Relentless (Relentless #1)

by Alyson Reynolds

  We still kept our relationship quiet from the public, but I enjoyed spending time with him and I was opening up to him more. He was sweet, attentive, and funny. No matter how much I tried to guard my heart, I was falling for him hard. The distance I placed between us because of my irrational fears seemed to disappear any time we were around one another.

  Between takes, the cast and crew all joked around, teasing the hell out of one another. Even Gage was laid back and not being a complete douche. Surprisingly, we were getting along well; somehow we had come to a ceasefire. I think Jaxon had a lot to do with the Gage’s change in attitude towards me, but I wanted to make an effort to be nicer if he was too.

  They both loved surfing and seemed to have bonded over their love of the sport. Every morning they went out before we started filming for the day. On the days Stephen could drag his lazy butt out of bed, he would join them.

  From the doorway in the kitchen I had a vantage point of most of the house. Stephen showed Amanda something on his phone and they both laughed at whatever funny video he had found. Jaxon was reading a book out by the pool, lounging in the summer heat. The sound of Gage strumming softly on his guitar came from one of the bedrooms. Looking around the house that had become our home away from home, I smiled. This place would hold great memories for us after shooting wrapped. I would be sad to finish up in a few months and have to move on from our makeshift family.

  As we walked along the edge of the water, sand went between our toes and the smell of the ocean filled our nostrils. It was as intoxicating as any of the wine we drank at dinner. Jax turned to face me as we made our way back in front of my house. I saw desire flicker in his eyes, but there was another emotion behind them I couldn’t decipher. Fear maybe?

  His hands went to my hips, and he pulled me in for a long breathtaking kiss. A soft gasp left my lips as he devoured me. This kiss was different; there was a promise of more. My fingers brushed through his shaggy blond hair. As the passion between us grew, his grip on my hips tightened.

  His arousal pressed against my stomach and a low moan slipped from my throat. I shivered as his fingers danced up my rips and his palms rubbed over my hard nipples. My fingers dug into his back and I pulled him even closer, pinning my body up against his. Jaxon’s breath was labored as he tried to reel himself back in. He broke the kiss and gently pushed me back.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  “We’ve been taking things slow and I don’t want to screw that up. After we talked about our pasts, we both agreed that it would be better to wait.” He ran his fingers through his hair, tugging the tips, “If you aren’t ready, I can go, or we can watch a movie or something. God, I want you, but I will not pressure you into something you aren’t ready for.”

  Surprise. The emotion I felt was surprise. I wasn’t expecting him to offer to stop. Without a word, I pulled him back to me and sealed my lips to his again. One of his hands rested on the small of my back while the other wound its way into my long chestnut hair. I gripped his shoulders and tipped my head back to give him access to my throat. His tongue travelled the column of my neck and my body shivered in response.

  “Jax, let’s go inside.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.”

  I took his hand and led him through the house to my bedroom. As soon as the lock clicked into place, my back was against the door. His large hands picked me up and pinned me between the door and his hard body. My teeth nipped at his neck and his low growl filled the room. I wanted him inside me.

  He lowered me so I stood in front of him, but pulled me to his chest as he walked us back towards the bed. I pushed him down and climbed on top of him, straddling his hips pinning him between my thighs. Jax gripped the back of my shirt as he pulled it over my head. He paused with it halfway up, not wanting to break our kiss; his grip tightened against my shirt as he tried to restrain himself.

  I rocked my hips against his, sending a jolt of pleasure through my center. Jaxon tugged my shirt over my head, his lips nipping at my skin at it was exposed. Tugging his head to mine I captured his mouth, swirling my tongue inside.

  “I want this to last, Violet. I don’t want to rush anything, but I have to have you.”

  “Please, Jaxon.”

  For some reason, those two words sobered Jaxon, making his movements slow and intentional; completely different from the complete frenzy it had been only seconds before. He lay me down on my back and proceeded to worship my body, stripping me of my clothes and spending the time to make me burn for him.

