CHAPTER THREE
JAX
We get to the club and Willow seems to know everyone.
She doesn’t wait in the long as hell line like everyone else, and the bouncer not only lets us in, but tells her to head up to the VIP section.
When we get to the roped off area, there are about two dozen people drinking and dancing.
They greet Willow, all wanting to hug her and offer her a drink.
I watch quietly as she laughs and flirts with everyone who approaches her.
She doesn’t do it in a tease sort of way, but more of a friendly, she just loves everyone sort of way.
She introduces me to everyone as her friend, then hands me a shot. “To today!” she yells over the music.
“To today,” I agree. We both down our shots and then she hands me another and then another.
Her friends join in, and we spend the next however long drinking and laughing.
Willow does most of the talking and I find myself just listening.
Soaking in every word she speaks. She talks about work, the different customers she had.
About visiting the Farmer’s Market this weekend.
One of her friends complains about a co-worker and Willow tells her not to stress. Life is too short.
When she catches me watching her, she asks, “What?”
“Nothing. I’m just enjoying learning about you,” I tell her honestly. She’s the most care-free person I’ve ever met.
“And what did you learn?” she asks.
“You like to have fun.”
She smiles. “We only have one life, Jax. We have to make it count.”
After downing another shot, she pulls her phone out and insists we take a selfie together. Then she grabs my hand and guides me onto the dance floor.
“I love this song.” She smiles wide and wraps her arms around my neck. I’m not sure what this song is or who sings it, but neither matters as Willow separates her thighs and grinds down on my leg. My hands find the curves of her hips as she shimmies up and down to the beat of the music.
She throws her head back, and her fingers tighten around my neck to hold her up.
My eyes go straight to her slender throat, and my only thought is what her skin would taste like.
It’s glistening from the hot club and the dancing and drinking, and I wonder if I licked down her throat if it would taste salty, or if it would taste sweet like she smells. Probably a mixture of both.
But before I can find out, Willow’s head snaps up and her blue eyes meet mine.
Her lips curl into a beautiful smile before she turns her body around, giving me her back.
Without missing a beat, her arms go over her head and she shakes her ass.
Briefly, I wonder if she has any idea that I’m not dancing, but instead standing here like a horny teenager, watching the show.
Willow backs her ass up and hits my crotch, and it’s then I realize I’m sporting a semi. Fuck, there’s no way she didn’t feel that. Her face turns slightly so our eyes meet once again, and she hits me with the sexiest smirk, telling me she definitely felt it.
She backs up until our bodies are flush and then she grinds her ass against the bulge in my pants. Her arm comes up and hooks around my nape, and she pulls my face forward. Her soft lips find my ear, and she murmurs, “Let’s take this elsewhere.”
Jesus, fuck. I want to say yes, but I can’t. It’s one thing to drink and dance with her. It’s another thing to fuck her.
“Don’t do that,” she says. She turns back around, so our mouths are only inches apart. “Don’t overthink this.”
“I’m your—” I attempt to argue, but her tongue darts out and traces my bottom lip, effectively shutting me up. Her tongue then moves to my top lip before it slips past my parted lips. Stroking, teasing, caressing. Our kiss deepens. My hands find her ass, and then I’m lifting her into the air.
“Bathroom,” she murmurs across my mouth.
I do as she says as she continues to kiss me with abandon.
I don’t think about how crowded this place is, or who’s watching us. I don’t consider how many people will be in said bathroom, or how this is going to work. I’m too lost in Willow and her kisses and touches.
When we get to the bathroom, there are a couple of women, but neither of us pay any attention to them. We enter the handicap stall and Willow drops to her feet. She unbuttons her pants and pushes them, along with her underwear, down.
My mind is telling me this is wrong, that I should stop this. At least take her home and do this on a bed, but Willow’s voice pushes my thoughts away when she turns around, slaps her hands against the bathroom stall wall, and says, “Fuck me, Jax. Please.”
I unzip my pants and pull my hard cock out, stroking it a few times. Willow’s luscious ass is perked up in the air, and she shakes it back and forth, silently begging me to take her.
