Fighting Envy

by Jennifer Miller

  “Yeah.”

  “Do you think she knows?”

  “No. She thinks we’re going back to her place to have dinner together with Ty.”

  “Cool.”

  “Thanks for all your help.”

  “No thanks needed. She’s yours, that makes her ours too.”

  “Yeah, I know. I’m glad. Shh, here she comes.”

  Not a moment later, Rowan is standing at our table, “Hey, Zane. How are you?”

  “I’m good, beautiful, thanks.”

  “Can I get you something to drink or eat?”

  “I’ll just have a water, please. I texted Jax and he told me he was here so I came by to talk to him.”

  “Oh, is this about all that stuff with Jerry?” She assumes.

  “Huh?” I kick him under the table, “Oh yeah. That’s why. We’re just working out how we’re going to move forward.”

  “Any ideas?” She looks back and forth between both of us.

  “No,” I reply and Zane shakes his head.

  Her brow furrows, “What’s involved in linking up sponsors and organizing the fights? Is it hard?”

  “No, not hard,” I reply. “It’s basically like sales as far as the sponsors go. You have to give them a reason to want to collaborate and lining up the fights is just being persistent and having contacts in the industry. Fortunately, all of us have those contacts. My dad’s went a little deeper because he’s been in the industry longer, but technically we could call them as well and work with them.”

  Rowan sits next to me and I scoot over a little making room for her, “Well, can I help?”

  I stare at her for a minute, and then look at Zane who’s smiling ear to ear. “You would do that?” I ask.

  “Well sure. If it’s something that can be learned, I’m happy to help out.”

  “I think it’s a great idea. “ Zane adds. “Rowan you would be a great person to represent us.”

  “I like this idea, babe. Let me think on it some more, and we’ll talk about it later.”

  Her face falls, “Oh, okay. I mean, of course. You need to think about it. I just thought I would offer because I’m happy to help. You know… if you want me to.”

  “No, you misunderstand. I think it will be a great fit, I don’t doubt that at all. I just want to put together a formal offer with what exactly the position will entail as well as monetary compensation information. I just need to work out the details.”

  “I don’t want to get paid for helping you, Jax. It doesn’t feel right.”

  “You wouldn’t just be helping me. Let’s talk about it later, okay?”

  “Yeah, okay. We’ll talk.” She gets up to check on another table.

  “Really, Jax. She really would be great.”

  Smiling I nod my head, “Yeah, I think so too.”

  “Are you worried about having her integrated even more into your life?”

  “Not at all.”

  “You really like her,” he says.

  “I more than like her, Zane.”

  “Whoa,” he rubs his hand along his jaw. “Have you told her that yet?”

  “No. I don’t want to scare her. It isn’t time yet.”

  “Wow. I’m happy for you man.”

  “Do I sound like a chick if I say that I just hope she feels the same way?”

  “Yeah, a little, but I don’t think you have to worry about that. Is she doing okay after everything your dad said to her? I still can’t believe he actually said that shit to her.”

  “He definitely went too far. I couldn’t let him get away with that.”

  “Definitely not. You know, we’ve all been hoping for a while you would finally do something about him. All he does is cause trouble and run his mouth. I know he’s your dad, but enough is enough.”

  “Well, I told him not to come back. Cole is welcome any time. I still don’t get what the hell he’s doing, but it’s his choice. He can come in whenever he wants, but not with him.”

  “I told the other guys too, so they’re aware of the situation as well. If he comes in, he’ll be asked to leave.”

  “Good.”

  “What else is going on?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Dude, I’ve known you since we were kids. You’re stressed. What else is bugging you?”

  I sigh. I’m not really comfortable talking about Rowan’s business with anyone, but it would be nice to talk to someone. “Rowan and I ran into her ex at the mall.”

  “Her ex? As in the asshole that left her and Lily?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh fuck. Are the cops going to show up any time to arrest you for assault and battery?”

  “No,” I smile at Zane’s assumption. “I didn’t punch him - didn’t even touch him. Not that I wasn’t tempted, but Rowan’s emotions were more important and I just wanted to get her the hell away from him.”

