Jase glared daggers at his friend. “I have nothing to talk about, I’m fine, and I don’t need you to take care of me.”
“Oh, you don’t?” Pax leveled him with a look, even his drunk self recognized as one he usually saved for out of line submissives. “How many times have you taken care of me? It’s about time I return the favor, I’m sure.”
“That’s different,” Jase slurred. “You needed taking care of. I don’t. And don’t you dare look at me like that ever again, Paxton. I’m not one of your naughty subbies.”
Pax chuckled. “Then don’t act like one, bro. I’m trying to help you, not because you’re incapable of taking care of yourself, but because you’re my best friend, something is obviously going on with you, and I think you need to talk to someone about it.”
Jase shrugged, noncommittally. “Nothing going on, bro. Just had a few too many is all.”
“If there’s nothing going on, why were you muttering about Ruby in your sleep?”
That got him. Jase swore softly, running a hand over his face. “Shit. Maybe you should sit down.”
“Maybe we both should,” Pax agreed. “But first, you look like you could use some coffee.”
“And breakfast,” Jase agreed. “The greasier the better.”
“It’s three in the morning.”
“Perfect time for bacon and eggs. Make mine over easy, with a side of hash browns, extra grease.”
“You’re lucky you’re cute,” Pax grunted, ribbing his friend as he called room service with the order.
“I am, aren’t I?” Jase teased back, his stomach growling as Pax handed him a steaming hot cup of coffee, and he tried to remember the last time he had eaten. Maybe breakfast.
“Sure. Now talk.”
Jase stared at his friend, a thousand thoughts rolling around in his head as he wondered where to begin. “I don’t need to talk, Pax. I need to put her behind me where she belongs and move on.”
“I’ve never seen you like this, man. Not at all, but especially not over a woman.”
“I know. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Nobody has ever gotten under my skin this way. Maybe I should have fucked her. That’s got to be the difference. We made plans, and I chickened out and when I pulled my head out of my ass she was gone back home with him, and I was left feeling like we had unfinished business.”
“I’m going to ignore the fact that you just used the phrase, should have fucked her in reference to my sister-in-law, and respectfully disagree with everything you have said. You’ve changed your mind with other women, Jase. Plenty of times, and for many reasons. And you’ve never felt like there was unfinished business. Not when it was your own decision, and never to this extent. No, this feels different. I just can’t put my finger on why.”
Jase rolled his eyes, trying not to let on that his friend was right. “It’s fine, Pax, it was just a drunken slip of the tongue, I’m sure. And even if it wasn’t, I’ll get over it, I have no choice. She’s with what’s his name, now. They’re getting married. Let it go, man.”
Pax eyed him thoughtfully, and Jase could tell he was considering his response carefully. “And if I told you that she and Trevor broke up? That Ruby moved back in with her dad for the time being? That they gave it their all, but just couldn’t make it work? What then?”
Jase’s heart leapt at the news, but he quickly shoved down any shred of hope he momentarily felt, reminding himself that the problem was much bigger than her being with Trevor.
“It doesn’t matter, man. Girls like Ruby, they want things; whole enchilada, white picket fence, baby on the hip, wedded bliss type of things. That’s not me, and it never will be. I don’t do commitment. You know that.”
“I do know that,” Pax agreed. “What I don’t know is why?”
Jase responded with a heavy sigh. Pax knew his reasons, he just refused to accept them as valid. “Let it go, man, there is no why. It’s just the way it is. Jase Oliver is not commitment material.”
The door buzzed, signaling the arrival of their early breakfast, and Pax gave him the side eye. “Fine. I’ll let it go. For now,” he said in a way that told Jase he hadn’t heard the end of it.
But it was fine. Next time Pax brought it up, Jase would be in better control of his faculties, and he’d be a locked vault. Without another word, he dug into his breakfast.
Chapter 14
“Tell me not to quit my job, Diamond. Tell me not to quit my job and run away to Vegas,”
Diamond’s mouth opened and shut in surprise as she listened to her sister rant and rave about the latest episode of the Van Doyle saga during their weekly Skype session.
“It’s one difficult client, Roo. It’s not the first one, and it won’t be the last. Your life is in Beverly Hills, Roo. Why on earth would you consider giving it all up, and running away to Vegas?”
Diamond stared as the tell-tale blush covered her sister’s cheeks. “Never mind. Forget I said anything. I’m being stupid.”
Pulling out her best trademark bossy big sister look, she stared Ruby down. “Roo. What is going on?”
Sighing, and unable to meet her gaze, Ruby shrugged. “I don’t have as much here as you would think. I mean, sure I have the business, but I could have it anywhere, I’m kinda tired of dealing with these overly difficult hoity-toity Hollywood bitches all the time. Trevor wanted to be here. He wanted to stay where it was comfy and rely on our families’ names to make our way. I never cared about all that. You know that. And sure, Dad’s here, but… he’s my dad. Trevor and work took up all my time. I never hung out with friends, and when I did, they were more Trevor’s than mine. I’ve been settling for a lot of years, Di. I have a decent life sure, but lately it feels like I’m just running on a hamster wheel, and I’m never going to get anywhere. I want to live my life my way while I have the chance. And I want my own friends, and I’d like work to be a little more fun. It’s my passion. I should enjoy it, rather than dread it for fucks sake.”
