Jaxon - Bad Boys of New York Book #1

by Mackenzy Fox

  “Who says shag anymore?” I mutter. “Anyways, he can probably lip-read as well.”

  “Well, you can keep your hands off J,” Dixie warns playfully. “He’s mine; after all I have been phone sexting all week so I get first dibs.”

  “Eww.” Well she hasn’t exactly told me details, but I get the idea.

  “Tell me everything,” Jolie squeals.

  “He’s been very flirty,” she admits, giving us a taunting smile. “But so sweet too.”

  Jolie and I both lean closer to her to get the skinny.

  “Like how?” Jolie says with wide eyes, interested in all the details. “What’s he been saying?”

  “He likes curvy women.” she smiles a little wickedly. “And he likes long hair, preferably brunettes.”

  Jolie rolls her eyes. “That’s it? Not exactly groundbreaking, of course he’s going to say he loves brunettes to a curvy, long haired brunette.”

  I can’t help but chuckle.

  “He likes a woman who takes care of herself,” Dixie goes on, undeterred.

  “That’s as bad as saying Jaxon likes classy women,” I retort with a snort.

  “Shut up, Morgan, you’re so negative,” Jolie says turning to me, clearly forgetting who paid for her ticket tonight. “I want to hear more about what Chase likes since you’ve got no dirt on Jax, what’s some dirty stuff he’s said?”

  Dixie leans in and whispers, “He likes head.”

  I splutter out my drink and begin to choke, I look up and Jaxon is frowning at me, I don’t need to be a mind reader to know he’s wondering if I’m getting sloshed again.

  “Dixie!”

  “Oh, don’t look so shocked, don’t knock sexting until you’ve tried it.”

  Jolie’s giggling. “We so need to hang out more.”

  “What happened to Joe Manganiello?” I wonder when I’ve recovered from my coughing fit.

  “Are you kidding? After his friend man-handled you? No thank you!”

  “I know but it wasn’t him that did it, it was his idiot friend.”

  “Yes, but with friends like that, who needs enemies?” she shrugs. “Plus, you know how awkward work things can be if they don’t work out.”

  This is what she does. Nobody can stack up to her ex-husband; this is why she’s been single for so long. She loved him. And he cheated and left her for a younger woman. A few years later, he tried to come crawling back saying it was the biggest mistake of his life, which it was, but luckily Dixie didn’t take him back. Once a cheater, always a cheater and she deserves better than that.

  We’re about to be seated for dinner when I excuse myself and go to the ladies. As I’m coming out of the stall, I go to wash my hands and I glance up at the mirror and see her.

  Brandon Thomas’s wife.

  She’s pregnant with their second child. She looks up and smiles. I don’t know her, she doesn’t know me, but I've seen her photograph in the social pages. Brandon’s face is all over New York City being a very well-known realtor in Manhattan.

  Holy fuck.

  He’s here.

  She exits the restroom and I stare at myself in the mirror.

  I don’t know how long I stand there for but I’m lost for a few moments until the door opens and a lady walks in.

  I quickly reapply my lipstick and fumble around the faucet. My blood runs cold thinking about running into him.

  I’m going to kill Jolie with a butcher’s knife. I pay her a lot of money to make sure that I don’t run into anyone I don’t like, especially him.

  Shit!

  I don’t know how I’m going to get out of this without blowing a gasket, or falling into a heap on the floor, it could go either way.

  I steel myself against the counter.

  No, Morgan. Get a hold of yourself. It was bound to happen sooner or later.

  Sure, I’ve seen him over the years and we’ve been polite in passing, in fact, he acts as though nothing’s wrong, like nothing ever happened between us, like we’re friends even. Like we could ever be friends! I cringe at the notion.

  All of a sudden, I’m sixteen again. I’m there, in my prom dress with my whole life ahead of me and the world at my feet.

  Tears fill my eyes as I think about my sixteen-year-old self. God, I was so innocent, so naïve, so trusting.

  I can’t let myself go there.

  I’ll never let myself go there.

