Resist

by Missy Johnson

  What have I done?

  Before I can find out, I hear the creak of the door behind me. Marina stands there, frowning. She ushers me out of the room, slamming the door closed with a bang.

  “You’re not allowed to speak to the other girls,” she scolds me, escorting me back to my room. “I’m going to have to tell Jaxon about this,” she adds. Her eyes light up and I glower at her. You don’t have to sound so happy about it.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t think,” I reply. I think about pretending I was lost but decide against it. She’s too smart to believe that for a second. We reach my room, and she waits until I’m inside before closing the door on me. As I hear her rushing away, I imagine her running right to Jaxon to tell him.

  Walking over to my bed, I lie down. I mull over Kendra’s reaction to me. Her response wasn’t normal. There was something so off about her behavior. And Marina said I wasn’t supposed to be talking to the other girls, but nobody has ever explicitly told me that.

  But maybe they’ve been told to stay away from me.

  A few hours later, I decide to venture outside. When I exit my room, Jaxon is nowhere to be found, and I’m glad. The last thing I want to do right now is face him. He must be angry I was snooping around. Guilt washes over me. I didn’t expect to feel so dirty, sneaking around. It’s why I’m here, after all.

  Snap out of it, Char.

  Why should I feel bad? It’s not like he’s Mr. Moral. Does he feel bad about how he treats women, or the fact that he has an army of them performing every act under the sun for him? Unlikely.

  I take a deep breath and shrug off my worries. It’s beautiful outside. The sun is shining and I can hear the rustling of the trees in the distance. I walk far away from the mansion, unable to shake the feeling that I’m being watched. You’re being paranoid, Char.

  Erren has emailed me three times and called twice looking for an update. I’m terrified of contacting him for fear that somehow Jaxon will discover my secret. I tell myself I’m being silly and dial his private line.

  “Charlotte, finally. I was beginning to think you’d disappeared.”

  “No, I’m just doing my job,” I say, ignoring his dig about my ending up like Jaxon’s last girlfriend. He’s as bad as Jess. A shiver races through me as I think about how close I’ve come to someone who may have been capable of making his ex disappear.

  “So, you have something, then?” The interest in his voice picks up a few notes.

  “Yes, I’m just not sure what yet, but there is definitely something here. Give me a couple more weeks and I’ll have something solid for you.”

  “Great.” He sounds pleased, and I can’t help but feel excited by the praise. “This is going to be huge for your career, Charlotte. If you can crack the uncrackable, there’s no telling what’s next for you. Keep me posted, okay?”

  I end the call and stare at the phone for a second, his words sinking in. He’s right. This is make or break for me. Feeling bad or guilty about what I’m doing will get me nowhere. I need to be ruthless and get what I need. If I can’t handle that, then I’m in the wrong career.

  I stay outside, walking the grounds for nearly an hour before I realize the time. I hurry back inside, remembering that Jaxon is expecting me to join him for dinner. My private line rings as I’m getting out of the shower. Wrapping a towel around my body, I sprint across the room.

  “Hello?” I say, diving across the bed to answer it.

  “I don’t like to be kept waiting, Charlotte.” The tone of his voice sends shivers down my spine.

  “I’m sorry. I’m on my way down,” I mumble. “I’m just getting dressed.”

  He breathes out slowly. “Please hurry.”

  The line goes dead. I hang up and grab the dress that’s been left out for me. Foregoing underwear as per his directions, I carefully ease the soft chiffon over my curves. I check my reflection in the mirror, satisfied with the way the fabric hugs my body.

  Jaxon is waiting for me in the foyer, dressed in a suit. He wears a cool expression that softens slightly when I near him. His dark eyes glisten in the light as they roam over my body. He nods appreciatively as I reach him.

  “You look stunning,” he murmurs, extending his arm. I’m a little shocked, but I accept it, looping mine through his. There seem to be two Jaxons, and I’m glad to be spending the night with this one.

  “Where are we going?” I ask, my voice neutral as he leads me outside.

  “A function for work.” He sees my alarmed expression and laughs. “Don’t worry, I’m not planning on making you do anything uncomfortable tonight. Well, not at the function, anyway.”

