.
“—you for coming,” Rae was saying to the press. Flashbulbs went off as she took a moment, her hands curled around the podium.
“Jax, who is that?”
“She represents WFY West Coast.” He didn’t take his eyes off the TV. “The next most powerful public figure after me.”
“I thought that was a man. Jared somebody.”
“He resigned a decade ago.” He put his hand up as she went to ask another question. As much as she hated that, the worry in his eyes made any hot words die on her tongue.
Rae McKenzie cleared her throat on the TV. “I’m here today on behalf of WFY to address the issue of the New York winner Charlotte Donahue.”
“Wait, what?” Charlie’s eyes snapped to the screen as her feet hit the floor. “Me?”
The sound of cameras whirring continued as Rae smiled with convincing friendliness. Charlie could see how she’d made it to be West Coast’s face. Very girl next door meets sex appeal.
“As many of you know, Charlotte Donahue won a wish in the lottery two weeks ago. Although our Genie attempted to grant her a wish, she refused. We have put all our effort into helping her, but it seems her wish is to be left alone.”
Rae paused. Bizarrely, Charlie noticed her nail polish matched her suit and wondered if she’d deliberately coordinated it like that.
“WFY has listened to the public’s complaints regarding her attitude toward the win, and although we would love to have helped her, we have to regretfully clear the field.”
“Jax, what does that mean?” Charlie shook her head. “They’re giving up?”
Lines deepened across his brow.
“We hope one day Charlie will find what she is looking for. Until then, we must move on, having given her the best chance we could.”
“They’re painting me as an idiot.”
“Charlie,” Jax snapped, one hand raised to get her to hush.
“To that end, we have decided we are going to cross out Charlotte Donahue’s wish from the hall of records.”
The press broke into a roar of questions, hands raised and notebooks waving.
One bald man in a tweed suit got picked first. “What about Jax Michaels? He punched Winston Morris on Lisette’s Hour. Does WFY have a comment?”
“Ah.” Rae smiled. “As regards the alleged ‘punch,’ Winston Morris has come forward to say that it was all a staged prank to boost ratings. Jax will be reprimanded for his part in it as WFY does not condone violence, but will not be punished severely.”
Charlie let out a breath at that. They must have paid Winston off. At least WFY cared about its Genies’ reputations, if nothing else.
“It is also my privilege to be the first to announce that Jax will be taking a leave of absence from America.”
Her stomach tightened. Bile, thick and burning, rushed her throat. She swallowed and looked toward Jax. He was milk white, half standing as though he’d forgotten what he was doing.
“What do you mean?” Charlie recognized Shawna Lopez from the ball as she asked the question.
“WFY has just appointed a new face in England, and Jax will be liaising with the England branch to help her adjust and run operations smoothly.”
“Are you sending him away?”
“No. Jax volunteered for this assignment.” The bronze flecks in Rae’s emerald eyes didn’t even flicker at the lie. “He believes some time away will grant him new perspective, and he’ll come back fresher than ever.”
As a renewed burst of questions erupted, Jax ordered the TV off. Silence rose between them.
Charlie was having trouble breathing. Her fingers curled into the couch as she stared at her feet. She knew they were letting him off lightly. If he were anyone but Jax Michaels, he’d have been drummed out, and as much as she’d have liked that, he’d have hated it.
So she knew this was a slap on the wrist. She just hoped that when they’d said Jax would come back fresh with a new perspective, that didn’t mean she’d be out on her butt. Pain sparked in her heart like a thousand tiny needles.
“I’m going to have to go in. Find out what’s going on.” He thrust his hands into his jeans pockets without looking at her. His voice was hollow.
Charlie nodded and tried to smile. “It doesn’t sound too bad. England sounds exciting.”
“I’ve been before.”
“Well, it’ll be a change of pace—and it’s a light punishment. It’s good.” She began gathering plates. She needed to keep her hands busy so she didn’t do anything as embarrassing as cry. She was not that girl. “Josh’ll be excited.”
“Yeah.” He studied the couch and ran a hand over the leather. A shirt appeared over his bare torso and he buttoned it. “You okay to let yourself out?”
Charlie walked to the kitchen and placed the plates in the metal sink. They clinked. She stared at them until the white blurred. “Fine. I’ve got to get to the store. I’m interviewing designers today.” When he didn’t say anything, she pushed on. “For the interiors.” Her lips curled. “Don’t gloat—it’s not attractive.”
“Yeah. I’ll see you later.” Jax didn’t look at her as he flashed out.
Charlie turned and slid down the cabinet to the flooring. She pressed her knuckles against her burning eyes. He was pulling away from her. He’d seemed fine last night, his regular charming self but for the brief moment when he’d first come in. But from the moment he’d seen Rae, he’d been distant and formal. Not the man she loved. He hadn’t even gloated over her caving to redesigning the interiors.
She drew in a breath and pushed to her feet. There was no point crying over it. If Jax was going to leave her with nothing more than a kiss and a good time keep in touch, then so be it. She’d said at the beginning she would take whatever she could get. If he was pulling away, she would just have to let him go.