  I dab my eyes with a paper towel and leave the restroom, Jaxon’s waiting discreetly down the hallway. He walks me to my table then falls back into the shadows of the huge ballroom that’s been converted into a large dining area.

  I sit and introduce myself to the people there, some I already know, and chatter begins around the table as we get acquainted.

  When no one’s really paying any attention, I scan the room looking for him.

  Shit, I should just fake an illness and go home, nobody will care, escape out the back. I don’t want to ruin the girl’s evening by running off but I’ve got a bone to pick with Jolie.

  “Brandon Thomas is here,” I mutter to her when the other people on the table laugh at a joke someone’s telling over the M.C.

  Jolie looks at me, momentarily stunned. “Oh, shit.” She puts her napkin down and looks around.

  I turn to look at Dixie and her eyes have gone wide.

  She knows.

  “What the fuck, Morgs?” Dixie gasps, looking uneasy.

  Jolie doesn’t know the details but she knows that I never want to run into him. Why’s he even here anyway? Like he gives a shit about helping anybody, the only person he cares about is himself. How he managed to get that lovely wife of his I’ll never know. She seems so normal.

  “I know,” I say quietly.

  “I’m sorry, Morgan,” Jolie splutters. “He wasn’t on the guest list.”

  Obviously, his wife was though.

  “You want to go?” Dixie asks, looking very concerned.

  I shake my head. “No, hopefully, I’ll avoid him, there’s a lot of people here.”

  “I’ll be more thorough next time, Morgan, I’m sorry,” Jolie says biting her lip.

  She looks worried and I feel guilty, it’s not her fault, it’s New York, it’s not like I won’t run into him at some stage in time but it’s been years.

  “I need a drink.” I reach for the champagne, though I know not to get too stupid tonight. Yes, it’s a social event but I’m still representing my company and my family name. But I need something to take the edge off.

  The appetizers arrive but I barely taste the asparagus and hollandaise, even though before I saw Brandon’s wife in the bathroom, I was starving.

  It’ll be fine. I tell myself. Breathe and just get through this meal.

  The old-timer next to me called Benedict starts asking me questions about my work and we fall into easy banter. He seems nice, his wife is lovely too, they tell me they’ve heard all about the Hope Floats Centre and I’m pleasantly surprised, they love the idea and his wife, Sylvia, says she’d love to drop by sometime. This is nice. Rich people are usually very good at giving money but not so good at doing actual work. It kind of warms my heart a little bit that they can be so down to earth, not like the people opposite who are politely conversing but have a stick stuck up their asses.

  The main course is a mushroom steak with mash potato and vegetables, it’s really delicious. I’m still on the same glass of champagne and every now and again Dixie looks at me to check I’m alright.

  I’m made of steel on the outside, but inside I’m kind of like Jell-O. My bark is far worse than my bite and I just don’t want to be here.

  I glance behind me and Jaxon isn’t far away, he stands at the back of the ballroom with Chase by his side. Chase isn’t even meant to be working tonight, just tagging along, probably to undress my best friend with his eyes. I glance at Dixie.

  “Are you sexting at the table?”

  She looks up guiltily from her phone and smirks as she bites her lip.

  �
�No.”

  “Don’t believe you,” I reply.

  Her eyes soften. “You want to get out of here?”

  I shake my head. “Dessert and the auction, can’t leave before that.”

  “You sure?” She rubs my arm with her hand. “If you want to go…”

  “I’m fine.” I force a smile and I know she’s not convinced but I’m not going to make a scene. I paid a lot for this night and it’s for a great cause, so I’m going to enjoy it. I push all thoughts of Brandon out of my mind as the plates are cleared.

  Dessert is served while announcements and donations and speeches ensue, the usual rituals at these fancy dinners, some art and other donations get auctioned and the champagne flows. I still can’t stomach to look around. Thank God there are hundreds of people here.

  After coffee, Jolie wants to mingle, she likes talking to people, getting new contacts and general socializing, plus she’s still on the hunt for some hot guys to talk to.

