Mix'n Business With Pleasure

by Hadley Raydeen

  “I see some things never change,” he mumbled, turning to exit the building. He had to find Bevin and make this right with her.

  By the time he reached the street outside the jazz club, he looked back and forth down the street and checked in the parking lot just to be sure. But he already knew she was gone. Probably hailed a cab or called for a driver service. He hoped like hell she had’t called her brother. He didn’t need to catch the shit that would come from that; no way, not tonight.

  He decided he would go to her house and explain. The feelings starting to grow for her would not be hindered by the wrench Sara wanted to throw in the wheel. He also had to think about the overall goal as well. Now that his interest for her was known, it was sure to get back to Gregory and that was a whole other cluster fuck he’d have to deal with. Great.

  She paced the walk outside the restaurant a good ten minutes, not able to comprehend how she’d been this stupid. Nothing would, or could, happen between the two of them… ever. She knew someone that handsome and smooth talking wouldn’t be single. You’re out of your mind! She paced the length of his car. Why am I even waiting for him to drive me home? I should just call a cab. I need to get out of here while I have an ounce of dignity left. She pulled out her cell. I’m not going to give him the satisfaction of standing here like a sad, lost puppy with my tail between my legs. Hell, no. He can kiss my whole, entire ass. Oh, he’s good. I mean he has all the right words, all the right moves. “Ugh!” She punched a number into her phone to unlock the screen, sure she would break the screen of her Android. She didn’t even care. Sliding against screens, she found the Ride app. She turned to look at the name of the restaurant again. She couldn’t even think straight. She made a mental note to tell her brother about the hot spot. If she ever returned again, it would be with Braedon. It sure as hell would not be with…him.

  Before she could enter the request for the ride, a yellow taxi pulled in front of the restaurant and it was empty. She raised her hand and ran over to it.

  Sliding into the back of the car, she shut her eyes and scrubbed a hand over her face. She was emotionally drained. It was clear he’d rather stay behind to talk it out with his girl.

  “Man trouble?”

  She opened her eyes and looked at the driver peering at her through the rearview mirror.

  “Yea, something like that,” she mumbled. “I’m sorry.” She gave him her address and she sat back as he pulled out into traffic.

  “Well, he is a fool,” the man said, glancing back on the road.

  “You don’t even know what happened.”

  “Doesn’t matter. Anyone that doesn’t treat you the exact way a lady should be treated is a fool.”

  “Thank you.” She managed a half smile and looked out the window. “His fiancé showed up tonight,” she said, without looking back at the driver. She didn’t know why she would tell this sad tale to a complete stranger but that is what cab drivers do, right? They listen to their client’s confessions.

  “First date? You didn’t know he had a woman?”

  “Doesn’t really count as much of a date, right?” she laughed bitterly.

  “Did he tell you he was in a relationship?”

  “Hell no, or I wouldn’t have been out with him tonight. Dammit!” She smacked a hand to her head covering her eyes. “I have to see him at work. How embarrassing. This is why I don’t ever date in the workplace. I’m so dumb.”

  “You aren’t dumb. Just allowing your heart to feel. There is nothing wrong with that. You just have to be careful with whom you give your heart, pretty lady. I was married for twenty years. Me and my Janey didn’t quite work out. We had a hell of a lot of roadblocks and other hiccups jam up our way. I messed up back then. I’ve done pretty much everything, but kill a man. But while we were together, we had some beautiful years that resulted in four children and eight beautiful grandkids. Not everyone is perfect, but they can have good intentions in their heart. And if this isn’t the man for you, you’ll find him and you’ll find your happy ending.”

  “That is a nice thing to say; however, I’m not looking for marriage. I’m not looking for Mr. Right, if Mr. Right now is acting up. Every relationship I touch ends horribly.” She couldn’t help but let her mind wander to the last disaster relationship she’d been in… or at least thought she’d been in. History was repeating itself and this time before anything real could even happen with her and Jaxon.

