by J. S. Cooper
“I better go. I hope to hear some good news soon.”
“Yes, sir. I’m on it.” Hunter’s voice sounded eager, and I wondered exactly what they were talking about. Surely it couldn’t have been me? Would Hunter really try to hurt me now that he knew who I was?
My breathing stopped for a moment as it hit me. Hunter didn’t know who I was. He’d been coached. That was why he had my last name wrong and why he’d said I’d been in his Spanish class. He had no idea who I was. I meant nothing to him.
I could have laughed out loud at myself if the situation hadn’t been so tense. I’d been feeling guilty that I wasn’t as into Hunter as I’d thought, but he didn’t even remember me. I sobered up as I realized that Jaxon’s dad was really serious about getting his revenge. I waited a few minutes and then decided to go to Jaxon’s room. I needed to speak to him right away.
***
“Hi.” I knocked on Jaxon’s door and walked in without waiting for a response.
“I’ve gotten you into a bad habit, haven’t I?” He looked up at me from the floor where he was doing crunches.
I tried not to stare at his bare chest too hard. “I’m learning from the best I suppose.”
“What if I’d been in here fucking someone?” He jumped up and stared at me.
“What about it?” I shot back, feeling angry and jealous. What was his problem?
“That’s not something I want to be interrupted in the middle of.” He snarled at me.
“Well, same goes here. What if I’d been in my room fucking Hunter? I wouldn’t want you interrupting me either.” I hissed back at him, feeling angry and annoyed. I couldn’t believe that I had been starting to think he was a good guy.
“You’re not going to fuck, Hunter.”
“I’ll fuck who I want.” I turned around, ready to leave.
“Over my dead body.” He grabbed my shoulders and turned me towards him. “You’re such a fool.”
“I’m a fool?” My voice rose and I glared at him. “More like you. You’re a fool.”
“I should kiss some sense into you.” His nostrils flared as he looked down into my eyes.
“You, Tarzan. Me, Jane.” I pummeled my fists against his chest in a weak manner. “Take me, you brute. Show me what a man you are. Make me see some sense.” I swung my hair around and rolled my eyes. I saw his lips start to twitch at my act, and his eyes softened.
“You’re silly.”
“I’m just a woman.” I fell against him. “I need you to put some sense into me.”
“I’m willing to do whatever you ask.” He winked at me, grabbed around my waist, and pulled me towards him. “And if that means fucking you senseless right now, I’m happy to oblige.”
“You wish.” I gasped as I felt his hardness against me. “Are you always this hard?”
“Only when I see you.” He grinned and leaned down to kiss me. His lips were soft against mine as I kissed him back passionately. How could I resist this man? “So now tell me why you barged into my room so eagerly.”
“I wasn’t being eager.” I took a deep breath and flushed.
“That’s another lesson I’ll have to teach you. Never chase the man, Nancy. Let him come to you.”
“I’m not chasing you.”
“Really?” He ran his fingers across my lips. “It sure looks that way to me.”
“You’re such an asshole. I swear, if I didn’t want to protect my family, I’d slap you.”
“You can slap me.” He grinned. “I like a bit of rough.”
“You would.” I rolled my eyes.
“In fact, I’d like to try a bit of rough with you.” He studied my face as he spoke. “If you’re willing, of course.”
“What do you mean? A bit of rough?” I frowned.
“You’ll see.” He smacked my ass lightly.
“You’re going to spank me?”
“If you’re a bad girl.”
“Jaxon.” I pulled away from him. “We need to talk.” I took a deep breath and tried to ignore the urge to run my fingers down his chest. My brain was starting to feel hazy again.
“About?” He cocked his head to the side.
“I think your dad and Hunter are planning something.”
“I see.” He stared back at me, unblinking.
“That’s it? Aren’t you going to ask what?”
“Don’t worry about it.” He shook his head and took a step towards me. “We have more important things to discuss.”
“Jaxon, I’m worried.”
“Don’t be.” He grabbed my hands.
“I need to know the plan.” I frowned. “I need to know what we’re going to do. I understand that your dad wants you to use me to get to my dad, but what next? When does this end?”
“Let me worry about that, Nancy,” he whispered against my lips. “I’ve got a plan.”
“What are we going to do about Hunter?” I bit my lower lip.
“I’ve got a plan for him too.” His eyes darkened. “Just don’t get any ideas around him.”
“If he can’t resist me, then what can I say?” I shot back at him, trying to get a rise out of him.
I knew I’d succeeded when he took a step away from me and his face turned to a grimace. A surge of electricity jolted through me as I realized that bringing up Hunter was a sure way to get a reaction from Jaxon.
“I already told you not to play with fire, Nancy.” His eyes were cold. “It’s not just you who’s going to get burned.
***
“I want you to wear this tonight.” He walked to the side of his room, picked up a plastic bag, and handed it to me.
I took it from him slowly, still feeling jolted by his words. “What is it?” I asked curiously, picturing some see-through top or negligee.
“You’ll see.”
I opened the bag and peered in. Whatever he had given me was black. However, it was the other item in the bag that made my heart race. “Is this a whip?” I pulled it out eagerly, examining it carefully.
