The Jaxon Effect

by KC Michaels

  “We need more privacy. A place we won’t be interrupted.”

  The desire in his voice, and the promise of things to come, left her both excited and confused. This was so not like her, but in that moment she didn't think she had ever wanted anything more. It was a fantasy she had never dared to dream about. A hot blooded man, oozing sex appeal, was going to give her what she had denied herself for way to long and she wanted it, so badly.

  She would have agreed had the intrusion from a group of ladies, coming into the bathroom, not given her a sobering reality check.

  “I'm sorry, Jaxon. I can't. I have to find Jade.”

  He closed his eyes but only for a brief moment. “It pains me to say this, but I understand.”

  He leaned in and gave her one hard, quick kiss.

  Someone gasped and Kate realized that the group of women were watching them, or at least watching him. She was not used to being intimate in private, let alone in public. Jaxon didn’t appear bothered by the audience at all. In fact, she wondered if he even noticed they were there.

  Kate cleared her throat and cocked her head toward the ladies. Jaxon finally acknowledged their presence but kept his eyes on Kate.

  “Good evening ladies, I hope you are having a good time this evening.”

  The ladies smiled at him wordlessly, as if they were star struck that the Jaxon Remington had given them a moment of his time.

  Jaxon pulled Kate to the exit, but then paused in the doorway. She wasn’t expecting the abrupt halt and she banged into him. It was like hitting a brick wall, his body was so hard. He smiled devilishly as he leaned into her ear and whispered, “I want a rain check.”

  Kate felt an instant flash of heat go straight to her core, causing her breath to hitch. She had no idea what she was doing. She was inexperienced when it came to intimacy, it was completely out of her element, but yet at the moment she would follow him anywhere, give him anything he wanted. She was so screwed!

  ***

  CHAPTER 4

  As Kate and Jaxon left the bathroom, the only person Kate could see up on the stage was Playboy—announcing the next act. Another man slowly stepped out from behind the thick velvet curtain. She recognized him immediately. Abs like that were hard to forget. Unlike the first time she saw him, he was now impersonating a fireman. He wore the full outfit, with the jacket left unbuttoned, showing off his defined chest. It was quite obvious why he had been given the name “Six Pack”. Taking her eyes off the stage, she scanned the room and noticed Jade sitting at the bar.

  “I see her,” she said to Jaxon, who was still beside her. She motioned toward the bar.

  Jade was sitting on a stool at the bar and it appeared she was enjoying the company of one of the dancers. The shirtless male with the muscular upper body said something—apparently funny—and Jade tossed her head back laughing. She wasn't the type to be flirty or overly friendly with men she didn't know, but Kate had felt Kenny was on the possessive side so Jade probably just enjoyed the social freedom.

  As they got closer, Kate recognized the man sitting beside Jade. His name was Steven Fisher. Doctor Steven Fisher.

  Steven and Kate had gone to med-school together and the last time she had spoken to him, he had been working at Mercy Hospital. What surprised her most was, at the moment, Steven was looking very much like a dancer and not at all like an oncologist.

  Kate stopped abruptly and turned to Jaxon. “Steven Fisher works for you?”

  “Sort of,” Jaxon replied. “You know him?”

  “We met in med-school. I had no idea that this was what he did in his free time. How long has he been working here?”

  “Steven and I go way back,” he said. “In fact he was my first official employee. Now he just comes in when I desperately need him to cover for someone else.”

  Kate was stunned to hear that Steven had been working for Jaxon even while he was in college. “Steven never mentioned a thing and we were pretty close in college.”

  Kate continued on toward Jade and Steve again, but a tug on her elbow told her Jaxon wanted her to stay put for some reason.

  “What?” she asked, confused by the peculiar look on his face.

  “How close?”

  She raised her brow. She wasn't sure what he was talking about.

  “How close were you and Steven in college?” he asked again, clearly annoyed that Kate hadn’t answered the question the first time he asked it.

