“I’ll talk to her but I can’t promise anything, Jax. If Eve says no, it is no,” Remy explained.
“Can’t ask for more than that,” Jaxon said then grinned. “But you do want me. Deny it and I’m shoving my hand down your pants again.”
“Yes, thought we established that. And the next time you go for my zipper without my okay, expect to be face-planted in the dirt.”
“God, had no idea you’d turn out to be a smartass,” Jaxon laughed, drawing back. “Damn, what happened to the ice? I’m going to need it next.”
“I threw it at your sorry ass,” Remy said, relieved when Jaxon stooped down to retrieve the ice pack and he made a break for it.
Purposefully taking his time getting back to the alcove, he was relieved to see he’d reached it before Jaxon. Good, maybe the guy would back off.
Feeling a little less tense, he reclaimed his place next to Eve, taking her hand. Her touch was warm, affectionate.
“I missed you. Everything okay?” she asked.
“Missed you too, no worries, everything’s fine,” Remy said, kissing her when she turned her face toward him.
“Did something happen between you and Jaxon? I know he went to talk to you.”
“Everything’s fine, don’t worry,” he answered.
“You don’t like him?” she asked.
“That’s not the problem.” He more than liked Jaxon Wynter, he wanted to fuck the man. “We’ll talk in private, okay?”
“Sure, don’t exclude me, Remy. I can handle the truth.”
Kissing her again, Remy sighed. No matter how many times they’d kissed before, each time was a new experience. Just when the kiss deepened, the hairs on the back of his neck lifted, warning him an instant before Jax’s hand raked his shoulders en route to the chair next to Eve.
“You two need a room,” Gabriel teased, laughing when Remy and Eve drew apart.
“We have one,” Remy replied, leaning back in his chair. “It’s real nice too.”
“The suite is gorgeous and I can’t wait to crawl into that big bed tonight,” Eve shared. “Remy and I have been on the road for nearly two weeks and it’ll be nice to have a place where we can settle in for a little bit and relax.”
“Make sure you take advantage of the spa while you’re here, Evelyn,” Jaxon insisted, shifting a little closer.
Remy relaxed some. It didn’t appear as if Jaxon was going to jump him or Eve anytime soon. Conversation continued. Remy refused to acknowledge that Jaxon’s hand went under the table.
Chapter Eight
Jax hadn’t been more turned-on by another couple in a very long time. It was more than he expected when he learned Remington and Evelyn were coming to Dare for a prolonged stay.
At first, he’d been reluctant to admit his curiosity over Remington Sinclair’s desire to conduct an extensive ghost hunt. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in ghosts; in fact he did. But he hadn’t wanted those who anonymously visited the town to have their privacy breached.
With thanks to Avery and Trevor, he learned more about ghost hunting and felt reassured that it wouldn’t be a problem for some of Dare’s famous visitors. But that wasn’t why Jax wanted Remington and Evelyn.
The truth was that he hadn’t felt such an overwhelming urge to lay claim on a couple since Gemma and Niko died. It didn’t matter that they’d only met a short time ago. Time was irrelevant in the light of what he wanted.
Remington, fuck yeah, he wanted to bind him, fuck him and be fucked by him. And Evelyn was everything he loved about women, soft, gentle and curious. Whether Remington knew it or not, she continuously looked at her man with affection, openness and love.
Frankly, if Jax could ever get Evelyn to look at him that way, he’d be the luckiest man on earth. If he could get Remy to let go of whatever was holding him back, he’d be a happy man.
Suddenly wanting to touch her, Jax tucked his hand under the table, placing it over her bare knee, under the hem of her dress. Satin smooth skin met his palm. She trembled a little bit, jolting upright, her body incredibly warm.
Rubbing her knee, he soothed as much as she’d permit. She’d been going on about her and Remington’s road trip, her voice stalling out, proving she was aware of him.
“I…um, I’m sorry, I’ve talked too much,” she apologized to everyone at the table.
“Don’t be sorry,” Jax said. “Tell us more. Where did you stop on your way to Dare?”
