Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
JAXON/JAX
Then
Exposed Commands & Deadly Desires Unleashed
I shouldn’t have let the words fall from my lips. Now I have to face the danger head-on.
Livianna stomps to the door, madder than a disturbed hornet. I can’t let her go. God knows I should, but I can’t.
“Livianna.” My demanding tone tells her to stop.
She turns, glaring at me with daggers sharp enough to slice me from where she’s standing. “What?”
Will she submit or fight her desire to have me in control?
I need to know even if she leaves.
I square my shoulders, hunger pouring into every cell, and point to the floor. “Crawl.”
Her movement falters, and her eyes round in shock like a deer caught in a trap. And she is in one…mine.
She blinks as if she doesn’t trust what she heard me command. “What did you say?”
“I told you to crawl. Show me you know I’m the one in control.” My dick stirs, but nothing else moves. “Put your things down and crawl to me.”
“What? Why would you want me to do that?”
“You’re not in a position to ask questions. Do as I say, and you’ll get what you’ve asked of me for years.”
Her gaze hardens, and defiance seeps in. “Okay, maybe a better question is, why would I want to do that?”
“Because you need it. You need it like you need air.”
“And how do you know this about me?”
“I was there.” I let the words dangle between us.
She takes a moment to figure out what I’m saying.
Her shoulders lower, but she remains stiff and guarded. “Where would that be?”
I stride over to her, knowing I’m not going to get my way…yet. She needs to believe I won’t do what I always do and hide from her temptation.
“Let me take these.” I remove her bag and cashmere shawl from her hands.
She releases them as she studies me like she’s dissecting a deep-seated lie from my soul.
I place them down on the table.
“It’s obvious you don’t trust me.” I turn and face her, leaning my ass against the edge of the table. “Do you want to discuss this here, or can I entice you to join me at my place?”
Her brows come together. “Seeing that you just took my stuff, I think it’s best if you just cough it up. What’s this about, Jaxon?”
“Jaxon?” I raise my brows. “I see we’re in business mode now. I guess that means we won’t be going to my penthouse where we could get to the bottom of this issue in other ways.”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “What are you doing? Are you trying to mess with me just so you can make an ass out of me…again?”
“No. That was never my intention.”
“Then please don’t do it anymore.”
“I won’t.”
“Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. And if you say ‘no,’ we walk out of here and this never touches your career.”
“I don’t want to leave.”
She’s wearing a cream A-line dress with a zipper down the left side. It’s classy, yet cut low enough in the front I can see the silver-dollar-sized tattoo peeking out.
I step to her, reining in my yearning to claim her right now. We’re inches apart.
The energy in the room is full of caged desire waiting to explode. I lift her left arm and trail my fingertips along the zipper.
“You have a tattoo of two pistols right here.” I stop and press on her ribs. My breath tangles with hers as I stare into her curious gaze. “The barrels cross. You have another one over your left breast near your heart. It’s small. I couldn’t make it out, but I know it’s there.”
“You’re talking in riddles.” Her voice is breathy and full of want. She shifts back, putting distance between us.
I don’t like it, so I close the space. “I’m doing no such thing.”
She backs into the door, and I follow.
She licks her lips. “What are you saying?”
“I was there.”
“Where?”
“Elite-Sinsations.” My stomach tightens and my chest heats. “On Valentine’s Day. You were there, and I watched from the other side of the glass.”
Her breath catches, and she glances away. “You must have the wrong person.”
“There’s nothing to be ashamed of.” I cup her face in my palm. “It was you. Your brown hair, bleached on the ends just like it is now, was pulled up into a ponytail. You were with two men. They ravaged you until you couldn’t take any more.”
“Jax… Fuck. I didn’t expect you to…” She shakes her head. “Jesus, you’re the last person I wanted to see me like that.”
“Why?”
“Because of what you must think of me.”
I run the pad of my thumb over her bottom lip. “All I know is I couldn’t stop watching. I was walking by, coming from checking on something at the club, when I caught a glimpse of you as I passed your chamber. You were magnetic, and that’s where the problem started.”
“Problem?”
