“Rosalyn! What are you doing? Your bra.”
I took hold of his hand, making him touch my breasts. “Who needs clothes?”
“Stop it! I’m driving.” His foot eased up on the accelerator. “Don’t light that! What if we get pulled over?”
“We won’t. C’mon let’s listen to some rock and roll.” His eyebrows crept up his forehead but he turned on the music, and the sound of Pearl Jam filled the air.
“You’re no fun.” I leaned back, putting my feet up on the dash, rolled down the window, inhaled deeply of the ocean air, and then lit my joint as the road curved and pitched. I belted out the love song as Eddie Vedder sang “Oceans.”
Jax’s gaze roamed over my breasts. “Put your top back on.”
I crossed my arms. “You’re such a priss. Not doing it.”
When we arrived at my apartment, Jax parked and looked at me. “Much as I love seeing you naked, you’d better put your top back on.”
“You’re a hoot, Mr. Priest. Who’s going to see? That busybody who lives across the street?”
He reached into the backseat for my top. “Here you go. Don’t go getting us in trouble.”
I finally put it on, and when we entered the apartment, I slammed Jax down on the sofa, jumped on top of him, and kissed him passionately, running my fingers through his hair. The room swayed dangerously. “Baby, I need you.”
Jax kissed my alcohol-soaked mouth with those gentle and passionate kisses he’d mastered. I can’t say that was the best sex we’d ever had because I’d had too much to drink and smoke, but just like always, Jax was the eager lover, kissing me all over, running his hands through my hair, stimulating me with his fingers and tongue, and moving patiently.
When we were done, I must’ve dozed. As I surfaced into consciousness, Jax lay next to me, his blond hair messy, his head propped up on one elbow. His dreamy eyes admired my sleeping form.
“Hey, you,” I said.
He smiled and stroked my hair. “You are so beautiful. Rosalyn … I love you.”
I was instantly sober. I snapped up, pulling the sheets around me. “You can’t say that!”
“Hey, hey, calm down. I do love you. And I don’t care who knows it.”
I jumped up, tying my robe. “Don’t say that!” I stalked into the kitchen, opened a cabinet, and grabbed the cat food, Leo at my feet and Jax following me like a puppy. I spun around to fill Leo’s bowl, and bumped into Jax, then pushed him out of the way. “You can’t do this.” Good God, what did I create?
Jax smiled then filled the teapot with water and turned the burner on high. “Want some tea?”
“No. I do not want some tea. Didn’t your mom say she wanted you home?”
“After I have some tea,” he said, searching through the pantry.
“You need to get home. Now.” He ignored me.
I stomped into the living room, and huddled up on the sofa, my body shaking.
The kettle whistled, and Jax prepared his tea while I took deep breaths.
He strolled into the living room and sat next to me, cupping his steaming mug and taking a sip. “Rosalyn, we need to talk.”
The room stood still. I couldn’t breathe. I looked at Jax. Since we’d started our affair, Jax had matured. He had facial hair, which grew into a five o’clock shadow in the sexiest way, hormones in full overdrive resulting in broad shoulders, chest, and biceps, and his voice was deep and low. He had blossomed from a teenager to a man. He’d become a wildly competent lover and a responsible young man. Heck, he was always more adult than I ever was. I didn’t want to hear what Jax had to say, but he was determined.
“And, I think it’s time to start telling people that we’re together,” he said.
I sprang off the sofa like a jack-in-the-box. “Are you crazy? And what exactly do you plan on doing? You think it’s going to go over real well when you say, ‘Oh hey, mom, guess what I’ve been doing the past year? I’ve been banging Rosalyn.’ You think your mom is going to throw us a party and hire a band?” I pointed my index finger at Jax. “Your mom was afraid you were going to get involved in the wrong kind of relationship and she was right. She would never forgive me.” I shook with anger. “No, babe, this is not your call. No deal, bucko.” I sat down next to him. “You had better not tell a soul what we’ve been doing.”
