ALMOST PARADISE

by Williams, Mary J.

  Again, the crowd applauded. Jax cleared his throat, his sharp gaze moving around the room.

  “Years ago, a friend introduced me to The End of Rainbows.”

  Skye’s first instinct was to duck, but his eyes moved past her as though she were invisible.

  “I promise to bring my best to the project.” Jax placed the microphone on a nearby stand. Reaching to his left, he picked up a guitar and strummed a few warm-up chords. “The song I’m about to share with you needs a few tweaks. I hope you’ll get an idea where I’m going.”

  Unfair, Skye wanted to scream. How was she supposed to control her feelings with the sound of Jax’s rich baritone mocking her? Hearing his music on the radio was one thing. In person, was an animal of a different color.

  The last time Skye saw him perform, she stood on the same stage, so close she could feel the heat of his body. She looked into his eyes, harmonizing, as his breath brushed across her cheek as she longed to forget her promise and her father’s arbitrary rules.

  Skye’s world might be a different place if, after that last concert, she’d found the courage to spend the night in his arms. Instead, she lost him and spent the last six years filled with regrets.

  Everyone in the room, Skye included, was in Jax’s thrall. No fancy equipment or expensive lights. No backup singers or amplifiers. Just him, an acoustic guitar and the music. Basic. Simple. Pure.

  “Beautiful,” Skye breathed as the last note faded.

  The crowd went wild, begging for another. Shaking his head, Jax held up his hand, signaling the end of his short but well-received performance. He said something to Wyatt, who nodded and moved aside so Jax could exit through the back.

  “Been a long time since I’ve seen him perform live. He was good six years ago. But now?” Zoe exhaled. “Words fail me.”

  “Air. I need air.” Skye felt the walls closing in.

  “The balcony doors are down the hall to the right.”

  When Zoe would have accompanied her, Skye grabbed her friend’s arm.

  “Alone. Please?”

  “I understand.” Zoe hugged her close. “Call me tomorrow after your audition. We’ll have dinner.”

  Skye made her way across the room without anyone stopping her. Unlike Jax, her brush with fame had been brief. Her recognition factor fell a little further with each passing year, her face forgotten except by the most devoted Razor’s Edge fan.

  Following Zoe’s directions, Skye slipped past a velvet rope meant, she assumed, to discourage guests from exploring other parts of the house. If the lack of people was any indication, the simple system was surprisingly effective.

  At the end of the darkened hallway, Skye found a pair of French doors, turned the handles and for the first time since Jax began to sing, took a full breath. Closing her eyes, she stepped onto the balcony, a cool breeze, kissed by the promise of rain, washed over her heated skin.

  Am I angry? Skye asked herself the question, trying without success to sort through her jumbled emotions. Sad didn’t fit. Horny? Oh, yes—much to her dismay.

  The realization made her fists clench. She was angry—at herself and the man who still had the ability to send her emotions in a hundred directions all at once.

  “Screw you, Jaxon Cross,” Skye whispered into the dark, wet night.

  “You have no idea how many nights I lay awake wishing to hear you say those very words.”

  Skye froze, certain her ears were playing tricks. Nope. Her ears were fine, she discovered, as were her eyes. Not five feet away, she found Jax. Arms crossed, a lock of dark hair falling across his forehead in an annoyingly sexy way, he leaned against the balcony railing.

  Suddenly, everything became clear. Skye knew what she needed to do.

  Second chances were granted all the time in books and movies, rarely in real life. She made a mistake the first time around. Never again. She refused to spend another six years lamenting missed opportunities. Right or wrong, now was not the time to worry about consequences.

  Where sex was concerned, Skye’s instincts were to wait for the man to make the first move. Scared, but determined, she reminded herself she wasn’t the same woman Jax once knew. She took chances, she went after what she wanted.

  Given their history, she probably deserved his rejection. But she had to try, had to be bold because where Jax was concerned, she couldn’t live with one more regret.

  Taking a deep breath, Skye reached down deep for her inner seductress, and before she could change her mind, closed the space between them and wound her arms around Jax’s neck.

