28. JAX – AVOIDANCE
JAX – AVOIDANCE
I’ve not been looking forward to tonight ever since we left the dress shop. I’m excited to celebrate Emmett because he deserves all the successes and accolades he’s going to get, but Everlee. That dress.
Unclenching my fist, I give myself one more look in the mirror, fixing the one piece of hair that refuses to stay in place. I straighten my bowtie and head downstairs where I can tell Everlee is, because the men are losing their minds.
She faces away from me, and I can’t help but notice the lines of the dress, tracing them down to where it rests just above the curve of her perfect ass. One wrong bend and a glance from a guy that’s not us will result in me losing my ever-loving shit.
Why does she have to be so goddamn stubborn? I love that part of her, but equally hate it.
Love? No. That’s not what I meant.
Obviously.
To love her now would be crazy. Stupid. Reckless. And I’m not reckless. I’m cool, calculated, and a bit of an ass most of the time, but it’s usually for a good reason.
She turns to look at me over her shoulder, and her eyes twinkle with lust as her lips part ever so slightly. Fuck this dinner. I just want to take her mouth and make her mine. Ours.
She turns toward me and poses, sticking her leg through the slit, and my eyes drink up every delicious drop of her, from her painted toes all the way up her leg where the dress barely covers her delicious pussy.
Is it wet? The flush on her cheeks and the shallow pants in her chest tell me she probably is, and the thought of that causes my dick to twitch.
Damn her.
But I will not give her the satisfaction of knowing what she does to me.
That’s a lie. I always say that then want overcomes logic and I lose control with her, and the fact it turns her on only makes it worse.
It’s like she’s awakened the beast inside of me that I’ve tried so hard to keep pressed down.
He was created and unleashed when I was in the SEALs.
It’s what made me good. Made me lethal. But I had to stuff him back down when I left.
That part of me is growing again, and it scares me.
“Don’t you look handsome, Jax.” She smiles, likely because she’s reading my face and body language and knows what she’s done. What she does.
I put my hands in my pockets to act nonchalant, but really it’s to make sure my dick is behaving. “Everlee.”
She puckers her lips into an o-face with humor in her eyes. “I see we’re still a crabby patty about this dress.”
I shrug and brush past her.
Avoidance. That will be the name of the game tonight.
“Well, I think you look delicious,” Knox chimes, bouncing over and wrapping his arm around her, before tilting her back into a kiss.
He doesn’t understand. He was there with me at some of our darkest moments, and while I leaned into the rage, he built walls and pretended like it never existed. Monsters live in the world, and tonight they will have their eyes on our woman and I’m not okay with that.
There’s a knock on the back door.
It’s time.
God help me get through this night without ending up in jail or killing someone.
Callum guides Everlee out, followed by Knox, Emmett, and then lastly me. After locking the door, I climb into the back of the limo and purposefully choose to take the seat by Emmett instead of the one by Everlee.
The gray taffeta is falling to either side of her leg, and I’m sure if I tried hard enough, I’d be able to see she isn’t wearing panties. Because why would she?
“You good, man?” Emmett whispers, nudging my shoulder.
I cut my eyes at him, wondering why he’d ask such a stupid question, and he just chuckles.
“You can’t break her.”
“Watch me.”
“Oh. I have. I rather enjoy it. She gives you a run for your money.”
“She’s infuriating.”
“Is that what you call it?”
My gaze narrows at him, ignoring his innuendo. “I’m going to try not to ruin your night by attacking someone.”
“If they lay hands on her, then I’ll have your back. But if they’re looking, then let them. She’s ours, not theirs.”
I shrug.
I’m not always a possessive son of a bitch, but there’s something about her which brings out that side of me and I hate it. It makes me feel things I don’t want to feel.
Close to twenty minutes later, the limo comes to a stop in front of a sprawling cream-colored building. Black and white banners ripple across the front, and a red carpet stretches from the doors to the curb, catching the glow from the lights.
“Looks the same as last time. Well, almost,” Everlee says to Callum.
This must have been where they came in February.
Knox takes the lead with Everlee close behind, while Emmett and Callum form a quiet guard at her sides. I follow behind them, letting the formation settle naturally. The watchful eye.
She loops her arm in Emmett’s, and I tense. Not because it’s Emmett, but because we’re in public. I try to squash down the worry and tell myself no one will know we’re a unit. She’s on a date with her man, who’s here with his friends, receiving an award for his restaurant. Easy. Simple.
We walk into the enormous building and they have several camera stations set up.
Knox and Everlee both jump at the chance to get our picture taken, so we walk over and wait in the short line.
The photographer is a little confused at first, so Everlee, being Everlee, dictates the order of the pictures.
First Emmett by himself, then all five of us, then just the four guys.
We follow the music and the crowd to the main dining room, where they have assigned seating. As we snake our way to the front, there are two people sitting at our table, and again, I tense.
This is going to be the worst fucking night of my life.
Knox reaches the table first, and a smile spreads across his face. He leans down to give the woman a hug. When she stands up, I recognize her petite frame. Sophie and her husband, Jacques.
She turns to look at each of us, and then her eyes land on Everlee. She throws her arms out and brings her into a hug. “Darling. You look stunning and this dress.” She runs her hands down it, spinning Everlee to look at the back. “How have you been, my sweet?”