  We say goodbye to the guests at the table and Dixie goes to the bathroom while I chat to a couple of people that wave me over, one is my previous employer, Sandra, who I interned for, and her husband, Ralph. They’re standing with a bunch of people.

  “Morgan, so nice to see you!” Sandra kisses me on both cheeks and stands back to assess me. “You look thin.”

  I roll my eyes. “Thanks, Mom, nice to see you too.”

  Ralph gives me a hug and asks me what I’ve been up to and why I work so much. I blame his wife, she taught me too well.

  “I never found anybody like you,” Sandra says knowingly, “My current intern now… disaster.”

  I laugh. “I’m sure I was too when I first started.”

  “Least you listened and absorbed information,” she sighs. “Anyway, how’s your father? I haven’t seen him in forever.”

  “Good,” I reply. “He’s as busy as ever, I’m lucky to see him once a week.”

  “Like father like daughter,” Ralph says, rolling his eyes. “Though I don’t know who’s worse.”

  A couple of people join the circle and Ralph tells me all about his yacht.

  Where the hell is Dixie?

  I turn and find her chatting to Chase, big surprise. And chatting is putting it mildly, she’s giggling and playing with the ends of her hair like a schoolgirl, I shake my head as I turn back to Sandra and I look right into the face of Brandon Thomas.

  “Morgan, honey, have you met Brandon?” Sandra says, beaming, clueless that I know him and I know him well.

  I freeze on the spot as he looks at me and smiles, he then reaches for me and kisses me on both cheeks and says hello. I do not reciprocate. In fact, it all happens so fast that I don’t know what to do, my feet are literally frozen and I’m unable to move.

  “Y-yes,” I stammer as he shakes hands with Ralph. “We… we’ve met.”

  “How are you, M?” Brandon asks, and he looks so handsome, so tall and broad, the guy next door, the shoe salesman that could sell ice to the Eskimos.

  But he doesn’t fool me.

  I don’t answer as I turn and look for Dixie, where the fuck are you? I need you. But instead, I’m met with a wall made up of Jaxon Westbrook, I lean into him motionless as he stands behind me and holds me by the elbow, one hand on my hip protectively.

  He’s here. I’ve never been so thankful in my life, and here I was earlier dissing him off to my friends and saying terrible things about him.

  Shame fills me and I know I’m just being bratty because I can’t work out what’s going on between us or why we have this unfinished business that keeps rearing its ugly head.

  I’m a bad person.

  But I need to escape before Brandon speaks to me again.

  “Please…” I plead with Jaxon as he looks from me to Brandon and then gives me a curt nod. We retreat in a flurry and I hope to God he has a hold of me because I may just collapse in a heap on the floor and never ever get up.

  17

  Jaxon

  Five minutes earlier….

  I watch with curiosity as Morgan works the room. She’s so charming to everyone; she smiles, kisses, and hugs people. People seem to genuinely like her and are engaged when she talks to them, like they hang on her every word. She’s a beautiful woman; she gets a lot of attention that she doesn’t seem to notice.

  Tonight, she’s regal. Her dress oozes sophistication and elegance and fits her slender body perfectly; her hair is swept back to one side held with a clasp, revealing her neck and just the right amount of cleavage. She’s stunning.

  I watch as a middle-aged woman kisses her and stands back assessing her as Morgan drops her head with almost embarrassment at whatever she’s saying, the older man hugs her too and then she laughs at whatever he says. She’s comfortable with them. The woman begins to animate with her arms as she talks and Morgan shakes her head and they laugh, I glance over to Chase at the other side of the room and he’s in a deep conversation with Dixie, and by conversation, I mean he’s giving her some serious eyes, flirting with her quite openly.

  I turn back just as I see Brandon Thomas join the group and my heart thuds in my chest at the sight of that douche bag. He’s put on a few pounds and not in a good way. I watch as Morgan looks up at him, this should be interesting. The blonde lady looks like she’s introducing them, unknown to her, they know each other well.

  High school sweethearts. I almost choke on the idea.

