15. Chapter Fifteen
Maddison
I smile politely, nodding and feigning interest while the man seated across from me continues an in-depth explanation of his accounting job. I frown as I try to recall his name. He pauses, pushing the wiry glasses up his nose as he studies me. His face has a scattering of freckles, and his brown hair is neatly combed back tonight. He’s wearing a light gray suit over his thin, gangly limbs.
“Is something wrong with your pasta?” he asks.
“It tastes great!” With a tight smile, I stab another ziti noodle onto my fork and push it past my lips. Honestly, the food is the best part about this date. The zesty Italian meat sauce with the creamy ricotta cheese layer? I want to forget all about my manners and inhale it.
“Hmm.” He nods, but his smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes. His lips thin as he watches me take another sip of wine.
My eye twitches.
“So, Maddison, where are you currently working?”
“Zamora’s Home Décor.” My shoulders tense, and I run a finger around the edge of my wine glass.
He leans forward, his eyebrows pulling up. “Do you own it?”
“No.” I give a quiet snort-laugh. As if I would ever own something that pretentious. “I’m a sales associate.”
“Oh.” His smile slips. “So, you’re like a cashier then?”
The way he says the word cashier with obvious disappointment, like it suddenly makes me less valuable, has me tapping my foot under the table. “For now. Until I can find something better in my field of work. Interior design jobs are sparse in small towns.”
He nods thoughtfully. “Right. You said you have a bachelor’s in interior design.” He takes another careful bite of his pasta before releasing a breathy chuckle.
I watch him carefully. “What’s funny?”
He swallows his food before answering, one of his shoulders hiking up in a flippant shrug. “I think it’s just kind of funny how colleges make degrees for everything. I mean, they teach people a few home decorating tips and then give them a bachelor’s for it.” He shakes his head, a mirthful expression on his lips. My jaw tenses with a flash of irritation.
His amusement fades when he notices my flat stare, and he clears his throat. “But of course, many people make successful careers out of it. And I’m sure you will, too.” He folds a napkin in half, dabbing at the corners of his lips like a pompous jerk. “In the meantime, Zamora’s Home Décor is quite prestigious. If you have to be a cashier, then at least you are somewhere known for its luxury and quality. I have to admit, they have some really great pieces.”
I hum noncommittally.
I’m going to throttle Hazel. Better yet, maybe I’ll ensure that Irene comes across the secret stash of cookies she keeps hidden behind the register. The thought fills me with a wicked sense of satisfaction, and I grin.
Interior design is about so much more than throwing a few pieces of décor together. And if this dimwitted—
A sudden, ear-splitting siren begins going off nearby.
My heart rate spikes as I jump in my seat, and I jam my hands over my ears. Red lights flash through the room of white, linen-covered tables. Nearby diners pause mid-conversation, many of them looking around in various states of alarm and confusion.
Richard—Rick, whoever he is—looks around with a wrinkled forehead. When people at nearby tables begin making their way to the front entrance, I stand on shaky legs.
“Maybe we should go outside.” Giving my date a pointed look, I mentally prompt him to get up. Is he always this slow to react?
He opens his mouth. “What on earth—”
When the front doors suddenly burst open, he nearly knocks over a glass of water. They slam against the wall so hard, I half-expect the glass to shatter. It makes my pulse hammer, and I shift on my feet.
Everything looks perfectly normal. There’s no fire and no emergency that I can see. But I’m itching to get out of here. Something about the sound of a blaring fire alarm makes me want to run. But I will calmly and collectively—
My stomach swoops.
“What is he doing here?”
My date shoots me a perplexed expression. “Who?”
Jax stands on the other side of the door, wearing an intense look as his gaze sweeps across the room. The vision makes my heart skip a beat. His muscles are taut, his entire body vibrating with tension. His mouth is set in a hard line, his dark eyes reminding me of the ominous roll of thunder that comes right before a lightning strike.
I don’t know what or who he’s searching for, but I feel a wave of pity for the poor soul that’s going to be on the receiving end of that.
Then his eyes lock with mine, and… Shit .
Mouth, meet foot.
