by Sam Crescent
Resting her head against his chest, she smiled.
It was kind of nice to be wanted.
Chapter Three
Drawing his fist back, Jaxson slammed it against the man’s face, over and over again, until he didn’t have much of a face left.
“You know, torture is supposed to be one of those things that allows you to actually get information out,” Dane said.
“I guess I missed that part of the class.” Jaxson stepped back and stared down at his bloody hand. Grabbing a towel, he wiped the blood away, and his knuckles had split from the constant impact.
“So, how was the date last night?”
“How the fuck do you get from me killing a guy to last night?”
“You took my sister out on a date and she’s not called me to bitch about being there.”
“Do you know your girlfriend’s name yet?”
“Nope, and I never intend to find out. She’s boring when she’s not high as a fucking kite, and you know my stance on drugs.” Dane kicked the man’s leg. “Damn, you angry with him or something?”
“He was near Noelle,” Jaxson said. “You saw his apartment. He’d been watching her for a couple of weeks. You don’t want him getting close to her, do you?”
“Of course not,” Dane said.
After last night, Jaxson wasn’t about to tell his best friend what had happened. He’d danced with Noelle all night. After a couple of hours, Dane had left the club to pursue his own kind of fun. He probably believed he could leave Noelle with him and she’d be fine, and it was true, she would be.
Only, he’d not held anything back from her.
He let her know without any doubt that he wanted her.
Staring at his best friend, he knew Dane was a hard-ass. He was a vicious man to the core, but neither of them had ever gone against each other.
They were both strong and fierce fighters.
Taking Noelle could split them apart, and that was the last thing Jaxson wanted. He didn’t have any family.
Dane and Noelle were his family.
Instead of going into her apartment last night and fucking her brains out and giving her a night to remember, he’d kissed her hand and left her alone. It had taken all of his restraint not to push her back inside her apartment and to show her exactly what he wanted to do with her.
“What I wanted to know is how he got so close,” Dane said. “I’ve got men who are constantly keeping an eye on her. How did he take so many pictures?”
Jaxson went to the table and picked up just a couple of photos they’d found on the man he’d beaten to death. It hadn’t been his intention to keep on hitting him. Once he started, it had been impossible to stop. Anyone who put Noelle in danger was on his shit list.
Picking up one of the pictures, he saw it looked close-up, but any camera these days could give the same false impression.
Noelle didn’t know she was being watched. The wind was whipping at her hair, and she was slightly turned in the picture.
She’d always been a beautiful person, and now, she was even more so.
Also, a lot more legal as well.
Running a hand down his face, he dropped the picture. There were none of her inside the apartment.
Noelle had a thing about curtains, and the moment it got dark, she always closed them. She never kept them open with the light on. Even when she lived with Dane, she’d always close them.
“You never know what weirdo is lurking outside.”
“You got any ideas about who’d do this?” he asked.
“I’ve got a few. The crew that are dealing the dope? Some of my old enemies I actually let live? I’ve not exactly been the kind of guy that advertises for friends.”
“Either way, they know who she is. They’re not targeting you. They’re targeting her.”
“I want her close. It doesn’t take a genius to work out she’s my sister,” Dane said.
“Not when you go and physically pull her off the streets.” Jaxson shook his head. “We need to find the person responsible and bring an end to them.”
“I want to double the guards around Noelle. This cannot touch her.” Dane pointed at the dope they had on the table.
Whoever was paying this man to spy on her was paying him in dope.
Dane sighed. “I don’t like this. You know I don’t like it when I can’t find the person responsible.”
“You got to hold your shit together. You know Noelle won’t like it.”
“She’s going to be fucking pissed with me,” Dane said.
“Why?”
“I already closed down her apartment. Her landlord will be kicking her out, and she’s moving into our apartment block.”
“You’re kidding,” Jaxson said.
“Nope. I told you. If at any point I feel her life is in danger, I will take the necessary measures to ensure she is safe. I allowed her to live separately from us to give her a sense of freedom. As quickly as I can give it, I can also take it away.”
“Do I even want to know who is picking her up?” Jaxson asked.
“One of the boys is on it. This time, I’m going to leave you to do the explaining.”
“You’re ditching your sister on me.”
“It’ll sound a lot better coming from you. Believe me. Besides, I’ve taken as much bitching as I can take from one woman today.”
“Your girlfriend? The one that’s now gone.”
“Yep, I caught the whore trying to steal from my wallet. I’ve never and will never fuck a woman for money. She’ll pay me before I even think of paying her. Stupid slut. Now, go and deal with that sister of mine. You’ll leave with your balls attached. Me, not so much.”
Jaxson washed his hands, leaving his friend to deal with the body.
He didn’t like this feeling he had swirling in his gut. He wasn’t used to being wrong, and right now, he felt Noelle was in danger.
Whoever wanted to take their shit out on Noelle would do it to get to Dane. She didn’t have a bad bone in her body. Even when she was angry, he’d seen her the fire in her eyes, but she’d walk away. Every single time. She didn’t have a short fuse like her brother.
Climbing into his car, he drove to his apartment building. He didn’t make any stops, and the moment he pulled into his parking spot, he went to the floor he and Dane shared.
Dane had several apartments around the city. This was the one where he wouldn’t take anyone. Only family and close friends knew where he lived here. The other apartment across town that cost a lot less, was where Dane took his women to fuck.
Entering the floor, Jaxson heard Noelle pleading with whoever was with her.
Rushing to the apartment, he saw Smith covered the door, stopping her from leaving.
