"No," Mari said quickly before Jax could lie down again. "Give me a moment."
His eyes returned to hers immediately.
Mari swallowed softly. "I'm just surprised."
"Why?"
"Because you asked it so casually," she admitted.
Jax leaned back slightly against the headboard.
"That wasn't an official proposal," he murmured. "But going by your reaction I guess I shouldn't even think of it."
"I never said so."
"You didn't have to. Your hesitation told me all you couldn't say."
"Can you please shut up and stop making stupid assumptions?" Mari snapped at him.
Jax blinked at her.
Silence settled between them briefly.
Mari exhaled softly, then looked down at her hands for a second like she was trying to gather her thoughts, before speaking quietly.
"When you asked me that… my heart skipped."
Jax watched her carefully without interrupting.
"And honestly?" she continued softly, "it scared me a little."
Something flickered across his face at that.
