JASON and KEANNE

by Marian Tee

  “Thank you, Jaike,” she said, suddenly feeling shy.

  Jaike grinned. “Now, now, don’t go shy on me. We girls have to stick together – especially when we’re still outnumbered.” A mischievous look in her eyes, she told the younger girl, “And just to cheer you up, I’m going to share with you one little tidbit so that you know what’s different between the Jason who’s with Lilac…and the Jason who’s with you.”

  ****

  Jason tried not to look perturbed when he saw Jaike coming back from the ladies’ room – alone. “Did Keanne stay behind?”

  Jaike appeared surprised at the question. “Oh, she’s not here yet? She bumped into a friend in the ladies room. I think some of her friends are here...maybe she stayed at their table for a while or something?”

  Seeing the way his friend’s gaze became chilly, Derek asked, “Were they all girls?”

  “I don’t think so?”

  Jason got up without a word.

  “You should have lied,” Derek scolded her gently when his friend left.

  Jaike surprised the whole table by giggling.

  “What’s so funny?” Christien asked curiously.

  “Nothing.”

  A sly look entered Reid’s eyes and Jaike tried not to grimace. Trust the Prince of Darkness to be the first to catch on.

  Before she could tell Reid off, Derek whispered into her ear, “You giggled.”

  “Errr…yes?”

  “It was sexy as hell and now I’m turned on.”

  She half-twisted around to gape at him. “Derek!”

  The passion in his gaze made her want to sigh, and the determined look on his face succeeded in making her shiver. Suddenly, it felt like the collar around her neck burned, as if it had been heated by her desire.

  “Now, Jaike. Before I touch you here.”

  She shot to her feet. “I think I need to, umm, go to the ladies room again.”

  Derek stood up, too, his movement more lazily graceful than harried. “I will accompany her.”

  His friends groaned, making Jaike blush.

  “Just because she giggled, Derek?” Nathan asked incredulously.

  Jaike groaned.

  “Wait until you’re in love, gentlemen, and then you’ll know.”

  Chapter Ten

  What the hell did she think she was doing, talking to strangers when she didn’t have a damn thing under her dress?

  It didn’t matter that she probably knew the guys surrounding her. Jason didn’t know them, and that was all that fucking mattered. It didn’t matter that no one knew she didn’t have panties on. Jason knew, and that was what fucking mattered, too.

  When Keanne only continued laughing and chatting with the other guys, not even glancing his way when he was standing just a few feet away from her and glaring murderously at her back, Jason’s temper snapped and he stalked towards her.

  “Keanne.”

  The hairs on the back of her neck stood at the ominous tone of his voice even though she pretty much wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. Jaike had told her that Jason had never been really jealous over Lilac, except for the one time that he had been drunk. That had to mean something, Jaike told her. So if he was to act jealous now when made to believe she was flirting with other men, surely that had to mean something, too?

  And it did. She didn’t care what it really did mean, but all she knew was that it was a good thing. A person only got jealous over someone he – she – loved…right?

  When she was sure she had schooled her expression into something that would not betray how happy she was, she turned around, her smile welcoming. “Jason, I’d like you to meet---”

  Someone accidentally bumped into the guy to her right from behind, which shoved Archie straight into her breasts.

  Merde.

  Keanne’s gaze flew to Jason’s. “No---”

  But it was too late. His blue eyes had turned into ice, his rage the cold and precise kind. She knew it meant he was thinking very clearly, and he was focusing every bit of his impressive intelligence in figuring out how to best destroy the man in front of him.

  “Jason, no, you don’t understand---”

  When Archie straightened, Jason’s fist greeted him, and the other man promptly fell flat to the ground.

  Someone in the crowd shrieked in surprise.

  “Oh my God!” Keanne fell to her knees. “Archie, are you---what the hell are you doing?” Keanne struggled ineffectually against Jason’s hold as he hauled her back up.

  “You don’t have panties,” he hissed to her in French.

  Oh, oh, shit.

  This was just getting worse and worse. She prayed fervently that there were no hidden reporters in Christien’s club – or at least that no one around had been lucky enough to take a snapshot of her most private parts.

  “Why are you flirting with these men?” His voice was lethally quiet.

  She looked at him a little fearfully. “It wasn’t like that.” Had she really wanted Jason to be jealous? She was so stupid to wish for it. Maybe she wasn’t as mature as she had hoped to be. Never again did she want to see the look in Jason’s eyes now – he looked fit to commit murder…because of her.

  She wanted her gentle Jason back, the white knight everyone ran to. He might have a dark side, but that had only been a secret between the two of them and something she didn’t want anyone else to know.

  “Answer me,” he snapped when he saw a frowning Christien making his way towards them. He knew he had little time left before he had to fix the mess his jealous rage had created.

  “They weren’t...I wasn’t…”

  “Don’t lie!”

  “They are gay!”

  Jason’s jaw dropped.

  She had a hard time meeting his gaze. “I just wanted to know if you would be jealous over me,” Keanne whispered. “I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry. I won’t do it again.”

