Chapter Thirteen
Estelle
The final bell rang through Seaside Academy, signaling the end of another week and the beginning of what I was certain was a horrible idea.
I gathered my things from the desk, watching as twenty perfectly groomed children rushed to collect their designer backpacks.
Leo was already waiting by the door, his latest book clutched to his chest, those green eyes following my movements as I made my final rounds through the classroom.
He was excited. More excited than I've seen him in months.
"Ready to go, buddy?" I asked, ruffling his soft hair as I joined him, trying to inject warmth into my voice despite the anxiety clawing at my ribs.
He nodded, slipping his small hand into mine. "Are we really going home with Avery?"
The word hit differently when applied to Jax Easton's world. I hesitated, the weight of my decision still sitting uncomfortably in my chest. I'd been telling myself this was a catastrophic mistake, that men like Jax didn't invite women like me to their palaces without ulterior motives.
But Leo had been so excited when I told him about the playdate, his eyes lighting up with pure, uncomplicated joy that made my throat tight with how much I wanted to protect it.
"Yes," I said finally, squeezing his hand. "But remember what we talked about. Best behavior, and we'll leave after dinner."
Leo nodded seriously, but the anticipation bubbling beneath his careful expression was like a drink ready to explode. He'd been talking about Avery's toys since she'd mentioned them to him, describing elaborate playrooms and swimming pools like they were mythical treasures.
I'd tried to temper his expectations, reminding him that we couldn't stay long and had responsibilities at home. But the truth was, I was nervous for entirely different reasons.
Jax Easton made me nervous in ways that had nothing to do with Leo's safety and everything to do with my own.
The way that man looked at me set my pulse racing. Jax's attention felt like standing naked in a spotlight, exposed and vulnerable, yet wanting more despite every instinct screaming at me to run.
We made our way through the marble halls, past emptying classrooms and the diminishing crowd of parents collecting their children in luxury vehicles.
I was so lost in my thoughts, specifically, memories of large, warm hands massaging the tension from my neck, of breath ghosting across my ear, that I almost didn't notice him until he was right there.
Oh. God.
Jax Easton leaned against the wall with the confidence of someone who owned everything he touched. And he looked even more godly than the memory I'd been trying to unsuccessfully suppress all week.
He wore dark jeans, the denim molded to his thick thighs in ways that made my belly warm. His light blue button-down was rolled up to reveal those powerful forearms, corded with muscle and decorated with tattoos that seemed to move when he flexed.
The same ones that had held me so gently while his fingers worked magic on my aching shoulders.
His blond hair was perfectly tousled, just messy enough to look effortless while probably requiring an hour with a professional stylist. And those blue eyes that had been haunting my dreams locked onto mine the moment we turned the corner.
Heat pooled low in my belly, unwelcome and unstoppable, as I stared straight at him.
"There you are," he smiled, pushing off the wall. "I was beginning to think you'd changed your mind."
His gaze dropped deliberately, lingering on the modest square neckline of my gray dress, the nicest one I owned, though it felt pathetically plain next to his obvious wealth. Those blue eyes traveled slowly, blatantly back up to my face, as if he wanted me to notice his perusal.
As if he wanted me to know he was thinking about what lay beneath the cheap fabric.
"Worth the wait," he murmured, low and smooth, meant for my ears alone.
The heat that rushed to my cheeks was immediate and mortifying. My entire body responded to that voice, to the promise hidden in those three simple words, muscles clenching in places that had no business responding to Jax Easton's obvious charm.
I swallowed hard, hyperaware of how plain I must look in my simple dress, my hair pulled back in a utilitarian ponytail. "We had to clean up the classroom."
And I spent time trying to talk myself out of coming here.
"Jax!" Avery's voice saved me from having to respond as she came barreling down the hall. "Is Leo coming? Is he really coming?"
Jax caught her easily, swinging her up into his arms with a laugh that transformed his face from devastatingly handsome to something softer. "Yes, pumpkin. Leo and Ms. Estelle are coming over. Just like I promised."
Avery beamed, wriggling to be put down so she could approach Leo like a tiny diplomat. "I have so many toys! And we can play in the pool if you want, and Jax has a movie room with a screen as big as a wall, and?—"
“That sounds so fun,” I said gently, seeing the slightly panicked look creeping into Leo's eyes. He wasn't used to such enthusiastic attention. "You'll have plenty of time to show Leo everything."
