Page 20 of Resisting His Charm
“Nope. Just Jaxson. Although I suspect he’s already told the other two I’m here.” I sigh.
Sammie takes his phone out of his pocket and starts texting someone.
“Everything okay?”
“Just making sure I don’t accidentally kill your cousin, babe. Don’t want this relationship to start off on a bad note.” He smiles at me before pocketing his phone.
“Oh, this one’s a charmer, Poppy.” Jessie laughs.
“You have no idea,” I groan. “Can we get the steak, fries, and two beers?”
“Sure thing. Good luck,” Jessie directs at Sammie before wandering off.
Sammie is smiling at me.
“What?”
“I like that you know what you want and aren’t afraid to go after it. It’s refreshing,” he says.
“It doesn’t make you feel emasculated that I ordered for you?” Most guys would be pissed that I did that.
“I don’t need to order dinner to feel masculine, Poppy. I have enough self-confidence and brains to know that ruling over a woman is not real power or authority.”
“I think I want to meet your mother,” I blurt out.
Sammie chuckles. “Why?”
“So I can tell her what a great job she did raising you. You are literal perfection. Wait… There has to be a flaw. Maybe I missed a sixth toe or something the other night.” I look at every part of him that I can see from where I’m sitting. I can’t find a single damn thing wrong with the guy, though.
“No sixth toe, but I have plenty of flaws. Don’t worry,” he says.
A body slides into the booth in front of us. Sammie’s hand moves to his waist. I know exactly what he’s reaching for.
“Jaxson, before you even start, just don’t,” I warn my cousin.
“Poppy, I haven’t seen you in a while. Just stopped by to say hello to my favorite person and meet your new friend here,” Jaxson says, eyeing Sammie up as if he’s trying to figure him out.
“Sammie Russo.” Sammie holds out a hand.
To my surprise, Jaxson actually returns the gesture. “Jaxson Kestral. How do you know my cousin?”
Sammie smiles at me. “We met over the weekend, in Vegas.”
I cringe. I purposely did not tell my family I was going to Vegas. “Jaxson, you saw me on Thursday. You’re going to see me again,this Thursday, when I come up to the main house for dinner. Go away,” I growl at him.
“You met in Vegas?” Jaxson ignores me and looks at Sammie.
“We did,” Sammie replies.
“You told me Alice’s bachelorette party was in Dallas. You went to Vegas?” Jaxson glares at me now.
“I lied.” I shrug.
“You lied,” Jaxson repeats.
“You do know you’re not a kid, right? You can go anywhere you want without lying to people,” Sammie tells me.
“She might not be a kid, but she’s my cousin and my responsibility, and around here we look out for our own. There is nothing I won’t do to keep my cousin safe,” Jaxson says.