Eve turned her head to look at Remy, sharing a smile that Jax envied. He couldn’t begrudge them the time they spent alone. But that didn’t stop the harsh reality that they shared a relationship he wasn’t privy to yet.
“We went to Bryce Canyon a couple of days ago. It’s beautiful,” she shared, her hand settling lightly over Jax’s. “If possible, I’d love to see the Grand Canyon but given the need to get footage for Remy’s program, time may not permit it.”
“Grand Canyon is majestic,” Jax told her. “You’d probably love it, but I have to say that Bryce is my favorite of the two. What else did you two do?”
Beneath the table, Evelyn clutched Jax’s hand, bringing it across her lap to her right leg. No mistaking the heavy hand that came to rest over Jax’s knuckles. She’d done it. She’d given them permission to touch each other. Damn, he didn’t expect it but he was grateful.
“We had to make an unexpected stop in Colorado due to a freak accident,” Evelyn continued. “Before that, we’d visited a number of battlegrounds, houses and hotels rumored to have paranormal activity.”
“Ghost hunting must be fascinating, Remy. Sorry, I’m assuming it’s all right to go with Remy over Remington,” Gabriel commented.
“Whatever works for you, no worries,” Remington answered. “You’re right, it’s fascinating, my life’s work really.”
“Why?” Jax asked, turning his hand over in Evelyn’s palm so that he could hold Remington’s hand.
“I’ve always been attracted to the unexplainable,” Remy said. “The universe is infinite, created by the ultimate Master, God. Why are humans so determined to deny the existence of life beyond death?”
“There’s more to it than that, isn’t there?” Jax ventured a guess.
“The only way to explain it is to say that I’ve wanted to prove to those I love most that my belief in ghosts isn’t a fluke or a trend for reality TV,” Remy admitted.
“What is it about?” Gabriel inquired, sitting forward a little. “It’s okay if you’d rather not say. We all have our secrets in Dare. That’s part of the town’s appeal. Here you can be whoever you want and no one will judge you.”
“I don’t think it’s a fluke. My house is haunted,” Jax claimed. “Just ask Avery, she and Hazard experienced one of my supernatural residents.”
“That’s true. We had an encounter with a sailor who’d attached himself to an object in the room we were in.”
“What was the object?” Eve asked curiously, shifting subtly. Her curiosity was contagious.
“Let’s just say it was red and something one might find at my brother’s castle,” Avery declared.
“Ah, I gotcha,” Eve remarked, flushing prettily.
“You’ve got to see Jax’s house when you’re here, Eve,” Avery said. “It once belonged to Darius Hamilton himself.”
“Yes, it did.” Jax relaxed, enjoying the chance to hold hands with Evelyn and Remington. It was uncomplicated, yet promised a whole lot more would unfold if Remy didn’t hold Eve back.
Thinking on it, if Remy had offered up Evelyn on a silver platter, he’d be disappointed. He was interested in having a ménage with them, but not at the expense of their relationship.
Once they left town, his life would go back to normal. Theirs would continue without him. Why that felt like a stab to the solar plexus, he didn’t know and it was best not to examine it too closely.
“Mr. Wynter, do you by chance have a library or a historical society in town? Much of what I gathered online about Dare was basic. I know it was o
riginally a boomtown that nearly went extinct until it was rescued from auction, but there’s so much more to learn while I’m here.”
“I have an extensive library in my mountain house about the town, Nevada and the silver mining rush that took place here,” he said, letting his eyes wander over her pretty face. Nice skin, a dusting of freckles on her nose that he’d like to kiss, soft kissable lips, the upper slightly fuller.
“Oh, wonderful,” she exclaimed. “You won’t mind if I invade your library for research? Anything I can do to back up Remy’s findings while we’re here will help make his show stronger.”
“Of course, you’re welcome in my home anytime. The historical society and museum is small, open only a few days a week, but you’ll find items and dating back to the original boomtown. I’ll make sure to get you a key with total access.”
