Jax appeared to be enjoying the time as well. But when his eyes followed Faith’s to find mine, his pleasant look morphed into something different. His smile changed from warm to crackling with heat. It was enough to make a girl’s panties incinerate, especially knowing that look was all for me.
Jax lifted Caleb from his shoulders and led him to our booth. While Faith helped her son “fish,” for a prize, Jax leaned in. “What do I have to do to win the biggest prize here?”
My eyebrows dipped. “What prize is that?”
“You, of course.” He winked at me.
I didn’t care that it sounded like a cheesy pick-up line. I didn’t care that what I was about to do was unprofessional. I crooked my finger at him, and when he drew near, I whispered, “You already have.” Then I stretched forward and kissed him.
I’d only meant for it to be a brief peck, but once my lips touched his, they decided to linger. My hand reached for his chest while his cupped my face and held our lips together.
“Woohoo! I knew it!”
I jerked back at Micah’s holler. Jax’s thumb caressed my cheekbone. “Oops.”
But there wasn’t a note of apology in his voice, and his eyes were dancing with mirth. I giggled like a little school girl, but my heart was full. Maybe my vision wasn’t as far out of reach as I feared.
He glanced at his watch. “What time does this end?”
“At nine, but I have to oversee all of the clean-up. I’ll probably be here until midnight.”
“I’ll find you.”
Faith nudged me again, and my eyes sprang open. I hadn’t realized they’d closed again while I got lost in my memories. I was pretty much dead on my feet when Jax found me last night. I’d started the day at six thirty in the morning and worked all the way until midnight, just as I’d predicted. But I’d been kept going by all of the positive feedback. There was even talk about making this an annual event.
Jax had collected me, driven me home, and tucked me into bed. I fell asleep to his kiss on my cheek and the warmth of his body as he spooned me. I’d awoken to a cold bed, but hot coffee and a huge cranberry muffin on my bedside table.
I yawned again. Why couldn’t Tom, the organist, have chosen something peppy this morning instead of the slow music that felt more like a lullaby. I pinched myself to stay awake, wishing I could be given a pass to skip church like Angie did when she worked the night shift. But unlike Angie, who didn’t give a fig about what anyone else thought, I felt some need to redeem myself in the eyes of the congregation. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of giving them more to talk about such as to speculate why I wasn’t in church twice within a short time.
I felt our pew vibrate as someone bumped it as they moved along its length. My mouth nearly dropped open as Jax settled beside me, looking mouthwatering in a light blue chambray-fabric suit with a white shirt but no tie.
“What are you doing here?” His eyebrow lifted, and a flash of uncertainty made his eyes crease. “That came out wrong,” I hurried to correct. “I’m glad you’re here. I’m just surprised. But really, really happy to see you.”
My hand warmed as his fingers entwined with mine on the pew cushion between us. “This is a part of who you are.” He shrugged, as if it were so simple I should have figured it out for myself.
Somehow, I made it through the church service without giving in to my need to climb into his lap and publicly confess how much I loved him. Even if he couldn’t say the words, gestures like showing up here were enough to show me how he felt.
When the service was over, Faith and my mother swooped in on Jax, showering him with hugs and greetings. Of course, my mom told him he’d be joining us for the family dinner. Even Caleb joined in, trying to speak while his fingers flew with the same words, almost faster than his mother could interpret for clarification. He thanked Jax for all the games and food from yesterday. When Jax promised he’d throw a football with him tonight, a shadow crossed Faith’s face before she camouflaged it with a grin. We all knew Adam never made that kind of time for his son. Other church members offered Jax a warm welcome as well, including me in their smile and greeting. There were consistent congratulations on the success of the carnival.
Hmm. Maybe my trial is finally over!
We’d almost made it to the back of the church when Mrs. Wordsworth, flanked by two other BAGs, stepped in front of us. “I see you’ve brought another one of your friends here. I do hope you’ll keep a closer eye on him than the last one,” she said, her mouth forming a sneer.