“Yes. From that moment on, I haven’t been able to stop picturing you that way. I left Paris to escape you, but thousands of miles couldn’t save me.”
It’s true. There hasn’t been a day since then that I haven’t thought about her. She’s more than a woman now.
Witnessing her give her power to two guys and how beautifully she allowed them to control the experience, knowing she could stop it at any moment, was haunting.
I’ve become obsessed with her. There’s a difference, though.
I don’t want to see her with two men ever again. No, she has to be mine. Only mine.
I know this is wrong on so many levels, but something about her draws me in like the sin that slipped off her lips that night. It’s stupid of me to want her like I do, given our age difference.
It’s confusing, confronting, and it’s taken over my mind. Never have I felt so out of control.
That’s why I’m doing this. I need her to give it back to me. The only way that happens is if I deal with the issue head-on.
“You couldn’t stay away?” She places her hands on my pecs. “You know what I think? If anything, I need saving from you.”
I slide my palms around the curve of her waist. “Why do you say that?”
“I’ve known you for a while now, and you push me away every time I try to get close to you. Who’s saying you won’t do that again?”
I pause, giving myself time to take the out. Doing this with her is probably the most reckless thing I’ve done since I was fifteen.
Fuck it. I need to let this play out. I’m the one who always preaches about fate and destiny. It’s time I let my faith back up my actions.
“Things are different now, Livianna.”
“How so?”
“You’ve been dominating my thoughts for a full six months. I thought I could shake you off, but images of you only grow in intensity with each passing day.”
She presses her breasts against me. “How can I be sure?”
“You let me show you. You’ll learn to trust me.”
“Jax, are you saying what I think you are?”
“Yes. But if we go further, there will be rules.” My heart pounds against my rib cage.
“Do I get a say in these rules?”
“No. I set them for you to follow.” I tighten my grip.
Her eyes narrow. “And why would I agree to that?”
“Because, firecracker, you want it more than you’re willing to admit.” I lean in, my mouth near her ear. “You want me to claim you and take over so you can relax and let down your hard exterior. You want me to hold you up so you can rest, knowing you’re always supported in my care.”
I nip at her earlobe, then trail kisses down her neck. Her soft, floral, powdery perfume drifts around me. I almost lose it.
“Give yourself to me, Livianna, and I swear to keep you safe and secure. You have the power to stop whenever you feel the need, but until then, let me be there for you, control you, and open up a side of yourself you didn’t know existed. The freedom you’re seeking, you’ll own.”
She stiffens for a brief second, then sinks into my touch. “Tell me how, Jax.”
“You want to know how?” I murmur into her skin as I pull her into a possessive embrace. “You say yes, then you let go.”
She stills beneath me—a pause that could split the night, a hesitation that tastes like a dare.
Livianna presses back, tilts her head, and finds my gaze. There’s fire in her eyes, but it’s buried under ash, burned trust, raw ache, and all of it seems like it’s stretched inside her like a rubber band pulled too tight. She’s about to snap.
“The rules…” She studies my expression. “If I don’t know what this is, I’ll make it something it’s not. I need to understand how this works.”
I nod as my fingers trail down the curve of her spine, anchoring her to the moment. To me. “Then listen carefully, because I’ll only say this once.”
She swallows, but her chin doesn’t waver. God, she’s strong. But even the strongest bodies shake when they finally surrender.
“I know you’re capable of keeping your emotions out of the picture. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have set up a scene with two gentlemen you didn’t want to stay in contact with. Hell, you didn’t want to know anything about them.”
“How do you know that?”
“You didn’t want to know who they were. Your blindfold was the cutoff you needed in order to keep your heart safe. They could see you, but you didn’t want to see them. You didn’t want that connection. That night was all about you and your pleasure.”
She considers something for a moment. “You’re very good at reading the situation.”
Years of practice. I’m a professional in the matter. I release her to give us space. She needs it to reach her own conclusion and decide whether she can live with it.
“If we do this…” I let the weight of those words settle between us, cold and irrevocable. “It doesn’t exist outside the bedroom walls. Not in the office. Not in front of the others. And you’re only involved with me. There will be no side partnerships.”