He begins stalking towards me, his steely gaze holding me captive. I gasp when a group of firemen come rushing in behind him. Jax opens his mouth to speak, his attention remaining on me. His voice booms across the room, and something about his harsh tone makes my knees knock together.
“This building is under immediate evacuation! Everyone remain calm and begin making your way towards the nearest exit!” He gestures towards the exits closest to him. The firefighters disperse behind him, many of them guiding people towards different exits. In the meanwhile, my date finally stands up. He looks like he’s ready to bolt now.
But I’m frozen in place, watching as Jax eats up the space between us with long, determined strides. A shiver lances down my spine. He looks like an avenging god, and a very sexy one. The way his navy-blue shirt molds to his chest makes my mouth water. And the dark cargo pants with reflective strips that circle his leg? The last time I saw those, he was standing in my bedroom doorway, those emerald eyes silently commanding me to watch while he touched himself.
But the way he’s walking towards me, like he has a score to settle, makes my palms sweat. My date calls my name, but all the noise around me is like the reflections of sound underwater. I swallow hard.
What could he possibly want?
He’s barreling towards me so fast that I begin to think he’s going to pass me. It makes my heart plummet for all of a second before his body collides with mine. A yelp is torn from my throat when his hands suddenly wrap around my legs, his arms lifting me off the ground and hoisting me over his shoulder.
“Jax! What the hell are you doing?”
Ignoring the warmth of his body and the way his hard muscles press against me, I smack his shoulder. Outrage and indignation make my cheeks and neck flush with heat and my voice shrill. His arm tightens around my back, but he otherwise ignores me. He turns to my wide-eyed date, whose mouth is repeatedly opening and closing like a damn fish.
“Are you deaf? This building is under evacuation. If I were you, I would get to stepping.” I suck in a breath at the sound of his dark tone. “Unless you want me to drag you out of here, which I’d be happy to do.”
My date shakes his head, jerky fingers fidgeting with his glasses before taking a step back. “No, sir. I—I’m going.”
Looking at me, he mouths a silent apology and I return it with a glare, watching as he turns on his heels and sprints away.
I’m not sure I blame him.
“Were you flirting with him?”
“Is that really what you’re worried about right now?” Other customers are still exiting the building around us, many of them shooting me perplexed expressions as I hang over Jax’s shoulder. With a huff, I wiggle in his hold. “Is this really necessary? I have two legs, and I can leave on my own.”
His arm bands around the back of my thighs, hoisting me up a little higher and squeezing me to his body as he begins walking. In the wrong direction.
“Oh, we’re not evacuating. They are.”
“What?” I look over my shoulder, watching as we walk down a darkened hallway underneath a sign for the restroom. “There’s nothing but bathrooms back here!”
He chuckles, and I smack the back of his head. His palm comes down on my ass in response, making me yelp. The hot, aching sting that spreads across my skin sends a spiral of heat swooping through my stomach.
That’s…interesting.
He carries me into the ladies’ restroom, depositing me on my feet before locking the door behind him. I gape at him.
“Have you lost your mind? What are you doing?”
He turns back towards me with that same almost-angry energy he walked into the restaurant with. Whatever he’s after right now, he’s determined. And I would be lying if I said it wasn’t a turn on. He saunters towards me, my pulse thrumming in my neck. I stumble backwards, and he doesn’t stop until he’s got me backed against the wall.
“We can’t be in here. The building could be on fire or something!”
I push on his chest, but he doesn’t budge. His forearms rest against either side of me, cocooning me between his hard muscles and the wall. With him this close, I can smell that spicy, clean wintergreen scent of his body wash. But beneath that, the stubborn scent of motor oil clings to his shirt. It’s like his own unique scent, and it makes my eyelids flutter.
“The only person in danger here is your date. Did you go out with him to punish me?” He quirks an eyebrow, and his pensive gaze dips down to my lips.
“You’ve got to be kidding me. Is that what this is about?”
“Answer the question.” The rough pad of his thumb brushes against my bottom lip, the touch making me inhale sharply. His pupils darken, and my heart begins to slam against my ribcage.
“Maybe a girl can only take so much rejection before she decides to move on.”
Something indecipherable flashes across his face, and he scowls as he moves away to pace back and forth. I stare at him, watching as he runs a hand through his hair. His entire body hums with barely restrained energy, like a tiger ready to pounce on its prey.
