Persuasion Skills

by Laurel Cremant

  They’d met while they were both students at the University of Miami. He’d shared a small apartment in Coral Gables near the university with a roommate known to be more than a bit of a man-whore.

  At the time, Jax didn’t mind. He was in the process of getting his PhD in computer engineering and spent most of his time in the computer lab anyway, so his roommate’s Casanova activities never really bothered him. The few times they did, Jax had just ignored the noises coming from the adjoining room or gone right back to the lab to get some work done, or to the gym to blow off some steam.

  The night he met Pepper was one of the rare Saturday nights he wasn’t holed up the lab working on a project. He was exhausted and had no intention of returning to campus. All he could think of was passing out in his bed and, he hoped, getting enough rest to make it through the next day.

  He remembered pausing on the outside of his apartment door at the sight of the bright green and orange striped tie hanging from the door knob. It had been the signal that Javier, his roommate, was hooking up with yet another woman for the night. He’d rolled his eyes at the sound of an R. Kelly song drifting from inside the apartment. The man, as usual, had very little imagination when it came to seduction.

  Ignoring the tie on the door, Jax had walked inside, not bothering to keep his eyes averted from whatever seduction scene the playboy had set up in the living area.

  Whatever he had been expecting to see when he walked through the door was quickly squashed.

  Dishes and utensils had been spread across the floor along with two upturned glasses of red wine, the remains of what looked like a romantic dinner scattered across the carpet. The lights had been dim, and candles flickered around the room.

  Cast amongst the sad remnants of an attempt at romance, on the floor in the center of his living room, had lain Javier, naked and hog-tied in what looked like bright red bungee cords. He’d had what appeared to be black and gold paper stuffed in his mouth as a makeshift gag smothering his grunts as he tried to scoot across the carpeted floor.

  Despite the unusualness of Javier’s situation, what had captured Jax’s attention was the sight of a young woman standing over Javier wearing nothing but a small pair of pink cotton panties and a sexy pair of pink high heels, staring down with a look of fury stamped across her face.

  Even during that first look, Jax had thought she was gorgeous. Her skin was the color of milk chocolate, and it highlighted every delicious inch of her curvy legs, rounded ass, and, to this day, the most amazing pair of breasts he had the pleasure of viewing.

  He just stood at the door staring at her, entranced, even as she drew back a shiny pink-leather-encased foot and kicked his roommate in the balls. Jax could only stare, captivated, at her free and bouncing breasts.

  “How does it feel to be tied up without your consent, asshole?”

  Her yell and his roommate’s responding moan of pain had snapped him out of his breast-induced trance.

  “What the hell is going on here?”

  He’d dropped his bag near the front door and marched towards the center of the room, pausing briefly to switch the stereo off.

  She’d barely spared him a glance as she pulled back her foot and kicked his roommate again.

  Jax had been surprised the man’s balls didn’t push up his throat and pop the paper from his mouth. Tears had been streaming from Javier’s face, and only small whimpers had escaped through the makeshift gag at that point.

  Before she could land another brutal blow, Jax had grabbed her around the waist and hauled her back several feet away from Javier. He’d pulled her arms down to her sides and dragged her with her back flush to his chest.

  She’d flailed her legs, and he had tried hard not to focus on her lush ass rubbing against him and the smooth soft feel of her breasts brushing across his arms as he struggled to hold her still.

  “I repeat, what’s going on here, and while you’re at it, who the hell are you?” he had said through clenched teeth.

  “Your friend here seems to think it’s okay to tie a woman up during sex even if she explicitly says no.”

  Jax had had to quickly avoid her attempted head butt.

  “He thinks that just because I agreed to sleep with him, he gets to choose what I can and can’t say no to. I was just showing him what happens when he refuses to listen.”

  “Shit!” He’d loosened his hold on her and glared down at the slimy jackass.

  To hear that Javier was into bondage hadn’t been a surprise, but hearing that the prick used force had caused a cold fury to ignite in the pit of his stomach.

  He’d released Pepper and stood back as she quickly jumped away from him.

  “If that’s the case, then be my guest and have at him,” he’d said, not bothering to hide his anger.

  For the first time, he’d studied her face and seen the tears hovering on her thick eyelashes and trailing down her high, round cheeks. She had deep brown eyes and a face haloed by an afro of riotous dark curls.

  For all of her curves, she was a small woman, the top of her head barely reaching his shoulders. The thought of Javier manhandling her had Jax ready to step in and finish the job she’d started.

  She’d stood facing him with her feet in a wide stance and her fists firmly planted on her hips, her head held high while she gave him a death stare.

  “That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”

  He sighed and shrugged out of his button-down shirt.

  “Listen, aside from the fact that I have a mother and sister and I’d kill any guy who tried to hurt them,” he’d said softly, “no guy has the right to force himself on a woman.”

  He’d approached her tentatively and handed her his shirt.

  “My name is Jax, by the way.”

  As if finally realizing her lack of clothing, she’d snatched the shirt from his hands and held it close, covering her breasts from his sight.