  Jason waited for the fury to hit him. For such a long time, he had witnessed how Karla Niall ran circles around his twin, playing the cruelest games in an effort to keep Nick jealous and perpetually interested in her.

  Watching Karla and Nick together had been painful, and he had once vowed to himself that he would never leave himself vulnerable to a woman who played games.

  Wasn’t it the same now?

  He looked at Keanne again, who seemed as if she was about to make herself sick with fear. She looked like she was about to throw up any second as she stared at him with misery in her eyes. It was clear that she would never do it again, not even if she herself was eaten alive by jealousy…

  Ah.

  His face marginally softened.

  Silly girl.

  Keanne had wanted to know if he would be jealous over her – if there was enough space in his heart for him to be jealous when they both knew that most of his feelings were still tied up with Lilac.

  Christien had reached them now, but he didn’t care. He didn’t want her suffering because of him. He said quietly, “I will always get jealous over you, Keanne.”

  He watched her try to speak several times, and his heart did a little twist at the way his normally feisty and talkative little doe was unable to say a word after what he had revealed.

  Finally, she seemed to give up and touched her heart. Three times. I love you.

  He inclined his head in understanding because he really was beginning to accept it. Maybe, maybe Keanne really was in love with him. He shouldn’t be fucking happy about it, but he was.

  Christien asked dryly, “Are you two done looking at each other like lovesick fools?”

  Keanne gave Jason’s friend her best lovesick expression as she once again fluttered her lashes.

  Christien laughed.

  Jason wondered if Keanne knew how rare that sound was. Although he was the most charming among them, the most urbane and civilized, Christien was probably the coldest among them, too. It was very rare for him to warm to a person so easily, and the thought had a thunderbolt of jealo
usy striking his heart and making his chest ache.

  Well, fuck me, Jason thought. Keanne really didn’t have anything to worry about. As it was, it seemed like he was fated to be jealous about every little thing that had to do with her and another man – and it didn’t seem to matter even if the other man was one of his closest and most trusted friends.

  “Do not thump me just for laughing at your girl’s joke,” Christien said in the same dry tone.

  He was about to answer when he saw Keanne’s smile falter.

  And then she said lightly, “You forget. I’m not yet his girl. But I will be soon, right?” She looked up at him and fluttered her lashes once more.

  With all his heart, he wished he could tell her that he wanted her to be his girl.

  But he couldn’t.

  Not just yet.

  If he was to give himself to Keanne, she deserved to have him completely, with his heart intact and beating only for her instead of halved between her and another girl.

  And so all he could say was, “Soon.” But he touched his heart, too, reminding her of their bond – something that he and Lilac never had.

  Her smile slowly came back in full force. “Soon,” she agreed softly.

  “That’s all well and good, but I’m afraid you won’t be his girl tonight.” Christien’s gaze moved down, where poor Archie was only starting to regain consciousness. “We need to fix this first, and that means a ride to the police station in case this gentleman decides to file charges.”

  “I won’t,” Archie said from below.

  Keanne started to kneel down again, only to be stopped by Jason, who pointedly looked at her legs.

  Oh, right. She didn’t have panties on. Merde. Having no panties was such a pain. No wonder actresses and pop stars often found themselves subjected to humiliating snapshots of their private parts.

  Jason and Christien helped Archie up. “I apologize for hitting you,” he said gravely. “It is my fault and I understand if you do change your mind about pressing charges.”

  “Nah, it’s all good. Your girl here explained to me about her wanting to see if you had the green-eyed monster in you.”

  Jason said sardonically, “I’m afraid you can personally answer that now.” He took out his wallet and gave Archie his business card. “I am in your debt.”

  Archie grinned. “I know who you are, of course, so this card is worth getting knocked out cold.” He frowned. “Although my jaw still aches like hell.”

  Jason winced.

  “I’m really sorry.” Keanne moved to hug Archie, but Jason swiftly pulled her back to his side, his arm going around her waist. Archie might be gay, but he still had a man’s body and no way was Jason allowing Keanne to hug any other man but him.

  Keanne looked up at him in exasperation. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “You wanted to know if I can be jealous. Right?”

  “But he’s gay!”

  “Since the day I was born,” Archie said cheerfully. “But I really don’t want to have another taste of your guy’s fist, so I think that’s my cue to leave.”

  When Archie left, Jason looked at Christien pointedly. Right now, all he wanted to do was kiss Keanne. The sooner they were left alone, the better.

  “I know you want me to leave. I can see it in your eyes. Unfortunately, I have a message to pass on to you.” Christien switched to Greek. “Your twin called. He needs you to talk to his betrothed because she’s just found out about what you did.”

  Jason nodded shortly.

  Christien smiled at Keanne before leaving and she made herself smile back. When Jason’s friend left, she said tonelessly, “He didn’t know I can speak Greek.”

  “No. He did not.”

  “Talk to Lilac then---” When he started to speak, she shook her head. “I know it’s important. So talk to her. And then…and then we can talk.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Most of the lights of Keanne’s home were shut off by the time Jason’s car rolled into its driveway. Security dogs and at least a dozen guards were in the vicinity when he got out of his car, and Jason found the sight more assuring than worrying. He was like Amie that way. He preferred to be extra cautious and armed when it came to the security of his loved ones.

