“Please, Jax, I need to go.”
“Not yet. I’m mad at you.”
She opened her eyes as he eased his hold on her hair and wrapped both arms around her, pulling her against him.
“Mad at me why? What have I done?”
“Appeared in a setting around people who want you, but can’t have you because you’re ours, Mariana. When will you realize this?”
His words sounded so final and hard. She didn’t know if she should feel frightened or flattered. This was not normal behavior. She needed to think about this. She needed to understand what it was that she wanted. Jameson and Jax both confused her.
“I need to go.”
She turned from his embrace only for him to pull her against his chest. He ran his hand along her waist and her rear. Placing his palm against her ass, he squeezed.
“This is not over between us. Jameson and I want time alone with you. To talk, to discuss these feelings.”
She gripped his forearms, immediately feeling the stone and muscle beneath her palms and fingertips. He was a fit man and resourceful. He was her security, and for some reason it turned her on, just like everything else had in the last ten minutes. She nervously licked her lips, and a moment later Jax was kissing her. She tried so hard to resist the urge to kiss him back and take advantage of this wild moment. But it was no use, he tasted so good, and it felt amazing to be held in his arms. He explored her mouth in smooth, gentle strokes until she began to pull back. It was too much, too wild. She didn’t know him.
Then the kiss grew deeper, wilder, and she felt her body react on instinct. Her nipples pebbled, her belly tightened, and her legs began to shake. Then she thought she heard a bird whistle or something. Jax eased up then gently rubbed along her bottom lip as if fixing her makeup. He glanced over his shoulder, and she followed his movement and locked gazes with Jameson. He looked fierce, dressed in black and in a dead stare at her.
“Theo is coming here looking for you. Jameson and I will be in touch. Be good, Mariana,” he whispered then tapped the tip of her nose gently with his finger as he smiled.
She watched him walk away as Jameson looked at her with an expression as hard and fierce as stone.
A few seconds later, as she tried to calm her racing heart, Theo arrived.
“There you are. I need you to come with me. I have some business associates I’d like you to meet and also explain a bit about some paintings.”
She smiled as she took his hand and he led her out of the room and back into the reality of her life.
* * * *
Mariana had just walked out of the ladies’ room when she heard the voice behind her.
“I’ve been waiting for you. Theo asked me to accompany you to the study. He has some clients who are interested in a painting and they would like your input.”
Mariana hesitated a moment. She didn’t recognize the man at all. He was stocky, had dark hair, and was a few inches taller than her. He appeared angry, but she wasn’t certain if that had anything to do with his bushy eyebrows. If Theo sent him, who was she to question it? Mariana followed him down the long hallway. She glanced over her shoulder, noticing that no one was in sight, not even Jameson or Jax. God, why was she even thinking about them? She couldn’t. They were a weakness she wasn’t ready to face.
The man glanced back at her, and she got a funny sensation in her belly. It just didn’t seem right at all.
The moment they entered the study, she was on guard. The man waiting there she recognized as a buyer of fine art. His last name was Ellington. No, his first name was Ellington and last name James. It was like his name was backward. That was how she remembered him.
Her hand instinctively went to the small broach by her waist. It appeared as accent jewelry, but it contained a tiny button that would alert her security person that she was in trouble. She cringed just thinking that it could be Jameson or Jax. Here she was trying to act so independent and confident. She didn’t want Jax or Jameson to think she needed them or would call them unnecessarily just to see them again. She couldn’t press that button unless she was in trouble. Big trouble.
She cleared her mind and focused on the situation as the other man walked into he room with her.
“Where’s Theo?” she asked, and Ellington James nodded his head toward the man that had escorted her into the room. He immediately walked out and closed the door behind him. She heard it lock.
