Sea Breeze 01 - Breathe

the fact that I want to eat and pay the rent.” I knew I sounded annoyed, but I was annoyed, and I couldn’t help it.
    He nodded and stood up. “I’m sorry. When I saw you, and you are young and, well . . . attractive, I thought the only reason someone like you would be working here would be to get close to me. I deal with girls quite a bit, and my assuming you were working here to get near me wasn’t fair. Forgive me.”
    I swallowed the lump in my throat. I felt this job slipping out of my hands, but I would not cry. “I understand,” I managed to get out.
    A boyish smile tugged at his lips, and he nodded toward the door. “I guess I should have figured you were taken, from the possessiveness of the other server tonight. I stared at you more than I should’ve, but I kept waiting for you to ask for my autograph or slip your number to me on a napkin.”
    I raised my eyebrows in surprise.
    He shrugged. “Those things are a way of life for me. I just expect it.”
    I smiled back at him this time. He wasn’t as bad as I’d anticipated. He wasn’t about to fire me. “I’m here to do my job, sir, and nothing more.”
    “Do me a favor and don’t call me ‘sir.’ I am just two years older than you.”
    I took the plate, careful not to touch his hands, and stepped back.
    “Okay,” I replied, hoping I could leave.
    “So, is he your boyfriend?”
    He caught me off guard with his question, and I halted in my tracks. “Who? Marcus?”
    A crooked grin appeared on his face. He was hard not to stare at. “If Marcus is the guy who seemed quite determined to make sure you made no mistakes tonight, then yes.”
    “No, he is . . . he is a friend.” It was strange saying those words. I’d never called anyone a friend in my life.
    Jax smiled and leaned down to whisper close to my ear. “I hope someday soon you will consider me a friend as well. I don’t have very many of those.”
    My face grew hot, and my skin tingled at his nearness. His warm breath on my skin made it hard to form words. I swallowed hard, trying to focus on his comment and not swoon at his feet like some crazy lunatic. “I only have one,” I blurted out like an idiot.
    Jax frowned. “I find that hard to believe.”
    I shrugged. “I don’t have time for friends.”
    Jax stepped forward, opened the door for me, and smiled.
    “Well, I hope we can find some time in your busy schedule, because I happen to be in need of a friend myself. . . . Someone who doesn’t care who I am. . . . Someone who doesn’t laugh at my jokes when they’re not funny. If I’m not mistaken, you couldn’t care less about the fact that I’m on the cover of
Rolling Stone
magazine this month and on the bedroom walls of every teenage girl in America.”
    His comment seemed to ease my momentary lapse of common sense from his nearness, and I shook my head. “Not every teenage girl in America. You’ve never been on my walls. So I guess you’re right—I don’t care.” I walked away, leaving him standing behind me.

Chapter Three
    JAX
    I forgot to get her name. Damn. I’d been so fascinated with her and her responses I hadn’t gotten her name. I knew the guy’s name was Mark or Matt or Marcus. Hell, I couldn’t remember. I was just glad she wasn’t with him. Not that it mattered. It wasn’t like I was going to make a move on her.
    When I’d seen her earlier outside my room, I’d thought she was going to have to go. I’d hated the idea of it even then because she was gorgeous, but I’d been with enough gorgeous girls to know that they could also be crazy as hell. This one didn’t want me. I was pretty sure she didn’t even like me. That was a . . . strange, yet refreshing, change.
    For the first time in years I wanted a girl to like me. My brother would tell me I was losing my mind when he got here. The sexy slant to those blue eyes of hers and the body that the outfit she was wearing hadn’t been able to conceal wouldn’t get to Jason. When it came to girls, he didn’t trust many. He was cautious with who he chose to date. It wasn’t just a pretty face that got his attention. He needed reassurance they weren’t after him just to get to me.
    When I walked into my bedroom, I made my way over to the window overlooking the front yard. I didn’t want to think I was looking to see if she was leaving . . . but I was. Admitting it or not, I was looking for the girl.
    SADIE
    Marcus was standing in the kitchen, drinking sweet tea and talking to Ms.