Why do I get the feeling that I’m the prey in this scenario?
He shakes his head with a mirthless chuckle. “Maybe it’s that easy for you. Believe me, I’ve been trying to do the same.” He spins back around with a wild look and taps a finger against his temple. “But I’ll be damned if you aren’t stuck in my head. Of all the people I could want, it had to be my brother’s ex-girlfriend, didn’t it?” He pauses at my sharp inhale, his jaw working. His voice is harsh and guttural when he speaks again. “Were you going to let him fuck you?”
“ That is none of your business.”
Where does he get the audacity to turn me down and then proceed to go into a jealous rage and interrupt my date?
He prowls towards me. My hands tremble, and my fingernails bite my skin as they dig into my palms. He leans over me again, once more caging me against the wall with his forearms while giving me that expectant look. It simultaneously makes me want to roll over to give him anything he wants and push his buttons.
It makes me forget I’m his brother’s ex and makes me forget that nothing will ever change that. That we can never be together. I lean forward until our lips nearly brush together, the heat of his breath tickling my skin.
“I figured if you didn’t want to fuck me, then I would find a man who does.”
Something flashes in his eyes, my words setting him off like a bomb. He yanks me into his arms, and then his lips are crashing over mine. It’s a raw, domineering kiss that steals the breath from my lungs. His tongue flicks at the seam of my lips in a way that demands entrance, and I obey. With every stroke of his tongue, I can taste the remnants of his control slipping. He kisses me like he needs it to survive, and it makes my heart race.
He refuses to relent. He just keeps kissing and kissing.
My fingers claw at his chest. I need more, more, more.
I whimper into his mouth, pressing my body against his. By the time he pulls away, we’re both panting. My lips are swollen, and my head is spinning. He twines the strands of my hair through his fingers, his rough hold arching my neck back.
“Does it feel like I don’t want to fuck you?”
He cocks his head, watching my eyes flare as he grinds his erection over the heat shimmering between my thighs. His sultry, sensual laugh makes my nipples harden. “You want me to fuck you, Maddie? How many times do you think it’ll take before we get this out of our systems?” Then those firm lips are crashing into mine again, his teeth tugging on my bottom lip. When he releases me, there’s a sharp sting of nipping kisses along my jaw. My eyes flutter shut as he makes his way towards my ear. A shudder racks my entire body when his teeth nip at my earlobe.
“You’re crazy.”
I cannot fuck my ex-boyfriend’s brother, right?
“Like you said in the kitchen, Luke doesn’t have to know. He’s going to be gone for the next few months. How many times do you think I can make you come before he gets back?”
Heat pools in my belly. “We would regret it.”
What exactly is he suggesting here? A casual fling? There are so many ways this could go wrong, and it has all the makings of a disastrous ending.
“I could never regret you.” The words are a velvety purr whispered in my ear, traveling straight to my aching clit and crumbling my resolve.
“If we do this, it’s over the moment he returns. We’ll go back to normal, and you can never tell him.”
He leans back with narrowed eyes. “Don’t even pretend like you’re going to give him a second chance. Because I will fucking lose it. I will not have you in my bed and then send you back to his.”
Even as I’m shaking my head, the rumble of his raspy voice sends a surge of arousal through me, and I squeeze my thighs together. “That’s not what I meant. I may have loved him once, but…I think what was left of that love shattered when I saw him with another woman. Why would I give him a second chance when he didn’t take the first one seriously?”
He nods, his shoulders relaxing. “Good, then I agree to your terms. Am I allowed to touch you now?”
“Yes.” A thousand times, yes.
“Thank fuck.”
Another devouring kiss. This time, he presses the length of his big body against mine. Running my hands down his strong back, I moan at the feel of his warmth. His strength. His obvious need for me. He chuckles into our kiss, the sound deviant.
“Your date probably wouldn’t know what to do with you, would he?” he taunts me. My heart beats out a frantic rhythm as he leans forward. He kisses up the slope of my neck, latching onto a spot to suck. My heavy eyelids struggle to remain open, and my fingers scramble to clutch onto the soft fabric of his shirt. “But I do.”
