Jax Mitchell

by Jennifer Foor

  He called me that night, and I half expected one of us to cave and drive to be together, but we didn’t. We both agreed that time apart would enable us to grasp our connection a little better, though I did admit to him that I never felt chemistry with anyone like we had.

  Jax kept me on my toes with his normal jokester attitude. Christian was more worried than I was. She kept trying to tell me that Jax was only being nice to get into my pants. She even thought I’d slept with him that first night he’d stayed at my house. After spending nearly an hour trying to convince her otherwise, she finally settled down. We had lunch on Thursday, and I was already prepared for the slew of questions she was going to ask.

  I’d gotten out of my car and started walking toward the pool yard when I spotted her. Since Ethan had to work it was just going to be the two of us. Her mother had made chicken salad sandwiches, and since anything that woman made was heavenly, I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into it.

  We sat down at a table with an umbrella, and Chris started taking things out of a large picnic basket. The first item was a bottle of wine, with two plastic wine glass. “So, you better start spillin’.”

  “There’s nothing new to spill. Jax and I are dating, that’s all. Nothing has happened between us.”

  “You’re so full of it. My cousin isn’t interested unless somethin’ is happenin’.”

  “Chris,” I laughed. “I swear. Jax has been a perfect gentleman. He’s kind and patient with me. I told him everything.”

  “What? You’ve got to be kiddin’ me.”

  I shook my head with a big grin across my face. “Seriously. He’s wonderful. He’s so sexy, and careful. I’ve never met anyone like him.”

  She gave me the weirdest look. “Are we talkin’ about my cousin? The twin? The shallow pig that bangs everything with a vagina?”

  “Apparently not everything. He hasn’t banged me. He told me he’d wait until I was ready.”

  “He’s got to be on drugs. The Jax I know wouldn’t ever be that way for a girl.”

  “Well I guess he’s changed. He certainly isn’t a pig when he’s with me. We have fun together, and I feel safe. We’re spending the weekend with my parents, so I’ll let you know how that goes. After he meets them it could be a deal breaker. I’m honestly surprised he wants to go. I warned him about how awful they are. It isn’t going to be a fun time.”

  Chris seemed to change her tone. “Well, if anyone can lighten the mood it’s the twins. I’m sure he’ll have some witty way of making you smile, especially if he continues to be as great as you’re describin’. Don’t get me wrong. I love my cousin. He’s just always been a trouble-maker.”

  “He’s been a saint this past week. Opening up to him was a huge step for me. I hope things don’t change, because it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to trust someone.”

  She laughed loudly at the comment. “This is hilarious to me. I’m so sorry,” she giggled. “You must have him under a spell.”

  “There’s no spell. I’m telling you, he’s a good guy. He even gave me a pedicure and painted my toes.”

  “I saw the picture with the makeup. I thought he’d lost a bet.”

  “He lost at a race. I outran him.”

  She covered her mouth in a shocked sort of way. “You’re kiddin’? He must have been pissed. He hates to lose.”

  “I could tell. It was funny.”

  Just as I was talking so highly of him, I heard someone whistle. We both turned to see Jax leaning over the white picket fence that surrounded the pool yard. He was filthy dirty and dripping with sweat. I gave him a once over, noticing that he wasn’t taking his eyes off of me. Since I hadn’t told him I was stopping by the ranch I knew he was surprised. I waved and smiled. He waved back, silently sending me vibes that were definitely more than friendly gestures.

  When he opened the gate and began to strut closer I was already feeling my heart beating out of control. His disheveled hair was wet, and it glistened in the sun. His teeth were the only clean looking thing on his whole body. His chest, so defined, was shiny and begging to be wiped off.

  Christian broke my concentration. “You should probably pick your mouth up before somethin’ flies in it. Geesh, you’ve got it bad.”

  “Got it bad for what?” Jax asked as he stood amongst us.

  “Hi.” I was giddy. There was no use in hiding it, not when the proof was so easy to detect.