“Sweet, sweet woman, it doesn’t matter where Theo is. The point is that he gave me permission to spend some time with you. That is what I am planning to do.” He looked her body over from a few feet away. She didn’t like his fake accent and couldn’t tell if he was trying to be British or Australian. His designer tux said a lot about him as well as the arrogance in his eyes and his stance. She turned to look toward the doorway.
“No need to worry. We’re all alone. Let’s discuss what’s going to happen, shall we?” Ellington approached swiftly, and in no time at all he had ahold of her wrist.
She tried to pull away.
“Don’t touch me. I don’t know who you think you are, but you have no right to touch me.”
She pulled from his hold and ran toward the door. Turning the knob, she knew it was locked. As she turned, Ellington pressed her hard against the door.
“You are the most beautiful of Freda’s escorts. You’re new, fresh, and the top desire of many men in this circle.” He shoved harder, plastering her body against the door as he pressed his mouth against her neck.
“Get off of me,” she yelled as she tried to push him away.
“Not going to happen. Just give in, like the others, and I promise I’ll pay you well.”
Mariana was so angry and disgusted she became enraged at his insult. She wasn’t a whore. What had this man done to other women? Did Freda know? Mariana panicked as she began to fight against his restraint. He shoved her head hard against the door nearly stunning her. She retaliated back by slamming her head against his face, surprising him a moment as he released her. She pressed the button hard on her dress then attempted to swing at Ellington. He caught her fist and grabbed her face hard. She screamed and swung her arms until he knocked her onto the rug. He was pulling at her dress, ripping the material as she scratched at his face, his eyes until he hit her. The hit shocked her and hurt so bad she began to cry. His hands were everywhere, groping, pressing until suddenly the door burst open. Ellington was straddling her at the time, and she instantly saw Jax and Jameson.
“You bastard. Get away from her.” Jax pulled Ellington up and off of her. More people entered the room, and it was total chaos. She could hear Jax telling his brother to calm down or he was going to kill the man.
Then Jameson was kneeling beside her.
“Jesus, Mariana,” he whispered, with intensity in his eyes and fear. He pulled her up into his arms and cradled her on his lap as she cried.
“It’s over, baby. He can’t hurt you now.”
She wouldn’t look around to see the crowd of people that gathered. She clung to Jameson, finding safety in his arms and the fact that he was so big and strong.
“Is she okay? Should we call an ambulance?” someone asked.
“I think she’s just shaken up. The police are on their way. Let me just calm her down first and then we’ll look her over,” Jameson said as he held her snuggly against his chest.
“I want to go home,” she whispered as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
“Is she okay?” Jax. She heard his voice and cringed at the tone and intensity.
“Did he?”
“No. We got to her in time. Thank God you realized she was gone and went looking,” Jameson said.
“Thank God she hit that button. Fuck,” Jax stated, and she slowly pulled away from Jameson’s chest to look at both men. Their eyes widened and they were upset.
“I think we need some ice,” Theo said from behind Jameson. Jameson reached to her jaw and gently turned her face.
“Does it hurt rea
lly badly?”
She nodded her head. The stinging in her jaw wasn’t from pressing her face so hard against Jameson’s chest. It was from the grip that Ellington had on her face.
She was totally embarrassed as the police arrived and Theo cleared the room of any nosey onlookers. She assumed that Ellington was arrested on the spot and pulled from the room. He was nowhere to be found. Nothing like this ever happened to her before. As she realized she still clung to Jameson, she got ahold of her emotions and started to move out of his embrace. He didn’t look happy about it at all.
* * * *
Jameson was trying his hardest to rein in his anger at the situation. Thank God they had gotten to Mariana in time and Jax stopped Ellington James from hurting her further. Now, with Mariana in his arms, it seemed to calm his temper, but he couldn’t say the same for his brother Jax. Jax was pacing after Theo and three other men helped to pull him off of Ellington. He was giving the piece of crap a good ass kicking as he deserved. How dare Ellington think he could touch Mariana, or any woman for that matter. Jameson had no tolerance whatsoever for abusive behavior against women.