His hands find my hips, and then he’s tugging me into the center of the room with him. He spins me, pressing my back to his front. I drag in a shaky breath when I note our position. He’s placed us directly in front of the large, rectangular mirror. His dilated pupils are nearly black as they stare at our reflection. My hair is mussed from his hands, my lips are swollen, and my eyes are wild.
“I’m going to take care of this little ache. Me . Not him.”
A breathy gasp tumbles from my lips when a hand slips under my dress to cup my pussy, giving it a squeeze. And God, it does ache. I’m soaked, and my clit pulses with the need for release.
I’ve never felt this crazy, insane need before.
“Right now?”
His hands grasp my forearms, bringing them up to circle his neck from behind. Then he’s pulling the hem of my dress up, bunching the fabric around my waist.
There’s a hitch in my breath as I watch him through the mirror. My voice feels scratchy when I speak. “But all of those people…”
“Does it make you wet knowing I’m going to make them stand outside and wait while I finger this needy pussy?”
“No,” I lie. It doesn’t sound very convincing, not when I release a strangled moan and jerk my hips forward. He gives me a knowing, satisfied smirk through the mirror before grasping the corners of my black, lace panties and tugging. A ripping sound fills the air around us, and cool air caresses my aching pussy. He pockets the torn fabric, and I stare at him in a trance, my lips parted. I haven’t done anything, but my breathing quickens anyway.
I watch through the mirror as he runs a hand down my thigh. Instead of diving between my legs, he hitches one leg up, guiding it until my high-heeled foot rests on the edge of the marble sink. It puts me on display in a way I’m not used to, and it makes my mouth dry. I lean my body back, trusting Jax to hold me up. The heavy weight of his dark gaze drinks me in as his lungs drag in a strained breath. My arousal glistens under the dim light of the bathroom, making my cheeks flush.
“Touch me already.” I wiggle impatiently.
“Hush, and let me look my fill.”
Despite his admonishment, one hand dips into the top of my dress, sliding down to cup my breast. He rolls a nipple under his thumb while his other hand finds its way between my open legs. His middle finger glides through my slit, gathering my arousal and swirling it around my clit. A burst of sensations shoots through my body, and I buck my hips with a gasp.
There’s something incredibly arousing about watching his hand flex in the mirror as it moves between my legs.
“Jax,” I moan.
“You’re going to come before we leave this room. I want you reeling from the aftershocks when you walk out of here and tell your date you’re going home with me.”
I bite down on my bottom lip, a trembling whimper escaping as his finger continues to circle. The friction feels so, so good.
His middle finger slips inside me while his thumb rubs circles on my clit. I gasp as he pumps his finger in and out, the movements of his hand gradually picking up speed. My head falls back on his shoulders, and I shut my eyes. Behind me, I can feel him grind his erection into my ass.
“Eyes on me.”
But I can’t. I can’t concentrate on what he’s saying. He’s pushing me higher and higher. My hips buck once, my legs beginning to tremble as the white-hot pressure builds. I want to rock my hips into his touch, but I’m afraid I’ll fall if I move too much.
A sudden, aching sting blossoms across my pussy, and I yelp. My eyes fly open, and I gape at Jax’s heated glare in the mirror. His palm comes down on my pussy again, delivering a punishing slap that makes me cry out. Following behind the sting, a burst of pleasure.
“You slapped me!” And I liked it?
He arches an eyebrow. “I want the image of me fingering this soaking wet pussy seared in your brain.” His middle finger slips back inside, his hand pumping while his thumb strokes my clit. His eyes never leave mine in the mirror. I’m quickly hurtling towards the edge again, gasping for breath as a flush spreads across my face. It feels incredibly intimate to watch this play out through the reflection of the glass. My eyelids begin to droop.
“Don’t you dare take those pretty eyes off me.” They spring open at the bite in his tone. More arousal floods me, and the sound of his fingers moving inside me is obscene.
“Jax, please.” Every stroke of his fingers pushes me closer to the edge, and my orgasm is right there. It’s so close that the idea of him stopping again is maddening.
I need.