  “We started this too soon. It shouldn’t have started in the first damn place. We aren’t meant to be. I shouldn’t have agreed to go out with him tonight.” At this point she was mumbling to herself, but the taxi driver was still listening to her.

  “It will all work out in the end. You’ll see,” he replied.

  She sat in silence the rest of the way home not wanting to talk about it anymore. She’d fallen for someone before too quickly. Her heart couldn’t stand another hit. She’d nip this in the bud before it went too far.

  The driver pulled up in front of her freshly painted house.

  “Here you go, sweetheart. I promise you, this will get better. I know it sucks now, but… just don’t be afraid to open up… to love.”

  “Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind. Hopefully, I won’t open my heart up to another douche bag… You know, for my future man’s sake.” The older man’s chuckle was low and he shook his head as she paid her fare and climbed out of the cab. She leaned over to speak to the older man through the driver’s window. She noticed a glint of amusement and mischief in his blue eyes that somehow looked familiar to her.

  “I appreciate you listening to me whine and giving good advice. Best wishes to you and your family. I hope you were able to at least maintain a relationship with your children.”

  “I vow to work on that and make it better every day. Everything will work out in the end. Right?” He reached into the pocket of a worn, plaid shirt and handed her a business card. “If you need a ride again, give me a call. But I’ll leave you with one thing. Find a guy that will treat you the way a pretty lady, like yourself, deserves. This guy may be it. Who knows? Maybe give him a chance to explain himself. If what he has to say adds up then, who knows… everyone deserves a shot.”

  She nodded and looked at the card.

  “I will keep that in mind, Charles. Good night.” She stood in her driveway and watched the car’s taillights turn the corner away from her house before turning and seeing him pulling up in front of her house.

  Goddamn it. The hurt had started to dissipate after speaking to Charles but after seeing his vehicle slowly roll in front of her, the dull ache started again in her gut. He stopped at the curb and jumped out of his sports car, making his way in her direction.

  “Jaxon, what are you doing here? Don’t you have a fiancé back there waiting for you?” She turned to walk away from him.

  “Did that driver give you a card?”

  She stopped, looking down at the business card in her hand and slipped it into the front pocket of her purse.

  “Why do you care?” She turned back toward him and threw her hands in the air. “How in the hell did you even get here so fast? I left way before you.”

  “I’m pretty sure my sports car can beat the hell out of an old cab, Bevin.”

  She didn’t want to mention she’d hung around a good while before the cab even showed up.

  He raked a hand through his hair. “Look, I’m sorry about what happened back there.”

  “Okay. Fine. No harm, no foul. Let’s call it a night.” She tried to turn from him again, but he closed the distance between them so quickly he caught her off guard. Cupping her elbow, he gently spun her back around.

  “Hey, can I at least have a chance to explain? Stop turning from me.”

  She looked up into his dark blue eyes and the ache in her stomach dulled into a slow heat that radiated throughout her body. Damn you for being so irresistible. It was pretty damn hard to ignore a man that looked the way he did. Especially when she was already quite fam
iliar with what his mouth could do when pressed against hers. She resisted the urge to touch her lips with her fingers. She just wanted to make it in her house where she would be safe and away from this dangerously handsome man.

  “There is nothing to explain, Jaxon. You are engaged. You’ve lied to me, not once but twice. So I’m thinking this conversation is pretty much done. Okay. Dinner was a lovely. Thank you. You can explain to her that it was strictly a business meal and we will all live happily ever after. Now, if you'll excuse me...” She removed her elbow from his grasp and proceeded up her walk way.

  “She isn’t my fiancé.” His words were said with a frustrated edge to them. She faltered a bit at his confession, but kept walking. “She said it to piss you off, and it looks like it worked.”

  She stopped dead in her tracks and whirled around. “No, Mr. Stewart, that is where you are wrong. I’m pissed at myself for falling for the stupid one liners that attractive men, such as yourself, throw out for any woman in their path. ‘You’re beautiful. I would love to get to know you…’” She mimicked. “A bunch of bullshit, just to get laid. And, I’ll admit, you almost had me.” She laughed bitterly. “But your little wifey… Susie—”

  “Sara.”

