35. Jax
JAX
“M orning, boss … Ana,” Gus says when he comes through the front door.
“Gus,” I reply with a nod. “Have you got a minute?”
“Sure, what’s up?” he asks.
My gaze moves from him to Ana. I haven’t mentioned any of this to her yet. “Can I speak to you in private?”
I don’t wait for his reply as I head to my studio. When he enters a minute later, I can see the apprehension on his face.
“Is everything okay?”
“Sit.”
He rubs his hands nervously down the front of his jeans as he does.
“I … I, umm.” Christ, I didn’t think this would be so hard. He’s one of my best workers, and I don’t want to lose him. But, after many hours of consideration, this was my best option. “I’m going to be moving you.”
“What do you mean by moving me?”
“Carter and I are opening a new parlour at Surry Hills, and I want you to go and work there.”
He slumps back into his seat. “You don’t want me here anymore?”
“It’s not that I don’t want you here. It’s just that I need you there.”
“Oh.”
I can tell he’s not happy about this. When he goes to stand, I hold my hand up to stop him. “Hear me out. You’ll be my head artist, and Candice is going to be running the new place.”
“Pinkie?”
“Yeah, and I need someone there I can trust … someone to keep an eye out for her.”
He looked out for her when she worked here. And I know how much he missed her when she left—he was constantly asking about her. That’s why I know he’s perfect for this job. If I can’t be there to keep an eye out for her myself, I know he will.
“Pinkie’s coming back, hey? Wow, I didn’t see that one coming.”
“She is. This wasn’t an easy decision for me, Gus. Please know that.”
“I like working for you, you’re a good boss.”
I smile. “Even though you annoy the shit out of me sometimes, I like having you here.”
“Then why do you want me to go to the other place?”
“It’s like this, Gus,” I need to tell him what happened, so he understands why I’m doing this. “Candice was attacked at her other job a few days ago.”
His body goes ridged and he sits up straighter in the chair. “Attacked?”
“She’s okay, but one of her male clients roughed her up a bit.”
“I’ll fucking kill him,” he spits.
“No need for that,” I say. “Although I’d like to do that myself. Can you see why I need you at the new place? I have to know she’s going to be safe.”
“It’s that fucking obsession of hers. I knew that would get her in trouble one day.”
“What obsession?”
“You know, with cocks.”
His comment instantly gets my back up. “How the fuck do you know about that?”
“Calm down. One day when we were locking up, I saw the cock on her keyring.” He shakes his head before continuing. “She told me about her cock collection.”
“She needs therapy.”
Gus chuckles. “It could be worse.”
“Like how?”
“She could have a collection of old toenail clippings or bellybutton lint.”
I bark out a laugh. “Do people actually collect that kinda thing?”
He nods. I can only hope he’s not one of them. “You care about her a lot, don’t you?”
I look at the floor and sigh. “I love her, Gus.”
“I fucking knew it.” When he slaps his leg and laughs, I want to kick myself for admitting that to him.
“Shut up, fucker. You knew jack-shit.” He throws back his head and laughs harder and I want to high-five his face. “You breathe a word of this to anyone and so help me…”
“Your secret is safe with me,” he says smugly as he draws a cross over his heart with his finger, like a five-year-old would do.
“I mean it, Gus.” What was I thinking by telling him?
“You have my word. This will stay between us, boss. But I’m gonna give you shit about it on the down low, you know that, right?”
“You better not.”
He chuckles, so I know he’s going to do it regardless of what I say. “So when am I leaving?”
“Three weeks.”
“I’m gonna miss this place, but I’ll enjoy working with Pinkie again. She’s a top chick.”
“I spoke with Carter last night, and we’re going to give you a pay rise to compensate you.”
“There’s no need for that.”
“It’s already been decided.”
Standing, he shakes my hand. “I won’t let you down, boss. Keeping Pinkie safe will be my first priority.”
“You’re a good man. Thank you.”
When he turns to leave, he starts to sing, “Jax and Candice sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”
“I take that last statement back,” I call out to his retreating back. “You’re not a good man, you’re a cocksucker.”
He roars with laughter as he walks down the hall towards his studio.
I pull on a pair of sweats and a T-shirt when I get out of the shower. Heading into the lounge room, I grab the remote off the coffee table before settling down on the sofa. Another night of dreary solitude.
I called Maddie when I got home from work this afternoon, something I always do.