His face collapsed a little, and he reached for my hand. “But, we’re together, Rosalyn. We’re good together. I’m tired of hiding.”
I leaned forward and put my face in my hands.
“Rosalyn? Are you crying?”
“Jax, you can’t do this. Promise me. Please? I think you’d better get home now, babe.”
Reluctantly, Jax left. “See you tomorrow. This conversation is not over,” he said.
“Oh, but it is over, Jax. You need to leave now.”
After he left, I hurled myself onto my bed in a fetal position and promptly passed out.
The following morning, as I roused from sleep with a nasty hangover, there was a knock on the door. It was Lydia.
When I answered the door, she said, “Do you even own another bathrobe?”
I pulled the robe around me. “Come on in.”
She bustled past me, making herself at home in the kitchen, Leo trailing at her feet. “I was worried about you. Got any coffee?” I set to work spooning grounds into the coffee maker. Soon the room was filled with the delicious aroma of coffee brewing. “Don’t you wish coffee tasted as good as it smells?” she said. She removed mugs from the cabinet and soy milk from the fridge, setting them on the counter, then peered at me. “Are you okay?”
I gave a wan smile. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
She smirked. “Seems you drank a lot last night.”
“Well, it was a celebration.”
We watched the coffee drip into the coffee pot, and when it was ready, Lydia took over. “Sit, I’ll serve you.” We settled at the table, the early morning sunshine streaming through the window, making me wish for another hour or two of sleep. I took a sip of the blessedly warm caffeinated drink, my eyes opening as the strong coffee hit my veins. Lydia took a long sip and set down her mug. “Ah, that’s good. You know, Roz, when Jax got home last night, he went straight to bed.” She twirled a strand of hair.
My heartbeat sped up at the sound of Jax’s name. “What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing. I waited up for him, watching TV because I wanted to spend some time with him. He’s probably going to be on his own soon, and I already miss him.” She took another sip of coffee. “I’m really worried about him. Tyler’s got a girlfriend, but something’s wrong with Jax. He’s never dated that I know of. It’s not normal. And all his surfing buddies have girlfriends. Some of them have even teased him pretty bad about why he doesn’t.”
I picked up my coffee cup so fast that some of the hot liquid sloshed on my robe. “Shoot.” I smiled at Lydia. “Guess you’ll be happy that I need to wash this thing.” I dabbed at the stain with a napkin.
Lydia’s fingers drummed on the table. “Do you think I need to get Jax help? Like maybe see if he’ll get counseling or, oh, I don’t know. I’ve been trying to talk to him about this for months, but he shrugs me off.”
I stood up, my back to Lydia, pouring more coffee. “What does he say?”
“He claims there’s someone.”
My hand shook as I poured coffee. “Then there is someone. I’ll bet he’s private. He seems private. Yes, that’s it. He’s private.”
“I was hoping to talk to him last night. Not pry or anything, but maybe find out who this mystery person is. If there really is someone.” She laughed. “Tyler’s always calling him gay, but you know how boys are.”
I sat down at the table. “I don’t think he’s gay, Lyd’s.” I put my hand over hers.
“I don’t think that either. I’ve seen the way he looks at chicks in movies or magazines. But something’s not right.”
I crossed and uncrossed my legs. “So, who do you think is the ‘someo
ne’ he claims to like?”
“He won’t say. I try not to pressure him for information, but when I ask, he gets this faraway look and pretty much walks out of the room. I’m his mom, I can’t pry it out of him or search his room, much as I want to.”
“What does Troy say?”
She stood up to get more coffee. “I made him talk to Tyler about it. He said Jax is just psycho and has his own way with the ladies.”
“Is Troy worried, too?”
“Not particularly.” She stood clutching her coffee mug. “He thinks Jax is focusing on his surfing and that some boys are late bloomers.” She narrowed her eyes. “Did Jax tell you where he was going after he dropped you off last night? Not that I want to put him under a microscope, and he’s not a baby anymore, but he was out kind of late.”