  “Whatever the hell her name is. Who cares?!”

  “She isn’t my soon-to-be-wife. Hell, she isn’t even my girlfriend. I already said that. And, if you give me second to explain—”

  “There is no need.”

  “Like hell there’s not, Bevin.” He stepped toward to her, but she stepped back.

  “Damn it.” He closed the distance between them before she could retreat. He pulled at her arm with one hand, and snaked a hand around her waist with the other, smashing her body up against his hard frame. She had no way to move. Any way she’d try, every contour of his muscles lined up against her body. Every nerve ending became aware of his abs, thighs, and the glorious rod in between. She gulped, liking the feel of him, just a little too much. Her insides quivered. Her nipples hardened as his gaze scanned her face, and stole a quick peek of her cleavage before returning his hooded gaze to her face.

  “Can I please come in and explain?” His voice was rough and vibrated from his body to hers. At that moment, she wanted to be angry but how could she think of anything, other than every delicious thing she wanted to do to him, while he spoke to her in that sexy tone.

  “I don’t know if that is a smart idea,” she whimpered back. His right hand traveled from her waist, up her back and over the bare skin on her shoulders.

  He cupped her chin with his free left hand tilting her face up to look at him.

  “Invite me in for a few minutes, Bevin, or we may give your neighbors quite a show.” He brushed his lips over hers briefly.

  She hesitated, not wanting to fall for the same song and dance she was sure he had memorized. “Damn it, fine,” she mumbled, pushing away from him. She dug in her purse, fishing for her keys. Once they were found, she finished the trek to her house, very aware of his near presence behind her. She opened the door to her home and allowed him to follow her into the entryway. She shut the door behind.

  “This is a nice place,” he said, following her into the great room.

  “Thank you. Can I… get you something to drink?” she said, remembering her hospitality.

  “Whatever you are having, please, make it two,” he said eyeing her closely.

  “I was going to pour a glass of wi—”

  “Wine is fine.”

  “Ooo-kay, wine it is,” she mumbled. She really didn’t want to discuss things over a glass of alcohol when she couldn’t trust herself around him now as it is. Spirits would surely make it much more difficult. She poured two of the smallest glasses of a red wine ever and handed him one. He swirled it around the class sniffing it like a wine connoisseur before tasting.

  “Okay, so what did you want to say?” she asked.

  “Abrupt and to the point.” He stared at her. “Should we sit?” he asked, looking at her large, overstuffed couch.

  She was being rude. She knew it, and she didn’t care. She wanted to hear his explanation as quick as possible, without him making himself at home.

  “You won’t be staying long, Jaxon.”

  He smiled at her. “You mean business tonight. Okay, fair enough. Sara is someone I used to date a while ago. She completed a leadership development program at the same place I did back in college. When we were young and stupid, we had some fun, but I ended things when I figured out she was was sleeping with our boss. She didn’t take our breakup well and still refers to me as her boyfriend. Tonight, I graduated to fiancé because she saw it pissed you off. She does it just to stick it to me, when she can, especially if she sees me out with someone else. She does it just to get under my skin. I am no longer with her. I was telling the truth when I said I do not currently have a girlfriend. I wouldn’t have asked you out, or shown any type of interest if I was otherwise committed. I’m not like that. I hope you will get a chance to know me before you make a false conclusion about me.”

  She listened to the words flowing from his mouth like satin sheets. His tempting, blue gaze never left her face.

  “Look, Jax, you don’t owe me an explanation. Whether you have a girl, or not, is your business. I just don’t want—”

  He cut her short, capturing her words between her lips and his. The urgent kiss slowed to a dance between their mouths. Each giving and taking and sucking and nibbling. He orchestrated the lip lock like a skilled maestro, exploring her mouth with his tongue. Pulling her into his arms, he ran gentle fingertips up her back. Her heart quickened and she grasped at his arms for support. He tightened the grip around her waist, ensuring she was locked in place, before breaking their kiss. “Bevin, I assure you I do not have a girl. I need you to believe me.”

