Stay: The Shores Book Two

by York, Allie

  Leah was rude through the rest of dinner, but Blair and I finally started talking, really talking, so it wasn’t so bad. She was funny as hell. After she was done being mad about the jackass guy who canceled on her, Blair went into making fun of me like she had a job to do. Leah slung drinks at us, a lot of drinks, and purposely set my beer down hard enough to make it froth over. Had I known she worked there, we’d have skipped the damn tacos, but then we wouldn’t have had the fun of messing with Leah. Blair tried to give me money for her food and drinks, but I paid. I made her pretend to be on a date with me so that I could be a gentleman or whatever.

  “I shouldn’t have had this last daiquiri.” Blair wrapped her lips around the straw and slurped up the last of the drink.

  “Or the last three,” I mumbled. She had four glasses on the table, and I know she had wine on an empty stomach at Oz’s party. I had a good buzz going, but nothing like Blair. “Let’s get you home.” I left a good tip and waited for Blair to get up. She stumbled, and I caught her around the waist. The heels were going to kill her.

  “Thanks.” Blair leaned her head on my shoulder and let me help her out to the car.

  “Anytime, Princess.” I’d seen Blair drunk a few times, but she’d always been loud and ready to dance. This drunk Blair was quiet. We loaded into the Jeep and started back toward her house.

  “So, you burned that poor girl.” Blair leaned her elbow on the armrest, propping her chin in her hand to watch me.

  “Apparently,” I groaned.

  “Does it make you happy? To be a whore?” she asked it earnestly, and drunkenly.

  “I don’t get paid, so I’m a slut, not a whore.” Blair snorted a laugh, and I turned into their subdivision, trying to remember how to get to the house. I’d been there a few times before Oz moved out but couldn’t remember the exact turns to get there.

  “Turn left.” She pointed. “So, am I a slut too?” Blair sat back and pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “No, neither of us are. Having sex doesn’t make you a slut, or a whore. It just means you like sex,” I lied. I was a slut, but not her. She was just a girl who was honest about her wants and needs. Society had the problem, not us.

  “Last house.” Blair pointed again, sounding more sober. I pulled into the driveway and noted that Ivy wasn’t home. Her little red pickup wasn’t there at least. If only I was getting lucky instead of just dropping her off, we’d have the place to ourselves. I shook the thought from my head quickly. Maybe I’d had more to drink than I should have.

  “You all alone tonight?” I asked when she didn’t move to get out of the car. Blair was too drunk for me to invite myself in, and it would have fucked up everything, but damn did I want to. Between the alcohol still warming my veins and Blair in that fucking dress, I was ready to make some stupid decisions.

  “Ivy had a date, but Ivy has a boyfriend. Her boyfriend doesn’t cancel on her.” Blair brushed her hair back, deep in thought. “I want coffee. Do you want to come in?” Well, shit.

  Chapter Three

  Blair

  I watched Jax think it over. I was too buzzed to be around anyone of the opposite sex, especially Jax, but there he was, and I had invited him in. What the fuck was I thinking? I was mad I’d been blown off, had too much to drink, and let’s face it, Jax was hot as hell. Maybe I was feeling a little desperate, a little vulnerable, but it was stupid, even for me. I knew better than to be around the world’s hottest man after a drink, much less four and yet I invited him in.

  “Yeah. I could have a cup. You got sugar?” Jax cut the ignition and gave me his signature smile. Sexy and lopsided. Jax and I connected when we all went out, they teased him about all the women he slept with, and I joined in, knowing I’m no better. It’s different for women though. We’re viewed as sluts, no one teases us to our face, it’s always behind our backs.

  “I have sugar,” I said it seductively but quickly laughed to cover it. My head was still swimming, and I was feeling happy, bubbly, and a little slutty — a really bad combination.

  Jax scoffed and got out of the Jeep. I watched him swagger up to the front and waited for me. It hit me that I was the one with a key and hurried to meet him, checking for Jordan’s text again. It was after eleven, so even if he wanted to hook up, I wasn’t letting him come over. He had his chance. I hurried past Jax, my too high heels clicking on the concrete on the way up, trying not to sway. A bark rang out just as I slid the key in the lock. I recognized it immediately and turned to warn Jax, but it was too late. Ranger came bounding over the fence next door and over to my house. The huge idiotic dog leaped at Jax, and I panicked for a half-second.