Even as he leans down, his mouth sucking on the skin of my collarbone, his eyes continue to bore into mine. My forearms tighten around his neck, my nails digging into his skin. My mind, always so busy and loud, becomes blissfully quiet as I’m pulled into a hazy fog where the only thing that exists is the heat building in my groin. All my worries ebb like a receding tide as I give into the bliss. His finger curls inside me, hitting a new spot that makes me mewl.
“Jax! Oh God, oh God.”
I’m chanting his name and whispering soft pleas. I don’t really know what I’m saying, just that the words are tumbling out of me.
“Don’t stop…Please, please.”
“Look at you,” he pulls his mouth away from my skin to croon in my ear. “Such a desperate, needy little thing. You going to be a good girl and come on my fingers?”
I cry out then, a keening wail as the orgasm crashes over me like a riptide. The force of the searing pleasure surprises me, taking my breath away and making my pussy spasm around the finger still pumping inside me. I’m vaguely aware of my arousal coating his fingers as he whispers sweet-nothings in my ear.
My body is floating.
When I sigh, Jax pulls his finger out of me, and it glistens with evidence of what just happened. I watch through the mirror as he brings his finger to his lips, his eyes fluttering shut on an appreciative moan as the digit disappears inside his mouth. Heat creeps across my cheeks. But the hunger in his eyes emboldens me with the need to return the favor. Releasing my arms from around his neck and pulling my leg off the counter, I spin around on wobbly legs. His hands immediately find my waist, holding me in his steady grip.
When I begin to tug at the silver buttons of his uniform pants, his hands gently grasp mine. I give him a questioning look as he shakes his head.
“I want to touch you,” I tell him.
He chuckles. “Trust me, I want that too, but I want to be inside you the first time you make me come. And I’m not taking you here. I want you comfortable in my bed.”
Oh. Why does that make my heart flutter?
“Okay, but I want you inside me soon.”
He looks like he’s about two seconds away from throwing me over his shoulder again, his hands snaking around my lower back so he can grind his erection against me. It sends a surge of power through me. “Yeah, what else do you want?” he rumbles.
“I want you in my mouth.” I caress my palms down his torso.
“Fuck.” He hisses the word out in a hoarse bark. Then his lips are slanting over mine, taking my mouth in a harsh kiss before biting down on my bottom lip. He moans into the kiss.
“You’re not getting much sleep tonight,” he warns.
The corner of my lip quirks up. “Sleep is for losers.”
He laughs quietly, straightens my clothes, and runs a hand through my hair before intertwining his fingers with mine and guiding me out of the bathroom. When he strategically places his body behind mine to hide the visible bulge in his pants, I snicker. He pinches my side, and I slap his arm away. As we stroll through the eerily empty restaurant, reality crashes back down on me.
“Are they really outside waiting on us?”
His responding answer is a self-satisfied rumble of laughter. My eyebrows arch up as we near the front doorway, and I get a glimpse of red flashing lights. There’s a fire truck parked outside, a crowd of people milling about, and a group of uniformed men huddled together. The other diners are shooting curious, confused glances amongst each other while the firefighters smirk.
Heat sears across my face. I halt at the front doors, my hands lingering over the handle. “Shit. I can’t go out there!”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re a psycho! You evacuated a whole-ass restaurant to pull me into the bathroom for…sexy stuff!”
I sweep my arms out, gesturing wildly towards the waiting crowd outside. My voice is high-pitched as I stumble over my words, cringing at my awkwardness. He throws his head back, his hands clutching his chest as he releases a hearty laugh.
“It’s not funny!” I hiss, turning around to poke him in the chest. “They are going to know what we were doing!”
His laughter dies down, but his smile remains as his hand snatches mine, pulling my pointing finger towards his mouth where he playfully nips at the digit. Despite my scowl, a smile threatens to tug at my lips. I feel myself softening towards him again.
“Correction: I evacuated a whole-ass restaurant to steal you away from your date. I hadn’t planned on touching you, but I think we both like how that turned out. They have no way of knowing we did sexy stuff in the bathroom.” He leans down, stealing a quick kiss from my pouty lips before pulling away and waggling his eyebrows. “Or that we’re going to do more sexy stuff . Emphasis on sexy.”
I sigh. “Quit saying sexy stuff. You’re really making me regret my word choice.”