  Jax leaned forward and kissed me on the side of my lips. “Sorry I stink. I’ve been making love to pigs all day.”

  “Seriously? We don’t even own pigs, Jax,” Christian corrected.

  “I was kidding.” He never took his eyes off me when he spoke. “I need to make my girl smile. Every chance I get.”

  Yes, he called me his girl. Butterflies rumbled in my stomach as I appreciated how good it felt to be labeled that. My smile was cheek to cheek, while Christian pretended to be sick.

  “I must be dreamin’. There’s no way you two are already making names for each other.”

  “He’s my Skippy,” I added.

  Jax shook his head and stole a chip off his cousin’s paper plate. “I’ll be whoever she wants me to be.” He winked at me.

  “Should I leave you two alone?” She asked.

  “I just came by to say hello. I saw Amber’s car when I was grabbing something from the barn. I’ve got to get back to work.”

  I stood up and ambled in the direction he was walking. “Jax, wait up.”

  When he turned around he had a snarky grimace. “We can’t make out right now. I know I’m irresistible, but I’ve got to get back.”

  I didn’t care about the sweat, and he certainly didn’t smell bad. I wrapped my arms around his neck and brought my body closer. “I’m off tonight. Do you want to come over so we can leave first thing in the morning?” His beautiful light brown eyes looked into mine. “Are you inviting me to cuddle?”

  “Maybe.” I couldn’t help but smile.

  “Stick around for a couple hours. I’ll be done working, pack a bag, and ride with you. How’s that sound?”

  “It sounds like a date,” I replied.

  “How many more until we get to seven?”

  He’d been listening to me. That was another brownie point for him. “I’ll have to let you know.”

  He kissed me softly. “I’m looking forward to this weekend. I’ve never gone away with an older woman before. It’s sounds dirty.”

  I pushed him playfully. “Get back to work. I’d hardly say that nine months justifies calling me a older woman.”

  “Whatever you say, beautiful.”

  When Jax left and went back to work I had to face Christian. I could tell from the look on her face that she wasn’t amused. “This is by far the last thing I expected from either of you.”

  “Are you mad? I mean, I guess I should have asked if you were okay with it.”

  “I’m not mad at all. If Jax makes you happy than who am I to judge? He needs someone in his life. I just hope it’s for the right reasons. I’d hate to see you get hurt because he’s tryin’ to forget his ex.”

  She was right. I kept forgetting about Reese. I’d seen her that night when she was so broken up. It was obvious that she was devastated from hurting Jax. I wondered if she still had feelings for him, and if she did, would it ever change anything now that she’d been with his brother?

  “I’m living day by day with Jax. We’re having fun. For the most part we’re becoming friends.”

  “With benefits.”

  “We kiss. That’s all we’ve done.” I was leaving out the embarrassing dry-humping episode.

  “Please do me a favor and talk to him about Reese. Feel it out. If it seems like he gets offended, or defensive even, you’ll know he isn’t over her. I’m not trying to be a Debbie Downer. I just want to make sure that my closest girlfriend isn’t hurt by my cousin. I care about both of you.”

  “I know. I appreciate that.” I agreed with her, even if it was scary to th
ink about. Jax was exciting and new, like a shiny toy at Christmas. I didn’t want to think about having to walk away from him. “I hope you’re wrong, though.”

  After the Jax talk, we spent the rest of the afternoon drinking wine and lounging on rafts in the pool. Christian was such a good friend to me, and I adored being able to spend time with her by ourselves. Not only did we talk about our happy moments, but also things that scared us. We’d both left messages at the prison, but haven’t heard anything back yet. It was nerve-wracking.

  When we were too pruned to stay in the pool, we hugged and called it a day. I climbed into my car and drove down the dirt lane until I reached Jax’s trailer. It wasn’t anything fancy, but the inside had been fixed up pretty nice. I could tell someone else took care of it before he’d moved in. The curtains were floral, and pillows matched that sat on the furniture.