  I blush and drop my gaze, not liking how badly my body betrays me. All I can think about is him being inside me later, and I’m pretty sure he knows it. Hell, I’ve had more sex these last two weeks than I’ve had in the last three years.

  We arrive at a ritzy hotel, where Jaxon pulls up in front of a waiting valet. He exits the car, throwing his keys at the young man before coming around to my door. I take his hand and slide out, shivering as the cool air hits my bare arms. Why didn’t I bring a jacket?

  “Here,” he whispers. I smile as he slips off his jacket, covering my shoulders. I can still feel his warmth, and the soft smell of him makes my heart race. My hand still in his, he leads me inside. Men in suits and women in stunning dresses are everywhere. I feel out of place but I try not to show it.

  “What is this function for?” I ask. My voice cracks as his hand runs up the center of my back.

  “This is for one of the many charity events we support. Unfortunately, along with the hefty donations we make, we’re expected to attend these events too.”

  I take in the looks of surprise on the faces of the other guests as we walk through the crowd and smile.

  “I get the feeling you don’t attend as many of these as you should.”

  He smiles widely, his dark eyes twinkling. “Is it that obvious? I’m not exactly known for my social skills. I much prefer to sit back and run the company, leave all this to everyone else.”

  He stops a waiter and retrieves a flute of champagne, handing it to me. I smile before taking a sip. The smooth, fruity liquid bubbles on my tongue. It’s delicious, nothing like the bitter, cheap, nameless wine I’m used to. I pace myself, making sure there’s no chance of my overindulging. The last thing I want is to get even a little tipsy, because under-the-influence Charlotte loves to chatter. I cringe as I imagine all the things that would spill out of my mouth if that happened.

  “Are you hungry?” he asks, leading me over to a buffet full of various dishes. I wasn’t hungry until I saw these. I choose what looks like a mousse-filled tart and lift it to my lips. It smells intoxicating and tastes just as good. Jaxon smiles at my expression, and I’m guessing it’s obvious that I’m enjoying it.

  I pick up another one before backing away from the table. Jaxon tenses next to me. I follow his gaze to an older gentleman dressed in an expensive dark suit. He looks vaguely familiar, but with the slight haze of the champagne, I can’t figure out where I know him from.

  “I’ll be back in a moment,” he murmurs, dropping my hand. I watch as he walks over to the man, placing his hand on his back like they’re old friends. I’m still trying to figure out who the hell he is when I sense someone next to me. I jump when I realize it’s Ryan.

  “We meet again,” he says, grinning, his voice deep. I wince. The last time he saw me I was all over his daughter.

  “Hello,” I mumble, not meeting his eye. I feel awkward and embarrassed and I just wish he would go away. Jaxon hates this guy for a reason, and being so close to him makes me feel sick, because I have no idea what he’s capable of. But you trust Jaxon? I ignore the mocking voice in the back of my head.

  “You look different when you’re not all over my daughter,” he comments, and my eyes widen. He lets out a low laugh, enjoying my discomfort. He leans closer to me, his voice dropping to barely a whisper. “I just want you to know I wasn’t
annoyed at you. I know Jaxon well enough to realize he was behind that little stunt. Watch yourself around him. He eats pretty little girls like you for breakfast. A word of warning: Don’t trust anything he says.”

  His words chill me to the bone. I know he’s just trying to drive a wedge between us, but I can’t help wondering what he knows. There’s so much going on between these two that I have no idea what to think.

  “What’s your background?” he asks suddenly.

  I nearly choke on my champagne. “My background?” I repeat, coughing.

  “Yes. I’m sure becoming one of Jaxon’s many women isn’t a lifelong dream. What were you doing before this?” he presses. I step back and he follows, oblivious to how much he’s invading my personal space. Or maybe he just doesn’t care.

  “Uh, business. At college. But I found it too hard to secure a job afterward.” The lies tumble from my lips. My cheeks heat and I wonder if he can sense that I’m lying. He studies me closely until I turn away from him, scanning the room for Jaxon. I find him still in deep conversation with the silver-haired man. He looks up, his eyes locking on mine before they sweep over to Ryan. His expression becomes cold. He excuses himself from the conversation and marches in our direction. My body tenses as I take in his demeanor. He’s angry.

