“Yeah, well, so goes the game.” Lori got off the couch, stretching. Her perky breasts pushed against her filmy robe and even though Nikki knew she was here for other reasons, that little glimpse of her friend set off a little thud in Nikki’s stomach.
Lori walked over to Nikki’s locker, standing behind her, hands on Nikki’s hips, fingers gently caressing her, sliding up beneath her sweatshirt. “I know what the look means, princess.” She lifted Nikki’s thick, dark hair, her lips on her neck and then sliding up to nibble at her ear.
Before Nikki could think, she turned into Lori’s embrace, their lips meeting in a familiar kiss. There was a raw need in Lori tonight, a vulnerability Nikki sensed that was rarely evident. Lori’s tough-as-nails exterior dropped as their kiss deepened.
Nikki felt the rising sense of arousal being with Lori always brought, but in the back of her mind images of Jax rose up of his taut body beneath hers in the brief lap dance, his mouth hot and hard against her lips. She lost herself for a moment in the memories, thoughts of Jax competing with Lori’s kiss for Nikki’s attention, eventually winning. It wasn’t long before Lori broke away, shaking her head.
“You’re a million miles away, kid. And I’m not going that far tonight.” She took a step back, head tilted to the side, her eyes narrowed.
“Lori, I…I’m not…it’s not you.” Nikki fumbled for the words, but she knew she couldn’t explain.
“Hey, don’t sweat it.” Lori walked to her locker, dropped her robe and reached inside for a black lace teddy, tugging it up roughly up over her long legs, shimmying herself into the scrap of fabric.
Nikki watched her friend, aching to reach out but unsure what to say. Lori looked up, her face now set in a careful mask of indifference, but Nikki could see the hurt in her eyes.
“Hey, I said drop it. Guys are guys. I’d do the same if I were in your shoes. He’s a hot guy, even if he’s…whatever he is.” She slammed her locker door, the sound echoing in the small room. Nikki winced. She hated fighting with Lori. And she knew Lori would never throw her over for a man.
“I’ll see you out there.” Lori was through the door, her heels clicking on the scuffed linoleum floor, still tugging at the straps of her teddy before Nikki could speak.
Nikki let out a sigh, pulling out a red camisole and panty set she’d planned to wear. She held them a moment, fingering the satiny material. Was a guy really worth losing her best friend? Nikki shook her head, shoving the clothes back into her locker.
“Hey! You’re here. You must be psychic, we’re short tonight. You’re on in five.” Mack was already gone by the time Nikki looked up, the protest on her lips dying unsaid.
“Shit.” She yanked her sweatshirt off, tugging the camisole over her head, static crackling through her hair. She shed her jeans, pulled on the red satin panties and the ridiculously high red heels that completed the outfit.
The lighted mirror cast a harsh light over her face. Most of her make-up was in place, done at home, but she added another coat of mascara and slicked a slash of red lipstick across her mouth. The hair she couldn’t care less about right now. It would be a snarled mess by the end of her set anyway.
Nikki looked at her reflection, not really liking the girl looking back at her. She was rarely given to deep introspection, but right now she wondered what the hell had gotten into her.
She took a deep breath, held it for the count of three and blew it out sharply. Somehow she’d make it up to Lori. Now she needed to go do her set, work the crowd, and try to at least pretend she wanted to be here. The last thing on her mind was Jax.
Mack had put on some odd music for her, not her usual. But her moves still worked and she was still down on all fours by the end of the song, pretty much on tempo and with the beat. The guys didn’t care as long as she ended up more or less naked, gyrating and shaking what she had. And she could do that in her sleep.
The music ended and she knelt to retrieve her camisole, snatching it away from some guy in the front who thought he’d get away with a freebie. She’d lost more items if clothing that way. She shook her finger at him, pasting what she hoped was a flirtatious smile on her face.
She stood as the lights flickered briefly, making her blink. They came up, and she saw him. Standing in the back, as still as a statue, the only man in the room not shouting drunkenly or trying to drag a girl into a private room.