  As I sat there waiting for Jax I wondered if he had any reminders of Reese with him. Had he brought pictures with him when he moved? Did he sleep with a stuffed animal that he’d won her at a carnival? Did he take back jewelry he’d given her?

  I was overwhelmed with curiosity, so much that I wondered if I should look around. As soon as I made it into the bedroom I heard someone’s voice behind me, causing me to jump out of my skin.

  Chapter 23

  Jax

  “Look at you being all sneaky?” As I said it, I watched Amber jump and scream. I hunched over laughing at the way she’d reacted.

  “You scared the crap out of me.”

  “Were you going through my things?”

  She put her hands up and smiled. “Guilty as charged.”

  “You’re cute when you’re freaked out.” While Amber fidgeted, I sat down on my mattress and patted the spot beside me. “Come here.”

  She smiled, looking seemingly worried. “Why? Are you going to spank me?”

  “Not unless you want me to. I mean, you said we needed to go slow, but I’m up for it if you are.”

  She sat next to me and slapped my knee. “Shut up. I was only being curious. Don’t forget I spent the day with Chris. She thinks you have some hidden motive about being with me.”

  I shook my head. “Yeah, it seems that nobody has faith in me.”

  Amber leaned her head on my shoulder. “I’m nervous about tomorrow. I haven’t seen them in a long time. I’m praying they don’t embarrass you too much.”

  “I’m looking forward to meeting the two people who made such a beautiful woman. Trust me, they won’t embarrass me.”

  “Just remember they think I’m a bartender.”

  “Baby, you can service me any day.” While I laughed at myself, Amber shoved me down flat on the bed. She was smiling cheek to cheek as she climbed on top of me, pinning me down with her hands. We were face to face. “You’re making it really hard to go slow. In fact, I think you should start wearing old-lady sweaters. You know, the kind with the crocheted characters on the front?”

  She giggled and rested her head against mine. At the same time her phone started to ring. Amber flipped herself off of me and stood up to take the call. I watched her cheerful face turn bone white as the phone dropped to the floor.

  I jumped off the bed and caught her before she could break down. “Holy shit! Amber, are you okay?”

  I led her over to the bed and got her sitting down before picking up the phone. “Who the fuck is this?” The caller hung up.

  It took me a couple seconds to get her to calm down enough to be able to talk to me. When she did, I don’t think I was prepared for what came out of her mouth.

  “Please talk to me. You’re freaking me out. Who was that?”

  “Seth,” she whispered. “It was Seth.”

  “He’s in jail.”

  She nodded. “He is, but not for long. I got a letter the other day saying he was getting out early. We thought it was a mistake, but now I’m not so sure. He was supposed to be locked up for a few years. I don’t understand how this is possible. It’s only been one.”

  “Did he threaten you?”

  Amber nodded. “The whole pregnancy thing came out in court. He said that when he gets out he’ll make sure I never carry a child to term.” She burst into a crying fit. “He said he’d wait until I was alone and show me what it’s like to be assaulted for real, as if he didn’t hurt me before. Why is he doing this to me? Why, after all this time, is he threatening me?”

  I held her tight, feeling horrible that I wasn’t able to do more. “He won’t come near you, because he knows he’ll go back to jail. Do you know if he called Chris?” As much as I was worried about Amber, I couldn’t help but worry about my cousin.

  “She didn’t have to testify. He’s personally out for me because it was my testimony that put him in jail. My lawyer was vicious. That’s why I don’t get how he’s being released early.”

  “When we get back you should call their office and get things figured out. For now don’t worry. I don’t plan on letting you out of my sight, not even for a second.”

  Amber smiled through her anguish. “This is a horrible way to start a relationship, Jax. I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want to keep seeing me. It’s obvious that my past won’t let me move forward.”

  Did she really assume that I’d just let her walk away without a fight? Had she not listened to me vent about how much I’d lost in the past six months? “Nice try. You’re not going to get out of having sex with me that easily.”

  When she began to laugh I felt better.