As if realizing belatedly that she had said more than she wanted to, she paused, and took a breath, staring at her desk as she traced circles on the wood with her fingertip. “And dammit, I want to find a kinky man. I’m not sure it’s the kind of man I want to end up with, but I’d sure like the opportunity to experiment more than I have.”
Diamond listened quietly as Ruby looked up, straight at her and continued. “I never finished my birthday weekend in Vegas bucket list. If Jase wasn’t such an asshole spazz, and Trevor wasn’t such a fucking liar, then maybe all my questions would be answered. But they are, so they weren’t.”
“If you came back to Vegas, would you try to get the answers? Maybe even with Jase?” Diamond prodded, carefully watching in awe as her sister blushed again. It was different this time. The flush covered her whole face and began to spread down her neck and chest and Diamond realized with a start that she had just hit the nail on the head. Interesting. Very interesting.
Ruby gulped visibly and seemed to be unable to answer, but it didn’t matter. The look on her face and the telltale blush was answer enough.
“Oh, shoot! I totally forgot I needed to meet Pax for lunch today,” Diamond lied as she pondered what to do with this new information. “Sorry, sis, I gotta go! Chat later!”
Shutting her laptop, Diamond leaned back on the bed with a smile as an idea formed. She honestly hadn’t realized that Ruby was as torn up about Jase as Jase was about Ruby. Not until today. But now that she had, she knew what she had to do.
With a quick glance at their shared schedule on her phone, she was able to see that Pax was tied up in meetings all day, and thankfully none of them were with Jase. He wouldn’t approve of her meddling, and she would probably get in trouble when all was said and done, but Jase had once meddled on her behalf and it was time to return the favor.
She found him easily. He was, like her a late riser most days so he was still in his suite. When she knocked, he pulled the door open and frowned.
“You’re not room se
rvice.”
“Nope. Can I come in?”
He shrugged and moved to the side, gesturing for her to enter. “Everything okay?”
“Everything is fine,” she agreed, cheerfully. “We need to talk, but I can wait until your breakfast gets here. You’re much more agreeable with food in your stomach.”
He grunted his agreement. “Should I call down an order for you, before it’s too late?”
“No thank you. I ate before I came. I wanted to keep my strength up.”
She smiled when Jase shot her a look that was riddled with suspicion.
“That sounds ominous.”
She contemplated her answer, but was saved from having to give one by the arrival of breakfast. She watched in silence as Jase tipped the bellhop generously, and served himself a steaming hot plate of steak and eggs before taking a seat at the small table and eyeballing her carefully.
“Let me guess. Pax sent you.” He shook his head, cursing under his breath. “I told him there was nothing to talk about.”
“I promise you my husband didn’t send me. Nor does he know I’m here. Neither I’m guessing will he be too pleased about it, and I’ll probably face consequences, but it will be worth it, if you’ll listen. This is too important to worry about his wishes until later.”
Jase shot her his famous shit eating grin, as he sipped from a fresh cup of coffee. “Well, if your bottom is at stake on my account, I’m sure the least I can do is hear you out. Color me intrigued.”
Diamond grinned back, praying he would still want to hear her out once she started talking. She took a deep breath. “We’re friends, right?”
“Yesss…” he responded carefully. “We’re friends. Unless or until it involves you wanting me to help you plot to do something your husband wouldn’t want you to do.”
“I promise it doesn’t. Simply having this conversation may fall under those parameters, but nothing else. None of it has anything to do with Pax, even remotely. This is all about you, Jase.”
“Oh. I see. A continuation of the conversation I’ve already had with Pax?”
“No. Maybe. Sorta,” Diamond answered, scrunching her nose. “Once upon a time, you were there to knock sense into Pax and me when we couldn’t see the forest for the trees.”
“I assure you this is not the same kind of thing. You two were crazy in love and miserable without each other. Any fool could see that. Ruby and I barely know each other. There’s a huge difference.”
“Oh, right.” Diamond traced her manicured finger across the table. “So, you had nothing to do with the time he ran out on me after we had sex the first time he spanked me onstage, and then showed up at my room hours later with a whole different perspective? That wasn’t you?”
Jase fell silent.
“That’s what I thought, Jase. You hated me at that time. You had just fired me, and with good reason, and you still fought for me in a way.”
“I wasn’t fighting for you. It was for Pax. He’d have wound up old, miserable and alone if he continued the way he was. All work, all the time. It was for him.”
“Okay. It was for him. That time. But the second time was just as much for me and don’t even try to deny it.”
The air hung tense between them as they both remembered.
“You flew to California, and showed up on my father’s doorstep. Pax wouldn’t even take my calls, and I was devastated. And you showed up, with plans and promises and harebrained schemes. And they worked, Jase. Everything I have, I have because of you.”
He couldn’t deny her words, and he didn’t bother to try. “It’s two completely different situations. Pax is a commitment kind of guy. His problem was he was too good. Too stubborn to not blame every little thing that happened on his damn self. My problem is different. I’m not cut out for anything real, Diamond. No amount of friendly pep talks is going to change who I am deep down.”
