Persuasion Skills Read Online Free PDF

stretched out between them.
    “So how long are you going to make me
wait before you talk to me again?” he finally asked.
    She kept her eyes trained on the granite
surface of the island.
    “As long as it takes for me to not want
to throw you off the top of this mountain,” she said in the sweetest voice she
could muster.
    “Come on, don’t I get brownie points for
sitting through the meeting like a good little engineer? You’re lucky I was
able to stay conscious long enough for that,” he said. “I think you gave me a
concussion.”
    Her gaze flew to his face. He winced and
rubbed his jaw. As usual, his cheeks sported a layer of stubble along his olive-toned
skin, but she could clearly see a dark bruise forming.
    She turned her head quickly from the
sight, pushed back from her chair, and stood. Ambling away from her makeshift
conference table, she walked to the kitchen counter and pulled a hanging
dishcloth from a corner cabinet before rifling around in the tall stainless
steel refrigerator for some ice.
    After wrapping some cubes in the cloth,
she returned to the island and plopped the homemade ice pack in Jax’s lap
before sitting back down and staring at him.
    “You deserved it,” she muttered.
    His soft chuckle filled the room.
    “Maybe,” he said as he gingerly placed
the cloth on his jaw.
    “What’s the deal, Jax? You know how much
this contract meant to me. Skipping town, putting off meetings—at least for
this long. This isn’t you.”
    He remained quiet for a few moments
before looking into her eyes.
    She tried not to let his soulful gaze
deter her frustration. Unfortunately, her body didn’t get the memo, and a
slither of awareness slicked its way down her body. She had to clench her hand
to keep herself from reaching over and trying to comfort him.
    “Don’t give me the puppy dog face. I’m
immune, remember?” she said instead, shifting uncomfortably in her chair.
    Falling in love with Jax was definitely
wreaking havoc on her nerves.
    His gaze didn’t waver.
    “A lot’s happened this year, Pep,” he
said softly. “I just needed to get away and think about a few things.”
    His words acted as a heavy blanket,
smothering her fury in only a few short breaths. She was such a horrible friend,
focusing only on her hurt and pique, completely dismissing the fact that Jax
had suffered a major loss that year. With his birthday coming in only a few
weeks, he must have been feeling the loss of his mother even more keenly
lately.
    She should have made the connection
sooner.
    It hurt her to see such a look of loss
and confusion on his face. Jax was rarely confused. He always believed that a
solution was in reach. Whenever he was working on a tough design or trying to
solve some problem in the lab, he attacked it with complete focus and
concentration. Watching him flounder was rare and difficult to observe.
    She wanted to tell him that it would all
be okay, but knew the words would ring hollow against the loss of a parent.
Instead, she reached across and squeezed his hand.
    “You should have talked to me about this.
I would have understood.”
    He raised his brow at her statement and
looked pointedly at the computer and tablet she had set up on the table.
    “Really? And I suppose confiding in you
would have prevented this impromptu meeting?” he asked.
    Pepper felt her face flush in
embarrassment.
    “Well, maybe not the meeting, but
definitely the punch in the face.” She reached up and cupped his jaw in her
palm. “Jeez, Jax, I’m sorry I hit you.”
    He placed his hand over hers and reached
out with his other arm to pull her close.
    “Hell, Pep, I missed you,” he said before
dragging her from her chair into his waiting lap.
      He
dipped his head to the crook of her neck and engulfed her into a tight hug.
    There was nothing quite like a Jaxon Grey
hug. He hugged with his whole body. His tall frame and broad shoulders always
curved just right around her, immersing her in a mantle of warmth