  “Whoa, big guy!” Jax grabbed the big dumb dog’s collar and made him stay on all fours before Jax ended up on his ass. I left my keys dangling and went to take Ranger home.

  “Sorry. Ranger is confused about who actually owns him.” I stumbled a little in my heels, and Jax put a hand on my arm.

  “I got it. I’ll be right back.” Jax kept a hold on the dog’s collar with one hand and steadied me with the other. Once he was convinced I wasn’t going to fall over, he left me to put Ranger back in his fence. I stood in the cold, waiting for Jax to get back. With most men, a massive white boxer coming at them had them running, but not Jax. The guy dealt with bigger dogs daily. I watched him put Ranger back in the chain link fence before discussing with him that staying home was safer. Jax talked to Ranger like you would negotiate with a two-year-old. Ranger was obsessed with me, so it would never work, but I appreciated the effort. I went in and turned on the lights. The house wasn’t the same without Oz, but I liked living with Ivy. I got more privacy because she spent weekends at Bryan’s house, but I was lonely.

  I left my shoes by the door, so I didn’t break an ankle and started the coffee, setting out the sugar. I should have been tired, but I wasn’t. I was starting to sober up, so just tipsy enough to still be awake and talkative. It was my signature drunk move; I talked way too much. I set out two mugs, checked the fridge for something healthy for breakfast and waited.

  Jax came in, closing the door behind him. “Ranger knows me from work.” He smiled, taking his shoes off by the door.

  “He thinks I’m his mom. They aren’t ever home, so sometimes I let him come in.” I loved that dog, though I’d never admit it out loud.

  “He’s a handsome guy. You should be flattered that he wants you.” Jax swaggered over just as the coffee pot beeped. He reached around me, leaning in close to take the pot, and pouring two cups before putting it back. “You always drink that much? I thought you were a health freak.” He dumped way too much sugar in the coffee.

  “It’s all about balance.” I shrugged putting a teaspoon of sugar in mine. “I’ll go to the gym tomorrow, and it will all balance out.” I sipped my coffee, watching him lean against the counter like he belonged in my kitchen. “Do you go?”

  “To the gym? Yeah, that one across town, Frankie’s.” He stared at the coffee, then me. “I’ve slept with too many women at World Fitness to go back. It got weird.” I nearly spit my coffee.

  “How many?” I looked into his gray eyes. Maybe it was the daiquiris, but Jax was sexy. In his button down, all the tattoos were covered, but I knew they were there. His arms had these skulls and stuff on them, but he never looked like a thug. He looked like a badass. Only Jax could pull it off. When he didn’t answer, I walked past him to the living room, and he followed.

  “Maybe eight?” Jax sat at the other end of the couch, slouching back in a classic manspread. I curled my legs under me, trying not to give him a clear shot up my skirt. At least my buzz left me a little dignity.

  “Maybe eight? You don’t know?” I teased, sipping my coffee.

  “No,” Jax said it like he couldn’t give me a number if he tried.

  “We’ve never talked alone. I know you, but not really.” We hung out with other people all the time. We flirted some, Jax called me a drama queen, and I called him a manwhore. But we really didn
’t know each other.

  “No, I guess not.” Jax tipped his cup, letting the coffee get dangerously close to the edge then tipping the other direction. “You wanna talk?” he asked like I was incapable of conversation.

  “Yeah. Kinda.” I shrugged. “Or maybe I don’t, and I’m just still a little buzzed, and I get talkative. Thanks for the ride, and dinner.” It wasn’t a date, but he paid. “I owe you.” Jax dismissed it with a shrug, looking over my face. “What?”

  “I bet you’re beautiful under all that make-up.” He must have sensed how I was going to react. “I mean, you’re hot as hell, but you have that natural beauty too.” I had a vision of him covered in my coffee after I dumped it on his head.

  “Gee, thanks.” He had a lot of nerve considering some of the women I saw him with. He didn’t seem to be picky about how much make-up his dates wore.

  “Sorry, I was trying to compliment you.” Jax laughed. “Maybe this is awkward. I don’t usually get to the conversation part. Just ask Ozma if you want to know shit.”