“Willow, are you sure?” I hate that I’m being such a downer here but fuck, I’m in over my head with this woman.
People talk about hooking up in bathrooms, but I’ve never seen or done it.
My alcohol-filled brain is telling me to do it, but the adult in me is telling me this is irresponsible as hell and I’m going to regret it when the alcohol is out of my system.
“Jax, now,” Willow growls, pushing the responsible part of my brain aside.
As I’m lining up the head of my cock with her entrance, there’s a knock on the door. “Hurry up! I need to go pee!” a woman screeches. And just like that, the moment is gone. I pull back and Willow turns around with the most adorable pout on her lips.
“Jax.” Her brows furrow as she watches me tuck my rock-hard dick into my pants the best I can.
“I can’t do this,” I tell her. “Not here…not like this.” I step towards her and bend at the waist so I can pull her pants up. She swats my hands away and finishes herself.
“Come home with me,” I whisper against her ear.
She glances up at me and shakes her head. “No, I don’t know what I was thinking.” She closes her eyes.
“Willow.” When I say her name, her eyes flutter back open. “I’m sorry…”
“You have nothing to apologize for.” She plasters on a fake smile. “You’re my boss and it would’ve been a mistake.”
I nod in agreement, but my insides are tightening in disagreement. “Why don’t I walk you home?”
She shakes her head. “That’s okay. I’m a big girl.” She winks, but it’s not carefree like before.
We exit the stall, and a couple of women gape at us, thinking we just hooked up in there.
Instead of going back up to the VIP area, Willow heads to the exit, and I follow.
“Please let me walk you home,” I insist. I’m not sure where she lives, but it’s late, and nowhere in New York is really safe at this time.
“Jax, really. I’m fine.” Her voice is rough in frustration.
As much as it kills me to let her walk away, I don’t want to piss her off, so I tell her okay and that I’ll see her tomorrow at work.
And then I watch her walk down the street, wait a minute so she doesn’t know I’m following her, and then head in the same direction.
She walks fast as hell, especially for a woman who’s been drinking and is walking in tall as hell heels, but I easily keep up.
Making sure to remain far enough back, so she won’t see me, I follow her several blocks.
When she stops at a quickie mart, I hide in the shadows.
A few minutes later, she comes out with a large duffel bag over her shoulder and continues on her way.
She walks a few more blocks and then she stops in front of an abandoned building. Pulling a blanket out of the duffel bag, she shakes it out, spreads it out in front of her, and then drops down onto it. She fluffs the bag to use it as a pillow, then lays her head on it.
What the fuck is going on? I wait for her to jump up and tell me she knows I’ve been following her. Tell me she’s joking and laugh in my face. But she doesn’t. Her eyes close and her breathing evens out. As I watch her sleep, it hits me that Willow is homeless.
When I met her, she was drawing pictures in Central Park along the bridge.
She was dressed in a ripped T-shirt and jean shorts, and I could see a couple of tattoos peeking out.
She was laughing with a couple who were checking out her artwork, and I was immediately drawn to her.
I could tell right away she was talented and knew she would make a great addition to the shop.
When I asked if she could tattoo, she told me she would love to learn, so I taught her.
She caught on quickly and has been working at Forbidden Ink ever since.
So, I know she makes enough money to survive. To live in an apartment.
She mentioned a while back that she and her boyfriend broke up, but I didn’t think much of it. Is it possible he kicked her out? But then why wouldn’t she just get another place? It doesn’t make any sense.
Well, whatever the story is, there’s no way I’m going to let her sleep out here all night. Not wanting to startle her, I call out her name. She squirms but doesn’t wake up, obviously already in a deep sleep.
“Willow, wake up,” I say louder. This time her eyes open. It takes her a second, but once she realizes she isn’t dreaming, her body pops up and she looks around.
“Let’s go,” I tell her before she can even think of an excuse or a lie to feed me.
She considers arguing, I can see it in her eyes, but she must realize I’m not playing around, because she lets out a deep sigh, shoves her blanket into her duffle bag, and then stands.