  “Don’t you have someone else you can go and bother, Ryan?” Jaxon asks, slipping his arm around my waist. Though his voice is light, I can feel the venom behind his words. Ryan’s smile widens.

  “I’m shocked to see you here,” he responds, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “That is, until I saw you talking to Martin.” Jaxon’s eyes narrow as his hold on my waist tightens. “Now I’m just really curious to know what the hell it is you’re up to.”

  “I don’t answer to you, Ryan,” Jaxon says, his voice calm. “Which means I don’t have to explain anything to you, nor do you have any business cornering my date in hopes of annoying me.”

  Ryan throws his hands up and laughs while backing away.

  “I came over here because your ‘date’ looked lonely. I also wanted to assure her there were no hard feelings after your childish little stunt.”

  “Right,” Jaxon begins, a smile slowly creeping across his face. “How does your wife feel about you comforting other women? And speaking of family, how is your daughter? You better watch that one. You can’t trust teenage boys around a pretty little thing like her.”

  Ryan’s eyes darken as Jaxon tugs at my hand. He starts walking, pulling me along with him toward the front of the hotel. I glance over my shoulder and see Ryan still standing in the same spot. His eyes lock with mine as his lips break into an eerie smile. I shiver and turn my attention back to not tripping in my four-inch heels, which after one champagne is proving difficult.

  “We’re leaving?” I squeak as we head out of the room and into the foyer of the huge hotel. “We just got here.”

  “I got what I came for,” he replies calmly.

  I spend the whole car ride home trying to figure out what the hell just happened. Who was the older guy Jaxon was talking to, and why did he seek him out? Apart from Ryan, he was the only person Jaxon spoke to at the function, so going there had to be about him.

  The car swerves around a corner. I grip my seat and shoot Jaxon a look. He laughs and rubs my thigh, mumbling something about relaxing. The guy I’m leaving with is the complete opposite of the guy I arrived with. This version of Jaxon is erratic and crazy. There’s a glint in his eye that scares the hell out of me.

  As the car slows to an abrupt stop outside his mansion, I sigh with relief. I’ve never been so thankful to arrive anywhere in one piece. Not waiting for Jaxon, who is walking around the car to help me out, I fumble with the door handle and fall out of the car and into his arms.

  “Careful,” he murmurs, steadying me. His lips are inches from mine and I don’t object when his fingers close around my waist. My heart pounds as he closes the space between us. No matter how little I know about this guy, I can’t deny the passion that pulses through my veins whenever he nears me. But it’s more than just physical. I know deep down there’s so much more to him than he wants the world to realize.

  I gasp as he lifts me into his arms and carries me inside. My lips find his as I caress the back of his head, unable to get enough of him. His hands cup my ass and I can feel his erection pressing against my leg.

  We take the elevator to his room, where he throws me on the bed. He falls on top of me, his hands fumbling to unbutton his pants. I work on his shirt, my hands running over his well-defined stomach. There is something different about tonight. The urgency to be with him is so much stronger, and I feel it’s the same for him. This is less about power and submission and more about us, which both terrifies and excites me.

  He shuffles out of his pants and boxers, then resumes his position between my legs. My arms around his waist, I gasp as he rips off my thong from under my dress. Nudging my legs further apart, he lowers himself down onto me, his eyes level with mine.

  “I thought I told you not to wear underwear,” he whispers, his eyes flashing.

  As he thrusts himself inside me, I feel like I’m looking into his soul. For once, I feel like I can see him, and not the front he puts up. I see something I’ve never seen in him before: vulnerability.

  He’s letting me in.

  I cry out, wrapping my legs around his waist as his cock fills me, every push bringing us closer together. I’m staring deep into his eyes, willing him to show me more, when everything changes. He releases inside me and then pushes me away, leaving me lying there, exposed. Anger clouds his face as he reaches for his pants and yanks them back on.