  It took her a couple hours, but Amber seemed better after we ate dinner. Since she was still a little freaked out, we stayed at my place for the night. As much as I was trying to hold out, the recent events of the day left Amber vulnerable. She was clingy, which in some ways turned me on. When I went into the bathroom to take a shower I never expected to hear her voice from outside the curtain. “It’s just me. Do you care if I come in?”

  “You can come in if you’re doing a number one. A number two is prohibited while I shower. I need freshness all around me.”

  “Jax, seriously? Did you just say number two?”

  “Would you rather me say shit?” The whole time I spoke I had a huge grin on my face. It was my goal to keep her entertained.

  “I’m not using the bathroom. You don’t have to worry.”

  I peeked my head out to see her leaning on the sink. “You okay?”

  When she turned to look at me I saw that she was crying again. Since I was only halfway through washing I did the first thing that came to mind to make her feel better. I threw open the curtain and held out my arms. “Do you need a hug?”

  She refused to look anywhere but directly into my eyes. “You’re determined, I’ll give you that.”

  “We’ve seen each other naked. What’s the worst that can happen?” I actually knew the answer to this, but after she’d made me cum earlier in my pants, I was willing to go to extremes to touch her naked body.

  “I’m afraid of that.” She pointed between my legs. “The Jaxinator.”

  “He won’t bite. He may bark, but he’s not aggressive.”

  She sat down on the closed toilet seat. “I’m not getting a shower with you.”

  “Oh, you will. It’s only a matter of time. You can’t resist me forever,” I taunted.

  “That’s what scares me.”

  I finished washing, without closing the curtain. Amber calmed down and spoke the whole time, never paying attention to the fact that I was naked. She made me feel comfortable, unlike a new couple usually experiences at first. Whatever she asked me, I answered honestly, until she started talking about Jake.

  “Have you spoke to your brother since he left?”

  I climbed out and grabbed a towel to wrap around me. “No.”

  “Have you thought anymore about going back to school?”

  “Nope.”

  “Jax, I’ve watched you play. My god, your team won the championship. It’s obvious you were a huge part of that. You could be drafted to play in the
NFL. Are you going to let a tiff between you and Jake take that away from all your hard work?”

  I sighed. It was just like a woman to push buttons that I didn’t want to mess with. “Can we talk about something else?”

  “If you insist.”

  “Jake and Reese go to that school. They’re together. I can’t see them everyday while I mope around campus alone. Besides, I’m starting to really enjoy being in Kentucky.” I wasn’t ready to admit that she was lifting my spirits, but it was obviously true. I couldn’t remember feeling so happy, and I wasn’t even getting laid.

  “I’m writing my dissertation on -.”

  I put up my hand for her to halt from speaking. “Hold on. Are you doing that psychology thing to me again?”

  “Maybe.” She smiled and stood to be eye level with me. “I just want to see you happy. You’re lucky to have your brother.”

  I got that she lost her sister, and she longed to have that part of her life back even if it was out of reach. Her attempts to help me weren’t in vain. I knew she was right, but being stubborn was my way of dealing with it. “Let’s talk about something else? What side of the bed do you want?”

  “The middle,” she replied with a quirky smile.

  “Will you be wearing clothes?”

  “I’m planning on it.”

  I snapped my fingers. “Damn.”

  “I’ll make you a deal.” She rubbed her hands together as she caught me dropping my towel and dressing as if I were alone in the room.

  “I’m listening.” I pulled on a pair of boxer shorts.

  “I’ll sleep in only a pair of panties, if you call Jake and have a ten minute conversation with him.”

  “You play dirty.” I jumped on the bed, pulling her down with me. Amber had settled down, making me feel like I was doing a good job deterring her from thinking about that asshole that attacked her and Christian.

  “What’s the verdict?”

  “There’s no other option?”

  She shook her head. “Nope.”

  “Fine.” I picked up my cell phone off the nightstand and dialed my brother’s number. To impress Amber, I turned it on speaker so she could hear what was being said.