  “Pepper,” she’d said. A smile flirted across her lips. “That’s my name. Pepper Holts.”

  He’d nodded, cleared his throat, and glanced back down at Javier.

  “Do you want me to call the cops?” he had asked, sneering down at the still sniffling man.

  At the sound of her sigh, he’d looked up to see her shrugging into his shirt.

  “Don’t bother. I think he’s learned his lesson.”

  She’d buttoned the shirt, and his eyes had sharpened at the sight of her shaking hands.

  “Are you okay? Do you need me to take you to the hospital?” he had asked as kindly as he could as he clenched his fists open and closed at his sides.

  She’d snapped her head up at his tentative question. Her eyes registered shock before a satisfied smile spread across her lips.

  “No worries, He-Man. An overprotective father and ten years of tae kwon do kept my virtue intact,” she’d said before dissolving into giggles.

  Her laughter had startled him. Seeing his expression had only seemed to make her laugh harder.

  She’d plopped down on the sofa and struggled to control herself.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “It just figures,” she had said as she tried to smother her laughter, “that when I’m finally ready to get rid of my virginity, I end up having to defend it, instead.” She’d chuckled.

  He could only assume that his eyes had rounded to comical proportions because she’d dissolved into laughter again. Her rounded face had appeared so young—too young to be dating a guy like Javier.

  “How old are you?”

  “Eighteen.”

  “Jesus, you’re barely legal!”

  “Would it have been okay if I were older?” She’d tilted her head towards his roommate.

  “Of course not,” Jax had said quickly and cleared his throat. “It’s just that he usually only dates college girls.”

  “I am in college. A senior, not a freshman,” she’d added, most likely seeing the skepticism on his face. “I finished high school early and have been on an accelerated
track at UM. I graduate in a few weeks.”

  She’d glanced at Javier and shaken her head.

  “I just wanted to do one quintessentially irresponsible college-like thing before I graduated, and look what happened,” she’d said, a look of disgust lighting across her face.

  Not knowing how to respond to that little bit of news, Jax had turned his attention back to Javier.

  The bastard had seemed to have recovered slightly and had awkwardly resumed scooting himself across the carpet towards a discarded knife that must have fallen to the floor during his skirmish with Pepper.

  Finally focusing his full attention on him for the first time, Jax had seen what Pepper had used as a makeshift gag. A small, crumpled box of condoms.

  He had snorted at the label. Magnums.

  From where he was standing, aside from being a bastard that was into rape, his roommate had also seemed to have delusions of grandeur. What a douche, he’d thought before striding over and kicking the knife away from his reach.

  “So what should we do with him?” he’d asked as he crouched down in front of Javier.

  “You can untie him.”

  “Seriously,” she’d said when she’d caught the look of disbelief Jax threw her. “I doubt he’ll be trying any of his tricks again.”

  Her decision didn’t sit well with Jax. There was no telling if the bastard might try the same thing on someone else less able to defend herself.

  Regardless of her choice, he’d made a promise to himself to at least report the creep to the university security office.

  “It looks like I need to start looking for a new roommate,” he’d said.

  He had ignored Javier’s indignant grunt and scowl and had begun untying the bungee cords from around the man’s wrists.

  He’d paused when he glimpsed a frilly white blouse just under the coffee table. There was a long visible tear along the front. He reached forward and picked up the soft, delicate garment.

  Before he had time to temper his reaction, he’d pulled back his fist and punched Javier’s face to the floor. The moment he’d made contact, a sense of contentment flooded him.

  “Hmm. Nice punch.”

  He’d glanced over his shoulder to find her sitting primly on the couch.

  “Thanks.” He’d grinned at her smiling, approving face.

  The entire incident had made him feel incredibly protective of Pepper, and, despite their age difference, they’d become quick friends.

  While he had spent a few years working in a local Research and Development lab, she had gone on to get her Masters’ in business. Eventually, they had expanded their friendship into a more than successful business.

  Jax shook himself out of the old memories.

  If over the years he’d felt any twinges of attraction to his close friend, he’d quickly staunched them, not wanting to mess with the best relationship he ever had. All of that changed when his mother passed away.

  Losing his mother had caused him to take a step back and really think about what he wanted in life. The answer rang clear and true in both his heart and mind. Pepper. He wanted Pepper Holts. Not as his friend, not as his business partner, but as his lover and partner in life and marriage.

  He’d always thought of marriage as a social and biological necessity, not as an emotional one. It took realizing his own mortality to see that the idea of marriage had never really appealed because he’d already had the perfect woman in his life.

  He shook his head sadly at what a fool he’d been.

  On some level, he’d known that if he ever married, his relationship with Pepper would have to change, and they would inevitably drift apart.

  He was smart enough to understand that no wife would be comfortable with his friendship with Pepper. Hell, it had been a bone of contention between him and every girlfriend he’d had since he met her.

  Once he admitted the truth to himself, all of the lust he’d hidden over the years came flooding to the surface. Over the last few months, he’d deliberated on just the right way to approach Pepper about a relationship. When he thought he’d finally had the right strategy figured out, she’d told him about her medical worries.

