43. Olivia #3
“Unnecessary,” he wheezes, shaking his head. His brown eyes take me in from head to toe with a heated expression. “That…” He groans, waving a hand at my body.
I smirk. “You gonna come in your pants again?” I quip confidently, keeping eye contact with him as his pupils expand.
“Yes,” he rasps out, moving closer to me until I feel the heat of his body against mine. “When you said you were going to come to the damn fights, I didn’t think you’d be so…”
“Hot?” I question, raising a brow.
“More than hot. Every goddamn person in this place has been eyeing you like a piece of meat. Mack included,” he says through gritted teeth.
“Including you?” I smirk, taking in his heated stare.
“No. Because you’re not a piece of meat, Spitfire,” he groans. “You’re already mine.”
My cheeks heat, and I turn my head. “Well, for tonight, you have to pretend I’m not.”
“So you admit it?” JJ asks cockily, whispering in my ear. “Have you looked over what I sent you? Do you believe me? Us?” There’s a hopeful tilt to his voice as he stares me over, begging me to believe him.
I nibble my bottom lip. “No. I still have a friend looking it over. He said it could take a while.” I lick my lips. “I want to believe you, Jasper. I want to know the truth.” All the truths. All the lies. I want it all. And if it means waiting for confirmation from Carter, then so be it.
“I know,” he murmurs, putting a hand on my waist discreetly and gently squeezing.
“JJ?” I question, turning to look at him.
“Yeah?” he says softly, erasing the world around us with one look from him.
But I know what I’m about to say will shatter the private bubble we’ve temporarily built.
“Tonight I need you to look the other way. I have to do something. It’s why I’m dressed like this. Someone took something from me, and I have to get it back. No matter what you see. No matter who I leave this fight with, you can’t—”
“You’re leaving with someone else?” JJ asks with hurt in his tone, but he doesn’t let me go. Doesn’t move an inch. No. JJ stays there, staring deep into my eyes, looking for an answer I’m afraid to give. “And what do you mean they took something from you?”
I put my hand on his chest, letting the thunderous beat of his heart bounce against my palm.
I linger there for longer than necessary, knowing that eyes will be on us.
People will have questions. Questions I don’t want to answer.
And JJ? Well, I’m sure he won’t want to, either.
If I could, I’d stay in his arms for tonight like I did before.
“I have a secret, JJ,” I whisper, letting the warmth of my breath brush past his ear. “I want to tell you where I’ve been and who I’ve become. Why I’m here in the first place.” I search his eyes desperately, hoping he will understand. “But I need you to look the other way tonight. I know—”
“No,” JJ softly says, squeezing my hip. “I-I understand.” His eyes flick to the crowd and back to me.
“It’s him, isn’t it? You have something with Malic.
” I lick my lips and nod. I don’t tell him I’m not sure what I have with Malic.
A sexual attraction? A major one. Relationship?
Probably not. “I’ve shared you once, Spitfire,” he murmurs.
“I’ll do it again, you know. If I can’t have all of you, then I want my piece.
My spitfire. I’ll take what I can get until you trust me, okay?
If you have something with him. Then, okay.
Although I think you should stay the hell away from him and Wilder.
Far, far away,” he mumbles with disapproval.
“They’re dangerous, I know,” I whisper, staring deep into his brown eyes. “I’ve seen a lot of dangerous things in my life.”
“You’ll be careful?” he asks, on a plea. “Please be careful with them. I can’t lose you again. Don’t let them take you away from me…” He trails off, sucking in an anxious breath.
“I’ll be careful, JJ. I want to make sure you and I are good.” My brows furrow with realization. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
He leans in, discreetly kissing my cheek and my breath leaves my lungs at the contact.
As he pulls away, he looks directly into my eyes.
“I’ll wait forever for you. No matter what happens.
But I need you to turn on your location for me.
Okay? So I can watch you and make sure you’re safe.
And if I don’t hear from you by the morning, I’m coming to find you.
” He spears me with a look that says he means business.
“Because you can willingly walk into danger, but I’ll drag your ass out of there into safety. ”
Be still my beating heart.
“Okay,” I whisper, instantly missing his presence when he steps back. I pull out my phone, turn on my location, and show him the screen so he can access it.
He nods, checking his phone with a sigh of relief. “I’ll be waiting, Spitfire,” he says before slipping through the crowd and keeping his head down.
He makes his way to the table with Hux and Mack, sitting behind them with a soft smile on his lips. He looks into my eyes through the crowd and discreetly nods, giving me the strength to go on with my plan.