  “We were friends.” She assured him wondering if he might have actually been jealous but then that would be ridiculous; there must have been another explanation for why he wanted to know.

  “If we had been lovers, would that bother you?” She was trying to figure him out.

  “Were you?”

  The confrontational look in his eyes and the accusing tone in his question gave her pause. She had a feeling that, if her answer was yes, things between them would turn quickly and not for the good. She almost said yes—just to test her theory—but decided against it. It might have backfired on her. She wasn't sure what she wanted from him yet, but until she was, she wanted him to stick around.

  “No, Steven and I never dated in college. We never did more than have coffee. Are you happy?”

  The serious look he gave her a moment ago was replaced with a look of satisfaction and it confused her. Why should he care if she dated Steven in college? It was college. Big deal! Really, who was he to question her about Steven anyway? He barely knew her and she didn’t think one kiss warranted such possessive behaviour. Still somewhere deep inside her, she was secretly pleased by his reaction.

  When they finally reached the bar, Jade had her attention fixed on the stage and Steven had his back to them as he spoke to the bartender.

  “Jade, I’m so sorry.”

  “Kate there you are!” She sounded happy and not at all bothered by the fact Kate was MIA. Kate noted Jade had consumed a lot more alcohol since the last time she saw her, she was borderline drunk.

  “Look who I found!” she announced happily as she tapped Steven on the shoulder.

  Steven turned around and offered an uncomfortable smile.

  “Steven, I have to say I am surprised to see you here. I didn't realize you had so many hidden talents.”

  As soon as she said it, she felt like an idiot. It had been a stupid thing to say; making the situation even more incredibly awkward.

  Steven smirked. “I guess you’re surprised to see me here like this.”

  “To be honest yes,” Kate admitted.

  He flashed a half-hearted smile. Like her, he was obviously finding the whole situation incredibly awkward too.

  “Come sit,” Jade offered, pointing to an empty stool between her and Steven. Kate looked from one to the other. Jade smiled like she didn't have a care in the world, but Steven still looked as uncomfortable as Kate felt. Despite being close friends in college he had never told her.

  Was that her fault? Did he think she would think differently of him knowing how he paid for his education?

  Hoping to clear the air, and subtly let him know she had no judgments against him as far as his dancing was concerned, Kate pulled out the chair to accept Jade's invitation to join them. Still standing nearby, Jaxon cleared his throat and held out his hand to Jade.

  “I'm Jaxon Remington and you must be Jade.”

  “Yes,” Jade nodded as she took in the sight of him. The long stare of admiration she gave him—from his face to his feet and back again—told Kate that even her friend wasn’t immune to Jaxon’s allure. Jade's eyes shifted to Kate, pinning her with a knowing look. Kate knew that, once they left the club, Jade wouldn’t rest until she had divulged every juicy detail about him.

  “If you don’t mind,” Jaxon said to Jade, “I would like to steal Kate away for a minute.”

  “Ahh…” Jade eyed Kate as if waiting for the go ahead. Kate shrugged as if it was no big deal to her either way, which was a complete fabrication of the truth. She really wanted to go with him but she felt gu
ilty leaving Jade again.

  “Sure,” Jade agreed. “Take your time.”

  “I promise we won't be long,” he assured her as he grabbed Kate by the hand.

  “Where are we going?” Kate whispered, trying to keep up with him as he led her away from the noisy bar.

  “My office.”

  She did her best not to trip as he pulled her along behind him and she felt as though every eye in the room was on her. She looked around and realized that it wasn’t just her imagination. Women were staring at them. Some were even pointing and whispering to each other. Feeling increasingly conspicuous, Kate quickly checked herself to see if something was out of place. Everything seemed fine.

  Jaxon led them through the “Employees Only” door. They didn’t even make it as far as his office before he had her back against the wall; he pressed his body into hers and covered her lips with his. He’d taken her by surprise, but she wasn’t about to stop him. Everything about Jaxon Remington made her feel excited, from the tip of her head to her toes. After a few minutes, he pulled away from her and led Kate further down the hall. He hadn’t let go of her hand, not since he first held it back at the bar. He pushed opened a door marked Private.

