Chapter 6 #2
The mention of her ex had her shoulders sagging for a second before she squared them together. Her eyes hardened, and I knew she'd put her walls back up.
“We do this tonight, then these other parties will be a breeze. Trust me, the guys aren't that bad, and you seem to already be best friends with Nerissa.”
She hesitated like she was physically fighting herself. I could see the gears turning behind her eyes—logic fighting emotion, anger fighting fear, stubbornness fighting… whatever this thing was between us.
Finally, she sighed. “Fine.”
A slow smile tugged at my mouth, and I slid a hand to her waist and pulled her gently against my chest. She tensed—of course she did—but she didn’t pull away.
Good girl.
“Relax,” I murmured, thumb resting at the soft curve of her hip. “Practice, remember?”
She swallowed.
I guided her through the crowd toward our table, my hand firm at her waist. The bar lights painted her skin in red and blue, as if the night itself was daring her to get burned.
“You can't compare that!” I heard Ari exclaim the closer we got to the table. “You’ve been there longer than I have.”
Nerissa threw her head back and laughed. “All I'm hearing is excuses, baby. If you need lessons, say that.”
Ari was about to snap back, but the second we showed up, they toned it down. Curious gazes fell on Savannah, their eyes darting from her to me and the nonexistent space between us.
I pulled out the seat beside mine and gestured for Savannah to sit. She froze for half a beat, then sat. I dropped my arm casually across the back of her chair, letting my fingers graze her shoulder.
“Guys, this is Savannah,” I introduced, leaning back with a laziness I absolutely didn’t feel. “Savannah, that's Jesse, and he's Ari. And you already know Nerissa.”
“Very, very nice to meet you, Savannah,” Ari purred, his eyes running appreciatively down her body. “If you ever want to—ow! What the fuck, Jax?”
I slapped the back of his head before the stupidity left his mouth. He rubbed the spot and glared at me.
“No flirting.”
“You don't even know what I was gonna say!”
“I know the next three things you're gonna say.”
Jesse snorted while Nerissa smirked over her drink.
“Dick,” he pouted.
“Ignore Ari,” Jesse said with a small smile. “Always works for me.”
“Except for when you're talking about hockey,” I pointed out.
He flipped me the bird.
“Boys, behave. We have a lady present,” Nerissa jumped in.
“I didn't mean to intrude on your night,” Savannah said. “I don't think Nerissa likes the word no.”
We all looked at Rissa, who just smiled sweetly and raised her drink to us. “You'll come to love that about me. Besides, who wants to spend their Sunday night stuck in the house all alone? Not me.”
“Savannah prefers solitude,” I intervened.
“I do.” Savannah nodded, even as her eyes were subtly darting around the room. Her sharp gaze bounced across the patrons nearby as if expecting one of them to come out and attack her. “And I have an early class in the morning.”
“Class?” Jesse asked, curiosity replacing his usual deadpan.
“I'm a law student. Third year.”
Ari let out a low whistle. “Law school? Goddamn. Brains and—”
Another smack.
“Jesus, man!” Ari yelped, dodging me. “I meant it respectfully!”
Sure.
“So basically, if Nerissa lands herself in jail, we have a lawyer in our pockets,” Jesse joked, barely able to contain his smile. His gaze lingered on her a little longer than normal before he glanced back at Savannah.
“If she doesn't charm herself out first,” Savannah countered, which earned her a deep chuckle from Jesse.
Nerissa wagged a finger at her as she purred, “I am very good at charming people.”
“At terrorizing people, too,” Ari added, leaning in with his sights set on Savannah. “There was this one time we took a trip to Vegas, and she got so fucked up she—”
“Finish that sentence and I'll tell everyone about Tracy.”
Ari gaped at Nerissa. “You wouldn't dare.”
“Try me,” she said, smirking widely behind her glass.
Ari grumbled in defeat, then looked at Savannah with puppy dog eyes. “You see what I have to deal with every day? The smacks, the taunting, the threats.”
“Somehow I think you deserve it.”
I threw my head back in laughter at that and the look of disbelief on his face. “Oh, he does.”
My knee brushed against hers accidentally, sending a jolt through my body, but it was short-lived seconds later when she pulled away.
“How can you think that with an innocent face like this?” He waved a hand in front of his face. “I'm a saint. Even better than your boy here.”
His thumb nudged in my direction while he held the beer bottle in his hands.
“Oh, I don't doubt that,” she drawled, finally turning to look at me. “Jaxon is far from a saint. He just tucks his horns and tail away for social settings.”
There was that look again—fire and brimstone tainting her brown eyes, a contrast to the sweet smile she plastered on her lips.
Smirking, I leaned in just a little. To her credit, she didn't lean back or try to escape my intense gaze. Progress. “We both know you love the bad boys, trouble.”
“It's an acquired taste.”