  It was a bomb he hadn’t been expecting.

  The idea of losing her had almost paralyzed him with fear. When they learned that her cyst was benign, he had never felt such an overwhelming sense of relief. He vowed from that moment on, sitting with her in the doctor’s office, that he would seize the day and not wait to reveal his feelings any longer.

  He should have known better than to take advantage of her, though. When she made a pass at him that night, he should have shrugged it off and let her sleep it out.

  “Touch me … please.”

  Her whispered plea had been impossible to resist. And the taste of her. God, he hadn’t been able to forget.

  Jax shifted his stance at the window, his body tightening at the memory of sliding into her hot, slick heat.

  It had felt like coming home.

  Unfortunately, when morning came, he’d felt horrible for taking advantage of her. It was obvious that she hadn’t been fully aware of her actions the night before. But finally having her in his arms had clouded his judgment.

  He rubbed his temples and closed his eyes tight. What happened that morning still had the power to make his mind seize with dread.

  When she’d awoken, he’d wanted to apologize and tell her how he truly felt about her, but the joke had been on him. She couldn’t wait to get him out of her bed.

  “Oh God, Jax. I’m so sorry!”

  “Pep—”

  “No! Please don’t say anything.” Her eyes had filled with tears, and his heart constricted in his chest. He could see the plea in her gaze. She was practically begging him to stop speaking.

  She gathered his clothes and shoved them to his chest.

  “I shouldn’t have drunk so much.”

  “Pepper, it’s fine. We’ve known each other forever. You have to know how much I love you,” he said.

  “I know, and I love you, too. You’re my best friend. This doesn’t have to change anything. Last night was a mistake, and I think we’re both adult enough to just forget about it.”

  He’d stared at her for a few seconds, before her words finally sank in. She wanted to forget everything. She wanted to pretend as if they had never made love, and he couldn’t seem to think past the hurt those words caused.

  “I’ll see you Monday,” she’d said as she led him out of her condo. “In a few days, we’ll be joking about this. I promise.” She’d kissed him softly on the cheek and closed the door in his startled face.

  His jaw firmed at the recollection of the total fear he had at that moment of losing Pepper completely.

  Recalling that conversation still made him want to put his fist through the closest available wall. He’d made the mistake of letting his own guilt cloud his common sense for a few days before he realized that their night together had to mean more to Pepper than a drunken one-night stand.

  Her responses to him that night were too raw, too sweet, to be the result an extra glass of wine. He wasn’t sure how deep her feelings went, but there was no denying she felt the same pull of attraction he did.

  He just had to convince her to take a leap of faith.

  Unfortunately, their years of friendship stood between him and his goal. She knew him too well. If he told her he wanted to take their friendship to another level, she would jump to the conclusion that he was either reacting to the sobering event of his mother’s death and his impending thirty-sixth birthday, or guilt for sleeping with his best friend. She wouldn’t believe his very true want and interest was real.

  Pepper was stubborn, and it would take a lot of maneuvering to convince her that his feelings were genuine.

  The tentative movements of the deer outside the window caught his attention again. He stared at the animal a few minutes longer before turning to gather his flannel and leather snow coat along with his heavy work gloves.

>   He stepped out onto the front cabin porch and paused for only a brief moment at the sight of the faint cloud of smoke moving in the distance. He checked his watch. It would be a while before he heard the faint roar of the approaching vehicle and the sound of crushing gravel beneath its tires.

  His heartbeat quickened.

  He trotted down the steps and walked over to the waiting chopping block, where he grabbed the heavy axe and began to chop the nearby blocks of wood into long, clean logs.

  It would be a few more minutes before the vehicle would even be visible along the long driveway. His lips twitched in a rueful smile before they firmed and he focused back on the waiting block. He continued with his task, lifting the axe and swinging it down to splinter the wood.

  He concentrated on the control needed to pull the weight of the axe forward with precision. The effort it took to control the flex and stretch of the muscles in his arms and chest to move the heavy tool up and down kept his mind focused and away from leaping up and rushing to greet the approaching car.

  He needed to play his ruse all the way out. Years of friendship had proved that Pepper never agreed to anything unless she was convinced all of the facts were lined up and in her favor. His goal over the next few days was to overload her constantly running mind with some hard facts.

  The smooth humming of an engine finally wove its way up the road as he continued to chop.

  He glanced up from his task in time to see a slate grey SUV make its way up the gravel path that passed as the driveway to his cabin. Within a few seconds, he could see Pepper’s face peering at him through the front window.

  The usual sense of peace that her presence always gave him rushed through, right before his skin tightened in a zing of awareness. Seeing her never failed to jumpstart his senses. Her features had changed very little since college, but she’d grown her afro out to a long mass of curls that stretched past her shoulders.

  At that moment, the mouth he’d secretly lusted after for years was set in a firm line, and a blaze of anger shone in her steady gaze. Neither warning sign prevented a smile from spreading across his face as the car drew near.