“Good.” Everlee smiles, her gaze catching mine.
“You look good.”
Emmett steps in, giving her a hug. “What are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t miss this dinner to celebrate with you, my friend. Callum called me and told me the good news, and Jacques and I were already talking about taking a brief trip to the States. So voila!” she exclaims, throwing out her hands.
“Thank you so much for being here,” Emmett says, shaking Jacques' hand.
“We’d be nowhere else,” Jacques says with a smile.
We take our seats at the table. Everlee sits beside Sophie, and then Emmett sits beside her, and the rest of us fill in, so Knox is left sitting on the other side of Jacques.
“I can’t wait to dance tonight,” Sophie says, shaking her shoulders.
“Me either.” Everlee smiles.
“It’s a shame Vixen isn’t open tonight. I’d love to show Jacques your club.”
“You can come tomorrow night,” Callum offers, spinning his glass in his hand.
“We won’t be here. We leave tomorrow morning to travel out west.”
“Ooh. Where are you going?” Everlee asks, clasping her hands together.
She is breathtakingly beautiful without ever trying.
The twinkle in her eyes lights up her soul.
I can’t believe that dickface, Richard, ever cheated on her and then would be stupid enough to try to win her back.
The fact he keeps showing up at her place is infuriating and makes me want to ram his head through a fucking wall until he gets the picture. Although I wouldn’t do that.
I think.
Dinner and the awards go by. Emmett is called on stage and gives a small speech about his vision and what it’s taken for him to get to where he is, thanking all of us for our love and support. It’s a wonderful speech.
They fold the accordion-style separator into its wall cubby, revealing a dance floor. My stomach sinks. I was hopeful when I didn’t see one in the main room, that perhaps the Gods had smiled upon me.
Nay.
They smite me.
Of course, Everlee and Sophie are the first two up, hand in hand, moving to the dance floor.
I sit back for a minute, watching them. Perhaps if I’m not around her to see the eyes traveling all over her body, I won’t be tempted to protect her.
That lasts all of three minutes until Knox and Emmett pull Callum and me onto the dance floor.
Jacques gets up reluctantly and follows us over, standing behind Sophie, who turns and grabs him.
My gaze flickers to Everlee, who is swaying her hips, and my eyes lock onto her slit, dancing dangerously close to her pussy. I move to the side, blocking any view, and try to settle my shoulders since I can feel knots forming in them.
“This isn’t so bad, is it?” she asks, interlacing her fingers in mine.
Without speaking, I cut my eyes at her, and she chuckles, releasing my hand and rubbing down my arm.
I don’t know how much time has passed before the women decide to sit down, but I’m so thankful.
“You should try to smile a little, or your face will get stuck like that,” a singsong voice whispers over my shoulder.
I turn to look at Sophie, and she smiles.
“Things are good?” she asks, sitting down.
Emmett, Knox, and Everlee have gone to get some drinks from the bar, and I’m not sure where Jacques is.
“They are.”
“I’m glad to see you all have found your way back to one another. She was very sad when she left.”
“She shouldn’t have left.”
Sophie tilts her head to the side.
“I know why she did. I get it. But it doesn’t matter anymore. We’re going to try.”
“I’m thrilled for you all. I’ve gotten to know her over the last several months, and she is pretty fantastic.”
“Yes. She is.” My gaze catches Everlee as they walk back over to the table.
Sophie pats my shoulder, vacating the seat. “I think we’re going to head out,” she says, giving Emmett another hug. “We have an early flight tomorrow morning.”
“It was so good seeing you again.” Everlee steps forward, giving her a hug.
“Perhaps next time we see each other, you can let Jacques and me host!”
“France?”
“Oui.”
“Oui oui,” Everlee says, giving her shoulders a playful shake, and I can’t stop the smile that tugs on my lips.
“Congratulations to you again,” Sophie and Jacques say to Emmett before leaving.
“Well.” Everlee looks at us. “Should we go? It’s been several hours and Jax hasn’t killed anyone, even though I was worried a couple of times while we were dancing. I’d hate to press my luck.”
“Somehow, I don’t believe you. Pressing your luck seems to be what you enjoy doing most of all,” I retort.
A wicked grin curls on her lips, and her eyes have a mischievous twinkle.
“That’s what I thought,” I say, curling my arm around her waist. And just like that, I’m doing what I said I wasn’t going to do. Give in to her. She’s like a siren.
“Yes!” Emmett claps. “It’s been a fantastic night and I don’t want to ruin it.” He knocks back the rest of his bourbon neat and places the glass on the table.
As we’re leaving, I allow myself to finally exhale my breath and let my shoulders relax.
We get in the car, and Everlee looks over at me. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” She rubs my leg up and down, then slides her slit to the side. “And I even bought nude panties to wear for you.”
“You couldn’t have told me that earlier?” I growl in irritation.
“Where would be the fun in that?”
She smiles and I take her lips, gripping her neck with my hand.
She fights at first, but it only takes seconds before I can feel her melt into it.
Into me. One of the things I find most intoxicating about her is that she’s so easy to read.
There’s never any guessing. Well, if she’s wearing panties with a dress, maybe.
But her feelings, thoughts, emotions… what she likes.
What gets her off. Open book, and I want to give it all to her.