“I could always fire-man carry you outside. Let people think I’m pulling out one last straggler who was enjoying her dinner so much, she couldn’t be bothered to evacuate with everyone else.”
He looks way too amused right now.
I glare at him, nearly stumbling as I back away. “Don’t you dare.”
With a boisterous laugh, he leaps forward. I swat at him, flapping my hands as he wraps me into his arms. He laughs again, the sound sending a thrill of elation through me despite my impending embarrassment.
“Jax!”
He throws me over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes, one arm banding around my flailing body while the other one throws the door wide open. He strolls out, whistling a quiet tune under his breath as I’m carried into the cold night air. A chorus of quiet murmurings reach my ears, and the mortification makes me want to strangle him. I pinch his back instead, satisfied when he hisses.
“I will make you pay for this.”
“Looking forward to it, baby,” he replies, his voice cheeky.
The crowd parts for us as he strolls towards the firetruck, and I divert my gaze away from prying eyes. Jax finally stops in front of the waiting huddle of firemen, many of them shaking with suppressed laughter. My date stands next to them, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head.
Shit. I almost forgot about him.
Jax lets me slide down his body, gently setting me on my feet. He turns around, facing the crowd. His voice is loud and clear when he speaks, his confidence truly impressive as it cuts through the quiet murmurings. “I apologize on behalf of the fire department for interrupting your dinners tonight.”
Behind me, one of the uniformed men snickers. I shoot him a glare, and he immediately looks chagrined.
“The threat has been dispatched, and the building is now clear. You may return to your tables!”
I’m going to pour soy sauce into his coffee when he’s not looking, I decide. Maybe I’ll pants him the next time he’s in the grocery store. Or—
“Maddison, is everything okay? What’s going on?” My date startles me out of my diabolical plans, and my head snaps up.
“Oh, I uh…” I swallow, my mouth dry as something that feels like guilt settles over my chest. My feet shift as I think of something to say and ignore the way Jax scowls at me. I was supposed to be on a date, not getting off in the bathroom with someone else.
God, that’s so…not classy. What’s the opposite of classy? Whatever it is, that’s me.
“She’s coming home with me.” Jax looks completely nonplussed, his firm voice brokering no arguments. One of the uniformed men coughs.
“What?” my date asks, his forehead wrinkling as his eyes dart between me and Jax.
Jax throws an arm around my waist and pulls me against his side. “She’s mine. You’ll have to find someone else.”
I suck in a breath, my heart stumbling even as I jab an elbow into his side.
Mine. I like the possessive rumble in his voice a little too much. But he doesn’t mean it, and it’s dangerous— so dangerous —to think that he does.
My date opens his mouth, looking like he wants to protest but only managing to sputter something inaudible. One of the uniformed men, an older man with a brown beard speckled in gray, claps Jax on the shoulder. I hear him whisper something in his ear about taking the rest of the night off before he strolls over to my date. He throws his arm around his shoulders, turns him away from us, and begins walking him back towards the restaurant.
“Sorry, buddy, that’s just how...” The rest of his sentence escapes me as they move further away.
The diners begin slowly making their way back inside while the uniform men pile inside the truck. I spin towards Jax, but I don’t get the chance to ream him out yet.
“Get in the car. We’re going home.”
His hand gently grasps my elbow, leading me towards my vehicle. He opens the passenger door for me, and I don’t hesitate to climb inside. His shoulders brush against my chest as he leans over to buckle my seatbelt. Then he quickly walks around the car and drops into the driver’s seat. After making a few adjustments to the seat, he buckles himself in. He side-eyes me, and his wicked smirk makes my body vibrate with awareness.
“I owe you a few more orgasms.” His husky voice sends a tingle of awareness through me.
Logically, I know we have a lot to discuss. Actually, that’s an understatement. But his heated eyes promise to take care of me tonight. And for once, I want to let loose and just do what feels good. Jax’s hand settles on my thigh, the warmth of its weight comforting as his thumb rubs soothing circles. It calms the uncertainty in my mind, that tiny thread of a whisper saying this can only end in heartache.
Tomorrow. We can talk tomorrow.
It’s the last thing I want to do tonight.