  The elegance and richness of the office decor took her by surprise. On the left side of the room there was a beautiful antique mahogany desk and the wall closest to the door boasted a striking recessed fireplace. Facing the fireplace was a contemporary leather sofa in a deep shade of red. The entire room oozed power, wealth and allure.

  “This is your office?” Kate asked, not knowing what else to say in an attempt to break the silence. Admittedly she was still dazed from the kiss.

  “Yes, do you like it?”

  She nodded. “It's very cozy.”

  “Have a seat.” He motioned toward the leather sofa.

  Kate sat in a chair next to the couch as Jaxon fixed himself a drink.

  “Can I get you something?”

  “No, I'm driving, but thanks.”

  Kate examined her surroundings appreciatively. She really did like his office. It definitely had a sensual feel. Much like its owner, it seemed to be full of contradictions. It was an effective office space; while at the same time, it was a very seductive, masculine lounge room.

  “Maybe a soda water?” he offered.

  “Sure, with lime, if you have it.”

  “Coming up.” The sound of ice hitting the glass filled the room.

  Handing Kate the soda, Jaxon took her other hand and lured her to the couch with him. He picked up a remote from a small side table and aimed it at the fireplace. Within seconds there was a roaring fire behind the screen. It was a scene she had observed a thousand times in the movies. The unsuspecting virgin follows the very deliberate bad boy to somewhere more quiet, and just like in the movies she was falling into his sensual trap with her eyes wide shut. She was knowingly allowing him to seduce her.

  With her head down, because she was too nervous to look at him directly, she rubbed her thumbs over the condensation on the outside of the glass, to calm her nerves. He was quietly studying her and she could feel the weight of his stare. She wasn’t even sure what she was doing there, why she had agreed to accompany him into his office knowing exactly what he expected from her.

  “You are so beautiful,” he mumbled. Kate could feel butterflies fluttering around in her stomach as she heard his words. “I want you Kate.” She swallowed hard.

  “There is something you should know about me, though, before this goes any further.”

  She probably should have stopped him there, especially as she wasn’t really planning on taking things beyond the kisses they had already shared. That, in itself, was a big deal for her.

  “I don’t do relationships, Kate. You deserve to know that, if you and I were to sleep together, it would be a one shot deal.”

  Kate was nettled by the fact he didn’t even try to hide his presumption. “You don’t waste time beating around the bush, do you? It's presumptuous of you to assume that I want to sleep with you.”

  Jaxon paused for a moment and the way he was looking at her made her feel uncomfortable, like he was planning his next strategic move. “I apologize Kate, I made a mistake.”

  “It’s fine,” she answered, although she was unsure of herself and doubly unsure of him. “Maybe this was a mistake. Jaxon I should probably just go.”

  “Why don’t we just enjoy our drinks and you can tell me about yourself,” as if he didn’t just say moments before that he wanted to sleep with her.

  Kate didn’t really know what to say regarding his change in attitude. She probably should have high tailed it out of there because she was so very attracted to him and she didn’t like talking about herself. What could she say? She was a workaholic that had one close friend? She spoke to her parents on the phone on Sunday nights when she wasn’t working and she has a twin sister but they haven’t spoken in over a decade.

  “So tell me, Kate is that short for Katherine?”

  “Yes, my parents still call me Katherine but everyone else calls me Kate.”

  “Would it bother you if I called you Katherine?’

  “Would it bother you if I called you Jax?”

  Jaxon chuckled. My brother calls me that when he is angry at me. So no I would prefer Jaxon.

  “I would prefer Kate.”

  He winked at her and the action was so sexy she felt faint.

  “Tell me Kate why don’t you have a boyfriend?”

  Oh God, Kate swallowed and it felt like a lump had formed in her throat. She was not going to tell him about Eldon. “I am married to my job.”