  He didn’t pull away, nor did he encourage her with words or actions. His eyes, bluer than she remembered, stared into hers, waiting, daring her to finally follow through, to finish what they had started long ago.

  As the first drops of rain fell, Skye moved closer, closer, her heart skittering with relief when Jax’s hands dropped to her hips. She cupped the back of his head, bringing him near until she felt the sweet, welcome warmth of his breath against her lips.

  “One question?”

  Jax’s fingers tightened, biting into her flesh, a telling sign. So close, he must be thinking. Something always got in their way, why should now be any different?

  When he spoke, his voice was cool—borderline frigid.

  “Ask away. No guarantee I’ll answer.”

  I’m yours if you want me, Skye wanted to assure him. But first, she needed the answer to an important question.

  “The woman you brought to the party. Is she someone important?”

  “Who?” Jax looked genuinely perplexed. “What woman?”

  “The brunette? Red dress, overflowing cleavage? You smiled at her.”

  The rain fell faster, harder. Neither Skye nor Jax noticed.

  “Probably a fan,” he shrugged.

  Skye laughed out loud with relief. Jax’s frown deepened.

  “Why do you care?”

  “Simple. If she mattered, if you cared, we couldn’t do this.”

  Skye remembered the feel of Jax’s kiss. The memory never faded even when the time to forget came and went.

  Certain she knew what to expect, she was wrong. The first touch of his lips was a burst of color, bright, blinding, the ground beneath her feet shifting toward a new reality. Skye wasn’t the same girl; she was a woman with a woman’s needs. And Jax? All man, with the experience and confidence to fulfill her long-held fantasies, and more.

  Tugging at the tie around his neck, Skye tossed the piece of blue silk to the ground while the tickle of Jax’s beard and the skill of his hands played havoc with her senses.

  Once, she would have let him take over, followed where he chose to lead. No longer. The days where Skye took a backseat to anyone else’s needs were gone. A new day had dawned, and Skye was tired of hiding from the light. Willing, able, eager, she would be his equal or nothing at all.

  “You want sex, here?” Jax growled. Brushing her bare thigh, his fingers toyed with the hem of her dress. “Hell, for all we know, someone’s watching right now.”

  “I don’t care.” Skye licked the rain from his lower lip. “Let’s give them something worth seeing.”

  Jax threaded his fingers through her hair. With his other hand, he cupped her cheek, searching her eyes.

  “Six years ago, you would have run for cover.”

  Gripping his wrist, Skye willed Jax to look at her, to really see how much she’d changed.

  “Six years ago, I’d be inside, as far away from you as possible, hating myself because I didn’t have the guts to take what I wanted.”

  Jax’s arm snaked around her waist, molding their bodies together. He bit into the side of her neck, sending shivers down her spine and up again. His lips brushed her ear.

  “What do you want, Skye?”

  One thing hadn’t changed.

  “You,” she gasped. “I want you.”

  “Then, tonight, I’m yours.”

  Skye w
as glad Jax didn’t promise her forever—or tomorrow. She wouldn’t believe him if he did.

  “Tonight,” she agreed.

  Nodding, the pact sealed, Jax took her hand, leading her across the balcony to a winding wrought-iron staircase

  “I’ve been accused of many things, some true, some not. Exhibitionism is not high on my list of kinks.”

  Kinks? Skye stumbled, her left heel sliding on the wet metal. Before she could fall, Jax swooped her into his arms, covering her mouth with his, the kiss leaving her breathless.

  “Don’t worry,” he assured her, descending the stairs with ease. “I don’t bite.”

  “I do.”

  Jax blinked, surprised by her teasing answer. His laugh, warm, genuine, made Skye’s breath catch in her throat. Finally, a glimpse of the man she remembered.

  “Still a surprisingly wicked sense of humor. Glad to know you haven’t changed completely,” he said, echoing her thoughts.

  Skye peered through the dark, rain-soaked night.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Here.”

  Taking a key from his pocket, Jax opened the door to a small, stone-covered building. Skye had lost track of their direction but was certain they were still on the Landis’ Beverly Hills estate.

