Baker’s Law (20 page)

Marissa glanced up and Hill. He was paler than before, more so even than when he was
talking to Jax. She jumped to her feet and hurried over to the teen. She pulled out
a stool and ordered him to sit. “You’re going home with me tonight.”

Hill’s gaze shot to hers. “You don’t have to…”

“I don’t have to do anything. And you’re not going to argue with me.” She patted him
on the shoulder. “Sit tight for a second.” She went back to the kitchen and got him
a cup of soda. When she turned back Jax was standing, blocking her route back to the
teen.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting him a drink. He looks like he might be in a shock.” She was deliberately
being obtuse.

“You can’t have that boy come home with you.”

“
That boy
is hurt and needs rest.” And he wouldn’t be able to do that on a sofa in the back
of a shop that smelled of smoke.

“His parents—”

“I’ve got this taken care of.” She shoved her hand through her hair, anything to keep
Jax from seeing it shake.

“He’s not your responsibility.”

“And it’s none of your damned business.”

“Marissa…”

“Look, Jax, I don’t need your approval or, frankly, your input in this regard.”

Jax stood staring at her with his mouth firmly set and his hands thrust on his hips.

She was about to push past him, then remembered he’d driven her up to the shop. Her
SUV was at her house and Hill didn’t have a car. “Will you please drive us back to
my house?” She all but choked out the words.

At first he didn’t look like he’d agree to it, but he gave her a quick curt nod.

She softened her voice. “Thank you.” She took Hill the soda. He hadn’t moved, but
at least didn’t look any paler. “Drink this and then grab your things.”

Hill shot his gaze to the back of the shop—Jax was standing back there. “You don’t
have to—”

“We’ve covered this. You’re coming home with me. No arguments.”

“You can miss one day of school, Hill.” Marissa shook her head at the kid. Why wasn’t
he jumping at the chance to skip school? “You need your rest.”

Her doorbell rang, keeping him from any further argument. Marissa had called Lexi
to tell her Hill wouldn’t be at school and the girl grilled her with question after
question until she had the details of the previous night’s episode. Instead of pushing
the girl away, Marissa decided to enlist her help. If anyone could convince Hill he
needed to stay home and rest, it was Lexi.

“He’s in the living room. See if you can convince him he needs to take a day off.”

Lexi looked up at Marissa and gave her a smile so sweet Marissa wasn’t the least bit
worried. She headed back up to her room to finish getting ready for work. She’d already
run out to the grocery store earlier that morning to make sure she had enough food.
She wasn’t used to having anyone else in her home so she didn’t keep her cupboards
filled with anything more than soup and the ingredients she used in her baking.

At the store she’d tried to remember what her two older brothers had eaten growing
up. If memory served, it was anything and everything. She’d grabbed chips, crackers,
bread and lunchmeat and then had stocked up on juice and milk. Then she’d gone a little
overboard and grabbed several frozen pizzas, as well as cans of chili and tons of
fresh fruit. All the while a little voice in the back of her head kept whispering
that she’d only invited him over for one night. To rest. Due to his burns.

But she couldn’t stop herself once she got started.

And she also knew she wasn’t about to let him go back to sleeping in her shop. A growing
boy needed a real bed in a real home. She’d just have to figure out a way to broach
it and convince him it was a good idea.

Jax would go ballistic.

She paused as she lifted a mascara wand to her eyelashes.
Jax.
Jax shouldn’t have a say in whom she let into her home. At the same time, she didn’t
want to see that harsh disapproval in his eyes when he found out. She just wished
she could get him to see Hill in the same light she did. It wasn’t that she pitied
Hill. Quite the opposite. She was so proud of all he’d accomplished and wanted to
help him as much as she could to ensure he’d be able to go even further.

Marissa shook off her thoughts and finished getting ready. When she returned to the
living room she found Lexi, hands shoved on her hips, standing over Hill. Hill gave
Marissa a pleading look. She shook her head in a “you’re on your own” gesture.

“There’s plenty of food in the kitchen. Help yourself. And take it easy.” She shouldered
her purse. “Lexi.” She called the girl over to the front door. “I don’t need to remind
you, he’s hurt. No hanky-panky. And you shouldn’t miss school. I just want you to
talk him into staying put.”

