Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10
JAX
I rolled over and felt like I’d been hit by a truck. It was still dark, and, son of a bitch, my head was throbbing. Did I drink last night? No, I was helping Austin with the fences. Wait, how had I gotten home? I threw my legs over the edge of the bed and couldn’t remember a damn thing beyond being in the pasture with Austin and Madison. Did I have amnesia? A stroke? WTF?
The Tylenol and coffee in the kitchen were screaming my name while I wondered what was wrong with my brain.
I made my way to the dark living room, running into and falling over the back of the couch, landing on top of Austin, who let out a yell. I hopped up as he turned on the lamp next to the couch.
“Shit, Austin! Why are you here?”
“Why are you naked?” He threw a blanket at me. I looked down, and sure enough, I was naked.
“Why did you move all my furniture?”
“Why do you have a black eye?”
“I have a black eye?” I went to the mirror on the wall, only to find it missing. “Where did my mirror go? What in the hell is going on?”
Austin pointed. “The mirror’s over the fireplace.”
“Why did you put it there?”
“I didn’t.”
“Why don’t I remember anything?” I walked to the mirror, examined my eye, and sure as shit, I had a shiner. “Damn, did I get in a fight? What is going on?”
Austin pointed, laughing. “You are hilarious!”
“Stop laughing! Tell me what the fuck is going on.” Anger was growing in my gut, and I wanted to strangle him. “Don’t make me kick your ass before I’ve had my coffee!”
He put his hands up. “Calm down. Everything’s fine.”
“Nothing is fine!”
He pointed to my blanket. “Please wrap that up. Really the last thing I need to see at five in the morning.”
I tightened the blanket around my waist.
“The candy in my glove box that you ate was actually edibles Paul left in my truck.”
“Crap, I think I ate three or four. Did I eat three or four of them?”
He laughed again. “Yeah, you ate three or four. But don’t worry. You weren’t too unhinged. Just talking stupid shit.”
My mind went to Madison. “So, I was okay? Madison didn’t see me crazy or anything, right?”
“I had to go get Daisy’s centerpieces, and since you were out of it, I left you here with Madison to ensure you didn’t try to kidnap the cattle and run them to the border.”
“What?”
“You heard me, Bro. She hung out here until I got back. She said you pretty much passed out.”
There was a moment of panic as I tried to remember the night before. I saw a flash in my mind of me falling on the coffee table, and relief shot through me. Thank God I hit the table instead of me getting frisky with Madison and her decking me.
“She seemed okay when you got here?”
“Yeah.” He pointed to the room and nodded. “And she did some real good work here. I hadn’t realized how stupid the living room looked until she worked her magic.”
Her magic.
Austin went to the kitchen, cracked open the bottle of pain medication, and handed me a bottle of water. “It’s five in the morning. Take these, go back to bed for a while, and you’ll feel better in a few hours.”
“Okay.”
“Well, since you’re not dead, I’m going home to my own bed. Daisy said to be over at nine for her breakfast plan.”
“Got it.”
Austin headed out the door while I headed back to bed. I tossed and turned for a bit when I remembered laughing and, I thought, dancing with Madison. Dancing with Madison? But as hard as I tried, I couldn’t remember anything else. Eventually, I dozed off, and before I knew it, the morning sunlight was poking me in the eye.
My headache had diminished, and once I poured some caffeine into me, I was feeling more like myself. I was still missing several hours of my memory, but I knew I’d been close to Madison. It bugged the snot out of me that I couldn’t remember any of it.
Daisy had warned me that she and Jim had a special day planned for Madison, but I was baffled when I went throughher front door. Apparently, the two had come up with a new holiday. The large banner that hung across the fireplace read, MERRY EASTMAS.
“It’s the celebration of every holiday in one day. It’s freaking fabulous!”Daisy jumped up and down with a few hand claps.
I nodded when she ordered me to put up the fake Christmas tree while Austin was given plastic Easter eggs he tossed onto the branches. Just when I thought we were done, Jim threw ugly Christmas sweaters at us, as Daisy hit a button on her old boom box and “Jingle All The Way” assaulted my ears. This was going to be interesting.
I pulled on my red holiday sweater that had a fat Santa drinking a beer on it. Daisy fiddled with a button and lit up my festive attire, the sleeves flashing on and off, which I thought was the tackiest thing I’d ever seen until I turned to see Austin. His lighted, bright green sweater had a flashing reindeer on the front with two huge Christmas tree ornaments positioned suspiciously to look like the beast’sballs.