Even though the lights were in her face, she knew he was looking into her eyes, probably the only guy in the room who wasn’t staring at her naked body. She hesitated briefly, then turned too quickly, almost stumbling as her heels slipped on the stage. Music suddenly blared and Eden came dancing onto the stage, colliding with Nikki.
“Out of my way, bitch. You’ve had your turn.” She brushed past and the catcalls and hoots of the men swelled, the sound washing over Nikki. And then, this was the last place she wanted to be. She fled to the dressing room.
Who was this guy? Was he anyone to her, someone she really wanted to see now? Her hands were shaking and she sank weakly down onto the couch. He was here for her. There was no doubt in her mind. But did she want to be there for him?
Screw the costume, Nikki pulled on her sweatshirt, tugging her jeans over the satin panties, her sweatshirt over her head. It had been a mistake to come here, to look for Jax. He was trouble, like he said, all kinds of wrong. She was foolish to try to make something more out of just a guy who thought she was a good dancer, just because he cleaned up better than the normal crowd.
Cool night air washed over Nikki as she opened the alley door. She hated the alley more than anything, but Mack didn’t want them coming through the club in street clothes. She usually tried to leave with another girl or Sam, if he was headed out. Being alone in the alley gave her the creeps, no doubt.
She turned toward the street, clutching her purse against her body. The sound of a car horn ahead made her jump and in that instant a hand reached out from between the dented dumpsters that lined the alley, closing around her wrist.
She turned, half a scream forced between her lips, looking into a pockmarked face of a man crouched in the dark.
“Let go!” Nikki twisted her wrist, but his grip was like steel. He pulled her toward him, her heels skidding on the damp pavement.
“Where is she? She’s in there, right?” The man’s voice rasped out between parched lips. Nikki’s eyes widened as she saw the glint of a knife blade in his other hand. He waved it at her, skimming it at her throat. She jerked back hard, the bones in her wrist grinding together.
“Who? I don’t know what you mean.” Panic was bubbling up inside Nikki and she had the surreal sense of everything slowing down. The man’s voice dropped in pitch, garbled and indistinct. And then she was falling forward, in slow motion, as he pulled her into the darkness between the dumpsters.
Then the world grew very loud and things were moving too quickly for her to understand. She was in the alley, head down and stumbling backward, feeling like she’d been catapulted from the space between the dumpsters. There was a strangled cry, a loud clang as something crashed into the dumpster and then quiet. She finally fell to one knee, looking up in time to see a man on his hands and knees, the man who’d grabbed her, another man standing over him.
Nikki’s eyes went wide as she realized it was Jax. He grabbed the man, hauled him upright and held him by the neck with one hand, as if the man weighed nothing at all. Nikki noticed the man’s feet weren’t touching the ground.
“Jax!” She found her voice, as she fell forward, her hands scraping against the grimy alley, her wrist throbbing. Jax turned toward her, and in the faint light of the alley, she swore his eyes were almost glowing silver. She blinked but then he had turned back to the man in his grasp, his face held very close to the struggling man. There was a noise, like a low growl, and then Jax dropped the man like a sack of garbage.
Jax turned to Nikki, striding across the alley. Behind him, she watched the skinny man scuttle from between the dumpsters on a
ll fours, scrambling to gain his feet, finally breaking into a shambling run as he turned the corner onto the street.
Nikki was trembling as Jax’s hands closed around her arms, lifting her from the pavement.
“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” Jax was looking at her intently, his eyes roaming quickly over her face, down over her body.
“No…just my arm.” She held up her hand, an ugly bruise beginning to form around her wrist. She stared at the purpling marks, and her trembling turned to violent shaking, her teeth clicking together.
“You’re in shock, Nikki. Let me take you back inside.” Jax took a step back, toward the door to the club, his arm around her shoulder. But Nikki shook her head, her voice barely audible.
“Take me home…with you.”
* * *
Jax opened the door to his room. The house had been quiet, Bec gone and his room empty, with several other members apparently having left with him as well. Jax knew they were friends of Bec’s, guys he’d grown up with, and a few of their mates, some of them he and Bec had known forever. But that wasn’t important now.