  “I don’t know how you refrained yourself.”

  “It wasn’t easy, but it would have scared Lily and that was the last thing Rowan needed. It would have felt really good though.”

  “No doubt. Do you need anything? Does she? Are you worried he’s going to come around now?”

  “I really don’t know what he’s going to do. Before he could say or do much we walked away. She asked me not to tell Ty, because she’s afraid he’ll show up at Jason’s place and beat the hell out of him putting him right back in jail. Can’t say I blame her for that worry.”

  “Definitely not. He’s completely hot headed. He’s already been at the gym again since he’s been out of jail and dude has some serious anger issues.”

  “I know. Hopefully he can channel them in the right direction and win some fights for gym promotion.”

  “Let’s hope. Alright, I’m going to head out. I’ll see you shortly.”

  “Alright, see you soon.”

  Not long after he leaves, Rowan is off work. She’s tired, but thankfully it isn’t too bad since she worked a short shift. “I hope you’re planning on feeding this birthday girl because she’s hungry.”

  Smiling, I back her up against the side of my truck. “Just what kind of hunger are we talking about here?”

  She laughs and pushes her hips against me and sighs softly, “Both, definitely both.”

  “That can be arranged.” I lean down and put my mouth on hers. Gripping my hand in her hair, I tilt her head and open my mouth to deepen the kiss and moan when she responds in kind. Each and every time I kiss this woman I feel fireworks. I hope it never stops. Pulling away I adjust myself with a smile. “Come on let’s go.”

  We hop in the truck, and I start heading to her place. “I’ve already got dinner arranged for you. It’s a surprise.”

  “Yeah? Sounds fabulous. Dinner, kisses from my baby, and you. Perfect birthday if you ask me.”

  Smiling, I pull into her driveway and am about to get out of the truck when she stops me. “Wait.” She unbuckles her seatbelt and takes me by surprise when she straddles me in my seat. Before I can say a word, she puts her mouth on mine and kisses me hard. When she grinds her center into me, it’s all I can do not to reach under the skirt she’s wearing, yank her panties to the side and stroke her until she comes.

  Remembering where we are, I pull away breathless. “Wow,” I murmur.

  “Just a preview for later,” she winks saucily making me laugh. She climbs off of me and hops out the door. I open my door and she laughs when she comes around and finds me adjusting myself.

  “Don’t laugh. I doubt Ty would appreciate me walking inside with a hard on no matter how much he may approve of us.”

  “Come on, lover boy.” We walk to the door and I make sure to stand behind her when she opens it. Stepping into the house she flips the light on, then screams when several people jump out at her and scream, “SURPRISE!”

  Jumping out of my skin I throw my hands over my mouth and look around the room in complete and utter surprise. Tyson, Zane, Dylan, Cole, Levi, Ryder and Audrey are all here. There are
a few people I don’t know, and I find myself anxious to meet them. “Happy Birthday!” Tyson calls out while bouncing Lily on his hip, which is followed by everyone else calling out their wishes too.

  “Thank you so much!” Spinning around I put my hands on Jax’s shoulders and smile, “You did this?”

  “I had some help.”

  “But this was all your idea wasn’t it?” He just shrugs his shoulders. “Thank you so much! I don’t even know what to say. I’ve never had a surprise party before. My mom never…” I stop knowing an explanation isn’t needed.

  “Well, then it was way past due. Come on, let’s go get some food. I had the Italian place cater in, and Zane helped with a last minute alcohol run, while Tyson decorated and assisted with the food delivery. It was a group effort.”

  When we turn to head to the table, Tyson catches my eye and I mouth a “thank you” to him. He smiles and takes Lily’s hand and waves it at me in hello making me laugh. Taking plates off the table, we begin filling them, then everyone else follows suit. As I’m walking towards a seat, Ryder stops me, “Happy birthday, Rowan. This is my friend, Abby.”

  “Hi Abby, it’s nice to meet you.” Abby looks like Ryder’s kind of girl - blonde hair falling in waves down her back, bright red lips, and huge boobs. She even has tattoos inside her wrists and one on her upper arm. “Thank you for coming.”