He shook his head. “Really?”
“Austin, if you dance around, the reindeer’s balls jingle.” Daisy giggled. “They’re jingle balls!”
Sure enough, Austin started dancing and jumping, and the tinkling of jingling balls filled the air.
We were all laughing so hard that nobody noticed Madison standing in the doorway with confusion written all over her face.
I watched her eyes skimmingthe room while I surreptitiously took in every inch of the unbelievably hot woman who stood before us. Her hair hung in soft curls, that cute little wrinkle forming between her brows. But it was thosejeans she wore along with a gray wrap-around shirt, hugging her curves and showing off her amazing, mind-blowing, over-the-top, sexy figure that held me dumbfounded in the best of ways, even as the blinking lights from my sweater danced about in my peripheral vision.
I imagined pulling the little bow at her waist that held it all together, throwing her on the couch, and having my way with her. Well, everyone around me would disappear in my extremely inappropriate daydream, of course.
I stared at her while trying to control the smile on my face, which I knewwas way too happy by half. Come on, be cool, damn it!
Daisy saw her and started clapping as a beaming Jim spun around.
“Surprise!” Daisy jumped up and down.
“What’s happing?”
Daisy giggled, and Madison’s eyes landed on me, her lips rolling inward in an attempt to hold back her laughter. A battle I was sure she’d lose. Sure enough, snorts made their way through her nostrils, and her previously sealed lips released a bout of laughter, the tear-drawing kind, all at my expense.
“Good morning, Sweetie. Come on in.” Daisy waved Madison into the room with more excitement than she had exuded in a while.
“What’s going on?” Madison’s voice cracked as she attempted to get her laughter under control.
Jim took a step towards her. “We wanted to do something special this morning. We came up with the idea of us celebrating Eastmas.” He threw his arm around Daisy’s shoulders, a look of pure love brightening his face.
“We’re going to celebrate all holidays in one day since you and I haven’t been together for them. We’re starting with a Thanksgiving brunch. Then we’ll have Christmas dinner at lunch, an Easter Egg hunt, and July 4 th this afternoon, with a New Year’s Eve celebration tonight. That way, we can be together for them all.”
Madison put her hand over her heart before pulling Jim and Daisy into a huddle hug. “I can’t believe you made up a flipping holiday for little old me.”
“Brunch will be ready in about ten minutes. Why don’t you relax, and Austin and Jax can go grab the bag of presents from the barn.” I thought Daisy might just burst with excitement.
Austin stood up and grabbed a magazine from the coffee table. “I need to take a trip to the little boys’ room.”
“Come on! Ever since he was ten, he’s disappeared into the shitter whenever he’s supposed to do something.” I just chuckled when Austin flipped me off and disappeared into the bathroom.
“I’ll help.” Madison appeared shocked at her own words.
I felt that familiar angst in my gut at the idea of being alone with her. Stop it. You can NOT be alone with her under any circumstance. You just got out of a relationship, and she’s leaving next week. Tell her to sit down and make Jim go with you.
“Cool, let’s go, Madison.” Damn, it! Why was my jaw yapping without my permission?
We walked in silence, given I couldn’t think of a word to say. What was wrong with me?
“I can’t believe everybody went to so much trouble for this. Daisy should have her full concentration on the wedding.”
Her smile was beautiful, and the best I could do was nod dumbly. Again, where the heck were my words?
“Do I get a Christmas sweater?” She stopped once inside the barn.
“I’m sure there’s one with your name on it.” Can I rip off your shirt and help you with that? Stop! I started up the stairs in the corner.
“Where are you going?”
“There’s a storage room in the loft where Daisy has the gifts. I’ll be right back.”
“It’s okay. I’ll help.”
I checked, and low and behold, she had Daisy’s sneakers on her feet, shoes that made for a safe climb. She followed me up the stairs, where I pushed open a door, and sure enough, there were three big bags filled with presents. God only knows when Daisy had time to get them. I was beginning to think this ‘holiday’ was not so last minute after all.
Madison squealed as she walked over and clapped her hands. “Look at these beautifully wrapped gifts!” She grabbed one and held it out to me. “It’s for you! What do you think it could be?”
The excitement in her eyes made me laugh. “Hard to say.”
“You don’t even want to guess?” I shook my head.
She rolled her eyes. “That’s weird.”
