I glare at him. "That was definitely aimed at you."
His smirk deepens as he walks me down the hallway toward my room. "She loves you more than me, and we both know it."
My stomach flutters at that, but I shove the feeling down.
We stop in front of my door, and for a second, neither of us moves. The hall is quiet, dimly lit, and Jaxon is looking at me like, well, like that.
He definitely isn't ready to say goodnight, and neither am I. But Laura Montgomery when you break her rules? Hard pass.
"Goodnight, Mads," he murmurs, brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
I exhale softly. "Goodnight, Jax."
He leans in, pressing a slow, lingering kiss against my lips before pulling away with a small smirk. "Try not to miss me too much."
I roll my eyes, fighting a grin. I shove his chest lightly before stepping inside and closing the door.
After getting ready for bed, I crawl under the covers, but I don't sleep.
I toss. I turn.
I flip my pillow, kick off the blanket, then pull it back on again.
I still can't fall asleep.
With a sigh, I sit up, hugging my knees to my chest, listening to the faint sound of waves crashing in the distance. The house is silent, but my thoughts are loud.
Before I can second-guess myself, I slip out of bed, tiptoe to the door, and crack it open just enough to slip into the hallway, checking both ways to be sure no one else is still up.
Jaxon's room is down the hall, the door shut, dim light seeping from underneath. I hesitate for half a second before raising my hand and giving a small, barely there knock.
A pause.
Then, soft footsteps before the door cracks open, revealing a very sleepy, very shirtless Jaxon.
His brows lift slightly, voice husky with sleep. "Mads?"
I shift on my feet, suddenly feeling so dumb. "I, um…I can't sleep."
He blinks at me, his lips twitching into a lazy smirk. "You worried about getting caught?"
I glare, but it lacks heat. "Obviously."
Jaxon shakes his head, stepping back and pulling me inside before I can talk myself out of it. I laugh quietly, biting my lip as he closes the door behind us.
Then, he nods toward his window, biting his lip, barely containing a mischievous grin. "C'mon."
He grabs a sweatshirt and tugs it on before turning to me with another in his hands.
"Arms up." I do as he says, and he pulls his hoodie down over me. It smells just like him, and I can already tell he won't be getting this one back. The warmth and scent of him instantly calm me.
He smirks at me, as if he can hear my inner monologue. I watch as he moves to the window, unlocking it before pushing it open. The night air rushes in, cool and crisp, carrying the scent of salt and ocean mist.
Climbing out onto the roof, he turns, standing easily on the gentle slope just outside his window, grinning at me as he holds out a hand.
"You know she's going to end us if she catches us again, right?"
"Relax, Mads. We're adults now."