Our gazes held, neither of us wanting to be the first one to break. The longer I looked, the more everything else faded into the background. I could stare at this woman for hours and never get bored.
A throat cleared, bringing us back to reality.
“I didn't bring Savannah so you could flirt with your girlfriend all night, you know. It's my time to get to know her,” Nerissa said.
My eyes narrowed at her, knowing the ‘girlfriend’ bit didn't just slip out. And from the look on Ari’s face, he was already processing that little detail.
“Girlfriend?” Ari blinked, then his eyes widened in realization. “Wait, wait, Savannah as in secret girl Savannah? The girl you and Benji were being all weird and top-secret about?”
I shook my head and chuckled, bringing the bottle to my lips. “We weren’t being secretive—”
“Yes you were, bro,” Jesse agreed.
I rolled my eyes. “We weren't.”
“And now I see why,” Ari continued, eyes twinkling as he looked at Savannah. “You're just lucky you met me after Jax, because there'd be no question who you'd pick.”
“Man, the last girl you talked to laughed and walked away. Good luck trying to talk game with my girl.”
“He may be right, man,” Jesse laughed. “You suck at picking up women.”
“You know what? Fuck you both. I get more pussy than both of you.”
Nerissa cackled so hard she nearly spilled her drink. “Sweetheart, the only pussy you get is the one on your phone screen.”
“Fuck off,” he grumbled.
Savannah hid a smile behind her glass, but I saw it. I felt it. Something warm curled low in my stomach at the sight of her trying not to laugh—at my friends, at this table, at this world she definitely didn’t belong to but somehow fit into tonight.
And God help me, I liked seeing her here.
“Anyway,” Jesse said, leaning forward with that lazy half-smile of his, “how long have you two been together?”
I felt Savannah stiffen beside me—felt every muscle in her spine pull tight. Her fingers toyed with the condensation on her glass like she needed something to ground her.
I tightened my arm across her shoulders, sliding my hand slightly down to her upper arm, guiding her into me just enough to sell it. Her breath hitched—but she didn’t pull away.
Good girl.
She swallowed. “Uh… we’ve been—”
“A few weeks,” I finished smoothly, giving her a look that said play along. “It started out as casual, but she just couldn't stay away from me.”
She glanced up at me, eyes sharp with warning, and I winked at her.
Nerissa’s grin was feral. “About damn time one of you idiots brought home someone hot and intimidating.”
Ari lifted his glass in dramatic agreement. “And smart. Law school? Damn. If Jax screws this up, I’m next in line.”
My jaw clenched before I could stop it.
Savannah noticed.
Her lips curved—just slightly.
She liked that.
“Jax won’t screw anything up,” she said, her voice smooth and sweet and deadly enough to make Ari blink. “He knows what happens to men who disappoint me.”
Jesse let out a sharp laugh. “Damn, Cage. She’s scarier than you.”
“She’s not scary,” Ari argued. “She’s—”
“She's mine,” I cut in, giving him a look.
Ari put his hands up. “Relax, man. I’m not trying to get murdered today.”
Savannah smirked into her drink. “Good choice.”
I leaned back in my chair, watching her—really watching her—as she relaxed into the rhythm of the table, the banter, the teasing. Watching the way the lights painted her skin in warm gold, watching how easily she charmed my entire circle without even trying.
I shouldn’t have enjoyed it that much.
But damn it, I did.
We eventually settled into comfortable chatter and decent food.
Ari animatedly started telling us about when he was doing an escape room and got trapped.
Jesse pretended he wasn't involved and Nerissa teased them both.
It was the first (and last) time they did a double date together.
Thank God I wasn't a part of that. Who wants to be trapped in an escape room?
Savannah chimed in occasionally with smart comments, sharp humor, tiny smiles. I could see the tension leave her shoulders as the night went on. Maybe I was just using it as an excuse to keep looking at her.
The way she tucked a stray curl behind her ear.
The way she bit her bottom lip when she was trying not to laugh.
It all added to her beauty and charm.
Reaching low, I pulled on the wooden bar of her chair and reeled her closer to me. Right between my legs. She gasped and I leaned in, voice low so only she could hear. “You doing okay?”
Her breath hitched—barely. “I’m fine.”
“Just checking.” I brushed my lips against her cheek, and it made her draw back immediately. “Tsk tsk, and I thought we were making progress, trouble.”
She cut me a glare that only made me want to smirk harder.
“I just wasn't expecting… that,” she murmured.
“Uh-huh.”
“Don't start with me, Cage. We don't need practice.”
“Oh, say my name like that again. I kinda like it,” I teased, fingers brushing the bare skin of her upper arm. She went stiff as a board again. I tilted my head and her gaze lifted to mine, something unsteady there for a heartbeat before she looked back to the group.
Yeah, we definitely need to practice this one-on-one.