Her face lit up with curiosity. Wow, she was wholesome, pretty in a way that was natural. She wore a little makeup, enough to accent her hazel eyes and sweep of her cheekbones. Her shoulders were narrow, her waist trim, maybe a little too thin.
Wetting his lips at the thought of watching Remy make love to her, he tightened his fingers, slowly sliding their hands up under her hemline. Eve shivered, her hazel eyes widening.
She shook her head just enough to say no, her lips parted, uttering a near-silent, “Yes.” Arousal darkened her cheeks. Eve shifted again, squirming some.
“What is it you do for Remington?” he asked, thinking that wasn’t meant to be sexual, but if she told him in detail what she did to Remy in bed he wouldn’t stop her.
“Mainly, I verify any historical records about a town, home or battleground to be investigated in order to decipher between fact and urban legend. That way Remy can decide if a particular place is worth investigating, especially if it’s expensive to take a team there.”
“What do you mean?” Jax asked, glancing at Remy.
Remy’s eyes were on Eve, his hand remained locked with hers and Jax’s. It was the lady who shifted in her chair, parting her legs a little.
Soft thighs beckoned further exploration and Jax tested her boundaries, discovering she was willing to let him guide Remy’s hand up farther up her smooth thigh. Hell yeah, she felt good. He bet she’d smell amazing, and her pussy would taste delicious.
“Unfortunately, the reality-TV craze has caused some owners or managements to charge an astronomical amount for a team to set up equipment at say a prison or crumbling hospital,” Remy said. “Some want the publicity and the tourism and some say they charge a lot to pay for the upkeep.”
“Curiously, have you gone to that farm house in Villisca, Iowa?” Gabriel asked.
Remy shook his head. “I avoid places where children were murdered and can only assume that the sadness at the Axe Murder House must be overwhelming. I’d feel claustrophobic before leaving the kitchen.”
“Can’t say I blame you, but why?” Jax questioned. There was something significant in what Remy said. He didn’t want to miss it.
“My kid brother was killed by the neighborhood ice cream man.” The pain of Remy’s confession softened Jax’s hardened heart, making him want to pull Remy onto his lap and hold him. “It took five years for our family to find Blair’s body, but I knew he’d died the day he went missing.”
“What the hell, Remy? I’m sorry,” Jax offered, thinking condolences weren’t enough to erase that kind of pain. He knew it all too well. “We shouldn’t have pushed.”
“It’s all right,” Remy assured. “My brother’s at peace now. He’s the first ghost I’d ever seen and the reason I do what I do.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Jax said. “Still doesn’t make it easier. I know how it feels to lose someone you love. Your brother must have been special to you.”
“He was, still is.” Remy let go long enough to pat Jax’s hand, comforting him even though it was Remy who should’ve been comforted. “Do you think you can provide Eve some guidance with her research? It’ll help when I start setting up cameras, if you and the town council agree to let me.”
“Will the filming interfere with our visitors or jeopardize their anonymity?” Jax inquired.
“Not at all,” Remy answered. “Lockdowns usually occur at night because I need as little interference from the public as possible.”
“Can I be part of the investigation?” Jax asked.
“Sure, if Eve doesn’t mind. On this trip, she’s been helping me with EVP sessions. There’s something about her voice spirits are attracted to.”
“I guess that means I have to stay home,” Gabriel remarked.
“How good are you at being an equipment tech?” Remy asked.
Gabriel shrugged. “I’m tech savvy, if that’s what you need to know.”
“Then I wouldn’t object to having more help. Except for Eve, my team’s back home in Massachusetts,” Remington said. “We came out this way to see if I can expand our TV market beyond New England.”
“Since when are you interested in ghosts, Gabriel?” Jax questioned.
Gabriel looked across the table at him. “Since now, what’s the problem?”
“Are you going to invite Taylor on the ghost hunt?”
“Maybe, if Remy and Eve think it’s okay.”
“First things first. Eve and I need to do some preliminary research with Jaxon. If Gabriel and Taylor want to help with the hunt, we’ll break up into teams of two or three and go from there.”