“Yes.”
“What for?”
“You’ll see.” He smiled, and I watched his eyes light up in mischief. “Tonight is going to be a very educational evening.”
“You’re determined to push all of my boundaries, aren’t you?”
“I just want to be the best teacher that I can be.”
“I don’t want to get hurt.” I looked into his eyes. “I don’t want either one of us to get hurt.”
“Why do you care about me, Nancy?” He frowned. “You should be thinking about self-preservation, not about me.”
“Caring about what happens to you doesn’t mean I don’t care about myself.” I shook my head. “What do you think I should do? Just worry about myself?”
“Where has caring about others gotten you?” He raised an eyebrow at me. “Used.”
“Are you using me?” I looked at the plastic bag in my hand. “Don’t bother answering that.”
“I’m not made for love or relationships, but I’m not a user, Nancy. I hope you know me well enough by now to know that.”
“What do I know?” I shrugged. “You don’t trust any of my other thoughts or concerns.”
“When I was fifteen, I met a girl.” His eyes bored into mine. “She was gorgeous. Big, bright-blue eyes, long blond hair, a smile that tugged at my heartstrings.”
“And?” I looked down, suddenly overcome with jealousy.
“We became friends. I thought she was going to become my girlfriend.” He laughed bitterly. “I went out and bought her a necklace. 24-karat gold.” His face was full of derision. “I gave it to her. She was so happy. I thought to myself, ‘This is it. This is the beginning of something beautiful.’”
“What happened?”
“I saw her laughing with her friends the next day, showing off my necklace. She said she was going to try for a watch next.” His face twisted.
“I’m sorry.” I stepped forward. “You must have been heartbroken.”
“I w
as hurt. I went to my father and told him what happened.” His eyes were bright with remembered emotions.
“What did he say?”
“He told me to take the bitch down.” His mouth twisted. “So I met her the next day and I pretended that I knew nothing. She gave me that sweet smile and I was nearly caught by her web of lies again.”
“What happened?” My breath caught as I waited for his answer.
“I took her out to dinner.” He shrugged. “I left a $25,000 Rolex on the table next to her. Then I got up and called the police.”
“The police?” I frowned.
“The Rolex was stolen.” He smiled. “My dad gave it to me.”
“Oh my God. What happened?”
“She got arrested.” He laughed. “She wasn’t charged, but it gave her a fright. She knew not to mess with me after that day.”
“And ever since then, you’ve been against women and relationships?”
“All women want is stuff. They want love. Or they want sex. They want gifts or someone to listen to them. But it’s never enough. They just want, want, want. With no real care as to the man they are with. We’re expendable.”
“Men aren’t expendable. And it does matter who you are.”
“Does it matter to you, Nancy?” He turned to me. “You came for Hunter. You espouse concern and like for him, yet here you are with me. What do you want from me?”
“I don’t want anything from you,” I shot back at him hurt. “I’m not a user.”
“We don’t really know what either of us is, do we?”
“I’m sorry that girl hurt you so much, Jaxon, but she was one girl, and if I’m honest, that story isn’t even all that bad. I know plenty of guys who have gone through much worse, yet they are still giving love a chance.”
“I don’t give two shits about love.”
“Point taken.”
“Don’t tell me that you hope to have the white picket fence and all that jazz?” His eyes narrowed as he looked at me.
“I hope to meet the man of my dreams, yes. I hope to get married. I hope to have kids. I hope to fall in love slowly and deliciously.” I could feel my heart breaking as I spoke. I had such high hopes, such dreams when it came to love, but a part of me didn’t believe, not really and truly, that any of it would come true.
“Young and foolish.”
“And you’re old and wise?” I asked him softly.
“Do you truly believe in love, Nancy?” He cocked his head to the side. “Do you truly believe that you have a soul mate out there whose soul purpose is to make you happy?”
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly, not really knowing how to respond. “My heart wants to believe. My soul wants to believe. I want to believe with every fiber of my being, but I just don’t know.”
“One thing we do know is that we have this.” He pointed at the space between us. “We have magnetism. We have attraction. We have this.”
“It’s sex.” I shrugged. “Let’s not call it something it isn’t.”
“I want to take you on a journey, Nancy. A journey that has no boundaries. A journey that’s exciting and death defying. A journey you’ve never experienced before.” He sighed. “We came into this situation for two different reasons, yet I think we can move forward in a way that benefits us both.”
“My first concern is to keeping my family safe.”
“Nothing will happen to them. You have my word.”
Chapter Nine
Jaxon
The latex bodysuit fit her perfectly. She stood there looking confident, whip in hand, ready to get started. I smiled to myself at her fake poise. She might look the part, but she had absolutely no idea what I had in store for her. The night was just beginning, and I was ready to show her just how much pleasure one could get from power.
I spoke up as I approached her. “I see you’ve put on the outfit.”
She turned towards me with widened eyes, her fingers gripping the whip tightly. “You want me to whip you?” She smiled at me wickedly as she showed off the whip.
“No.” I smiled to myself. She was already getting into the role.
