Rocky Mountain Heat by Vivian Arend

Chapter 5 - Play to Win

       Cari slipped from behind the counter to hug her, and Jaxi squeezed her briefly before whirling to escape the store. She'd arranged for Marion to have coffee with a couple of the ladies from the church. They'd return to the house far too soon. The clock ticking, Jaxi shoved the cart outside and looked around for the truck.

       "You need a hand?" Jesse pushed off the wall, his bright gaze trailing over her with admiration as he sauntered closer. His sexy drawl was nice, but it simply didn't create the same chills big brother Blake's rougher tones conjured.

       "Are you my ride? I want to beat your mom home." Jesse shook his head sadly, his arms reaching around her to pull out a bag of M&M's. "Sorry, I'm meeting Joel to buy some supplies for the workshop. You're making Blake's favourite cookies this afternoon, aren't you? I like peanut butter better."

      He lingered in her personal space, opening the bag and offering her a candy. Jaxi let a sigh loose from deep within her. He was incorrigible. "You want to move it or lose it? I'm not interested, Jesse, I told you before."

        His gaze continued to caress her body. "That was a long time ago, almost a whole week. Maybe I can change your mind. There's no harm trying."

       Jaxi prodded her thumb into his chest, snickering at his hopeful expression. He was damn sweet, but he wasn't Blake. "There's harm if I decide to lift my knee abruptly."

       Jesse danced backward and shook his finger in her face, his grin stretching from ear to ear. "You don't play fair."

       She raised a brow at him. "Nope, I don't. I play to win. Remember that."

       A truck horn blared, and one of the Coleman trucks slid up to the curb, Blake's dark expression framed in the window.

       "You needed a ride?"

       Between the three of them the grocery cart was quickly emptied, and Jesse handed Jaxi into the passenger side before waving farewell. Blake peeled away, tires squealing, and Jaxi looked over her shoulder to see Joel join Jesse, the twins disappearing into the hardware shop.

       She dropped her head back for a minute, closed her eyes and rubbed at the tight muscles in her shoulders. The past few days had rushed by in a blur. Marion's warning that the workload for a family of eight, nine with Jaxi added, was hellish had been a complete understatement.

       Jaxi loved every minute of it.

       They were halfway home, sitting in what she thought was a companionable silence, before she turned to Blake. "Thanks for the lift. I hope I didn't pull you away from something."

       He shook his head. "Had to drop off a delivery at the post office." His lips clamped shut and Jaxi frowned. What bee did he have up his butt? Must have been a rush order or something.

        "Jesse and Joel told me earlier you boys are playing pool tomorrow night." She stretched her shoulders and neck slowly, working out the kinks.

       He kept his gaze on the road. "Yeah."

      "Pass on a message to Leo for me? Cari's feeling neglected, and he'd better not cancel his Saturday night plans or she's going to give him hell. In fact, he might want to make sure it's an extra special evening to smooth things for a bit."

       Blake grunted but otherwise didn't respond.

       Jaxi frowned at him, his reaction baffling. "What? What's that look for?"