Yeah, I was previous military, and before the kidnapping, I’d kept active enough to stay in shape, but I hadn’t tortured myself like Jax did every single day.
“God, you’re so bossy it’s almost annoying,” I retorted as I floated on my back. “You’re lucky that I’m way too tired to argue with you right now.”
Okay, maybe he wasn’t always high-handed, but I’d gotten my first taste of Jax’s stubborn tendencies two weeks ago, and he could be a tyrant when he really wanted something.
He’d been pretty damn pushy about me meeting with him every single day, and he’d made it clear that he wouldn’t recommend that Marshall even consider the possibility of me being part of Last Hope unless I agreed. Oh, he hadn’t exactly threatened me if I didn’t meet with him every single day. Jaxton Montgomery could be extremely charming while he was getting his own way.
In the end, I’d agreed to four weeks of working with Jax every single day because I’d wanted to get better.
I’d also been aware that Jax was going to give up a lot of his valuable free time to try to help a woman he barely knew. He’d rearranged his work schedule by going in early so he could pick me up at a reasonable hour in the late afternoon. Really, how many men like Jax Montgomery were willing to rearrange their life to help one of their lower-level employees?
This entire advisor relationship is nothing like I thought it would be.
Every single day, I learned something new about Jax that touched me, and those discoveries made me realize that nearly every assumption I’d ever made about him was completely…wrong.
“I’d offer to cook, but that’s not exactly one of my many talents,” he said drily.
I swam over to where his chair was positioned, rested my arms on the concrete and looked up at him. “Do you mean there’s one area where you don’t excel?”
Since Jax had a genius IQ that was off the charts, and was an incredibly curious guy, sometimes he seemed like a very sexy, walking, talking encyclopedia.
“There’s more than one of those areas, actually,” he confessed.
“If there is, I haven’t found them,” I teased as I splashed water at him playfully. “But it’s nice to know you have one or two flaws. A perfect man who knows everything would be incredibly boring.”
He grinned. “But my dysfunction in the kitchen still leaves us with a dinner issue.”
Jax had a housekeeper who came in during the week, and always left a delicious dinner for us every night. But since it was Saturday, we were on our own. We’d ordered out the weekend before, so I offered, “I’ll cook. I don’t mind. I’m sure you have plenty of food in that gigantic kitchen of yours.”
I exited the pool and grabbed the towel on the lounger next to Jax’s.
He shook his head. “You’re not here to work, Harlow.”
“It’s not like I’ve been doing much work at all lately,” I mumbled. “I actually do like to cook.”
“Sit first, and drink the glass of wine I brought you earlier. I’m not really that hungry yet,” he told me.
The moment I sat, and grabbed my wine from the small table between me and Jax, Molly joined me in the oversized lounge chair. She stretched out next to me, and plopped her head in my lap.
I stroked her soft fur as I said with a sigh, “I’m not sure how I’m ever going to give Molly up when you decide you have to have her back.”
Technically, I wasn’t even allowed to have a dog in my apartment. It wasn’t that the building didn’t allow them, but each unit was individually owned. My landlord did not allow pets. Period. Somehow, Jax had gotten him to change his mind. I was fairly certain bribery had been involved. Jax had changed the subject every time I’d asked how he’d managed to convince my pet-unfriendly landlord to agree to Molly staying at my place.
Jax petted his golden retriever’s head. “Since Tango and I have visiting rights every day, I think we’re handling it okay.”
I took a sip of a very good white wine, and admired the breathtaking view of the city lights across the bay. “This is such an amazing house, but I guess I never took you as a Coronado Island kind of guy,” I told him.
Not that the peninsula didn’t have some very expensive homes, and Jax’s estate was one of those pricey properties. Maybe I’d seen him as more of a downtown San Diego, luxury penthouse type of person. Coronado had more of a smaller town, historic vibe, even though it could be crowded and packed with tourists during the busy season.
He turned his head and looked at me, pinning me with his gorgeous, emerald-eyed gaze. “Why not? There’s plenty of SEALs wandering around to make me feel at home, and I’ve always liked it here. There’s even an off-leash dog beach here. Not many of those around anymore.”
I shook my head. “I didn’t even know they had one. Even though I’m a California native, I haven’t spent much time here. I guess I was assuming you were more of a downtown kind of guy who would want to be closer to your headquarters.”
He shrugged. “I have a condo within walking distance of the offices. I used it a lot when I first got out of the Navy, and had to put in a lot of long hours, but I seldom stay there anymore since I got this place. The dogs are good by themselves during the day since they have the electronic dog door, and the place is completely fenced. Plus, my housekeeper is here a lot, and she loves the mutts. But I don’t really want to leave them alone all night.”
My heart melted. How many filthy rich men like Jax were willing to put their dogs’ needs before their own?
Yeah, he liked his expensive cars, nice homes, and custom suits for the office, but there was so much more to this man than just what people saw on the surface.
“It’s so peaceful and quiet here,” I said as I laid back against the headrest of the lounger.
“Which is one of the reasons I like living here,” he shared. “I wanted my privacy, and most of the nosy reporters don’t follow me around here. Since I’ve never brought any of my dates here, I guess they don’t feel it’s worth their time to hunt me down outside of the city.”
“You’ve never brought any of your dates here?” I asked curiously.
“Never,” Jax confirmed. “Let’s face it, there’s a lot more to do off the island. It’s pretty quiet here compared to downtown San Diego.”
I was dying to ask him how he got laid if he’d never brought a woman here. Did he use his downtown condo? Or did they always go to her place?
Jax’s sex life is none of my business. I am not going to ask that question, no matter how curious I might be.
“Then I’m really honored that you trust me enough to bring me here. Not that we’re dating, or that I think any of these visits are anything like a date,” I hurried to assure him. “I mean, we’ve mostly just learned to tolerate each other, right?”