by Ruby Vincent
“There’s one more thing I want to show you,” he said, laughing. “On the top floor.”
We rode the elevator up and stepped out into a reception area. Couches lined the opposite wall, and in front of us was a single desk sitting empty.
“This is Dad’s office,” he explained.
“Won’t we get in trouble for being in here?”
“I won’t tell if you don’t.”
Maybe I should have fought harder, but who was I kidding? I wanted to see inside that office more than anything.
Jaxson and I passed the reception desk for a short hallway. The double doors at the end read one name: Levi Van Zandt.
He took a key out of his pocket and unlocked it. Stepping aside, he let me go in first.
“Wow,” I breathed.
There were more photos of famous people in here, but this time, Levi stood in those shots right along with them. His office was more like a penthouse studio apartment. He had a minibar, couches, television, massive black rug taking up most of the space, and a desk where a bed would have been if this was an apartment. Then of course, there was the best part of all.
“Jaxson, what am I looking at?” My legs carried me closer even though my eyes were having trouble comprehending that this was real.
“You’re looking at one of the largest record collections in the state.”
The entire back wall behind Levi’s desk was rows and rows of shelving, all stuffed with records. I had always thought of starting a record collection when I was out of school and living in the home I had bought for me, Mom, and Adam. If it was even a fifth of this, I would be ecstatic.
“Go ahead.” I turned to Jaxson as he took a seat on the couch. “Check them out.”
“I thought records were off-limits?”
He grinned. “Mine are. Dad’s records are fair game.”
I wasn’t about to argue any more lest he changed his mind. I skirted around the desk and laid my hands on the first record I saw.
“The Black Keys. Blur. Boards of Canada!” I whipped around, clutching the album. “People think I’m all about hip-hop, but I love all kinds of music—new and old. I love the way it sucks you in.”
“How it makes you feel.”
“That you can forget about the world for just those few minutes.”
“That a song says what you’re thinking better than you ever could.”
I brought the record to my lips, hiding my smile. We were so on the same wavelength right now it was incredible. “Exactly.”
Jaxson stood. “Pick one and we’ll play it.”
“Seriously?”
“Of course.”
“Okay.” I was so giddy I was bouncing on my heels. I took my time searching through the shelves until my eyes lit on the perfect one “How about this one?” I held up Bob Marley and the Wailers. “My neighbor used to play all of his songs when she babysat me. She’d sing at the top of her lungs while I danced around the living room.”
Jaxson cracked a smile as he took it from me. “My mom did too. I remember standing on her feet while we danced to his tracks. Dad would just watch. The man can’t dance for shit.”
I giggled. We reached for each other’s hands at the same time as we moved over to the record player. Soon the magnificent space was filled with Bob Marley’s voice and I swayed as it took me over.
“Dance with me?”
Jaxson gathered me in his arms before I had a chance to reply, but it didn’t occur to me to say no. I draped my arms around his neck and let him mold our bodies together. The first time I danced with Jaxson I marveled at how in tune we were. This time was no different. Eyes locked, we danced as one. When I stepped, he stepped. When I moved, he moved with me.
As the song shifted into another, Jaxson rested his forehead against mine. His hair tickled me and without thinking I reached up to push it back. He turned and pressed a kiss to my palm before I could pull away. The act made my pulse quicken beneath the ghost mark of his lips.
Jaxson turned back to me, eyes aflame with heat, and I was starkly reminded of that day in the bathroom clinging to him while he enticed moan after moan from my lips.
He smiled. “You’re blushing. What are you thinking about?”
My cheeks grew hotter. “Nothing.”
“Are you thinking about me kissing you? Because I promise I’m thinking about the same thing.”
“I might be,” I whispered, “but I’m also thinking...”
Jaxson drew me closer if such a thing were possible. We were already as close as two people could be. “What’s wrong, baby?”
I bit my lip hard. “You’re not... going to hurt me again, are you?”
He stopped dead. “What? Val, no. Never again.”
“How do I know that’s true?”
“Because I— Argh.” Stepping back, he dropped his arms. I missed the loss for the barest moment until he cupped my face in his hands. “Because I always wanted you. From the beginning, Val. From the moment I heard of the beautiful new girl who blew in to shake things up. I wanted you.”
“But that’s not true,” I cried. I tugged at his hands. “I was a stupid bet between you and the Knights. Who could get in my pants first? None of it was real. You— Why are you shaking your head?!”
“Don’t you get it?” He gave me a little shake. “There was no bet. There was never a bet.”
“But you said—”
“We said that because you were marked. We wanted to hurt you, Val, and what better way than thinking the guys who liked you were playing you all along.”
I made a choked noise, gaping at him in shock. “Well, congratulations. It did fucking hurt!”
“And I’m sorry. You’ll never know how sorry I am.” Jaxson’s eyes were shimmering pools of blue. They pulled me in, and then pulled me under. “I don’t owe you three apologies; I owe you thousands. You’re smart and beautiful and strong, and I tried to break you on the card of a monster.”
“Jaxson.”
“I know I don’t deserve you, but I want you anyway.”
“Jaxson.”