He carried Nikki into his room, laying her on his bed, grabbed the blanket and pulled it over her. She tried to sit up, struggling with the blanket but he gently pushed her back down. Seeing her in his bed sent a frisson of anticipation through him, but now wasn’t the time to act on that, not while she was afraid and incredibly vulnerable.
“Stay still. I’ll be right back.” He moved away from the bed and she reached out, grabbing his hand.
“No, don’t go…please.” She looked up at him, her eyes wide, almost too large for her face.
“Just getting a glass of water, right there. And something for your wrist.” He pointed to the open door to the bathroom. “You’ll be able to see me, or hear me, the whole time.”
Her grip loosened and he patted her leg, before walking quickly into the bathroom. As he ran cold water over a washcloth, he looked at his reflection in the mirror. What the hell was he thinking, bringing her back here? Even if she had asked, he shouldn’t have done it. He could have just as easily taken her back inside, or to her own apartment. She was too fragile right now, too available and he didn’t know if he could control himself around her.
He shook his head as he reached for a glass, filling it with water. What the hell was he thinking? She was dangerous, but in such a delicious way.
Nikki was sitting up against the head of his bed, legs tucked beneath her, the blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She was still trembling and her hands shook slightly, and she spilled water on the blanket as she took a drink.
“Here.” Jax set the glass on the bedside table, sitting down beside her, brushing away the droplets of water. He held the cold washcloth against her bruised wrist.
For a brief instant he caught a whiff of a strange scent, an animal scent, almost wolfish but off somehow. He didn’t think it was Nikki herself, and he wondered briefly if the man who had attacked Nikki was a werewolf. He lifted her wrist closer to his face and inhaled deeply. He was right, it wasn’t Nikki; it was on her clothes. She must have picked it up when she fell to the ground. Jax shook his head. It wasn’t important now, he’d worry about it later.
“Thanks.” She was looking up at him, her wide eyes fixed on his face. “You saved my life. Thank you.”
“I was in the right place at the right time. Do you know the guy?”
“He’s an ex-boyfriend…”
Jax drew back, frowning. Nikki reached out, her hand on his arm.
“No, not mine. One of the girls from the club. He’s been hanging out in the alley for a few days, I guess, bothering the girls when they leave, looking for China…his girlfriend…ex, I guess. Drugs or something.” She took a deep breath. “I’m rambling. My nerves are shot.”
But Jax wasn’t listening to Nikki’s words. Her touch, her hand on his arm, on his bare skin, sent an electric jolt through his body. Beyond her touch, her scent was overwhelming him, the complexity and depth of it amazing, touching every nerve in his body. He could still smell her fear, sharp and acrid, lingering on her. That would fade, he knew.
Beneath that was Nikki’s own scent, warm and rich, sweet with an edge, like biting into an orange picked fresh from the tree, drenched in heat, lush and juicy.
And finally, the scent of her core, her being, her sexuality. Jax closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, taking his fill of her, not able to get enough. Beyond description, her scent started a chain reaction of emotions and feelings in his body, everything spiraling out of his control. He’d never experienced this with any woman, and as much as it aroused him, it scared him. Control was everything to Jax and this woman was quickly tearing that to shreds with just her presence, her touch on his skin.
He opened his eyes, caught Nikki’s look and saw reflected there everything he was feeling, the fear from her attack fading, replaced with lust and arousal. She started to shrug the blanket off her shoulders and he leaned forward, pulling it away from her body. Even in a faded sweatshirt and jeans, she was alluring, arousing, every lush curve still very evident.
Nikki rose up on her knees, eyes level with Jax, her fingers reaching up to touch his cheek, his lips. Her pupils were dilated, her dark eyes searching his.
“Make me feel safe, Jax. Make me forget.”
Any thoughts of resisting her, of not taking advantage of her in this vulnerable situation, of not giving in to his own desires, quickly left him. He reached for her, his hands on her torso, pulling her against him.
