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first, I don’t see anyone, but then I look down to find a short woman with dark hair and glasses. I have no idea who she is.
    “Can I help you?” I ask without opening the door.
    “Tesla? May I come in? I’m Tara.”
    “Tara?”
    “Jax’s sister.”
    My fingers tremble as I fumble with the lock and open the door.
    And then we stare, because I have absolutely no idea what to say to her.
    “Can we talk?” Her voice is soft.
    I nod and step aside, letting her in. I lock the door again before leading her over to the couch.
    “I don’t have coffee or anything. I mean, I have some. I just haven’t made any . . .”
    I’m babbling.
    Tara gives me a smile. “I’m fine, but thank you.”
    We sit. It’s awkward as hell.
    “How are you?”
    “How is he?”
    We ask in unison, and then, because it seems so funny and I’m completely punch drunk, I start to giggle. Tara grins, and the awkwardness begins to fade away.
    “He’s home now,” she says. “I bailed him out about an hour ago.”
    My stomach lurches. “Bail was set?”
    “First thing this morning, yeah. The guy pressed charges—as he should have . . .”
    My body shakes, and I tug the blanket closer.
    “How long did he have to sit in jail?”
    “Not long, really. After processing, the officers just kept him in a holding cell. He was alone, which was good.”
    I nod. A billionaire in a jail cell with drug dealers and child molesters wouldn’t have been a good thing at all.
    “He wanted to come straight here, but I wouldn’t let him.”
    “He’s home?”
    “He’s at my house,” she replies. “I told him to get some sleep, but he wouldn’t shut up about wanting to see you. So we compromised. My husband is there, standing guard, and I’m here, checking on you.”
    “I’m fine, Tara.”
    “I don’t believe that for a second.”
    I bow my head. “I’m trying to be fine.”
    “I want you to know that I’m here, as a sister. My therapist hat is at my office. However, if you need to talk, I’m more than willing to listen. You must be confused, and probably a little frightened. My brother has a bullshit temper, and while there were thousands of better ways for him to have handled things last night, you have to know it came from an honest, sincere place. I’m not making excuses, and I’m not saying it was right, because it wasn’t. Jax is fiercely protective of the people he lo . . . cares about.”
    My heart hammers in my chest. She was going to say loves . I pretend I don’t notice.
    “In his professional life, Jax Monroe is warm and charming,” she continues. “He’s also manipulative and arrogant. That’s how the game is played in the corporate world, and he’s good at it. In his personal life, he’s not much different. Money talks in both worlds, and that’s how Jax has lived his life. He’s not a bad person. We come from a strong, loving family with great parents. There are no demons to speak of, except that he’s closed himself off emotionally for a long time. That is, until you came along.”
    She’s his sister, and his therapist, so I’m sure she knows how we met. I’m not embarrassed, but I do wonder what she thinks of me. It doesn’t matter, really, but I’m curious.
    So I ask.
    “I think you are amazing, Tesla. If for no other reason than because of the powerful effect you’ve had on my brother in such a short period of time. I don’t want to say too much about how he feels, but surely you realize he cares for you.”
    I stare at my hands. “I care for him, too. I’m just not sure I can deal with this level of protectiveness. I can’t worry that every time a guy looks at me that Jax is going to fly into a blind rage.”
    “I understand that. And, I think, in time, he’ll find a balance. This is just new for him, Tesla. Feeling anything is so foreign to him. But I am sorry you had to see his temper last night. The man’s going to be okay, though. They stitched him up at the hospital and sent him on