He felt Mariana begin to ease off of his lap and out of his arms. Her dress was ripped, and he immediately pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around her.
“Are you hurt anywhere else?”
She shook her head and pulled the jacket tightly against her chest. He kept an arm around her waist, but she was stepping back and away from him. He couldn’t help the feeling of insult and upset at her move. Did she think that he would hurt her? Was she just frightened still after what happened?
“Mariana, we need to look you over. The police have arrived,” Theo interrupted, and Jameson held her gaze. Those large hazel eyes were glossy with tears. Her beautiful face was red and would probably bruise where that asshole hurt her. The fury must have reached his eyes, because Mariana’s hazel ones widened and she quickly moved with Theo toward the officers.
“Is she okay?” Jax asked in rushed words.
“I think so. We got to her quickly enough.”
“What took her so long to hit the fucking button?” Jax asked, and he sounded annoyed at Mariana.
“Hey, she was in a bad situation. Maybe the opportunity wasn’t immediately there.”
“Or she thinks she can take care of herself, knew that we were her security tonight, and hesitated,” Jax said, and Jameson knew that Jax would confront Mariana on this. He just hoped he waited long enough for them to be alone.
They stood side by side and watched as the two officers spoke with her. One looked seasoned and the other kind of young, and both seemed overly interested and sensitive to Mariana. Jameson looked at Jax, and he appeared to be thinking the same thing. Jax rolled his eyes as the older officer patted her hand and gave it a squeeze. Both Jameson and Jax clenched their teeth when the young cop placed his fingers under her chin and looked at the red, almost bruised appearance of her cheek. Jameson was about to demand that they stop touching her. She was their woman, their responsibility. When the two cops finally finished up taking down her information and ensuring that a trip to the hospital wasn’t necessary, everyone else began to clear the room. It was now just Theo, Mariana, Jameson, and Jax.
“I’ll escort you home, Mariana,” Theo said, and Jax, Jameson, and Mariana all replied in synch with a “no.”
Theo widened his eyes.
“She is after all, my date this evening. I was supposed to drive her back to Freda’s place.”
“We’ll take care of it,” Jax said firmly and with a bit of attitude.
Theo raised his eyes, looked Jax and him over before turning to Mariana, who still clung to Jameson’s jacket.
“Are you certain about this? I feel responsible for leaving you and allowing you out of my sight,” Theo said as he stepped closer to Mariana. She lowered her eyes as Theo cupped her chin and tilted it up toward him.
“Is it okay that Jax and Jameson bring you to Freda’s?”
She glanced at Jameson and Jax, and she looked like she got the message that she’d better say yes. They were her security among other things, and she needed to trust them to keep her safe.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“I hope to see you again, Mariana. Perhaps I’ll contact you?”
She smiled, and that pissed Jameson off big-time.
No, she won’t be calling you. She’s ours.
He kissed her on the cheek and walked out of the room.
“I can call Benny or Alvin. My purse is here,” she said as she reached for her black clutch that sat on the rug by the table.
“No need to. We let Benny go, over an hour ago,” Jax replied. He stared at Mariana, and she immediately noticed it.
“Then I’ll call a cab,” she said as she began to walk. Jax stepped in front of her and gently held her in place by her hips. She stared up into his eyes as Jameson moved closer, too.
She was looking between both of them. From where Jameson stood, he knew she was intimidated. Anyone in their right mind would be. He and his brother were tall and big men. They both believed they carried themselves well, and right now Jax was still on alert and in security mode.
“We will escort you to Freda’s. She is waiting on you. You’ll change and then we’ll bring you home.”
Her lips parted, as she was about to object when he pulled her against his chest.
He had trouble catching his breath.
“I’ve never been so scared,” Jax whispered over the top of her head.
“Neither have I,” she replied softly, then looked up into Jax’s eyes. He brushed his thumb across her bottom lip.