  She stared back in his eyes lost in the smoky desire she saw there but cognizant of the conversation.

  “Why?” she managed to whisper.

  “Why, what?” he urged her.

  “I mean, I would like to believe you, but why do you need me to believe it?”

  “We were having a great night together and it was ruined by that foolishness with Sara. I’m sorry about that. I just want to forget about it and get back to where we were. I feel like we were making progress. We were connecting so well. I didn’t want the night to end on that note. I thought maybe…” He looked at her lips and back into her eyes. “We’ve shared a few mind-blowing kisses today, Bevin… Maybe we should—”

  “It is late, Jax. Maybe we should call it a night and we’ll just forget about this whole thing.”

  She tried to push away from him, but he held on. “I will respect your wishes and leave, however, I don’t want to forget the night. I thought we had an amazing time and I would like to build on that. Let’s see where this takes us.” He leaned toward her and kissed the corner of her mouth, lingering there for a moment as he ran his warm hand up her arm. “Say something, Bevin. Don’t leave me hanging.”

  “Can we talk about this another time? I’m exhausted and really just want to get some needed rest. Thank you for stopping by to explain the situation.”

  He moved back from her, picking up the stemmed glass he had placed on her coffee table. He drained the contents without saying another word to press the conversation. He turned to face her. “Okay, fair enough. I’ll see you at work.”

  “Okay.”

  He grasped her hand and brought it to his lips, letting his kiss linger longer than needed. “Sleep well, Bevin.” Letting go of her hand, he turned and let himself out of her house.

  Chapter 10

  He closed the door behind him with a soft click. That hadn’t gone as planned at all. He really didn’t know what he thought would happen. He didn’t know her well enough yet, but one thing was for certain, Bevin Thomas was not like other women. He couldn’t handle the situation like he would with others. One shitty apology about some ex-girlfriend wasn’t going to immediately land him back in her good g
races. He would have to work up to that. Already on shaky ground with her from Jump Street, this little Sara stunt had landed him on the thinnest of ice. He’d be best to tread lightly.

  He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and as he approached his vehicle, he pulled the slim iPhone from its sheath and read the text message that flashed across the screen.

  The two words that flashed before him caused his stomach to drop.

  Call me.

  He glanced at the originating number and cussed aloud. “Son of a bitch. Should have figured this was coming.” He threw open his driver side door and slammed the door shut after he climbed behind wheel. He waited until the phone paired with the blue tooth in his vehicle before he spoke into the hands-free call feature. “Call Gregory,” he said through gritted teeth. He didn’t bother to look at the time. Hell, if you’re ballsy enough to send a vague text after midnight, your ass can get a call back just as late. You don’t get the courtesy of an ‘I’ll wait until morning.’ He didn’t want to disturb his mother though. He was sure she’d long since retired for the evening. He hoped Gregory was nursing a scotch in his office while planning his next evil take over. On the fourth ring, his step-father’s low, gravelly tone sounded in his ear.

  “Hello, Jaxon. I thought for sure you would ignore my text or wait till morning. What a surprise.”

  “Knock off the bullshit preamble, Gregory. Did I disturb my mother? How is she?”

  “Jane is fine. And soundly asleep in the next room. You should know, after all this time, I have only her best interest in mind.”

  Jaxon was sure he’d need bridge work after grinding his teeth so hard. The older man was full of shit, per usual. He had no idea how to make his mother happy. He was not the man for the job at all. His father would always be the love of her life. And he’d do anything to see her actually happy again. He couldn’t think about this right now. He didn’t want to start an argument, not tonight, but when it came to his mother, he’d have to play this thing right. He decided to take the high road and not get into it. Instead, he steered the conversation to the main point.