Their lips met, hers soft against his, as lush as the rest of her. He traced his tongue briefly along her lower lip and she opened her mouth to him instantly, her tongue meeting his fully, almost aggressively.
He worked his hands beneath her sweatshirt, momentarily surprised to find something satiny and soft. But beneath that was skin, delicious and warm, irresistible. His fingers brushed against the weight of her breasts and something broke loose inside of Jax, a shiver rushing through his body, his erection straining against his suddenly too-tight jeans.
Nikki broke away from their kiss, grabbing the hem of her shirt and stripping it over her head, leaving her in the red camisole she’d worn at the club. Once free of the shirt, her hair fell around her shoulders in a wavy mass, a mix of deep chestnut and burnished copper. Jax reached for a strand, running it through his fingers. It was softer than anything he’d felt in a long time and a wave of longing and desire washed over him. He wanted that mane spread across his pillow, wanted to run his fingers through her hair.
He realized she was looking at him, a small smile playing about her lips.
“There’s more to me than just my hair, you know.”
Her fingers were impatiently tugging his t-shirt up over his body, and he lifted his arms, as her hands slid beneath the fabric, working the shirt up his chest, letting her pull the shirt over his head. Her hands were back on his body, seemingly everywhere on his skin, fingers eagerly running over his nipples, down the flat plane of his stomach, over the bulging front, beneath the edge of his jeans. A low groan escaped his lips as she cupped him with her warm hand.
The primal urge to mate was always strong with Jax and never more so than at the cusp of the full moon. But more than just wanting to ravish Nikki, another need began to surface, the need to connect with her on a deeper level, connect to her in a way he’d never wanted to with any woman before. She had opened up a part of him he thought didn’t exist. And it scared him. To need something this badly, was to allow it to control him, and lack of control was a weakness.
But he gave in, pulled her hard against him. She grunted softly as their bodies came together, her hands now on his chest, caught between them. He claimed her mouth again, wanting to devour her, his hands winding through her hair as he held her against him.
She wiggled in his embrace, her hands moving down to work the button on his jeans. His hands followed the curves of her body, down to the flare of her hips, to the zipper on her jeans, easily tearing them op
en. Gasping against his mouth, she rose up slightly as his fingers worked beneath the waistband, and then down to cup her ass.
Suddenly frustrated by the clothing between them, Jax broke the kiss, tipping Nikki onto her back. She squealed in surprise, her eyes dancing with desire as he grabbed her jeans, tugging them down over her hips, both them and the satin panties sliding off her legs.
Jax tossed them to the floor and he stood, impatiently pulling off his own jeans. He looked down at Nikki, lying in his bed, her hair spread out on the pillow, the red satin lingerie molding sweetly to her body, the outline of her breasts pushing against the fabric making his blood sing.
His own body was thrumming with arousal, with the overwhelming need to satisfy the animal needs of his body with hers. But beneath that was the desire to claim her as his, make her want him as badly as he needed her.
Jax climbed onto the bed, Nikki already reaching for him. He was so incredibly hard and she was very ready, her legs parting, her warm thighs sliding up his hips, wrapping around his waist, and pulling him down to her body.
He barely had time to wonder if this was what he should be doing before he was sliding against her, and then pushing into her, into the heat and slickness she offered up to him.
She cried out softly beneath him as he entered her, but met him fully, her hips rolling up beneath him, accepting all of him completely. Her soft cries became louder, sharper, his acute sense of hearing picking up every nuance in her voice as he thrust into her.
Time stood still for Jax. The movement of their bodies together, the intense feeling of her surrounding him, drawing him further, almost drove him out of control. Every thrust of his cock, every response from her beneath him driving him crazy, pushing him closer to the edge, making him want more of her, even as he took her.
And she demanded as much from him as he took from her, her movements matching his, her passion and arousal just as intense as he felt. Her body was one continuous wave, crashing over him, pulling him deeper into her, pulling him further out of control. He gave in, let her sweep him along, finally letting go of any illusion of restraint he thought he still had.
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