That impression was solidified when he got behind the wheel and the engine roared to life, then pulled away from the curb with crisp agility and a powerful purr.
Jax didn’t say anything further on the ride back to the penthouse, allowing the tension between us to thicken and grow hotter. He handled the expensive sports car with commanding ease, completely relaxed amid the chaos of Manhattan streets and aggressive, swerving cabbies.
It wasn’t until we got into the elevator at our apartment building that I broke the silence, unable to bear the weight of his stare. “What did you talk to my dad about?”
“Having Rossi’s featured as a thriving and expanding small business.”
“Featured in what?”
“Various materials.”
I crossed my arms. “Political materials?”
He arched one of his brows. “What else?”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because we don’t talk about work—yours or mine.”
The elevator doors opened and he gestured me out ahead of him. I cleared us through the security system and entered the penthouse.
“I think we need to straighten something out.” I tossed my purse on the armchair. “My understanding is that your work is in finance.”
“And you work with Lei Yeung,” he countered, shutting the door behind us. “Doesn’t stop you from getting into your family business, does it?”
I rounded on him. “I would never have a conversation with your dad without telling you!”
“You can’t say that yet.” He pulled his sweater off, revealing the gorgeous chiseled bare torso I couldn’t help eyeing. “And why aren’t you equally pissed at your dad for not saying anything?”
He had a point, which irritated me. I hated how I suddenly felt like I was being irrational. “What are you doing?”
He headed for the hallway. “Getting ready for bed.”
“I’m too pissed to sleep with you!”
“Sweetheart,” he tossed over his shoulder, “I feel the same way.”
I kicked off my heels and went after him, following him into the bedroom. He toed off his shoes and shucked his jeans, magnificently naked in an instant.
He’d been commando beneath those jeans.
My brain scrambled for a minute, then I fought back by getting naked, too. “I don’t want my family being used.”
“I don’t want my girlfriend making assumptions about my motives.” Jax yanked the covers back and slid into bed.
“You’re the one who keeps telling me that your family can’t be trusted!”
He settled against the headboard. “But you didn’t get mad at my family, did you? You got mad at me. And instead of asking me about it, you decided to drink and close ranks.”
“I wouldn’t have to ask you about it if you told me in advance.” I headed into the bathroom. “But whatever. You’re always right, aren’t you, Jax?”
“Seems to me I’m always in the wrong,” he muttered after me.
I turned on the shower and scrubbed my makeup off while the water heated. When I stepped into the stall, I took my time, dragging out the shower as long as I could in the hopes that Jax would fall asleep and stop talking.
Closing my eyes, I stood beneath the spray. Jax was a man who cowed other dominant men with a single glance. He talked around others, refused to cede any ground whatsoever, and he was a painfully sharp strategist. I respected all those things about him. I was attracted to and aroused by his self-command. But I really hated how he could retreat behind that rigid control and put me on the outside; shutting me out and dealing with me like an opponent.
I couldn’t imagine living the rest of my life being treated that way.
“Am I going to have to drag you out of there, too?” Jax said, opening the floating glass door and standing amid the steam that surged eagerly around his bared body.
“Go away,” I told him wearily, shutting off the taps. “I’m sleeping in the guest room tonight.”
His jaw tightened. His chest expanded on a deep, slow breath. “I...” He paused. “I’m sorry.”
Nodding, I pushed him back and stepped around him. “Thank you for that. I’m sorry, too. We both handled this badly.”
I shrugged into the terry-cloth robe hanging on a hook, then wrapped my hair up in a turban to wring it dry. “Goodnight, Jax.”
He followed me through the bedroom, grabbing me by the elbow when I approached the door to the hallway. “Don’t be like this. I said I’m sorry and I meant it.”
Stopping, I looked at him. “I know you did, and I meant it, too. But it doesn’t fix a fundamental problem we’re having with the way we communicate. We don’t talk about family. We don’t talk about work. We hang out together and fuck, which makes us more friends with benefits than anything, doesn’t it?”
He pulled me closer, stepping into me at the same time so that he was pressed up against me. “I love you, Gia. More than I’ve ever loved anything. You know that.”
I sighed. “And I love you enough that I couldn’t get over you, even after I thought you’d dumped me like trash. But that means you can hurt me real bad, Jax. I’m having a hard time living on the periphery of your life. And if being with you hurts worse than being without you, I’ve got to decide what’s the best thing for me to do.”
“You’re the center of my life.” His hands went to my shoulders. “There isn’t a moment that goes by when I’m not thinking about you.”