Jax set her down, his large hand lingering tenderly on her small shoulders. It made something inside me melt despite my better judgment. "Why don't you two walk ahead? The car's just outside."
Avery nodded eagerly, grabbing Leo's hand without hesitation. "Come on! I'll race you to the doors!"
Before I could protest, they were off, darting through the emptying hallway toward the main entrance. My heart sped up with familiar anxiety, and I moved to follow, but Jax's hand on my arm stopped me cold.
The touch was light, barely there, but it made me feel like I'd been struck by lightning.
"They'll be fine," he soothed, his voice dropping to that smooth register. Probably the player register. "Security knows to watch for them."
Right. Security. Of course, Jax Easton's niece—Avery Easton—was safe running ahead here. This was his world, controlled, protected, and privileged beyond imagination.
It was so different from the constant vigilance that defined my existence, where safety was never guaranteed and threats lurked around every corner. Jax saw it himself, the one time he came to my neighborhood, getting himself hurt.
"I should still keep an eye on them." I moved ahead, gently pulling my arm away before I could do something stupid like lean into his touch .
Before I could remember how good it felt to let him be strong for me.
"You're always watching, aren't you, princess? Always on guard."
The nickname sent a shiver down my spine like last time. I was Estelle—reliable, responsible, the one who fixed everything and asked for nothing… Not princess.
But when he said it, I almost wanted to be his princess.
"I have to be.” I gave him the simple truth. Because I did have to be. In my world, letting your guard down meant getting hurt, getting taken advantage of.
"Not today," he corrected, his hand coming to rest on the small of my back as we reached the doors. The contact was warm and firm, and I tensed up immediately.
His palm pressed against me, guiding me forward. I let him, hating how much I liked being cared for.
His car was impossible to miss. It was a sleek black Bentley that gleamed in the afternoon sun like a panther at rest, parked in a spot that was definitely not meant for parking. The luxury of it was almost offensive compared to my world.
Avery was already there, bouncing on her toes as she waited for Leo to catch up, her excitement infectious enough to coax a real smile from all of us.
"Fancy," I murmured, unable to help myself.
Jax's laugh was warm, the sound washing over me like honey. "Wait till you see the house."
He opened the passenger door for me, his hand completely circling my elbow as he helped me in. The contact was hot, his grip firm and steady. What would those hands feel like on other parts of my body?
I had to stop.
But it was too late. The memory of our kitchen encounter kept crashing over me, along with how I’d melted into his touch despite every reason to pull away.
My panties felt traitorously wet, and I shifted uncomfortably in the buttery seat .
The drive to Jax's beach house was like entering a different dimension.
The Bentley's interior was soft leather and polished wood, and the seats were more comfortable than my bed at home.
Classical music played softly from speakers I couldn't see, and the air smelled like expensive cologne and whatever new cars smelled like.
Avery and Leo sat in two booster seats in the back, chattering about pools and toys, while I tried not to fidget in the passenger seat, hyperaware of Jax's presence beside me.
"Relax, princess," he mused, glancing over at me with a knowing smile, meaning he was fully aware of my internal struggle. "I don't bite. Unless asked nicely, remember?”
The look he gave me was so bold, so openly hungry, that I had to look away, my cheeks burning.
Through the window, the neighborhoods grew progressively more affluent. Already impressive homes gave way to sprawling estates, green lawns, and luxury replacing necessity in every carefully curated detail.
Until finally we turned onto a long private road that wound along the coastline like something from a movie.
"Almost there," he told me, his voice dropping again. "You're going to love the view."
He wasn't wrong. The house—if you could call something so massive a house—appeared around the next bend like something from my wildest dreams. Glass and stone and perched on the edge of the world, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean that stretched to infinity.
The sun was beginning its descent, just painting the water in shades of gold and amber that took my breath away.
I'd never seen anything so beautiful. I never imagined that places like this actually existed outside of magazines and movies. It was unreal, and I couldn’t look away.
"You really live here?" I asked, unable to keep the awe from my voice.
Jax's smile was satisfied, almost smug, but not unkind. "One of my places. This one's my favorite. "
One of his places!!!
The wealth implied by those four words was staggering. I tried to imagine what it would be like to have so much that you could spread it across different properties, different lives, different worlds entirely.
It was impossible to comprehend for someone who counted pennies and prayed the lights wouldn't get shut off.