  They don’t look good together now, she’s so far out of his league, it isn’t even funny. Of course, he’s a big hot shot real estate broker now and boy doesn’t he look like it, he’s all over her like a rash in a cheap suit.

  The odd thing is, Morgan isn’t doing anything, I knew they didn’t end on good terms and something is kind of off with their whole situation but as the moments tick on, things get weirder.

  He leans in and kisses her on one side of her cheek, I watch as she turns her face side on and I see her face screw up into an uncomfortable grimace and her hands ball into fists by her side. I’ve never seen such a rigid stance in all my life.

  I frown, watching her so uncomfortable. I don’t know what’s happening.

  He’s smiling and looking at her with a tenderness that looks a lot like familiarity and though her back is to me, I know that she isn’t smiling back. My feet move before I can stop myself. She turns to look over to Dixie and when she doesn’t find her, she turns back to the group.

  They all seem to be watching her curiously, Brandon is speaking but she isn’t answering him.

  I’m there in a second, I come up close behind her and she turns and looks up at me with huge, big round eyes and I don’t like what I see. She can’t speak and she looks almost… terrified.

  Her hand reaches out to clutch my wrist and she balls my suit up in a fist, my eyes flick to Brandon as he watches curiously, he has no idea who I am because he wouldn’t recognize me now, but his eyes are all over Morgan and I want to seriously knock his block off.

  “I need to get some air,” she breathes.

  I nod. “Excuse us,” I say mainly to the blonde-headed lady and her husband, no need to cause a scene and embarrass her. “Morgan isn’t feeling very well.”

  She doesn’t let go of my sleeve as I quickly but discreetly escort her across the room, my other hand at her hip to guide her as we head for the nearest exit which is by a large set of French doors that lead out onto an expansive patio.

  Jesus, fuck I don’t know what’s happening but something is very wrong with Morgan and Brandon.

  When we get outside onto the deck, I look around for a quiet spot. Since it’s cold out, there aren’t many people out here so I move her out of sight from the crowd inside. Only then do I let her go and she lets go of me. She stands with both hands holding onto the steel frame of the railing as she drops her head and takes a couple of deep breaths, her back to me. I stay close because she doesn’t seem all that steady on her feet.

  “Morgan?” I say after a few minutes pass.

  She waves
a hand at me. “Please don’t, I don’t want to talk about it.”

  I run a hand through my hair.

  “What the hell happened with him?” I press.

  She clutches her arms in a hug like she’s cold and I immediately remove my jacket and put it over her shoulders.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask gently when she says nothing, I stay right behind her. I’m here; I need her to know I’m here.

  “I can’t,” she whispers. “I just can’t.”

  This seems impossible. “Morgan, I don’t know how to help you if you don’t let me in.”

  She turns to face me. She has tears in her eyes and I want to go murder that son of a bitch for putting them there. Her face is red and she looks so frightened that I take a step back. She clutches onto my shirt with both hands, I look down at them and then back at her and I brush her hair back off her shoulder gently.

  “It’s alright,” I say quietly. “Nothing is going to happen to you, I won’t let it.”

  Her eyes feel with tears. “I hate him.”

  I nod. If she wants to tell me, she will, but now may not be the right time to keep pushing, I don’t want to force it out of her, she’s upset enough.

  “You don’t have to worry about him, I’m here and that’s all that matters.”

  She looks up at me with sheer abandon in her eyes at my words.

  Who is this girl and what did she do with Morgan James?

  I realize suddenly that Morgan has many, many layers to her and I’m only just scratching the surface. I barely know the real her, all I know is the persona.

  “I made a scene,” she splutters. “In front of everyone.”

  I wipe a tear that falls down her cheek with my thumb. I know she’s the type of girl who doesn’t need saving, hell, she doesn’t even want to be saved, but right now I don’t give a shit, she looks so sad and helpless.

  “No, you didn’t, nobody noticed anything.”

  She smiles without humor. “You’re just being nice, they probably all think I lost my mind.”