Blood rushed to my face. I stood speechless, humiliated that they would call out not just me, but Jax as well. Words I wanted to say lodged in my throat.
Jax squeezed my hand and took his time studying the women blocking our path. “Time has a way of outing all of us for who we really are, don’t you think?” Jax wrapped his arm around me. “I’m far from perfect, but then, I doubt anyone here is”—he cleared his throat—“except you lovely ladies, of course. He squeezed me. “And Grace.”
I could only imagine the face I made as I fought to control my laugh. Mrs. Wordsworth’s face turned even more sour, probably from being lumped in the same category as me.
“Fortunately for me, Grace lives up to her name,” Jax continued. I looked up to see him smiling at me. “She sees the good in me and forgives me when I fall short of the man she deserves. We should all be so lucky. I think I heard something about that in the sermon today. A good lesson we all need reminding of sometimes, wouldn’t you agree ladies?” He tipped his head. “Have a good day. And thank you for the, um, friendly welcome,” he said, emphasizing the word “friend.”
He didn’t even have to push past them; they parted like the Red Sea before Moses. I looked back at them. All three were standing there looking as if someone had just trampled their prize rose bushes.
I smile brightly at them. “Hope you have a good week,” I called over my shoulder as I kept pace with Jax. Faith and Mama were waiting on the other side, beaming. Daddy stood behind them, not smiling.
Mama winked at me, and Faith smiled before they turned and left the church. Jax didn’t budge his arm. If anything, it tightened beneath Daddy’s stare. This had to be how a western stand-off felt.
I was just about to say something to break the silence, but Daddy beat me to it. “See you at dinner tonight?” he said to Jaxson.
Jax nodded. “Definitely.” He guided me past my father out into the sunshine.
“Jaxson?” My father’s voice called.
We both turned and waited.
“You’re not the only one who’s lucky.” He looked at our clasped hands and smiled.
Jax grinned as if he’d won the lottery.
33
Grace
Cocky Guy: Have to work late tonight again. Sorry.
That made the third night in a row. I knew Jax had something going on at work that was taking a lot of his time. And while I didn't know exactly what it was he was working on, I could tell something about it was bothering him. He would come over to my apartment late, and I could see the stress lines creasing his eyes and forehead. I tried to be there for him, with a smile and a meal as he'd been for me in the days leading up to the dinner.
Me: Is it worth telling you not to work too hard?
Cocky Guy: probably not. But I'll try.
Me: I'll wait up for you.
Cocky Guy: That's a good incentive to get me out of here
Cocky Guy: Don't bother wearing anything you like or risk having it torn off.
I felt my face flame. After everything Jax had touched, licked, and done to me, I still blushed when I heard him talk like that. But I enjoyed trying to dish it back to him.
Me: Hurry, then. Maybe wearing nothing will lessen the risk...and the wait ;)
There was no reply for a few minutes.
Cocky Guy: Damn. Now I'm hard and forgot what I'm still doing here.
Cocky Guy: I'll be home as soon as I can. Be ready to be ravished. It's been too long sin
ce I had you.
Me: it's just been twelve hours!
Cocky Guy: like I said, too long!
I smiled. I did that a lot lately. And I loved that he thought of my small apartment as home. Not that we were living together, but Jax spent more time there then his condo. It used to surprise me that he preferred my place, given how much bigger and more modern his place was. But he said mine felt more comfortable, more like a home, and since he was the one working late, it made more sense for him to come to me than for me to sit alone in his place waiting.
I glanced at my phone. It was already seven, and if I knew Jax, he hadn't taken time to eat dinner. An idea occurred to me, and twenty-five minutes later, I was picking up soup and sandwiches from one of our favorite cafes to take to him. He might have to work late, but that didn't mean he had to work alone.
When I stepped out into the open area of his office space, it was dimly lit for the evening and very quiet. The last time I'd been here had ended with me squaring off with Jax. So much had changed since then.