“No, he didn’t say.” I needed to change the subject. “If Jax says there’s someone, and Tyler says he has his own way with the ladies, then I’m sure he’s fine. Just being private is all. I think you’re worried for nothing.”
She seemed to brighten. “Really?”
I forced myself to smile. “Yes, really.”
Lydia sat down at the table and crossed her legs. She cleared her throat. “Are you sure Jax didn’t tell you where he went last night?”
I swallowed hard. “No, he didn’t.”
Her eyes zeroed in on mine. “What time did he leave?”
I glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. “Umm, I can’t remember the time. Right after he dropped me off.”
She drummed her fingers on the table and looked away, then she said, “I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, Rosalyn, but I’m wondering if it’s healthy that Jax hangs out with you so much.”
“He doesn’t—”
She put a hand up. “I know he likes to hang out here sometimes after school.”
My voice was higher pitched than I intended. “That was just when I first moved here. He was helping me get settled around the house, and helping paint the car, and teaching me to surf …” I was talking too fast.
Lydia didn’t say anything for a minute. She just stared at me. “I think it’s best if you discouraged him if he tries to come over again. Only because Jax seems too comfortable with adults.” Her hands gripped her coffee mug. “He needs to hang out with people his own age.”
“But he has friends at school,” I said.
“You’re not hearing me. I mean he needs friends he hangs out with on a regular basis. Not all us old folks.”
My laugh was shrill. “We’re not that old.” I pulled at a thread on my robe, twirling it around my finger until it hurt. My gaze slowly lifted to Lydia’s eyes. “It’s natural for children to pull away from those apron strings. I know it’s hard to watch your babies leave the nest, but you did a great job raising them. Trust me, your young man is just fine.”
“But you’ll talk to him? Next time you see him, you’ll discourage him from coming over? I don’t know, maybe tell him to ask some of those girls who like him out on a date?”
“I don’t really see him that much, Lydia. But next time I do, I’ll talk to him.”
She sagged against her chair. “That’d be great.” She sighed. “Nobody told me before I had kids that I’d worry about them so much.”
We sipped coffee for a few more minutes, then Lydia sat up straight. “I’m really excited about my weekend with Troy. We’re booked at the Hotel Del Coronado for the weekend. Nineteen year anniversary! Can you believe it?”
“That’s so sweet. You two are a couple of kids in love.”
“Maybe that’s why I’m thinking about Jax so much. I want this for him one day.” She took another sip of coffee, glanced at her wristwatch. “We leave this afternoon. Hey, can I use your restroom? Coffee’s going right through me.”
While Lydia was in the bathroom, I combed a hand through my hair, took another sip of coffee, and tried to control my breathing. This whole affair had gotten way out of hand.
“Hey!” Lydia said, when she came out of the bathroom. She wore a cat-who-swallowed-the-canary smile. “What’s this all about?” She held up a neon pink sticky note on which something had been written. “Is there something you’re not telling me? Did you meet someone at school?” My throat went dry when I saw what was written on the note. A heart had been drawn with the proclamation, R + J in the center.
“Where’d you find that?” I stammered.
“It was stuck to your hamper.” Her face became concerned. “Roz, are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost.”
I forced myself to speak. “I’m fine. It’s just that …”
“Oh honey, I didn’t mean to pry.” She held up the note. “It was staring me right in the face when I used the bathroom.” She looked at me expectantly. “So, who’s J?”
“Just … somebody I met … through surfing.”
She clapped her hands together. “That’s great! When do we get to meet him?”
“Well, thing of it is, I don’t think I’m going to keep seeing him.”
“Oh.” She handed me the note. “Why not?”
“He’s too … needy.”