  I sit on the edge of the bed and tug at my dress, confused about what the hell just happened. I have no idea what to do. Should I try to comfort him, or just leave? In the end he makes the decision for me.

  “Go to bed, Charlotte,” he mutters, not meeting my eyes. “Go to bed and think long and hard about what you’re doing here.”

  I try to speak but the words aren’t there—which is a good thing, because I have no idea how to respond to that. I know why I’m here…don’t I? Gathering the sheet around my body, I walk toward the door and fling it open, praying I don’t run into anyone on the trek back to my room.

  Why am I here?

  I can tell myself over and over it’s just for a story, but I can’t lie to myself. This stopped being just about a story a long time ago. This messed-up man has gotten inside my heart. I’m falling in love with someone and I have no idea if he’s even capable of loving me back.

  In the safety of my room, I let the sheet fall to the floor and climb into my bed. I run over and over in my head what just happened. Something triggered that reaction, but I have no idea what. One second he was all over me and the next he couldn’t get far enough away from me. He couldn’t even look at me.

  I’m in way over my head. I can’t think of any way this could possibly end where I’m not going to wind up hurt.

  Or dead.

  Chapter 13

  Charlotte

  My heart pounds as I knock on the door of Ryan Hamden’s office. It’s the following night and my first chance to try to gain Ryan’s trust. It was my own idea to come here, and I’ve yet to decide if it’s a good or a bad one.

  The only problem is I have no clue what I’m doing.

  God, I’m shaking. This has got to be a bad idea. How is my getting close to Ryan going to help anything? Relax. Jaxon said he has a plan, so just go with it. If only it were that easy to trust someone I barely know.

  The door swings open and a very surprised-looking Ryan stands before me. His mouth twitches into a grin as though he’s just remembered who I am. The gleam in his eyes makes me feel physically ill.

  “Charlotte, right? Jaxon’s latest conquest?” I scowl at him, knowing his choice of words is an attempt to rile me up. Like he doesn’t remember exactly who I am. “What can I do for you?”

  “I was hoping we could talk,” I reply. He ushe
rs me inside. I cringe as his hand slides over my back and rests on my ass. Does his wife know he struggles to keep it in his pants? I’m tempted to ask where she is, but the idea is to befriend him, not antagonize him.

  “So, I take it you’re here about Jaxon?”

  “I wanted clarification.” I sit down in one of the two chairs that face his desk while he perches on the end of it. His eyes fall to my thighs as my skirt begins to ride up. I cross one leg over the other and rest my hands in my lap. “You told me that I shouldn’t trust Jaxon. I want to know what you meant by that.”

  He looks up, his eyes meeting mine. A smile slowly begins to spread across his mouth. I know he’s thinking that he’s won by putting doubt into my mind about Jaxon.

  “I must say, I didn’t expect this. Does Jaxon know you’re here?” he asks. He leans back in his chair and smirks, the smile reaching the little lines that surround his eyes.

  “What do you think?” I fire back. He laughs and nods, clasping his hands together on his desk. “I’m just…” I shake my head, trying to make this whole scene as believable as possible. If he smells the slightest hint of a lie, then I’m done. “I think I’m in over my head and I’m not sure how to get out.”

  “I don’t even know where to start with Jaxon, but you’re right to be worried.” His face grows serious. The hairs on the back of my neck prickle as I try to shake the nerves rising in my chest. “He’s a very, very messed-up man, Charlotte. Granted, he’s been through a lot, but I’ve never seen someone possess so much hatred for the world.”

  So far, he’s not telling me anything I didn’t already know, but I need to take this slowly. I only get one chance to earn his trust. If I fuck that up, I can kiss everything goodbye.

  “Is he capable of hurting those he’s supposed to love?” I ask, a lump rising in my throat. I swallow, not having expected that question to affect me so much.

  “Are we talking about the girlfriend?” Ryan raises his eyebrows. “Brynne? Or you?” I rub my lips together and tug at the collar of my shirt, suddenly feeling hot. “If you’re asking me if I think he did something to her, then I don’t know. The thought has crossed my mind. I wouldn’t be shocked if he did.”