  She smiles at me briefly, then wraps her arms around Ryder, burying her face in his neck. I take that as my cue to walk away. I don’t get far before Levi, and the girl next to him, stop me. “Rowan, I’d you to meet my sister, Sami. Sami, this is Jax’s girl, Rowan.”

  “Hi, Sami. It’s great to meet you.” She’s super cute. She has the same blonde hair and green eyes as Levi and the blonde streaks and tan skin she’s sporting gives her the same surfer look Levi has. It’s obvious they’re related.

  “You too, Rowan. Levi has great things to say about you.”

  “Sami’s home from college for a long weekend. She’s attending California State University.”

  “Ah, I confess I’m envious of your tan. Do you spend a lot of time on the beach?”

  She smiles, “As much as I can. When Levi comes and visits me for the weekend, you all should make it a group road trip. It would be fun to hang out.”

  “That does sound fun. I’ll have to talk to Jax about that.” They’re attention is diverted by Dylan calling their names, so they head to the table where he’s standing.

  “Happy birthday, Rowan.” Looking into the kind eyes of Audrey, I smile and set down my plate on an end table so I can give her a hug.

  “Thanks for coming, Audrey.”

  “I wouldn’t miss it, sweetie. I was excited when Jax asked me to come.”

  Finding Jax across the room talking to Zane, I smile at him. “He’s so great, isn’t he? I can’t believe how lucky I am to have him. He’s been a huge blessing to Lily and me from the very beginning.”

  “Oh good,” Audrey claps her hands. “I’m so glad he finally told you.” Audrey smiles and bounces on her feet in excitement and I feel confused. “I didn’t like that he asked me not to tell you, but he made me promise and said he would tell you eventually. When he would drop off all the packages for you, he’d sit and visit with Lily. I knew even then how much he adored your little girl. I could see it in his eyes. So, I trusted that he would tell you when the time was right.”

  Doing my best to follow along I realize the worst thing I can do is let her know I have no clue what she’s talking about. Not if I want to find out more. “Yeah, I was so surprised. I still don’t know how to thank him,” I watch her closely hoping she buys my response.

  “I was always blown away by the amount of stuff he would buy. You know, I asked him once how he knew what things you’d need for Lily. Considering he doesn’t have any kids of his own, because I asked you see, I was always surprised he purchased just the right things. Diapers sure, everyone knows that, but burp cloths, pacifiers, bottles, extra nipples, blankets, teething rings, you name it, he got it. He told me he actually bought some parenting magazines and asked the people that worked at the baby store. Can you believe that?”

  “No, no I can’t.”

  “Anyway, I hated lying to you, but I hope you understand. He was just trying to look out for you the only way he knew how. I thought it was admirable of him.”

  “I’m not angry, Audrey. Not at all. Will you please excuse me?”

  “Of course, sweetie.”

  Immediately walking in Jax’s direction I do my best to hold my tears at bay. He looks up as I approach and his smile drops when he sees my face. Before he can say a word, I look at Zane. “I need to steal him away for a few minutes, please.”

  “Of course.” Zane looks at me curiously, but then grabs the beer Cole is handing him and turns away.

  Taking Jax by the hand, I lead him to my room and close the door behind us, locking it. It’s dark in the room, the only light coming from a small night-light I have plugged to assist if Lily awakens during the night. “What’s wrong, babe?”

  Twisting him around so his back hits the door, I look up into his face. It’s covered in shadows but I can still make out his eyes and they are staring worriedly at me. “Audrey had something interesting to say.”

  His brow furrows, “Yeah?”

  “Yeah.” I wait a beat to see if he says anything, but he just stares at me waiting to hear what I know. “Were you ever going to tell me?”

  Looking at me blankly, I’m sure he’s going to tell me he doesn’t know what I’m talking about, but he surprises me. Dropping any façade he was hoping to keep, he lets out a breath, and runs a hand through his hair. “Maybe. Probably. I don’t know. It doesn’t really matter.”

  “Doesn’t matter? How can you say that? What you did…” I look away and blink my eyes repeatedly holding back tears.