Remy’s tone of voice changed, reflecting dedication to his profession and his confidence. Gone from him now was the switch Jax had engaged in the bathroom. He was top dog when it came to ghost hunting.
Jax respected him for it. He didn’t like Gabriel poking in on his territory. Jax had to remind himself that despite what went down in the men’s room, Remy and Eve weren’t his.
Not yet anyway. He aimed to change that tonight. It might be too soon, but to hell with that. Only if they objected would Jax back off until tomorrow. He’d promised Remy as much in the bathroom.
“Evelyn, as I’d said before, you’re welcome to spend whatever time you need in my library as well as the museum. In addition to the key, I’ll be glad to provide any information I have to help you.”
“That’s great. Would there be a record of the Hamilton family, by chance? In addition to US History at Salem Community College, I also teach genealogy.”
“You’re a professor?” Gabriel inquired.
“Not quite, but I’m working on it. I’m looking into earning my doctorate so I can teach at the university level.”
“Are you planning on specializing in genealogy or history for your PhD?” Jax asked.
“History, although understanding one’s family tree is a means of learning their personal history,” Eve answered.
“I’ve an interest in genealogy,” he admitted.
“May I ask why?”
“My mother, Saraphina, is confined in a special care facility in Carson City for Alzheimer’s patients and can’t tell me much about my family history, namely on my father’s side.”
Eve, sweetheart that she was, let go of his and Remy’s hands only to reach out and touch Jax’s arm and hold on tightly. “Oh, Jaxon, your mom is ill? Is there anything I can do to help?”
“She’s doing very well, considering. She has her good days, especially since her husband lives with her. They moved to Carson City a couple of months ago to a facility that’s perfect for patients with her condition.”
“But your father?” she asked, compassion causing tears to fill her pretty eyes.
“Is only a name to me,” he told her quietly. “For reasons I fail to understand, he left my mother when she became pregnant and she ended up part of a brothel to care for me, eventually becoming the madam.”
Eve’s eyes went wide as saucers. “Wow.”
“Mama’s an angel who doesn’t remember much about that time in her life. During one of her lucid moments she told me the name of the only man she’d ever loved until she met Gerald. I
can only assume he’s my father.”
“Do you want me to help you trace your father’s lineage?”
“Yes, but if we can keep it quiet, I’d appreciate it. Gabriel and Avery know about my mother.”
“Of course,” she said. “I won’t say a word.”
“What Eve said goes with me. Anything I can do to help, you’ve got it,” Remy offered.
“We’ll resume this conversation when we’re alone.”
“Okay,” Evelyn agreed, smiling just for Jax.
In an instant, his semi-hard cock went to stone hardness. She was a pretty little thing, it was all he could do not to pick her up and set her on his lap. What the hell? He wanted to cuddle. Maybe he should practice cracking his bullwhip just to remind himself he was more prickly than cuddly.
Then again, she was cute in a way he couldn’t ignore. Cuddling had its advantages. It wasn’t that she was all that small. She was about the same height as Avery. Her brunette hair was braided. It was pretty that way.
But Jax wanted it loose. He’d run his hands through it when he made love to her. Nope, when he fucked her, making love was out of the question. Making love meant permanence. Fucking was here and now.
If she gave him lip, which he suspected she would when she wanted to test him, he’d shove her pretty head to his lap. Gently, of course, he had no intention of frightening her or harming one single hair on her head.
Jax eased back in his chair. Lunch arrived with additional guests. Sawyer Hamilton, Travis Ross and Hazard walked into the room. Red immediately jumped up and ran to her man.
Sawyer shook hands with Remy and introduced him to Travis. There was a familiarity there, Jax realized as he watched Remy interact with Sawyer. It pissed him off.
“You two know each other?” Jax demanded, looking back and forth between Sawyer and Remy.
“We met at Hazard’s football game, the championship,” Remy answered.
“That was a great evening. When did you and Eve get here, Remy?”
“About two hours ago, I think,” Remy said.
“Hi, Sawyer,” Eve said, hopping up and escaping Jax’s wandering hand. He’d been about to find out if she wore panties.
MenageaDare Page 12