  “The guest cottage,” Jax answered her unspoken question. “Hotels and the lack of privacy gets old. Wyatt lets me crash here whenever I’m in town.”

  Another time, Skye would have inquired how Jax and Wyatt Landis became friends. Under different circumstances, Jax might have answered, then, asked about her life. Except they weren’t two old friends, hoping to catch up. They were here to finally scratch a long-standing mutual itch. Nothing more, end of story.

  Jax set her on her feet.

  “I’ll grab some towels.”

  The living room was small, decorated in muted tones of blues. Elegant and understated with all the amenities; guests would feel at home if they stayed a month or a single night. Whether alone, or with a companion.

  A companion! Skye groaned. Wrapped up in Jax, she forgot Fahma. Thank goodness she had the peace of mind—somehow—to hold onto her purse. Hoping her agent hadn’t missed her, she sent a quick text.

  Met an old friend. Don’t worry, will be back early in the morning.

  Jacket off, feet bare, his shirt unbuttoned and hanging loose, Jax returned. Handing her a towel, his gaze landed on her phone.

  “Everything okay?”

  “Perfect.”

  Skye tossed her purse onto the sofa. Holding the ends, she flipped the towel over his neck, bringing him in for a brief but sizzling kiss. She sighed, licking her lips, savoring his taste.

  Jax touched her cheek and the curve of her bottom lip.

  “Wondered if you’d be here when I came back.”

  Tugging on his beard, fascinated how the ends curled around her fingers, Skye smiled.

  “Tonight, I’m exactly where I want to be.”

  With a few simple words, she let him know she had no expectations beyond the here, the now. But her desires were many.

  Tossing aside the towel, Skye pushed the shirt from Jax’s shoulders, down his arms, past his hands, landing in a pool of white on the dark hardwood floor.

  “You plan to undress me?” Jax asked, his voice steady while his eyes blazed a fiery blue.

  “If you like. Or…?” Taking two steps back, Skye lowered the zipper at her side. “Would you prefer to watch?”

  Holding his gaze, feeling powerful and in control, Skye didn’t wait for Jax to answer. She removed the dress, revealing the skimpiest matching bra and panties she owned.

  “You filled out.” Jax ran his appreciative gaze down her body then back again. “All over.”

  Skye wasn’t a virgin, nor what she would call inexperienced. However, Jax was the first man to see her in nothing but high heels and two scraps of sheer black lace. The rapid rise and fall of his chest and look of appreciation in his eyes gave her the confidence to return his assessing look. Emboldened, she reached out and touched.

  “You were always in good shape. Now you’re…” Skye let out a shaky breath as she traced the ridge of muscles on his stomach. “Beautiful.”

  One hand on her hip, Jax used the other to unfasten her bra. No awkward fumbling, smooth as glass, the lace fell from Skye’s breasts. Cupping one mound, his thumb found the tip hard and waiting. He smiled.

  “Now, we’re talking beautiful.”

  “Oh, Jax.” Half laugh, half sob, Skye’s forehead fell to his chest.

  “You want to stop?”

  The resignation in Jax’s voice, the fact he expected her to change her mind, almost broke Skye’s heart. She kissed him, holding his hand in place.

  “I expected anger, bitterness. And, yes, passion.” She cleared her throat, willing herself not to cry. “The last thing I expected was for you to be so sweet.”

  “Jesus, Skye,” Jax scoffed. Lifting her into his arms, he strode through the arched doorway and tossed her on the bed. He loomed over her, his lip curled into a sneer. “Between you and Kane, and fucking Razor’s Edge, I forgot the meaning of sweet a long time ago. Didn’t take long for the music business to knock out any I had left.”

  Jax took little time to undress, kicking his pants to the side. Muscles gleaming, using both hands, he swept back his long, dark hair. He had the look of an avenging angel, full of righteous fury and out for vengeance.

  In her heart, Skye knew he would never hurt her. Pulse racing, she didn’t move, waiting to see what he’d do next.

  “The sex won’t be sweet or gentle,” Jax warned, removing her shoes. Her panties came next before he straddled her hips. “Do you still want me?”

