I nodded. “I’m in the Printz apartments this year. Or I had approval before. I guess I still do, but Printz is a dorm with two- to three-bedroom apartments in them.”

“So privacy?”

“Yes. Just like a normal apartment building, but nicer.” I laughed.

“This is good, because we’re going to need the privacy.”

I bit down on my lower lip, but it didn’t stop my smile from spreading. “We do?”

“Honey, I don’t want to be naked in bed with you with some chick in another bed a couple fucking feet away from us.”

“Good point.” I giggled.

Actually fucking giggled. I was so dumb.

“If I keep my schedule like it is, I could come down on Sunday and stay with you for a few days.” He caught a strand of my hair again and tucked it back. “And maybe when your schoolwork isn’t too heavy, you can come up on the weekend.”

Lifting my head, I met his gaze.

“Of course, to work, that is.”

I laughed at that, and he grinned. “I can do that.” His grin turned into a smile and I said, “I think you like me, Jackson James.”

He raised a brow. “Wow. Are you finally getting it?”

I pushed my hand at his chest, and he chuckled. “No. I think you really like me.”

“Like I said, you’re finally just getting it?”

“Whatever.”

He kissed the corner of my lip. “It’s a good thing you have such a sweet ass.”

I smacked his pec for that, but then he caught my wrist and lifted my hand to his mouth. He kissed the center of my palm. “Yeah, babe, I really like you.”

My eyes locked in on his. “I really like you, too.”

“I know,” he murmured lazily.

“Cocky.”

“Confident.”

“Arrogant,” I whispered, and then I kissed him quickly before settling down against his chest again, not wanting him to see that my “really like” went into the “really love” territory.

Conversation faded as he turned his attention to the baseball game, and I relaxed completely, curled up in his arms. I never thought I’d have this with someone, especially someone as wonderful as Jax.

And in a weird way, I had my mom to thank for that.

It wasn’t long before I fell asleep like that, and when he was ready for bed, he simply turned off the TV, gathered me closer, and stood.

“I can walk,” I mumbled.

His arms tightened. “I got you.”

I liked the sound of that and it was way nice, him doing this. As I wrapped an arm around his neck and closed my eyes, I allowed myself to be a total cornball and my insides melted into cornball goo.

In spite of everything, I was lucky. So damn lucky.

He carried me upstairs and then I also liked it when he helped me undress, which ended with me wearing nothing but one of his shirts. I got tucked into bed while he headed back downstairs and locked up. It wasn’t long before he was in bed with me, his front pressed to my back, one leg between mine and an arm secured around my waist.