“I’ll take whatever part of you that you’ll give me. I—”
I pressed my fingers to his mouth. “Jaxson, stop talking and kiss me.”
He blinked. “What?”
“Kiss me.”
His expression changed. In the next breath, my finger was gone and replaced by my lips. The kiss was reminiscent of the one we shared in the bathroom—all heat and fire and passion, but this time there was something more. Something that rode the wave of our intensity and filled me as fast as my need for him.
It felt like... forgiveness. I had let go, and let Jaxson in.
His hands moved to my thighs and suddenly I was up. I laughed into the kiss as he carried me over to the couch and set me down. I tugged at the hem of his shirt. Jaxson stepped back long enough to rip it over his head and then his mouth was on mine again.
The nerves beneath my skin tingled and sizzled like things that had just come alive. I might have floated away if my entire being wasn’t anchored to Jaxson and this kiss. I sank down onto the couch, bringing him with me.
We broke apart as Jaxson nipped a path to my neck. He found the spot he discovered last time and licked, eliciting a gasp.
“Jaxson,” I breathed.
“Yes, baby?” Another lick and I arched my back. He was driving me crazy and he hadn’t even gotten to the interesting parts.
“I... need you to go slow, okay?”
He lifted his head to meet my eyes. “Val, of course. We won’t do anything that you don’t want to do. If you want to stop—”
“No.” Biting my lip, I took a steadying breath to get the rest out. “That’s not what I’m saying. I want to. I want you. Here. Now. I just... need you to take it slowly. This is new for me.”
“Okay.” He bent and gave me a soft peck on the lips. “Slow it is.”
He kissed me again, softly this time, while his hands traveled down my body and then under my dres
s. He slid it up over my thighs, then my waist, then my stomach, then my breasts. His movements were so excruciatingly languid I almost told him to drop the slow stuff right there.
It’s okay, Val. You have all night. It’s just you and Jaxson.
My dress fell to the floor and Jaxson’s pants quickly followed. My hands explored his body like it was a wonderland. I loved the feel of him beneath my palm—hard, strong, but also warm.
Jaxson broke our kiss and pressed his mouth to my shoulder. With his teeth, he slid the bra strap down until my breast sprang free. His chest rose and fell beneath my hands as he panted.
“Can I?”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. He bent his head.
Ring! Ring!
Jaxson’s head snapped up. “You got to be fucking kidding me right now!”
I giggled. “It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere. Just turn it off.”
Cursing, Jaxson fumbled to get his phone out of his pants. “There. Now— Fuck!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Son.” I froze as a dry voice sounded in my ears. “I wouldn’t hang up if I were you.”
Jaxson looked so wretched I might have laughed. The poor guy had accidentally accepted the call.
He sighed. “Yes, Dad?”
“I know you’re at the studio,” Levi said, “and I know you’re with a girl.”
“What?” I hissed. I yanked my bra on like we were being watched.
“How do you— Wait. Clive ratted me out, didn’t he? The overpaid bastard.”
Levi actually chuckled. “The overpaid bastard is overpaid by me. He knows better than to lie to me when I ask where my son is. He told me he’s waiting outside for you and a charming young lady so you’re going to stop what you’re doing, put everything back where you found it, and get in the car. If Clive doesn’t call me back in five minutes to say you’re walking out of the door, you’re spending the next month in your room.”
“Alright, Pops. We’re leaving.”
“Thank you. See you home in an hour.”
Click.
Jaxson hung his head, resting it on my chest. “I love that guy, but he’s got the worst timing.”
I poked him. “Speaking of timing. We should go before you get grounded.”
With obvious reluctance, we clambered off the couch, got dressed, and did as his father instructed. It was only when we were in the car zooming out of Cottonwood did it hit me that I had been about to have sex with Jaxson. It was insane how much I had wanted him at that moment—how much I still wanted him.
His placed his hand on mine. “Hope I did good for my first labor.”
“It was perfect. I can’t wait to see what you have in mind for number two and three.”
He gazed at me steadily. “There won’t be any interruptions next time.”
I shivered under the look in his eyes. “I hope so.”
Jaxson pulled me to his side and I burrowed into his warmth. We sat there quiet and content until Sofia’s mansion came into view.
“There’s one more thing,” he began. “We’re going to Ryder’s place on Sunday. There’s a lot of things we need to talk about now that school is starting again. We thought you should be there.”
I tilted my head back. “Really? Is this about last semester?”
He nodded.
“Then I’ll be there.”
“Nice. I’ll send a car for you.”
We didn’t speak any more about it. Jaxson and I shared one last kiss before Clive opened the door.
I escaped up to my room, showered, and hopped into bed with every intention of going to sleep, but thoughts of Jaxson and me on that couch plagued my thoughts.
“Val?”
Knock. Knock.
“Val, you awake?”
I glanced at the clock as I pushed myself up. It was after midnight. “I’m up. Come in.”
Sofia eased open the door. Her shadowed figure crept closer to the bed until I felt it dip. She settled down next to me.
During the day, she busted in and out as she pleased, but at night she was understanding about giving me warning before approaching me in the dark.
“Did you have fun tonight?” I asked.