  “Yes,” Under her breath, she added, “Please.”

  One hand on each side of her head, arms straining, Jax lowered himself until Skye’s breasts pressed against his chest. He seemed in control until she looked into his wild blue eyes.

  “Remember. You were warned.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  ♫~♫~♫

  JAX USED HER. Repeatedly. Skye didn’t complain. She used him right back. Then used him again. And loved every second.

  They weren’t kids in the throes of first love. The time for romance had passed them by. She sometimes wondered if raw, unbridled passion was a fallacy invented by writers as a tool to fuel their readers' imaginations. Now, she knew. Great sex was no myth.

  Jax wasn’t gentle, nor rough, nor careless. He was wonderfully thorough. If she walked a little funny for the next few days, she wouldn’t mind. The price of a few stiff muscles was nothing compared to the reward.

  Skye lay on her back. Jax, inches away, was in the same position, his breathing as ragged as hers. She smiled—no, she beamed. She’d learned—twice—that multiple orgasms weren’t merely a lie perpetuated by men to lure women into their beds.

  A small Tiffany lamp, turned on low, illuminated the bed in a gentle glow, enough for Skye to experience sex with the lights on—a first. Oh, what a view she had. Jax, wonderfully, spectacularly naked would be an image she’d carry with her long after tonight became nothing but a memory.

  “I should go.”

  Jax rolled toward her. His gaze, impossibly blue, frustratingly enigmatic, met hers.

  “Or, you could stay.”

  “Stay?” Skye waited, hoped, and was quickly shot down.

  “For a little longer.”

  One night of sex was all Jax offered. One night, she reminded herself, was what she wanted. Foolish, even for a second, to think they could have anything more.

  The past was impossible to forget. However, if they could find a way to leave the hurt behind, their lives were too different. He was a rock star, a god to his worshiping fans. She, an actress, perhaps on the verge of her first big break. The best they could expect would be a day here, a week there. Fun and exciting, but hardly the foundation of a healthy, sustainable relationship.

 
; Skye knew herself, knew her heart. One night, she could handle. Without Jax’s love, anything more would be impossible.

  Taking her in his arms, Jax didn’t give her time to say no—as if she would. Tomorrow, they would go their separate ways. Tonight, they belonged to each other.

  The kiss was different. Jax’s lips lingered, confident as before, but softer, dare she say… sweeter?

  “Turn onto your stomach,” he instructed with a guiding hand.

  Curious, Skye did as he asked then gasped at the feel of a kiss brushing the small of her back.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Experimenting.” Gently, he bit the slope of her left buttock, a second later, his tongue laved the area with surprising care. “Any objections?”

  “No. I just…” Inexplicably close to tears, Skye swallowed. “No objections.”

  “Good.” With one finger, he lightly traced the curve of her spine. “If I do anything you don’t like, say the word. I promise to stop.”

  Stop? Was he joking? Skye gasped, her nails digging into the mattress as his lips caressed every inch of her sensitive skin.

  If she weren’t certain he was the same man, Skye would swear Jax had been replaced with a kinder, gentler doppelgänger. In a blink of the eye, he’d turned from aggressive to tender, wild to restrained. Who was she to complain? Though stark in contrast, both methods met with her brain and her body’s approval.

  Jax nuzzled the back of her knee, kissing, nipping with his teeth.

  “You okay?” he asked, chuckling at her long, drawn-out moan. “Should I stop?”

  “No!” Skye implored.

  Jax laughed again. Normally, the self-satisfied sound would have raised her hackles. Instead, the only thing on the rise was her quickly heating blood.

  “Are you all right?” Skye still didn’t know what had motivated the change in Jax.

  Flipping her onto her back, his hands dipped between her legs. Spreading her thighs, his lips followed.

  “Me?” He looked up, into her eyes, just long enough to flash a grin. “Never been better. Now, shh. I’m busy.”

  “Jax…?”

  Whatever Skye planned to say—something scintillating and witty, she was sure—the words flew from her head the moment Jax reached his destination. An expert multi-tasker, even she couldn’t be expected to speak while her body basked in wave after wave of pleasure.