providing a good example to?â
She shot him a lethal look as she opened the passenger side and then dropped into the seat, pulling the door closed with a hard thunk.
Blake slipped into the driverâs seat. âAnd do tell,â he went on, closing his door and turning to face her, clearly struggling to maintain an impassive expression, âwhat other life lessons do you teach besides getting arrested, parking illegally and not paying your traffic fines?â
She refused to grind her teeth in annoyance. And it would be so much easier if heâd just go ahead and laugh at her with those sensual lips, so he could move on to more important things.
Like kissing her.
The sexual tension, the awareness, was a living, fire-breathing thing that was so much worse when enclosed in small spaces with the infuriating man. Especially now that she knew it was mutual.
Damn it.
âTrespassing?â Thickly fringed eyes on her, he went on lightly, listing the possibilities. âShoplifting?â The knot of attraction and irritation in her gut twisted harder as he went on. âOr maybeââ
Desperate to end the sarcasm, she placed her fingers on that maddening, sensual mouth, halting his words. And everything went still.
Except for the need surging through her body...
Blood whooshed in her ears as his gray eyes, flecked with gold, remained fixed on hers. Her nerve endings vibrated from the sensation of firm lips, smooth, stubble-free skin and warm breath seeping between her fingers. There was no mistaking the heat in his gaze or the tension in his body, clearly a combination of lust and steelâthe steel communicating just how much he was humoring her by not calling her out on her impertinent move. And what would he be like if the lust won and he released all that careful control?
As she held his mouth, the seconds ticked by with only the faint sound of their breathing, until she finally controlled her own emotions enough to keep herself from doing something rash.
Either throttling him or tasting that sexy mouth, she wasnât sure which.
Her voice low, she forced herself to continue to meet his heated gaze. âYou get one more comment, Suit. And then Iâm cutting you off.â Two heartbeats passed, long enough for her to wonder if he was again contemplating kissing her, and then she said, âWell?â She dropped her hand and raised a prompting eyebrow, braced for his last verbal jab. Would it be angry? Amused? Or, God help her, sexual? âWhatâs the comment going to be?â
The pause was brief, but the intensity in his eyes scorched her insides, leaving the moment feeling longer than it was. âI think that with your lifestyle,â he said, his voice huskily amused, as if struggling between the dueling notions of humor and sex, âyou should keep a full-time lawyer on retainer.â
Irritated by his words, Jax pressed her lips together and pivoted to face forward, crossing her arms to contain her thrumming heart in her chest. âJust turn on the car and drive.â
* * *
Blake parked on the street in front of the South Glade Teen Center and turned off his car, looking doubtfully at the old downtown warehouse that had been converted into a club for kids. Alarm bells were ringing in his head again, the same ones that had sounded earlier when Jax had touched him. But this alert was of a nonsexual kind and triggered by his environment.
To say that the club was located in a questionable part of town was being generous.
âIt doesnât look safe to park here,â he said.
âIt isnât,â Jax said with a careless tone as they
exited the Lexus and headed for the front door. âBut with your fancy security system, I doubt anyone will steal your car. Of course, that wonât keep some random kids from having fun.â
The alarm crept higher. âFun?â
âYou know, doing a little redecorating with spray paint or a set of