  It was the best she could think of and it was technically true. She was guilty of more technical talking and stretching of the truth since she met him than she has ever done in her entire life. An uninvited vision of Rachel flashed in her head.

  “When was the last time you had a boyfriend Kate?” Another question she did not want to answer so she put it back on him.

  “When was the last time you had a girlfriend?”

  “I told you Kate I don’t do relationships so I don’t have girlfriends.”

  “Right, you just do one shot deals,” He smiled a lazy smile but didn’t respond.

  “So have you ever had a steady boyfriend?”

  “Yes.” That wasn’t a lie not even a stretch of the truth.

  “And what happened?”

  Again not going to tell him her sob story. “It didn’t work out that’s all. We had different values.”

  “Well I would like to say I’m sorry to hear that but to be honest I am pleased by the fact you’re single.”

  Kate could feel her body was going to overheat. The way he spoke—the things he said to her—he was so direct. It made her feel exposed even though she barely told him anything. It was the feelings he brought to the surface. Feelings she knew she wasn’t doing a good job of concealing. He however seemed so cool, like speaking in that manner was something he was used to, like having a woman in his office for late night drinks was nothing new. But of course it was nothing new for him. He was beautiful and sexy, every woman’s dream guy and as much as Kate wished she was special she knew she wasn’t. She wondered if he had ever taken Rachel to his office hoping he could get a one shot deal from her, but after meeting Rachel even Kate knew that wouldn’t have been a good idea, that girl was obsessed.

  “I know I'm not imagining things, Kate. We both want this.”

  Kate stared at him blankly because this time she wasn’t completely sure what to say, he was right she definitely wanted it. With every fiber of her being she wanted it. She wanted to know what it was like when two people engaged in the throes of passion. She wanted to know what it was like to just let go of her fears and hang ups for once in her sad life. She wanted to know what it would be like to be connected to Jaxon in that way. But just once, a one shot deal as Jaxon had put it. Like him, she wasn’t looking for a relationship. She just wanted to finally feel liberated, free from the me
mories of the past that sometimes strangled her. This may be the only way she would ever move on.

  “Okay, a one shot deal, no strings.”

  “You have made me a happy man, Kate.” Relief crossed his face.

  “Why don’t I pick you up at your place tomorrow evening?”

  Tomorrow? He wanted to wait until tomorrow? She assumed it was going to be a spontaneous, no strings evening of passion, as in tonight, as in now. She would probably chicken out and change her mind by tomorrow.

  “It’s really not necessary to wine and dine me,” she told him. “I am already willing, so it would probably make things less complicated if we skip that part. I mean since I’m already here and you are already here why wait?” She cringed internally as she waited for his response, worrying maybe she sounded too desperate.

  But if he thought she was desperate he didn’t care. His eyes burned with desire as he brought her closer to him. He gently laid her down on the couch and his hands started to roam over the length of her body through her dress. He paused to make one last attempt at being a gentleman.

  “Are you sure this is where you want to do this Kate, because once I start I won't be able to stop? We could go to your place.”

  No, her place wouldn’t be a good idea. This was a means to an end for her and if she brought him to her place it may feel more personal. She had never had another man in her home, in her bed.

  “No I think here is fine.”

  Jaxon's powerful hands began to roam over her body again. “Can I take off your dress now?” he asked with shaky breaths.

  “I can do it myself,” she replied suddenly too self-conscious to allow him to undress her. She’d never been naked in front of anyone like this before and the reality unnerved her.

  She slowly took off her shoes and carefully began to remove her stockings. She was very careful not to put a run in them. Really though, she had many pairs so preserving them wasn’t important. She was stalling and she knew it. Deciding she needed to just go for it, like peeling off a Band-Aid she pulled them off the rest of the way and slipped her dress above her head. She was standing there in just her undergarments, at least grateful that it was a matching set. Jaxon’s eyes showed wild appreciation for her lacy pale pink demi- bra and a matching pink thong.