  He reached down to his jeans and grabbed his wallet. I watched with hooded eyes as he quickly rolled the condom down his length and positioned himself at my entrance.

  As he slid inside me I cried out in pleasure. Lips and hands explored, while my fingers gripped him, pulling him closer. The myriad of emotions taking over terrified me, but damned if I didn’t want more. I arched against him taking him deeper. His fingers tangled in my hair and his lips travelled the column of my neck.

  The feel of his stubble on my neck as he whispered in my ear that he was falling for me was what finally sent me over the edge. His mouth crashed down over mine, muffling my whimpers as my release took over my body. His body tightened over me as his orgasm overtook him only seconds after mine.

  My fingers played along the lines of his back as we lay there in the quiet. I had never experienced anything like that in my life. Our connection was stronger than anything I had ever had with anyone else. Jaxon had been at arm’s length for too long; after that I couldn’t keep pushing him away.

  Jaxon stood up and walked into my bathroom to get rid of the condom. I shamelessly watched his amazing ass as he went. His eyes caught mine as he came back, the mesmerizing green had me lost in their depths. He lowered his body next to mine on the bed and tucked me into his side. Cuddling into his chest, I rested my hand over his heart. His lips kissed the top of my head. Slowly, we both drifted off to sleep.

  Gage called out as I was leaving the set one afternoon. I looked over my shoulder and saw him running to catch up with me.

  “Do you want to hang out?” he asked. I must have had an odd expression on my face, because he rushed to continue. “I know we don’t get along very well, but I want to change that. Maybe if we actually spend some time together it might make it better. I’ve been an asshole in the past and I’m sorry about that, but if you get to know me you might like me.”

  “Um, sure. What did you have in mind?” I tried to keep the surprise from my voice as I answered.

  Gage was making an effort, so I wasn’t about to shoot him down. He was rapidly becoming a good friend to two of the most important men in my life, so it wouldn’t hurt for me to attempt to get along with him. I tucked my purse over my shoulder and led the way out to our cars. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and I grinned back at him.

  We spent the afternoon walking along the boardwalk, looking into the stores and joking around with one another. The afternoon was surprisingly nice. He bought us frozen yogurt and we settled down on the pier to eat it together. As we sat Gage asked about my relationship with Stephen. He laughed when I told him a story about us being dared to kiss in middle school.

  “After the horrible incident, we had split a bottle of mouthwash and avoided each other for a week. We still don’t speak of it to this day.”

  “You guys are hysterical. You two look like a couple half the time, well, you do until Jax comes around,” he winked at me and my cheeks flushed. “Then it’s obvious who your boyfriend really is.”

  Gage told me about his family back in Michigan and how he grew up loving hockey. I asked him how he got into surfing and he told me about living with a bunch of guys crowded into a little bungalow before his career took off. They had given him so much crap because he didn’t surf. He tried it one day, and it wasn’t long before he was hooked.

  We talked about my relationship with Jaxon, and he
teased me, but I could tell he was happy for us. He told me he liked Jax, but he was a hard guy to get close to. For the second time in as many weeks, someone told me Jaxon Garrett was a difficult man to befriend. I wondered why he had chosen me of all people to open up to.

  Yoga pants Sunday was my scheduled day to sit around, watch old movies, and eat junk food. The true testament of how committed I was to my ritual was that I never put on makeup or a bra. I would never let anyone see me looking this awful under normal circumstances

  Stephen was the one exception to that rule, mostly because he sat right beside me half the time. He had also seen me at my worst and I didn’t care about impressing him. Most of the time it wasn’t hard for me to talk him into putting on a face mask as long as I promised not to blackmail him with pictures later. When we lived in Georgia, Stephen’s sister Lexi and Emmy were my partners in crime for yoga pants Sunday’s. Now they were in New York and it fell to Stephen to keep me company.