“Then what?” she mumbled, looking at me with pouty lips. The red lipstick was stark on her pale face. It made her look older, more sophisticated, more sexual and in charge. I shifted as I realized that I was already turned on.
“What do you think?” I walked closer to her and grabbed the whip.
“You’re not going to hit me.” Her eyes widened, and I could see her lips trembling.
“Are you scared it’s going to hurt?”
“What do you think?” She rolled her eyes and tried to pull the whip back and out of my palms.
“I’m not going to whip you.” I smiled and let go of the whip.
“Oh.” She looked up at me and I saw a quick flash of disappointment in her eyes. The emotion surprised me as I’d been expecting to see relief and only relief.
“We’re going to use ropes.”
“Ropes?” She looked confused. “What for?”
“Fun.” I smiled.
“So you’re not going to tell me?”
“We’re not using ropes right now.”
“Oh.” She sounded surprised. “What are we doing right now?”
“Tonight, we’re going out.”
“Out?” She looked disappointed.
“A little birdie told me you wanted to go to a club.” I took a step towards her and watched the pulse in her neck throbbing.
“Club?” She shook her head.
“Yes, club. Music, people, dancing.”
“First of all, you dance?” She smiled and then paused. “And I’m going dressed like this?”
“I’m a man of many surprises, Nancy.” I kissed her neck, no longer able to stop from touching her. The latex felt edgy and sexy beneath my fingers as I ran my fingertips across her breasts. “I want to pull this suit off of you,” I growled into her ear as my hand caressed her ass.
“Try it and maybe you’ll be the one feeling the whip,” she murmured.
I pulled back and saw a glint in her eyes. She had a smirk on her face, and I started to wonder if the student was about to overtake the teacher.
“Maybe tonight, I’ll let you.” I grinned at her and pressed my lips against hers.
I felt a stirring in the pit of my stomach that I tried to ignore. Everything was going so perfectly, and I was starting to feel something I’d never felt before. I was starting to feel attached. Part of me worried that the plan was going to backfire. The other part of me was worried that everything was going to go perfectly. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to happen anymore. I’d never anticipated Nancy’s being someone who would change the rules. I’d never anticipated that I’d want the rules changed.
Chapter Ten
Nancy
I walked with Amber and Shannon into the club. Jaxon was with Hunter and Keenan, and they were a few yards ahead of us. Staring at Jaxon next to Hunter, I wondered how I had ever been attracted to Hunter. He was a boy when compared to Jaxon. I shivered as I stared at Jaxon’s back, so strong and muscular.
“What sort of club is this?” Amber’s eyes were full of excitement as she looked around the dark club.
“I have no idea.” My eyes looked around the dark room. There were couples dancing, couples making out, and I was pretty sure that there were a few couples having sex. “No club I’ve been to before I’m sure.”
“It’s a sex club,” Shannon whispered and gave me a weak smile. “Hunter told me before we came.”
“Oh?” I looked at her in surprise.
For some reason, I always seemed to forget that she was paired with Hunter. I wondered if I should warn her that there was a possibility that he was bad news, but I knew that there was a possibility that it would look like I had sour grapes if I said anything.
“He asked me if I wanted to wear something sexier.” Shannon looked embarrassed, and I tried to ignore the fact that she was wearing a pair of baggy jeans and a
plaid shirt.
“You look fine.” I smiled at her.
“She looks like a fucking redneck.” Amber started laughing. “Who wears a plaid shirt to the club? A wannabe cowgirl. Shit, even cowgirls know how to sex it up.”
“Amber, that’s not cool.” I shook my head and frowned. She was really starting to get on my nerves.
“I’m just saying it like it is.” Amber gave me a piercing look. “Let’s be real. Even you’ve slutted it up tonight.”
“Excuse me?” I stared at her in her tiny crop top and miniskirt. Was she really calling me a slut?
“Girl, you are wearing a latex catsuit with no underwear. Or did you think we couldn’t tell you didn’t have a panty line?” Amber stared at my ass. “And your nipples are popping out. I’d say that you and Mr. Jaxon seem to be getting on real well, real fast.”
“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes and looked away from her.
“So tell me.” She took a step closer to me.
“Tell you what?”
“How big is his cock?” She grinned.
“Amber!” Shannon grabbed her arm. “Come on. That’s enough.”
“Why are both of you such prudes?” Amber started dancing to the music as two hot bouncers walked past us. “We go to a sex school, yet you both act like Virgin Marys.”
“We don’t go to a sex school.” I bit my lower lip as I realized that she was correct. At the end of the day, we were at a sex school.
I stared at Amber and Shannon for a few seconds and started laughing. They both looked at me like I was crazy, but I couldn’t stop laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Jaxon walked back towards me and gave me a questioning look.
“You don’t want to know?” I gasped as I continued laughing.
“Try me.” He smiled at me and then looked me up and down. “Damn, you look sexy in that bodysuit.”
“I know. You’ve told me about five times.” I grinned, feeling sexy and confident.
“Every man in here wants you.”
“Oh really?” I looked around the room. “I guess I should decide who I want to be with.”
“You’re not going to be with anyone but me.” He growled and pulled me towards him. “Now tell me. What’s so funny?”