“Okay, I can accept that, and I would keep it to myself. Just like you, I wouldn’t want anyone to know. It’s nobody's business, and I wouldn’t want the interference.”
“Then you agree to keep it between us?”
“Yes.”
“Not even Trent can know.”
“He won’t. I give you my word.”
“If you need to discuss this with someone, talk to a therapist. I’m asking for privacy, not isolation.”
She puffs out a laugh. “I’m not seeing a therapist, and I’m perfectly fine keeping this between us.”
“Good.”
“Anything else?” She raises her eyebrows.
“We aren’t in a relationship unless we’re in private. Not when you’re my mentee and I’m your mentor. When we’re working, you’ll treat me like you always have, like I’m the man whose name you don’t say unless it’s required.”
Her shoulders tense, but she relaxes them as if on purpose. “And when we’re not working?”
I dip my chin. “Then you’ll treat me like I’m the only man who knows how to wreck you properly.”
Her mouth parts, but nothing comes out.
“I’m not offering romance, Livianna. I’m not offering rescue. This is about dominance. And if you say yes, you’re giving me that power when we’re together. No defiance and no games.”
“And if I push back?”
A sharp smile tugs at the corner of my mouth.
“Then there will be consequences.” I let the moment build like a rising tide around her.
“What kind of consequences?”
I press my forehead to hers. “The kind you’ll crave, even when you shouldn’t.”
Her legs tremble under her, but she doesn’t pull away. Her breath turns jagged, and I swear I can feel her pulse jumping through every inch of her skin.
“Okay, Jax. I understand not wanting more than something sexual. That part is clear. Besides, I don’t want anything else, but I need to know what this is for you.”
“This is precision, and I won’t waver.” This is me pulling every thread of control back so I don’t fuck up and fall into you like a man who wants too much. “This is the boundary that keeps me from becoming a goddamn addict to you.”
“Oh.” She nods slowly. “That’s fair.”
“I’ll never lie to you. But don’t confuse this for love.”
She flinches but recovers in an instant. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
And then I let her make the choice. Her spine straightens, and she takes a few steps away. The distance slices me.
Is she about to leave? Did I go too far?
She drops her gaze, lifts her dress ever so slightly, and sinks to her knees on the black marble floor.
Desire catches in my throat.
“Is this what you mean?” Her voice is small and ragged.
Pride swells in my chest. She didn’t fight me like I expected her to. I stride to her, slow and deliberate.
“Exactly.” I crouch down. With my knuckle, I lift her chin until her eyes lock with mine. “I lead and you follow. You trust me enough to let me break you and believe I’ll be the one to rebuild you.”
“What if I forget the rules?”
“Then I’ll remind you. With my words. My hands. My restraint. Anything I think will put you back in line.”
“And what happens when I disobey you?”
I run my thumb along her jaw. “Then you’ll learn your lesson. But it won’t hurt unless you want it to. And I promise aftercare every time, including water, food, and a check-in. Your body matters here.”
Her eyelids flutter. She shakes off a shiver, but she’s not backing down. I kiss her forehead and pull her to her feet.
“You’ll speak when I say, you’ll touch when I permit it, and you’ll be quiet when I look at you like this.” I drag my stare down her body like a man delivering a climax. “And when you’re mine—really mine—I’ll make you forget every man who came before me.”
She exhales, sounding like relief and permission.
I grab her belongings off the table and hand them to her. “Now leave.”
“What?” Her voice spikes as she gets her bag and shawl situated in her grasp. “You’re telling me to go?”
“We’re not doing this here. Not tonight. You said you needed to know the rules. That was the first one.”
“Why can’t we start now?”
I lean over and kiss her one last time. “I decide when. But you should know, you could’ve had it another way, but you thought you needed all the answers here in the office. Lesson learned?”
She stands before me, caught between confusion and submission. Then, in a flash, she gives in and lowers her head. She turns and sways to the door, then stops.
Her voice drips with defiance, but I hear the desire beneath it. “And just what would these consequences look like?”