  The first full Sunday I had off from filming, I planned a quiet day at home on the couch. Stephen had to work a partial day, so I had the entire house to myself for a good part of the morning and afternoon. I was excited to sit around, binge eat chocolate, and watch movie after movie. I had the remote in my hand surfing Netflix with a steaming latte sitting next to me when the doorbell rang. Sighing, I looked down at my tank top and pants; I decided I was decent enough to answer the door.

  I cracked open the door and my eyes met Jaxon’s. He stood there with a sheepish expression, holding a Starbucks bag in one hand and a cardboard drink carrier in the other. The smell drifting up from the coffee was divine.

  “Violet? Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I was just debating if I could run fast enough,” I mumbled. I laughed at the confused expression that crossed his face. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but what are you doing here?”

  “Stephen told me you didn’t have plans today. He said something about yoga pants and it being a Sunday. I thought he was joking.”

  “He’s learned not to joke about Sunday’s with me. Sunday’s are sacred.”

  “Well, I brought a peace offering. Can I join you?”

  I stepped back, opening the door for him to come inside, “Since you’re wearing basketball shorts, I’ll let you inside. Real pants aren’t allowed, and if the words calories or diet cross your lips, I will cut you.”

  “I like your ass in yoga pants, so I’ll be good as long as you let me stare at it all afternoon. Please don’t put on a bra either.”

  Damn him. He winked at me and a flush crossed my skin as he walked by me to put the coffee down. I crossed my arms over my chest. “If you stick around long enough, I will make you put on a face mask and then I’ll tease you mercilessly.”

  A huge grin crossed his face. “Stephen didn’t tell me about that part.”

  “I hope you brought something good, or you’re gone Garrett. If it’s an egg white breakfast sandwich, just leave now.”

  Jax barked out a laugh and said, “It’s not. I brought blueberry scones and cake pops. Is that acceptable for you?”

  I smiled in approval. Sighing dramatically, I pulled him over to the couch. “I guess you can stay then, but no talking during the movie.”

  We cuddled on the couch all day. I talked Jax into putting on a face mask and his handsome face turned an awesome turquoise color as I slathered it all over. He grumbled the entire time, but he liked it, even if he didn’t want to admit it. Stephen walked in as we came back from the bathroom and without a word he grabbed his phone snapping a picture of us. Jax scowled at Stephen, but it was more hysterical than threatening. Stephen shook his head and laughed; I heard him mumble, “At least it wasn’t me this time.”

  Jax poked me in the side every time I started giggling again. I planned on printing out the picture Stephen had taken and framing it for Jaxon’s nightstand. The crew would have a field day with that one.

  Coffee was like crack to me and everyone knew it. Everyone thought it was funny to make fun of my severe need for caffeine. Amanda was almost as devoted to her coffee as I was, but she was a little, okay maybe a lot, nicer than me in the morning before she had a cup.

  “No one treats you like you’re going to murder them if you don’t drink a cup of coffee before you talk to them,” I grumbled. Amanda laughed and passed the creamer over.

  “That’s because I’m sweeter than you.”

  The look I shot her made her giggle. We ate breakfast together every morning before we started filming for the day. Even though I didn’t talk much before I had my coffee, we enjoyed sitting in the silence before the hectic day started. This morning was no exception; we sat at the small table in the kitchen with our cups in front of us. I took the creamer from her and added some of my coffee. Taking a sip, I almost spit it across the kitchen. My stomach heaved, and I ran across the kitchen to the sink. Deep calming breaths were the only thing that kept me from throwing up.

  “Is that creamer bad?” I choked out.

  “I don’t think so,” she answered checking the date. “Nope, the expiration date is three weeks out and mine tastes okay.”

  “Gross. That tasted awful. It smells so good though, but I’ll throw up if I take another sip. I must be hung over,” I mumbled to myself.

  Amanda gave me an odd look. “You should try to eat something; try some dry toast. The coffee might have made you sick because you drank it on an empty stomach.”