Ellie's desk was cleaned off except for a neat stack of files, but light spilled into the hallway from Jax's office. I heard the low rumble of his voice, but paused when it was followed by a higher, sultry kind of laugh. Jax had never given me a reason not to trust him, but when he said he'd been working late, I'd assumed he meant alone, not with any co-workers, much less a woman. I tried not to jump to any conclusions, but a funny feeling settled in my stomach.
He's not Travis.
But the self-reminder didn't do much to push aside the sense of doubt. The woman spoke, followed by Jax's voice again, but I couldn't make out any of the words.
Better to know than to worry, I told myself. I took a deep breath and walked the remaining steps to the door and paused inside Jax's office. Jax, the mystery woman, and another man stood around a table studying what looked like building plans. The woman, who I couldn't help but notice looked like she'd just left a salon, was pointing at something. The other man was shaking his head, obviously disagreeing. Jax started to open his mouth, but my appearance caught his eye, and he looked up.
Within a heartbeat, his face morphed from frustrated to surprised to pleased. Not a lick of guilt. "Grace! What are you doing here?" The other heads swiveled my way, the man's appreciative as he looked me over from head to toe, the woman's much less pleased.
"I figured you needed to refuel to keep working at this pace." I nodded at the other couple. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you weren't alone. I didn't mean to interrupt anything."
Jax hurried to my side. "You're always a welcome surprise." He kissed me, lingering a second shorter than what might be deemed inappropriate in mixed company. His smile lit up his face, and his words were sincere. A slight sense of smugness replaced my niggling fear as I noted the disappointment that wrinkled the other woman's features. That, and guilt for being worried in the first place.
"Now I understand why the boss is more anxious to leave in the evenings." The other man who looked to be about the same age as Jax didn't bother to hide his admiration, particularly an uncomfortable interest in my breasts. I fought the desire to cross my arms over them, which were emphasized by the tight t-shirt I still wore because I hadn't bothered to change out of my comfortable clothes thinking it would be just Jax and me.
Jax shot him a dirty look and pulled me to his side, twisting my body in such a way that my breasts were pressed against his side that was both territorial and at the same time hid the asset that seemed to have attracted his colleague’s attention.
"Grace, this is Kevin, one of my project managers, and Clarissa, my lead commercial architect." He kissed the top of my head. "And this is Grace, my girlfriend."
The last part sounded a bit like a warning. I didn't mind. Kevin reminded me too much of Travis for my comfort level.
I smiled up at Jax. "I can run out and get some more food and bring it back for everyone."
He smiled but shook his head and stared pointedly at the other two. "Thanks for staying late tonight. I want a report tomorrow of everything we discussed tonight and anything else you think is relevant, so I have time to review it. I don't want there to be any question in the City Council's mind why this is in the best interest of Passion's economy and infrastructure. I'm sure by the time we're done, they'll find in our favor over whoever this mysterious fucker is that is trying to roadblock us."
Kevin's face grew serious. "It would help if we knew who is behind the other plan Alan Phelps is entertaining, or what they wanted it for. It feels sneaky, him alluding to an outside interest, but not telling you who or what. He's sly. I'm going to push to put this as a last-minute addition to the City Council meeting's agenda in two weeks. That'll force Phelps' hand. He'll have to present all the plans ahead of time. Then we can adjust our plans as necessary before the Council votes on it in the future."
Jax nodded. "As soon as anyone has wind of who our competition is, I want to know about it. The success of the rest of our business plan depends on that building. I don't need to remind you both of how important this is."
Again, heads nodded. I was impressed with how commanding Jax's voice was, how inspiring. How much it reminded me of how he took charge in the bedroom. As if she could read the direction of my thoughts, Clarissa spoke up for the first time.
She beamed at Jax, resting her hand on his. "You'll win, Jaxson. You know I believe in you," she said, her thumb rubbing small circles on the back of his hand. Her voice was sultry and practiced. I wondered if Jax had answered her siren's call in the past. An overwhelming desire to knock her hand off and maybe gouge her eyes out filtered its way into my thoughts.