It’s not the same as having her here with me, but I like to hear her voice, and to see how her day went.
She always gives me a blow-by-blow, which I love.
My mind drifts to Candice. For the last two days, thoughts of her have consumed me in a way I haven’t let them for years.
She hasn’t mentioned the letter yet, although she should have it by now.
As I flick through the channels, there’s a knock at the front door. It’s almost eight, so I have no idea who it would be.
I’m pleasantly surprised when I answer it and see the object of my thoughts standing on my front porch.
“Candice. Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine. I just wanted to see you.
” She smiles nervously as she twists her fingers together in front of her.
“I … umm … would’ve come earlier, but I waited until Maddie went to bed.
I got your letter today.” She lifts the heart in a bottle pendant that’s around her neck.
“I love this, and everything it symbolises.”
I lean against the doorframe. “The moment I saw it I had to buy it. It reminded me of you … and your hair.”
“It’s beautiful, just like the letter that came with it. Your words made me cry.”
I blow out a long breath, it’s been so long, that I’m not even sure what I wrote. I do know I poured my heart into that letter though. “I’m sorry it took so long to get to you. Things may have turned out different if I hadn’t waited.”
“I wish I would’ve known back then how you felt, Jax. It would’ve changed everything.”
I can hear the hurt in her voice. We’ve wasted so many years fighting the inevitable. What the heart wants, it wants. There’s no changing it, no matter how hard you try.
“You said in the letter that you knew you’d eventually disappoint me, but the only way you could ever do that is if you didn’t follow your heart.”
We both stand there in silence, neither of us knowing what to do or say. Her beautiful blue eyes lock with mine before she takes a step forward, and her scent invades my senses.
It’s like a drug.
She is my kryptonite.
My heart starts to hammer in my chest when she gets up on her toes and fists her hands in the front of my T-shirt, pulling my lips down to hers.
The moment our mouths connect, I lose all my resolve.
I slide my arms around her waist and draw her body flush with mine.
Burying my hand into her hair, I tilt her head back.
I’m powerless. I can’t fight this any longer. I need her, I want her … I crave her.
“Jax,” she moans.
“Candice.”
I bring her with me as I take a few steps backwards. I kick the door closed with the heel of my foot, and push her up against the wall.
I groan into her mouth when she lifts one of her legs and anchors it around my waist. The sweetest sound falls from her lips when I roll my hips forward and grind my hardened cock against her.
“I miss you, Jax. I miss you so much.”
“I’ve missed you too. I’ve missed you like you wouldn’t believe, but I think we should take this slow. So much has happened—”
She places her finger over my lips cutting me off.
“We can take it slow, right after you fuck me.” A primal growl erupts from deep inside my chest. How can I say no to that?
I’ve longed for that connection with her again.
I’ve never felt as close to anyone as I do when I’m buried deep inside her. “I need this, Jax … we need this.”
My hands move down to her arse and I lift her off the ground. She wraps her other leg around my waist as my lips crash into hers. I groan when she grinds her pussy against my dick. We’ve barely scratched the surface and I already feel like I’m on the edge. She has no idea how much she turns me on.
“Fuck, Candice,” I groan. It’s been years since I’ve been with anyone like this.
My days of sleeping around to try and quell that constant dull ache in my chest—left behind by this woman—were well and truly over.
The truth is, it never worked anyway. After she returned with Maddie, I devoted all my spare time to my little girl.
If I couldn’t be with the person I loved, I didn’t want anyone.
“Oh, Jax,” she moans. “I’ve missed the way you make me feel.”
I know exactly what she means. I may have been fighting this, but deep down in my soul, there was always a part of me missing … it was her.
Manoeuvring my hand between us, I slide it past the waistband of her tights, dipping into the front of her underwear. I need to touch her, taste her … be buried balls-deep inside her. It’s been far too long. I groan when I feel how wet she is for me.
“Oh, God,” she whimpers when I slip two fingers deep inside her tight pussy. She tilts her head back as her lips form a perfect ‘O’, and a long, drawn-out moan escapes her as she rolls her hips towards my hand. “Don’t stop,” she pants. “It feels so good.”
I have no intention of stopping … ever.
My cock starts to ache with need as she rides my hand with a fiery passion. “Yes, that’s it … fuck my fingers,” I whisper into her ear, as I suck her lobe into my mouth and lightly bite down on her flesh. I’m not sure how much longer I can hold out.