Lydia didn’t say anything for a while. Then, finally she said. “Maybe when I get back from the Del, we can talk.” Her hand moved to her chest. “You know, I called to confirm the reservation last week and they had us down for the wrong days, but I was able to fix it. That gave me a scare, because nothing can go wrong this weekend. Troy and I need time to ourselves.” She gave me a hug. “I’ve got to get home to pack. Now get out of that bathrobe. See you when we get home.”
Lydia left, and I flew into a rage, slamming dishes into the sink so hard I actually shattered one. Things had gotten out of control with Jax, and I had nobody to blame but myself. I had to cut things off with him before we got caught. How could I have let things go this far? Gripping the side of the kitchen sink, I bit back tears thinking about the fact that I really did care about Jax, but the situation was impossible. I would wait until Lydia and Troy left for their trip then I’d go over to Jax’s house and break it off for good. I simply had to.
Jax
Maybe it was wrong of me to tell Rosalyn that I loved her. I’d broken one of her unspoken rules.
But I did love Rosalyn.
The day after I told her, I paddled out at Sunset Cliffs with my dad. The waves were about head-high, the cool Pacific Ocean making everything that could’ve been wrong in life right. My parents were scheduled to leave for their weekend away, and I figured I’d take the time to go to Rosalyn’s house and continue our conversation. I would find a way to convince her we were right for each other.
During a lull between sets, we sat in the lineup, and I asked my dad, “Dad, what’s it like to be in love?”
He seemed surprised. “Is this a hypothetical question, or are you thinking of someone in particular?”
I made circles in the water with my hands. “It’s just that you and mom are so happy together, and I wonder what that’s like.”
He grinned. “When I met your mom, we were a couple of kids. She was in my science class, and I’d always try to figure out a way to sit at her table just for a chance of feeling her long hair brush against my arm.” He had a dreamy look in his eyes. “Once, we had to dissect a frog together, and she nearly blacked out from the smell of formaldehyde. I got to bring her a cup of water and touch her arm to make sure she was okay.” He looked over his shoulder for the next set of waves. “I guess love’s about little things like that. Wanting to make sure the other person’s okay. Sitting close to them just so you can smell their perfume.” A set came through, and he winked at me. “I’ll go left.”
I got myself into position and paddled right. As I rode that gorgeous wave, glancing up at the cliffs covered with bougainvillea, I felt pretty darn lucky. I knew exactly the feeling my dad had described. When I was with Rosalyn, the only thing I cared about was that she was happy, that she had everything she needed, and that she was content. It wasn’t only about the s
ex, though the sex was beyond my wildest imaginings. I got a hard-on underneath my wetsuit just thinking about it. Rosalyn and I were right for each other. I wanted to protect her, to make sure the big bad world didn’t upset her, and to provide a happy life for her. All I wanted was to make her happy for the rest of her life.
We paddled back out to the lineup. “Funny you’re asking me about love because your mom’s been bugging me to talk to you.”
I cocked my head. “About what?”
“She thinks you should’ve had a lot of girlfriends by now.” He combed a hand through his wet hair. “I tell her to chill out. Guys have to find the right woman.” He eyed me. “You interested in anyone?”
I looked away, my eyes scanning the horizon. “Matter of fact, there is somebody I like.”
“Really? When do we meet her? Your mom’s going to have a cow when I tell her.”
My heartbeat sped up. “Don’t tell her yet. Because … I want to make it perfect.”
“You really like this one?”
“Yep. She’s pretty special.” And then, feeling the need to explain myself, I said, “All the girls who’ve been coming around, none of them have been my type, but this one …”
He smiled. “I told your mom not to worry. Well, that’s cool! Maybe when we get back next week, we can have her over.”
I cleared my throat. “Maybe.”
I don’t know what I was thinking. I didn’t really expect my mom and dad to accept that Rosalyn and I were together. But still. I knew with every ounce of my being that we were in love, and that had to conquer all.
We surfed for another hour then it was time to leave.
My parents headed out to their romantic weekend together.
I couldn’t wait to have what they had.
Peaks of Passion: Pleasure Point Series Book One Page 14