“Oh, yeah?” Diamond leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest, and pursed her lips as she glared at him. “And what, pray tell is that?”
He looked like he wanted to pull out his Dom card, and call her on her obvious ‘tude, rather than respond, but she knew he wouldn’t. If she crossed a line, he might tell Pax, but she would worry about that later.
“Drop it, Diamond. Ruby deserves better and that’s all you need to know.”
“She’s my sister, Jase. You think I don’t think she deserves the best? I know she does. I happen to also know that’s you.”
The shock on his face was clouded by a hint of hope, but it vanished a split second after it appeared, and the cynical, self-loathing Dom returned quickly. She wasn’t giving up. She leaned forward, uncrossing her arms and resting them on the table.
“So your home life sucked, your parents’ marriage was volatile, and when they finally gave up on each other, they each went through a long string of short lived marriages to follow.” Jase’s eyes darkened at the mention of his history, a history he had never told her about. It was official now. Pax was going to kill her. She’d worry about that later. “I know all that. Tell me something I don’t know. Like what in the hell any of that has to do with who you are.”
Her plea was met with stubborn silence.
Sighing, she forged ahead. “I’ve never even met your parents, Jase, and I know you’re nothing like them.”
“You don’t know me.”
The words stabbed her heart with their coldness, and she forced herself to see it for what it was. Nothing but a poorly executed defense mechanism, and an unoriginal one at that.
“Cold, Jase. Cold and untrue. You forget that I’ve known you longer even than I’ve known my husband.”
“You knew me as your employer. That doesn’t count.”
“It doesn’t? Let me tell you what I learned about you during the four years I worked for you, Jase, and then you can tell me if it counts or not.”
His look was one of grave unamusement.
“I learned that you looked out for your employees, and your customers alike. That as long as they treated you well, you treated them like family. I learned you were tough to get to know, but worth getting to know. You work hard, and play just as hard. You don’t take life too seriously. You don’t have many close friends, but you will fight like hell for the ones you have. You believe in love, the kind of love that lasts forever, but you don’t believe in it for yourself. You are a great Dominant, but because you don’t like commitment, you don’t consider yourself a real Dom. You get the lifestyle though, and you keep an eye out for the newbies. You’re good at sizing people up, and your instincts are spot on, but when they aren’t, you believe in giving people second chances. You commit to your business, your employees, your customers, your friends and life, but for some reason, you won’t commit to a woman, even though you finally found one who makes you want to.” She leaned back, and regarded him with a saucy grin. “How did I do?”
“Doesn’t matter what I want, Diamond,” he said, responding only to her last point.
“It’s all that matters, Jase!” she declared passionately. “It’s everything! You can sit there and pretend I don’t know you, but I just proved otherwise, and the truth of the matter is you once did everything in your power to make sure Pax and I got our happy ending when we both thought all was lost. And I intend to do the same for you. So get on board, and buckle up, cause we’re about to go on one hell of a ride my friend.”
He never should have invited her in. That much was becoming clear fast. The truth was, he knew as much about Diamond, as she knew about him, including that she was stubborn as hell, would do anything for her friends, and had been known to put her ass on the line in both the literal and figurative sense, when she decided something was worth fighting for. Apparently, she had decided to fight for him.
Taking a deep breath, he frowned at her. “I don’t suppose I have a say in this? It is my life we’re talking about after all.”
That deflated her for a minute, and she had the couth to look chag
rined as she bowed her head, and traced a well-manicured finger across the tabletop, as she gathered her thoughts. He waited.
Finally, she stopped, straightened her back, and looked him straight in the eye. “If you can honestly say that you don’t want to try, that this isn’t worth it, and you’re willing to give up on something you clearly want because you’ve got some skewed view of your own self-worth, then I’ll walk out the door and never bring it up again. But I’m gonna tell you right now, Jase, if you quit before you’ve started on something this important, I’ve clearly given you too much credit, and you’re not the man I thought you were.”
He wanted to tell her that he wasn’t, and to go ahead and walk, but dammit, he wanted to be. Everything she said and more. For Ruby.
She was still keeping eye contact, and he held it, even though he felt vulnerable as fuck. He could almost see her thoughts racing as she searched his face.
There was a heaviness in the air between them, and finally she sighed. “I want to do this for you, Jase. For you and for Ruby. Because I see something there between you and I know it’s what you both want, even if both of you are too afraid or stubborn to admit it. Please let me do this. For everything you’ve ever done for me, Jase. Please just let me do this for you—this one thing.”
“It’s asking a lot, Diamond. It’s not a little thing.”
She giggled, knowing he was wavering. “You haven’t even heard my plan yet.”
“I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?”
“I’ve never regretted going along with your plan. Not for a second,” she answered confidently. “I only hope when this is all said and done, you can say the same.” She jumped out of her chair and crossed the room, pulling the door open, and motioned for him to follow.
“Here’s hoping,” he muttered as he closed the door behind them.
Chapter 15
Claimed (Vegas Nights Book 2) Page 15