  “I don’t want to ask Ozma. She’s not the one here.” I rolled my eyes. “Now that you called me ugly, you have to talk to me. I want to know how you got into working at the vet clinic with Harris and Rick.” I finished my coffee and put the mug on the floor, ready to hear him talk.

  “I didn’t call you ugly, Blair. I said you’re hot as hell. I just meant that you don’t need the make-up to be hot. That’s all.” He ran his hand through his sandy hair. “I started at the vet when I needed a job after juvie as part of my parole.” My smile from being called hot dropped. I didn’t know Jax at all. “I stole some shit when I was fifteen. A lot of shit and got caught. I did eighteen months since it wasn’t my first offense and when I got out, the courts said I had to get a job. Dr. Bill let me clean kennels.” Jax snuck a look at me, and I tried to keep my face blank. Jax was one of the nicest guys I knew, so picturing him stealing things didn’t make sense. “Deep right? I try not to talk about it. I learned my lesson.”

  “What did you steal?” The ‘why’ made more sense to ask, but I couldn’t ask. I was too busy picturing a young, skinny Jax alone in a cell. I knew nothing about Juvie, but that’s how I pictured it. A cot, a rough blanket, and poor little Jaxon all alone.

  “Not all of us have parents ready to buy us all the shit we want, so I stole it. It was an iPod, some shoes, and a few other things. I was in a bad crowd and a worse home.” I suddenly felt guilty for having wonderful, loving parents. My dad was terrible to mom but loved me. No wonder Jax and Ozzy were close, they both had shitty childhoods. “Dr. Bill was the only one who gave me a shot. By the time I turned eighteen I’d been there cleaning for him for a while, and he said I needed an education. I was good with the dogs, so he sent me to school. He’s the best man I’ve ever met.” Jax leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

  “Wow.” What are you supposed to say when someone you barely know gets that deep?

  “Is that what you wanted from our talk?” Jax snapped.

  “Maybe.” I shrugged. “Your turn.” I met his angry gaze with one of my own. If he was going to get mad at me for telling me, he should have kept his mouth shut.

  “Why do you have sex with so many guys?” Jax arched his eyebrow at me. I’d asked for it, so getting mad at his question was stupid.

  I licked my lips. “You want a generic answer, or what a shrink would say?” I could get real too, give him a run for his money. He only shrugged. “Okay. A shrink would say I have daddy issues. My dad loves me but was never faithful to my mom. A shrink would say that I’m afraid of a man treating me that way, so I sleep around, I avoid commitment, so I can’t get hurt.”

  “Now tell me the real answer.” Jax adjusted, turning to face me.

  “The real answer is that I get bored. So far, no man has made me want to stay for more than a few nights. I need someone not afraid of me. Men all seem intimidated. I know what I want, and I’m not afraid to say it.” I shrugged. I did get bored easily, but it was more than that. I wasn’t sure how much more, but I knew I needed more than any man had offered so far. Jax looked up to the challenged, but I pushed that thought out of my head. Maybe I was a little more than tipsy. We were friends; we did things with mutual friends. If we ever slept together, we’d mess up the friend dynamic. Even my slightly drunk brain knew that, so I shut down the idea.

  “All the men you’ve been with were intimidated?” Jax scooted in.

  “Maybe.” I shrugged. “More coffee?” I pointed to his empty cup.

  “Nah, I need to get home. You bowling tomorrow?” He stood, offering to help me up, but I ignored his hand to pick up my mug and got up on my own.

  “Yeah. I’ll need to get my car towed tomorrow. I texted Oz that I left it.” I walked past him to the kitchen. I didn’t want Jaxon to leave. I hated being alone, hated sleeping alone. Jordan canceled, and Ivy was gone, so I was alone for the night. I rinsed the mugs and set them out to dry while Jax put his shoes on by the door. He waited politely for me to show him out. “Thanks for the ride.” I opened the door, and Jax stepped into the doorway, filling it. Barefoot, I was five-six, and I had to tip my head up to see him. He was only a little shorter than Harris, maybe an inch so over six feet.

  “Anytime. Thanks for talking to me. Now it won’t be so awkward when we end up alone again.” Jax looked down at me, his eyes darting to my lips. I wanted to kiss him, wanted him to kiss me.

