“Actually,” I called out, twisting around. I couldn’t see where he had disappeared to in the kitchen. “Can I have apple juice?”

Another deep, sexy chuckle traveled to where I sat. “Sure thing.”

I bit down on my lip and flipped around. Jax came out, holding a juice box with the straw poked through the top. My gaze shifted from his face to the box and back to his face. I couldn’t help it. A laugh crawled up my throat and burst free. Here he was, this gorgeous guy who had this sexy, rough side to him, and he had juice boxes in his house.

Loved it.

My lips curved up as I took the juice box. “Thank you.”

Jax stared down at me. There was no one-sided grin this time. He smiled, and boy, he gave a great smile. It reached his eyes, turning them into melted chocolate. “You have a great laugh,” he said. “And a gorgeous smile. You should do it more often. Both things. Smile and laugh.”

The juice box almost slipped from my fingers. Again, he struck me speechless. I had no idea what to say, and the only thing I could come up with was “Thank you.”

Did I just thank him for that?

Yep.

My mouth was still blabbering on, because I zoomed right into deflection mode. “But you really do have a beautiful smile. I mean, it’s actually kind of breathtaking, and your laugh? It’s wow. I think it’s your lips—you have great lips . . .”

Did I just say that out loud, seriously? Said he had great lips?

Jax’s smile seemed to have widened, and hell, it was like the only star in the sky it was so bright.

Yep, I’d said that out loud.

Oh my God, I was an idiot.

Luckily, the doorbell rang, saving me from saying more stupid stuff. He reached out, swiping his thumb under my lower lip, absolutely stunning me. Then he turned and headed to the door.

I sucked a huge gulp of my apple juice and had barely recovered by the time Reece stepped inside the house and Jax closed the door.

Reece was in his uniform, and I was so used to seeing him in jeans, I gaped at him with the straw from my juice box resting against my lower lip. Somehow his shoulders looked broader in the dark blue uniform that had been tailored to the extreme, displaying the flat stomach, narrow hips, and strong legs.

“Hey, Calla,” Reece said with a grin.

I snapped my mouth shut. “Hi,” I murmured, taking another slurp.

Reece’s grin went up a notch as he looked to Jax. “Sorry it took so long. I switched out the cruiser and drove my personal car here just in case there were eyes on the road.”

I shuddered at the idea that there could be people watching the bar, the roads, and even Jax’s house.

“Good plan,” Jax said, sitting down beside me on the couch. And he really sat beside me. His entire thigh was pressed against mine. “But what I want to know is how come one of Isaiah’s fucking minions is out running around threatening Calla when you were supposed to warn the fuckers off.”