“Why don’t we skip Freda’s, tell her you’re okay, and bring you back to our place? There’s things for us to discuss and now is as good a time as any.”
Jameson held his breath, waiting for her decline but was shocked when she held Jax’s gaze and whispered a soft “okay.”
Chapter 8
Mariana didn’t know why she said okay to Jax’s suggestion or demand or whatever it was. He looked so angry, and so did Jameson, that she should be fearful, but instead, she had that burning in her belly. It was so crazy. She was attacked, and it could have been worse if both men hadn’t come to her rescue or if she hadn’t hit that safety button. She shivered at the thoughts.
Stealing a glance at both men, she thought they were incredibly good looking. They seemed to care, but there was also this underlying control in their tones of voices and the way they did things. It was a dominance, and beyond just boss or leader aura. It both intimidated her and turned her on. Her body was a sure giveaway to the attraction of that control they seemed to emit.
Yet, they also seemed to care about her. Was it foolish for her to want that, to want someone, or two, to care about her safety? Perhaps she was reading into her reasoning too much. Sure, she was afraid for them to see where she lived, so going back to her place was a huge no. Then she didn’t want Freda to see her injuries. The poor woman would be so displeased, and she didn’t want to cause Freda any heartache. She had done so much for her.
“Come with us,” Jax whispered then wrapped an arm around her shoulders. They exited through a back door, and she was grateful. She really didn’t want the guests to see her. Not with her ripped dress and all.
She was oversensitive to everything happening. She was in tune to the darkness of the night as both men flanked either side of her body and whisked her off into the night. All the guests were still inside the estate. She would be completely alone with them shortly. The thought made her body tighten, and her nipples felt so oversensitive and hard, and this turned her on. She was definitely sexually attracted to these two strong, wealthy and resourceful men. As they walked, she would feel one of their thighs brush against her hip, and it felt like a sting of warmth and something more radiated through her skin.
She heard Jameson speaking into his cell phone as they headed across the walkway and into another clearing behind the house. Finally they approached an area
where cars and limos were parked. She heard Jameson, and he was speaking to Freda. He kept repeating that Mariana was okay and that they were taking care of her. Her belly did a series of somersaults as Jax stopped next to a Range Rover.
She was going to reach for the handle on the back door, but Jax opened the front passenger door for her to get in. She did and he closed the door as Jax got into the driver side and Jameson hopped into the backseat.
“Freda said she will call you tomorrow. She asked if you needed anything, to please call her.” Jameson sounded as though he was speaking through clenched teeth, but it was dark and she couldn’t see his face.
As Jax pulled out of the parking lot and onto the highway, she began to question her decision. Why expose herself to more disappointment tonight? Even if something wonderful happened between her, Jax, and Jameson, it would change the moment reality arrived on the scene. In her case, it would be when she got back to her apartment.
She closed her eyes and only jerked a moment when Jax took her hand into his own and squeezed. His reassurance did more than just quicken her heart rate. She had never been so in tune to two people in her life. Their masculinity encompassed the inside of the vehicle. She closed her eyes and allowed the scent to caress her body with each inhale of breath she took. She pulled the lapel of the tuxedo jacket closer to her face. It smelled like Jameson. She clutched it tightly with her free hand. It aroused her entirely too much to know that Jameson sat quietly in the seat directly behind her and that Jax stared straight ahead, determined to get home instead of bothering to force a conversation based on nonsense.
She could be making a huge mistake right now, but her body was overruling her mind. She had always been a pessimist and allowed bad thoughts to rule her actions. Not now. Not tonight. Something amazing happened between her and Jax earlier in the evening. His kiss lingered in the back of her mind. Then, as Jameson embraced her and offered her his coat, she felt that spark of respect, acknowledgement of sincere care, and it egged her on to take a chance at what they offered. Whatever it was. No matter how bizarre.
The American Soldier Collection 2: Mastering the Art of Love (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 8