  The front door was opened by the Summers’ elderly butler before he could even knock. “Is she awake?” It was already three in the morning and if she was asleep, he would leave quietly, wanting Keanne to rest.

  “She wishes to speak to you the moment you arrive, sir.”

  “She’s sleeping then.”

  “In the living room.”

  “I’ll wake her up myself. Thanks.” Jason made his way to the living room reserved for intimate friends, and as expected, he saw Keanne’s small form curled on the sofa. She had been crying. He saw that she had rubbed her face free of makeup, probably washed her face a few times just so there would be no signs of her tears.

  It didn’t work.

  It would never work because he knew her too well.

  He crouched down on one knee in front of her and touched Keanne’s face.

  She woke up instantly, her eyes slowly opening. “Hey.”

  “Hey.” When she moved to get up, he helped her, scooping her up so he could sit down and place Keanne on his lap. As she snuggled against him, he asked quietly, “Are you sure you want us to talk? It’s three in the morning.”

  “Have you been talking to Lilac often since…since she and Nick left?”

  “No.” He did not hesitate to lie, his instincts telling him that he must never let her know that the opposite was true.

  Her body relaxed against him, and Jason realized that she had been holding her breath while waiting for his answer.

  “And what did you talk about now?” Keanne bit her lip. “What did Nick mean when he said she found out about what you did?”

  He spoke carefully, knowing that Keanne mustn’t ever learn the truth about what he had done either. She would only be hurt by it, and she had been hurt enough in this lifetime. “She found out that I’ve hired investigators to search for a man who had hurt her in the past.”

  “And she’s mad about that?”

  “Nick and I have reason to believe that the man’s now working with Davos, whom you know has been on the run ever since Beatrice agreed to become a state witness in the case we’re filing against him.”

  Ah. She knew Jason hadn’t told her everything that had happened to him and his twin in the past, but she knew enough to understand why Lilac was concerned. Davos was a dangerously deranged man. Only someone with a sick mind could have ordered such a brutal attack against Nick, who had been a teenager at that time.

  “I don’t want you in danger either,” she whispered.

  “I won’t be in danger. I’m not the one who’s personally looking for him.”

  “It doesn’t matter. He’s…bad.”

  His voice hardened. “Men like Davos must be made to pay for their sins. You understand that, don’t you?”

  Unfortunately, she did.

  “Just promise me you’ll be careful. I know – more than anyone in the world - I know and understand the need for revenge. But I wouldn’t want you to have revenge if it’s at the cost of your life.”

  “I always take care. You know that, ma petite.” When he saw that she was about to argue with him again, he simply ended the discussion by taking her lips in a kiss.

  Keanne froze for a second before she succumbed to his kiss with a sigh, her arms going around him.

  He carried her up to her room, knowing the way to it since they had been each other’s frequent visitor for years. He laid her gently down on the bed, his cock hardening into a full erection at the sight of her near-naked body. She was dressed in a flimsy silk nightgown, one that left little to the imagination.

  When his gaze went back to Keanne’s face, he saw that she was staring at his cock in dry-mouthed wonder.

  “Yes,” he purred. “Now’s the time you can have a taste of it.�
�� But first he needed something. He went to her drawers, knowing exactly which one to open.

  When he returned, her eyes widened when she saw what he was holding. “Umm…”

  “To tie you up, of course.”

  And before she knew it, he had her arms up and tied to one of the bed posts with her own darn stockings.

  She tried to pull her arms free, but the knot surprisingly didn’t give. Keanne grimaced. “Have a lot of experience with this, don’t you?”

  “You should be glad for it,” he returned wickedly. “I will be a huge disappointment to a passionate girl like you if I came to you a virgin.”

  “I’m still a virgin.”

  “But you don’t have a virgin’s appetite, ma petite.” Jason ran a finger from her neck to between her breasts, slowly and sensually as if to prove a point. Such a simple touch and she was already arching against him, a whimper escaping past her lips.

  “Jason.”

  “Do you understand now?” He let his finger trail lower, past her navel and then down to her very core, his finger taking its sweet time as he caressed the flesh between her folds.

  “Jason!” This time, she gasped it out.

  “Not just any man will be able to make your body throb.” His eyes flashed. “Not even that boy Gabriel can make you feel like this.”

  She could only look up at him in a daze, so lost in his touch that she couldn’t even remember who Gabriel was.

  “Keanne.” Her name on his tongue was like a caress, reminding her of the way she nearly died with pleasure as his tongue slipped between her folds. “I asked you a question. Do you understand now?”

  He cupped her suddenly, his hand completely engulfing her mound, and then he squeezed.

  “Yes!” Her head twisted left and right. She wanted so badly to take off her clothes now, but with her hands tied over her head it was impossible.

  “I’m going to touch you. I’m going to kiss you. I’m going to drive you wild with pleasure until all you can think of is me. But you must control yourself and not let yourself come until you have my cock in your mouth. Do you understand?”