She tittered. “So much fun. Zane is smoking hot, Val. I almost jumped him the second I saw him.”
“Did you guys hit it off?”
“I’d say so.” The suggestion in her voice was so heavy only an idiot could have mistaken it.
“So. Fi. A!” I cried. “You hooked up with him, didn’t you?”
“Only a little.”
“How do you hook up with a guy a little?”
“We made out during the movie, that’s it. But he did invite me to his place on Sunday after your birthday. Will you be okay if I go? I’m cool to hang with you instead.”
I blew a raspberry on that. “Forget about me. You’re working on a summer romance, don’t let me stand in the way. “Besides, I’ve got somewhere to be on Sunday too.”
“Great. So what did you and Jaxson do tonight?”
“We went to his dad’s record label. It was amazing. He gave me a tour and we listened to records and...” I trailed off, preparing myself for what was coming next. “Don’t freak, okay.”
I felt her shift. “Freak about what?”
“Jaxson and I hooked up too.”
“What?!”
“And we almost had sex.”
“What?!”
I bounced as she suddenly jerked up. Before I knew it, light was flooding my eyes. Sofia flicked on the lamp and turned it on me.
“Sofia, I told you not to freak.”
“Screw that. Tell me everything.”
I heaved a sigh, but inside I was fighting a smile. It’s not like I didn’t know this was coming. I scrambled up and propped myself against the pillows. “Okay, so we were dancing and...”
IT WAS A SLEEP-DEPRIVED wreck that answered the door the next morning.
“Tina!”
I immediately perked up at the sight of my son. We weren’t apart long and I had missed him like crazy. “Hi, baby.” I held out my arms and he fell into them. Mom followed behind with a hug.
“How’s my seventeen-year-old?”
“I’m good.” I kissed Adam’s curls. “And better now that you’re here. But you didn’t have to come so early. Madeline is taking us out to dinner at six.”
“I know. That’s why I wanted time with you first. Just the three of us on your birthday. Sound good?”
“Love that.”
I gave them a brief tour of the place and then we were out. It was perfect getting to spend the day talking, shopping, and playing with Adam. It was exactly what I wanted for my birthday. As the clock neared six, Sofia walked into my room to find Mom and me wearing the dresses we bought at the promenade. I was in the middle of getting Adam into his suit. It was taking a while because I couldn’t resist stopping every five seconds to take pictures.
“Sofia, you look great.” The pink tea-length dress she chose showcased all of her best features—not that she had any bad ones.
“Thanks. You do too.” She lifted her hand and I noticed the small present hanging off her finger. “Is now a good time to give you your gift?”
“Sure.”
Mom scooped up Adam. “I will finish getting him dressed. We’ll see you downstairs.”
Sofia handed it over after the door closed behind them. “Open it.”
I reached inside and took out the small, rectangular box. Nestled inside was a gorgeous gold bracelet.
“Sofia, thank you.”
“I have one too.” She took the box from me. “It’s not the same color or style, but I put the same engraving on the back so we never forget how we became friends.” She lifted the band and held it out to me. “Read it.”
I took one look at it and burst out laughing. “Strawberry root beer.” Eyes prickling, I grabbed her in a hug. “I love it so much.”
Soon we sucked up the tears and headed downstairs. E
veryone was waiting for us at the door.
“Wow, we look good,” I teased. “Where we are going, we’re about to make those fire alarms go wild.”
Madeline threw her head back laughing. “You’re such a scream, darling. Come, come. We don’t want to miss our reservations.”
The restaurant Sofia’s parents booked was high-end in the extreme. Mom and I bought gowns for the celebration and we still felt underdressed. Even so, I had a great time. We laughed, joked, and stuffed ourselves on the tastiest food I had ever eaten. Adam delighted everyone with his cuteness, and by the end of the night, not even Madeline could resist holding him.
Mom and Adam spent the night after we stumbled back to the mansion. They squeezed in with me despite the Richards offering up their fifty-odd spare bedrooms. I snuggled up with my baby and fell asleep feeling so happy I could bust. I knew her screams wouldn’t find my dreams when sleep claimed me.
“BYE, MOM. I’LL COME back at the end of summer.”
“You better. It’s our ritual for me to do this awful drive and drop you at those gates. No reason to stop now.”
“Agreed.” I gave them both one more kiss and hug.
Mom honked her way down the massive driveway as I waved. When they were gone, I made to go back inside.
Buzz. Buzz.
I answered my phone without looking at the screen. “Hello?”
“Try that again and you’re going down, playboy— Hey!”
There was a shout, the obvious sound of fighting, and then laughter that faded as cursing took its place.
“People think Ricky is nice,” Jaxson raged. “Asshole! Motherfu—” There was a bang. “No throwing!”
I stifled a laugh. “What the hell are you guys doing?”
“Minding my own business watching a movie,” he grumbled. “Then the big guy decides he wants to watch some stupid gadget show and attacks. There are six other televisions in this house!”
Maverick’s shout came through clear. “Then watch your movie on one of them!”
“Is this why you called?” I asked.
“Nah, baby. Wanted to make sure you were ready. I’ll send the car to your place now.”