Lexi rolled her eyes. “How old are you? Hanky-panky.” She waved away the comment.
“I have first period off and second period I’m just an office attendant. I’ll go in
for the rest of my classes. Don’t worry.”

That was exactly what Marissa would do. Worry. But she couldn’t stay home and watch
the two. And up to that point Hill hadn’t done anything that would make her think
she couldn’t trust him. She wasn’t stupid, though. She locked away family heirlooms
in her tiny safe.

And still she worried all the way to the shop. What would Marlie think? She’d probably
tell her she was crazy, as would her brothers. Her dad, she bet anything he’d agree
with her and do everything in his power to help the boy. If he had all the details.
Which she hadn’t given him. He couldn’t side with her—or tell her she was way off
base. She pushed it aside, though, and made a mental note to call her dad as soon
as she had ten minutes to talk to him. Tell him what was what and get his opinion.

She parked her SUV at the back of the shop and was startled to see the charred Dumpster
despite all the activity from the previous night. It had been pulled another hundred
feet or so from her shop and had yellow plastic tape cordoning it off—not that she
needed a reason not to go near it. She didn’t know, however, what she was supposed
to do with her garbage in the meantime. Another note on her mental to-do checklist.

Once inside, luckily, the smell was a minimal. She’d worried it would be far worse
with the fire so close. Even though she didn’t open for a few more hours, she opened
the front door to let in fresh air. She went ahead and started the coffee on the off
chance that customers might wander in early. She wasn’t worried about stock; she had
plenty in the freezers.

With coffee brewing and a quick inventory of what she did have, Marissa went to work
on a few batches of cupcakes. She squeezed out a lump of whipped cream frosting onto
two of the last batch of Black Forest cupcakes when a throat cleared in the front
and startled her. She hadn’t thought about the bell on the door not activating with
it open already.

“I’ll be right there.” She scraped off the messy clump of frosting and tossed it into
the trash as she rounded the steel table. She grabbed a wet towel on her way to the
front and dabbed at her hands.

Marissa pulled up short when she found Jax leaning against the counter, his Stetson
set down next to the register. He was dressed in his work clothes. Her heart beat
an extra little thump. “Oh, hi.” She gave a quick shake of her head. “Good morning.”
She frowned. “What are you…”

He straightened. “I just wanted to check on you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Wanted to make sure Hill didn’t kill me in my sleep? Shouldn’t
you have stopped by my house, then? If he had I wouldn’t be here.”

Jax sighed. “You think the worst of me.”

She snorted. “If the shoe fits…” She waved off anything he might say. “Can I get you
some coffee? I just started a pot.” She didn’t wait for him to answer, but walked
into the back and grabbed a large disposable cup. She filled it to the top and snagged
four packets of sugar. She turned and handed them to Jax, not surprised to see he
was standing inside her kitchen—right where she expected him.

“Four sugars?” His brows pulled down despite the slight curl of his lips.

“You had a long night, I’d guess. You’ll want a little extra oomph for today.” She
patted him on the chest as she passed.

Despite the coffee, he was whip quick and caught her hand and held it in place. “Marissa.”
He set down the coffee and scooped up her other hand, careful of the bruise. “About
last night.”

She sighed if only to cover up her racing pulse. “No need to rehash.” Even if it was
the best sex she’d had in God knows how long. She glanced up and all but fell into
his gaze. The same intensity and desire held her captive. It hadn’t waned in the least.
And it was intoxicating.

Before she knew what she was doing, Marissa leaned up on her tiptoes and settled her
mouth onto Jax’s. He didn’t hesitate. He released her hands and wrapped his arms around
her waist to pull her flush against him as she threaded her fingers into his hair.
He tasted of longing and desire. Familiarity and promise. It was a heady, intoxicating
rush.

Jax shifted until Marissa was up against the table, then sitting on the table. He
wedged himself between her thighs. She wrapped her legs around him.