  She sounded like she was trying to convince herself of her words, not me. I stared down at the coffee and thought about why it might have made me sick. The last time I was sick like this, I was—

  “Oh no.”

  Turning away quickly, I bumped the table with my knee spilling coffee everywhere. I grabbed the towel off the stove and wiped up the mess as best I could. “I’m sorry, but I have to go. I…I’ll catch up with you later.”

  I ran back to Jaxon’s room and grabbed my purse. He was still in the shower, so maybe I would have time to leave before he got out. Turning towards the door, I ran into his very broad, very naked chest.

  “Where are you running off to, love?” he asked, kissing my neck.

  “Um…store?” His strong shoulders and defined chest and stomach distracted me. I ran my hands up his back and over his muscled arms.

  “Are you asking or telling me?” he chuckled. Holy crap, what was I doing? I yanked my hands back. I needed to get the hell out of there before he drug me back to his bed. My eyes traveled to the towel slung low on his hips; it seemed to be dipping lower with each movement he made. I closed my eyes to block out the temptation.

  “Telling. I need to go, but I’ll see you soon.” I kissed him quickly and ran out of the room before he could make me regret leaving.

  My head swung wildly from side to side as I dashed up and down the aisles at the drugstore trying to find what I was looking for.

  Where in the hell do they put those stupid things?

  I stopped mid-step. There was a joke that Lexi made about condoms and pregnancy tests being right next to one another because if you used one, you wouldn’t need the other. My head dropped and I cringed as I walked over two aisles to get what I needed. I shoved four boxes into my basket.

  Walking slowly to the register, my heart pounded in my chest. There were self-checkouts, thank the freaking Lord. My body relaxed somewhat as I realized I wouldn’t have to worry about some cashier selling my story to the tabloids.

  My foot was heavier than it should have been as I made it back to the set in record time. I would rather have taken the tests at my house, in the privacy of my own bathroom, but I couldn’t wait any longer.

  My fingers trembled as I ripped open the package and read the instructions. Time stood still as the seconds slowly ticked by, but I already knew what the test would say. I couldn’t bring myself to check for a few seconds after my phone chimed. Picking up the test with a shaking hand, I cried out as I saw the two distinct pink lines.

  Pregnant.

  Oh
, god. What am I going to do? My stomach tumbled as I tried to process the information. I would need to leave the bathroom soon. How long have I been in here? Hearing a knock on the door, I braced myself for the worst.

  I‘m an actress, I can do this.

  Wrapping the test up in my jacket, I opened the door with a smile plastered on my face. Amanda stared back at me. My thoughts were all jumbled up, and I had to fight to keep the panic at bay.

  “Are you okay, Vi?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” My voice was unnaturally high as I spoke. “I looked at the schedule and I’m not filming today, so I’m going to go have coffee with Laura. I’m feeling much better now.” I was rambling; I needed to shut the fuck up. Amanda hadn’t asked anything about what I was doing for the afternoon. Fuck. I was seriously questioning my acting abilities the longer this conversation went on. My life was ripping apart at the seams. It was an out-of-body experience to watch things fall out of my mouth at such an alarming rate.

  She pinned me with another hard expression and reached behind her and closed us into the bathroom. “I just wanted to check on you because you’re kinda freaking me out today. If you need to talk, I’m here.”

  I was seconds away from confessing everything, but Jax deserved to be the first to find out. “Thanks Amanda, but I promise I’m okay.” I looked down at my watch, “I’m running late. Sorry for the weirdness today, I’m just out of it I guess. The whole coffee thing threw off my day.”

  I reached out and opened the door. She gave me another hard look before stepping out of the way. My lips formed something like a smile before walking down the hall to Jax’s room. The schedule said the guys had shot a surfing scene at the beach this morning, but they were due back any second. I wanted to hurry so I wouldn’t have to see him before I left, but just my luck, I heard cars outside and knew they were back. Frantically looking around the room, I ripped open his closet door, threw my jacket inside, and slammed it shut.