"I'm sure Jax shows his appreciation for your loyalty every month in your paycheck. However, I don’t have any loyalty to you, so I’m going to start by asking nicely that you remove your hand from your boss." I waited until she looked at me, then stared hard at her, shifting my eyes to her hand and back to her. She seemed surprised, but I held my ground, a battle of wills.
Clarissa's mouth dropped open as she jerked her hand back as if burned. "Oh, I didn't mean anything—" At Jax's pointed stare, she swallowed and glanced at me. "I apologize if I made you uncomfortable." Her smile didn't reach her eyes, but Jax seemed amused.
Kevin, who'd taken a step toward the door during the exchange with Clarissa, grabbed his jacket. "I'll see you tomorrow, Jax." He smiled warmly at me, none of the flirting that had been present earlier. "Clarissa, I'll walk you to your car." His voice left no room for argument.
She held her head high as she strode to the door, but her voice was subdued as she said, "I'll wait until I hear from you, Jax, before I move much further ahead. Good night." She glanced at me, and I saw a wistfulness in her eyes before she masked it. She said nothing more as she walked out the door.
I blew out a sigh of relief as Kevin pulled the door closed behind him. "I'm sorry I broke your meeting up."
"I'm not."
I waved the carry-out bags. "Are you hungry?"
"MmHmm. But not for what's in that bag." His eyes glowed as he turned me in his arms. I could feel his sexual energy wrap around me as he took the bags from my hand and walked me backward. When my knees hit the edge of a couch, I sank upon the cushions. With the litheness of a panther, he followed my movements, creeping over me until I was reclined. His face hovered above mine. "I think I'll have dessert first," he murmured before his mouth covered mine.
His warm hand slid under my shirt and pulled the cup of my bra down. I gasped as his fingers pinched my nipple, shooting instant sparks to my lower abdomen. His mouth left mine to play where his fingers had been. His other hand slid under the waistband of my pants and immediately sought the heat he knew he'd find. I felt him grin against my soft skin. "Wet already? You want this as much as I do, don't you?"
"Mmm." Already, I was beyond words. I writhed beneath his hand that was now working its magic inside of me, and with only a few curls of his fingers, I was calling his name and coming hard all around them. I'd been
so high from my orgasm, I hadn't even noticed that he'd pulled my leggings off until cool air hit my skin. Now, instead of his fingers, it was his mouth and tongue sucking and licking the overly-sensitive area, prolonging my orgasm until I was a pile of jelly, sated and breathless.
My body was still lightly pulsing when I heard the metallic slide of his zipper. I felt him rise to his knees between my legs, then he slid inside of me with my legs hooked over his arms as he gripped my thighs. My eyes flew open as he filled me at this angle. I could do nothing but hold on to his rock-solid arms and go along on this erotic ride as he set a vigorous rhythm.
"One more, Grace."
My head rolled on the couch. There was no way. Dazed, I watched as his powerful body slid in and out of mine. He hadn't even bothered undressing, as if his need had been uncontrollable. Even dressed, he exuded such grace and power, possessing me, yet giving instead of just taking his pleasure.
"Look at me," he commanded. I gazed at him through half-closed eyes. His eyes had turned so dark they gleamed like rich molasses. Lust, possession, and love stared back at me. "One more," he mouthed. He moved my hand between us, his fingers moving mine on my clitoris until I was once against gasping.
Never had I taken part in my own arousal with a partner before, and the image was more sensual that I would have ever imagined. It wasn't long before the powerful need that only he could create started to build once again. His hand left mine to continue on its own. He lifted one of my legs to his shoulder and held me firmly. With the new angle, my head rolled on the couch pillow, as the feeling eclipsed anything I'd ever felt before.
I felt his muscles tremble against my legs as he hissed, "Fuck. Grace!" just as I fell over the edge once again, this time taking him with me.
Jax's arms gave out, and he fell upon me as the last of the tremors wracked our bodies. With a grunt, he rolled onto his back, pulling me with him. I felt too hollow-limbed to move from where I flopped on top of him. He rested his arm on my back and tucked my head under his chin.
Against the Rules (Harts of Passion Book 1) Page 26