As his tongue danced with hers, he ground himself against her. It wasn’t enough, wasn’t
close enough. Marissa needed more. Needed him against her. In her. She trailed her
fingers from his hair and down his strong, sturdy back until they landed on his spectacular
ass. She gave him a quick little squeeze, which he rewarded with a nip at her lower
lip. Then his teeth trailed across her chin to nibble at her ear.

Hunger built intensely and Marissa would not wait any longer. She snaked her hands
between them and unbuckled Jax’s belt and was working on his zipper when he pulled
back. He paused her hands and glanced around the small baking area. “Here?”

She was breathing heavily. “Here. Or my sofa.” She slid off the table and kicked off
her sneakers and proceeded to remove her jeans and panties. Her apron hung, shielding
her from him, but the way his eyes danced, he remembered too well what lay beneath.

Jax gave another quick look around the baking area, then to Marissa. It took him mere
seconds to unbutton and unzip his pants. Marissa didn’t wait for him to remove them
completely. She walked over to him and touched his cheek, then his lips with the tips
of her fingers. When she walked her fingers back to his nape it was all the encouragement
he needed. Jax grabbed her to him. His kiss was gentle at first. Sweet and coaxing.
His hands slid down and cupped her bare ass, kneaded it gently. At first. Then his
ministrations increased. Urgency rallied and he held on to her to lift her up against
him, coaxed her legs back around him. When he had her in his arms, he turned her to
the large walk-in freezer door until her back rested against it.

He devoured her with his mouth. Kissed the very breath from her until she almost begged
for mercy. Then his hand found her, found the wet and ready part that longed for him.
He slipped one finger inside her. Pumped into her for a moment before he added a second,
his thumb feverishly tracing back and forth across her swollen clit.

Marissa had to rip her mouth from his as the pressure inside her built. “God, Jax.”
She bit down on his shoulder to stifle the cry that wanted to burst from her until
she shuddered in his arms. Before the last shudder ripped through her, Jax shifted
and plunged inside of her. He rocked his hips against her. She held on for dear life
as the pressure built once again and crashed in satisfying wave after wave. “Jax…”
the word slipped from her in a whisper.

Jax pumped harder and harder until he shuddered with his own completion.

He settled his forehead onto hers. “Marissa. Jesus.” His breath came out in spurts.

It was only then, with the chill from the freezer door on her bare ass, that reality
sank in where she was and what she’d just done. Anyone, a customer or one of her employees,
could have walked in on them. “Shit. Jax.” She pushed against his chest. “I left the
front door wide open.”

Muscle after muscle tightened under her hands as Jax tensed. He backed away and let
her feet touch the floor. He was yanking up his pants as he craned his neck to look
to the front of the shop. “Looks clear.”

Marissa nodded and started to back away to the restroom, but she needed to grab her
jeans and panties. As brazen as she was, there was no point in acting all coy now.
She rounded the table and snatched up her clothes. “Be right back.” She turned her
back to Jax and walked as calmly as she could to the restroom. Over her should, she
called, “Why don’t you dump out that coffee and fix yourself a fresh cup.”

Jax’s eyes nearly popped from his skull as he watched Marissa’s naked ass strut away.
His mind had been pretty much blown from the moment she laid the first kiss on him.
He’d never expected a repeat of the night before. He’d worried she might have regrets.
Hell, he worried over the fact that he
didn’t
have regrets. His worry was apparently unfounded.

Marissa was more than he expected—good and bad. Good because she made him feel…everything.
He wanted more, didn’t think he’d get his fill of her. And he wanted it all, everything,
when he was with her. He wanted things he didn’t think he’d want for a long time.
That was bad, too. She made him want things he’d sworn to put off for a while. He
always worried about being with anyone, truly
being
with them. His family had a dubious track record at best. His mother was a master
manipulator and his father—as much as he loved the man, now—his father had been weak
enough to sell his son for cash. His idea of family was skewed.

But so what if he wanted
things.
It didn’t mean he knew how to go about getting them. Not with Marissa. She was difficult
to understand. She didn’t trust Jax. Not completely. She wouldn’t tell him what he
wanted to know about Hill. She’d taken the boy home with her against his advice.