I let out a little huff. “Weird? You want to talk about weird? I woke up this morning naked, with a black eye, everything in my house rearranged, and a $20 tip for something on the nightstand. I can’t remember what happened last night, but the twenty made me feel cheap and dirty. I nearly killed myself walking across my house in the dark, by the way.”
She threw up her hands. “First of all, you wouldn’t keep your damn clothes on! I tried, but you were determined to be naked. And you got that black eye after your tap dancing, clarinet playing, Beyonce serenade when you fell on your coffee table.”
“What? No way.”
She started to hum the “Star Wars” theme and did a little tap dance right there in the barn. I thought she was nuts, but I had a little flashback, and she burst into laughter when she saw it cross my face.
“And what in the hell did you think I would tip you for?”
“I don’t know. Maybe for some good lovin’?”
She shook her head, and there was a glimmer in her eye. “Good lovin’? The twenty dollars—I found under your couch when I rearranged your living room. And you’re welcome for that, by the way.”
“So there was no good lovin’?” I crossed my arms over my chest. She was uncomfortable, and it spurred me on.
“Uh, no. Absolutely no good lovin’ happened last night. That was not on the menu for sure.”
“On the menu? Hmm, so no appetizers were enjoyed?”
Her cheeks became brazen as she took a step backward.
“Did you take advantage of me, Madison?”
She stepped back again. “NOTHING was served.”
“Your rosy cheeks tell me different.”
“ I didn’t do anything. You grabbed me on your bed?—"
I let out a laugh. “So, you were on my bed, huh? What were you doing there, Madison?”
Scowling, she took a step back, and I took one towards her.
“It’s not like that.”
I closed the distance between us, and while my brain was shouting that this was the worst idea ever , the lust simmering between us was intoxicating. Her breathing hastened while her eyes dropped to my lips, and my hands found her waist. A gasp escaped her mouth when I pulled her hard against me. I knew she could feel what she was doing to me, but I couldn’t bring myself to put an end to this.
“Do you want me to kiss you, Madison?” Oh, shit, I just whispered like a needy teenager.
Her green eyes pierced mine.
“No.” She shook her head fervently, but her body language screamed something different.
“Liar. You see, I think you want me to kiss you and more.”
She was so close and smelled so good. I needed her mouth on mine like I needed oxygen.
“Tell me you want me to kiss you.”
I felt her minty breath on my face and realized she would be the death of me as a fire grew between us. Stoking the flames in my gut, her eyes glimmered with a combination of thrill and fear.
“No.”
I pulled her even closer, with my lips an inch from hers. My heart pounded out a thunderous beat, and I was certain she could feel it.
“I’m serious, Madison. Tell me to kiss you or run the other way.” A shiver ran through her body as I whispered, “Do you know what you’re doing to me right now?”
“Kiss me.” Her whisper opened up the floodgates, and it was like a tornado hit where we were standing.
My lips devoured hers as one hand slid through her soft hair to the back of her neck and the other to the perfect ass I’d been admiring for the past day.
The small groan she breathed into my mouth broke the last thread of my control. One hand squeezing her ass, the other moved to her breast, my thumb teasing her over her shirt.
She gasped for air, her hands traveled over my pecs, sliding to my lower back and finding their way under my sweater, where her nails clawed lightly, nearly undoing me.
My sweater! I was still wearing that ridiculous, damn sweater. A guy can’t get with a girl wearing a Christmas sweater! I put my finger over her puckered lips, indicating they should hold that pose. I yanked the sweater up, her fingers frantically chasing the material over my head and tossing it aside for me.
We were so in sync as our lips crashed together again, neither of us able to get close enough. When I sucked her lower lip, she cursed into my mouth while my hands found her perfect tits again. She pushed them harder against my palms, her head dropping back in ecstasy.She reached for my belt buckle, and I swore time stood still.
My brain kicked in for a minute, tormenting me to stop. Daisy would be looking for us soon, and the last thing I needed was for us to be found in flagrante delicto by the woman who raised me. Or worse, Austin. One would cuss me to the moon and back for taking advantage of this poor filly I just met, and the other would be telling the story for decades about Jax getting naked as a newborn. It took everything in me to pull away from the beautiful woman in front of me. Long mussed up hair spilling over her shoulders, her breaths came ragged through lips as red as her cheeks. Her green eyes were clearly taken aback by the electric storm we’d both just been through.
“Holy shit.” She ran her fingers through her hair as if she could straighten out Jax-mussed hair.
“Holy shit.” I chuckled before inhaling. “We’d better get back.”