Chapter Twelve #2
"Can Leo come over to play at my house? Well, Jax's house?" Avery bounced on her toes while deploying those big blue eyes to devastating effect. The kid was a natural.
"Please, please, please? I want to show him my toys, and we could have food and go in the pool and?—"
"Slow down there," Estelle laughed, the sound hitting me like a shot of the finest scotch. "That's a lot of activities for one afternoon."
I approached, hands in my pockets, the picture of casual interest rather than the desperate, consuming hunger I actually felt . It was showtime.
“Morning, princess," I purred, the endearment slipping out like silk.
She glanced up, and there it was—that immediate shift to something more guarded, though the flush I'd been hoping for crept to her cheeks like a sunrise. "Mr. Easton," she acknowledged, all formal politeness that made me want to mess up her composure.
"Jax," I corrected, offering my most charming smile as usual. "I think we're past formalities after you played nurse with my injuries, don't you?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn't argue. Good girl.
"Jax," she conceded, and hearing my name on her lips sent a thrill through me that was probably visible from space. "Avery seems very excited about a playdate."
"She's been talking about it all week," I added, which wasn't exactly a lie since I'd been steering every conversation in that direction. "It might be nice for the kids to spend some time together outside of school. Let them be kids instead of tiny scholars."
Estelle hesitated, and I could practically see the gears turning behind those cautious eyes.
‘ Was this safe? Was this a trap? What was the catch? What did this gorgeous, sexy, devastating man want with me and Leo?’
Everything. I want absolutely everything.
"Please, Ms. Estelle?" Avery pleaded, deploying the nuclear option of a trembling bottom lip. She really was good at this. "Leo's my best friend, and we've never had a playdate before, and I really, really want to show him my toys.”
I watched Estelle's resolve crumble in real time, her expression softening in the face of childhood earnestness. She glanced at me, then back down at my secret weapon.
"I have to check with Leo, and we need to work out transportation, and?—"
"I can handle all of that," I offered quickly, pouncing on the opening like the predator I was. "Pick you up, drop you off, whatever works best for you both. My house has a pool, plenty of space for them to run around. Completely safe."
Safe for Leo, at least. Whether she’ll be safe from me remains to be seen.
She hesitated again, still unsure. She was beautiful when she was uncertain. "I don't know..."
"Please?" Avery's voice had taken on that tremulous quality that rarely came out. She definitely got that from me. "I promise I'll be super good!"
Estelle's expression softened completely, defeat written across her features in the most adorable way possible. "Let me talk to Leo, okay? If he wants to go, and if it's really alright with... Jax, then maybe."
Avery beamed. "Thank you, Ms. Estelle! Leo's going to be so excited!"
Mission fucking accomplished.
The first bell rang, signaling the start of another day of expensive education. Estelle straightened, slipping back into teacher mode like armor. "You'd better get to class, Avery. Don't be late."
Avery nodded, giving me a quick conspiratorial hug before darting off toward her classroom, leaving me alone with the object of my escalating obsession.
"Thank you," I said, stepping closer, close enough to catch that subtle scent of citrus that made my head spin and dick harden, even in this fucking school. "It means a lot to Avery. "
Estelle met my gaze, her expression guarded but not hostile. “She's a sweet girl. And Leo could definitely use more friends."
I took another step closer, close enough that she had to tilt her head back to meet my eyes. "And what about you, princess?" I asked. "What do you need?"
The question caught her off guard. I could see it in the way her lips parted slightly, in the way her cheeks flushed pink. "I need to get to work," she answered, deflecting like a pro. "And I'm sure you have somewhere important to be."
But her voice couldn't hide the slight breathiness that had crept in, the fact that my proximity was affecting her, whether she wanted it to or not.
I smiled, letting her see just a glimpse of the hunger I kept carefully leashed. "Nothing more important than this."
She took a step back, and I could see the war playing out across her face, discomfort warring with something warmer, something that looked suspiciously like interest.
"The brownies yesterday," she declared abruptly, changing the subject like her life depended on it. "And the other things. You really didn't have to do that."
“I—Avery—wanted to," I said simply, because it was the absolute truth. "Did Leo like them?"
A small, genuine smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, transforming her face completely. There she was. My beautiful girl.
“He said they were the best thing he’s ever tasted. He saved the last one for lunch today.”
Satisfaction curled through me, warm and possessive. I'd provided something that made them happy, something that made their lives just a little sweeter.
It was a start, a crack in the wall I intended to demolish completely. "Good. I'm glad he enjoyed them."
The second bell rang, and Estelle at her classroom, clearly ready to escape this conversation. "I really do need to go—oh, how's your wrist? "
Shit. The fake injury I'd completely forgotten about. "Just a bit sore," I lied smoothly, flexing it for her benefit. "Nothing that won't heal."
She nodded, already half-turned away. "I should?—"
"Estelle." She froze at the sound of her name, turning back with questions in her eyes. "I'll need your number. To coordinate the playdate."
She hesitated, and I could see her internal debate. Finally, she rattled off a series of digits that I committed to memory instantly, though I already knew them from the background check I’d ordered.
"Just to coordinate," she added quickly, as if she needed to justify giving me access to her life.
"Of course," I agreed, though we both knew it was so much more than that. "Have a good day, princess."
The flush deepened across her cheeks, and she turned away quickly, but not before I caught the confusion and unwilling interest in her eyes. She didn't understand why I was pursuing her, why someone like me would be interested in the perfection that is her.
She'd understand soon enough.
I exited the classroom and watched her greet the students, drinking in the gentle sway of her hips and the way she moved like she was trying not to take up too much space in the world. The playdate was set. The foundation was laid.
Phase one was complete.
Now it was time to show Estelle Moore exactly what it meant to be wanted by Jax Easton.
The next step was to move all of Avery’s toys into my beach house.