  “Yeah. No more awkward.” I shouldn’t have wanted to kiss him. I didn’t do relationships, and our night was uncomfortable. Not to mention that sex ruins friendships. My body missed the rational memo my brain was sending. I took a step forward — stupid daiquiris.

  “Have a good night,” Jax said it but didn’t move.

  “Night.” I dug my nails into the door, willing myself to shut it, but I couldn’t stop staring into his eyes, noticing the little things that made him so damn sexy: his sharp chin, chiseled features, and gray eyes. Jax clenched his jaw, making the muscles in his neck bulge slightly. As if on the same wavelength, he dipped down, I stood on my toes, and our mouths met in a fury of pent up energy. Jax plowed into me, wrapping his arms around me. He kicked the door closed, I ran my hands into the hair at the base of his neck and kissed him back. The door slammed, and I pushed us back into it, pressing as close to him as I could get. His giant hand grabbed my ass, grinding me into him while his other hand held my neck. Our tongues touched, tangled, fought. My brain attempted to tell my body to stop, but my body was too far gone.

  “We shouldn’t do this,” Jax whispered the words against my lips, but kissed me again, hard, desperate.

  “Nope.” I panted when he licked down my neck to my throat and nipped at the sensitive flesh at the hollow of my throat. His hand inched my skirt up in the back, exposing my ass to the chilled air. “My room?” I reached for the buttons on his shirt, not taking my mouth from his skin. I wanted to taste him, devour him, and it was a very bad idea.

  “Fuck yes.” Jax shrugged his shirt off, leaving it in the floor. I adjusted my dress, covering my exposed ass cheek and took his hand to drag him down the hall. At my door, he jerked me to a stop. “Are you drunk?” He pulled me back into him and moved my hair to lick my neck.

  “Do you care?” I asked, tilting my head to give him better access.

  “Yeah. A little.” Jax spun me, running his hands up to unzip my fitted dress.

  “Liar.” I reached back and turned the knob to open the door, and we moved back, staring at each other. My dress slid down my body into the floor, and I jerked his undershirt over his head. The tattoos stopped just short of touching on his chest, and his amazing abs were free of any ink. Only the light from the hall guided us back to the bed, and Jax took a step back to take my hand, spinning me around. He stepped out of his shoes, smiling. My matching blue lace bra and thong were obviously a good choice. Jax had his jeans on the floor in record time and was pushing me back to the bed. Before I fell back, Jax grabbed my waist, looked down at me
with the most intent gaze I’d ever seen. He dropped his boxers and spun us, so he’d fall back on the bed.

  “I wanna watch you.” He jerked me roughly to him and ripped my thong off then unsnapped my bra.

  “Fine by me.” I shoved him back and tumbled down with him, my mouth hitting his as we hit the bed. I slid my body against his, kissing him fiercely, and Jax gave it back. He kissed me like I was the last woman on earth. His hands skimmed my body, moving me to straddle him. I rolled my hips, sliding over the ridge of his cock.

  “You know how long I’ve wanted to fuck you?” Jax grabbed the back of my head, pulling me down to kiss me again. He dragged my bottom lip between his teeth, grabbing the back of my hair in his fist. He held it tight, pulling my head back to look at him. “Answer me,” he demanded. The bite of pain from my hair being pulled only made me want more.

  “A long time?” I asked, closing my eyes when he leaned up to suck a nipple into his mouth. “Jesus, Jax.” I panted, trying to reach for my nightstand. He dragged his teeth back up my neck to my mouth, keeping me from getting to the condoms.

  “So fucking long. This is a bad idea.” He lifted his hips, so the tip of his cock grazed my clit. “But I don’t fucking care.” I nodded, desperate for the teasing to stop and the fucking to start. I reached for the drawer again, but he pulled me back my hair, and I whimpered. “Not yet.” He kissed me again, his breath hitting mine in short bursts. “If I only get you one time, I’m doing it right.” His hand left my hair, and he flipped me over, slamming my back to the bed. He didn’t even hesitate once I landed to bury his face between my legs, putting a hand on my stomach to hold me still.

  I wanted to watch, memorize every second, but the way Jax expertly licked at me, kissing me, working me over, I could only grab the pillowcase and close my eyes. I tried to fight it, prolong the moment, but it was impossible. Jax kept the pressure on my stomach, not allowing my hips to move when he drove me to the fastest orgasm I’ve ever had.