  “Please don’t be mad at me,” he begs.

  Snapping my eyes back to his I look at him in disbelief. “Mad at you? How could I possibly be mad at you? God, I am so in love with you already and this just makes me fall even harder, and I didn’t think that was possible. What you did for Lily and me? It’s everything, Jax. It means everything to me.”

  Without another word I launch myself at him. I can’t wait any longer; I need my lips on his, our bodies to touch, and his hands on me. As I kiss him, I hope that each movement of my lips, and every touch of my tongue, is a testament to showing him with actions what I said with words. I put everything I have, everything I feel into that kiss. He’s still for a moment and then it’s like we’re kindling set ablaze. He turns and presses me against the door, my legs wrap around him and I twist my hands into his hair. He pulls away from me with a question in his eyes. His breaths are just as heavy and rapid as mine, conveying his desire. “I want you,” I tell him and reach my hands down to undo his belt.

  “Are you sure? There’s people-”

  “We’ll be quick,” I promise.

  He doesn’t say another word. After I undo his belt and release him, he rips my panties to the side and enters me with a deep upward thrust. Throwing my head back with a moan, it bangs against the door. If anyone heard, I could care less. All my thoughts and focus are completely on the man moving between my thighs. Kissing him again I nibble on his bottom lip then pull away. Running my hands down my breasts temptingly, I wish they were bare for his mouth, but this is supposed to be fast. Moving my fingers between my own thighs, I begin rubbing my clit while looking into his eyes.

  His reaction is instant, “Oh, fuck. You’re so sexy.”

  Smiling at him, I continue circling my fingers feeling sexy as hell. He clutches my hips as he keeps up his pace and the movement of his hips. “Yes. God. Jax. So. Good.”

  Just as I fall off the ledge, losing myself to nothing but sensation, he stiffens and releases almost immediately with a whispered, “I love you so much.”

  Looking into his eyes, I know he sees the question in mine when his lips turn up at the corners.
“I’ve loved you for a while, I’ve just been waiting for you to figure out how you feel. I was afraid of telling you too soon and scaring you off after everything you’ve been through.”

  Laughing I squeeze him and place kisses all over his face. “I’m not going anywhere,” I promise.

  He walks me to the bathroom, keeping us joined. Placing me gently on the sink, he pulls out of me and uses a cloth to clean us up. When he’s finished and we’re dressed once again, I look deep into his eyes, “I can’t believe everything you’ve done for me. I feel like I’m always thanking you. I’m not sure what I bring into this relationship, but I promise to do my best to give you everything that you’ve given me.”

  “You already do. Don’t you see that? Before you, I pretty much had no life. It revolved around fighting, the gym, and making a conscious effort to put my dad’s shit and drama behind me. You…you’re a game changer. The gym and fighting come second; you and Lily are everything to me. Putting you first has never even been a question, but almost a necessity. I felt a connection to you from the minute I saw you and it’s only grown since then. You help me feel worthy, needed, wanted, and loved for the first time, in a long time. At least not since my grandfather passed away, and even then showing emotion wasn’t easy for him.”

  “I love you so much. As crazy as it is, I’m glad for the circumstances that led me to meeting you at the hospital.”

  “I know what you mean, in a weird way, I’m thankful for them too even though I hate it at the same time. And, I love you too. Now let’s get back to your party. We’re already going to get enough shit from the guys.”

  “Okay,” I smile feeling light and happy.

  “Oh, wait.” I spin around and look at him. He pulls a small flat box out of his pocket. “Since we’re alone, I’d like to give you this.”

  Looking at him shyly, I take the box out of his hand and open it. Inside is a beautiful silver necklace that is the form of a mother embracing a child. “Oh. It’s so beautiful.”

  “I want you to have a constant reminder of what a wonderful mother you are. I know with everything you experienced with your mom it’s easy to fear you could be like her, but you are nothing like her. You love your daughter with a passion that grows every day. I’m honored to be a part of it. Whenever you doubt yourself, wrap your hand around this and remember. Remember that you are loved. Remember that you are worthy. And remember that as lucky as you are to have Lily, she’s just as lucky to have you.”