“I want to go back to my apartment,” Noelle said.
“I have orders, Noelle. You know this. I can’t just take you to where you want to go.”
“This is not fair.” She stepped away from the door.
“Go, Smith,” Jaxson said.
Smith looked relieved to be let off the hook.
Stepping into the apartment, Jaxson saw several bags were in the hallway.
“You’re not going to unpack?” he asked, closing and locking the door.
“I want to go back home.”
“Not going to happen.” Jaxson pocketed the key so she wouldn’t have a chance of escape.
“Where’s Dane? He should be here to tell me himself that he’s revoked my right to have a life.”
“He’s not revoked it. He’s making sure you’re safe.” He took a step into the apartment. Like all the places within the building, it was spacious, clean, and perfect for her. Of course, Noelle had liked something smaller, cheaper, and out of the way of her brother. Not that it ever gave her any real freedom.
Reaching down, he picked up her bags. “Then I’ll unpack for you.”
Heading to the bedroom, he heard her following him.
“Put that down. I mean it, Jaxson. You can’t just
storm in here and do what you like,” she said.
“I’m going to help you get settled in. You may not like it, but this is your life now. You can’t live in your old place. It’s gone,” he said.
Dropping the bag to the bed, he opened it up and started to dump out all of the contents.
“Will you stop?” she said, grabbing her clothes and trying to throw them back in. When he got to the bottom of the bag, he saw the picture that had also been packed. It was one taken a couple of months ago of her, himself, and Dane.
“Get off that,” she said, taking it from him.
He lifted up a pair of red lace panties.
“Stop it,” she said, grabbing the item from him.
He loved the way her cheeks went red as he held up another pair. “You know, I’d love to see you in these.”
“Stop it, Jaxson. Stop with the act.”
“What act?”
****
Noelle had already come to the conclusion that Jaxson didn’t truly like her. If he did, he wouldn’t have left her at her door last night. Someone who liked someone, and wanted to do naughty, dirty things to them wasn’t a polite gentleman.
Do you even want him to do naughty things to you?
Her pussy went slick at the thought of Jaxson using her, taking her, fucking her.
Pushing those thoughts out of her mind, she stared at him.
“This act, whatever it is, I don’t need it.”
“You think I’m acting when I say I’d love to see you in these?” He held up another pair.
“Yes.”
“And why do you think that is?” he asked.
“Because, men who want something like that don’t, you know?”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t drop a woman at the door and walk away.”
There was a pause, and she watched as he smiled at her.
She hated it when he did that.
Picking up her lingerie, she grabbed the bag and dragged it toward her and started to fill it again.
“I want to go home.”
“You can’t go home,” he said.
“You and Dane can leave me alone. I’m done being bossed around. I’m done taking orders from the two of you. If I want to date, I’ll date. If I want to get a job, I’m going to get a job, and if—”
“You’re going to do no such thing.”
“You can stop with the caveman routine.”
Jaxson rounded the bed, and she took a step back as he kept advancing toward her. He didn’t stop. She kept taking a step back until she hit the wall and it stopped her from going anywhere else.
There was no doubt in her mind who had the control here. It certainly wasn’t her.
“This is not a game.” He grabbed her arm, and she dropped the lingerie she’d been holding. It fell at her feet, but she couldn’t look at it. Her attention was all on him. Jaxson leaned in close. “I’ve never played with you, Noelle. Nor have I ever lied to you. I want you. I want to see you in all of this lingerie, but above all else, I want to protect you.”
“What does that even mean?” she asked.
“Someone decided to start watching you and your apartment. We don’t know why, but we’ll get to the bottom of it. You know Dane doesn’t like his world touching you. He can’t stop what he started, but he can try and give you a normal life,” he said.
As she stared into his eyes, her heart started to race.
Last night she’d felt his rock-hard cock pressing against her body, making her very much aware of being a woman, of her own needs.
For a long time, she’d been denying them.
With Dane as a brother, it made it next to impossible to date.
Jaxson didn’t back away nor did he say another word. He held her hand above her head and then he grabbed her other, doing the same with it.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“What I should have done last night.” He stepped up close, and his head began to lower.
She had nowhere to go.
He wasn’t hurting her, but his grip let her know he was serious.
Did she want him to kiss her?
Could she stop him?
Did she even want to stop him?
As he got closer, all thought fled her mind as his lips touched hers. At first, it was so soft, the lightest of caresses, and then within the blink of an eye, his kiss hardened. He let go of her wrists and sank his fingers into her hair, holding her steady as he ravished her lips. She gripped his shoulders as Jaxson gave her everything, not holding back. His kiss went to brutal, to raw, and as his tongue traced across her mouth, she had no choice but to allow him entry.
He plunged inside, and one of his hands moved down to grip her ass. He squeezed her so hard she knew there would be bruises the size of his hands on her flesh.
She cried out as he broke the kiss and his lips trailed down her neck to her pulse, which pounded.
“Don’t have any doubt that I want you, Noelle. I know you’re still a virgin. You’re not supposed to be fucked but made love to. Right now, I can’t take you slowly. I want to be balls deep inside you. Hear you scream, feel your nails on my back, and that tight cunt of yours squeezing my dick. I can’t do that to you. Not at first.” With that, he pulled away.
Her legs were like jelly, and if he didn’t have a hold of her, she’d have fallen to the floor.
“Make no mistake, I want you. Always,” he said. He let her go slowly.
Her legs were no longer like jelly, and she stood, watching him as he walked to the bed. Reaching down, she picked up the lingerie and instead of dumping it in the bag, she started to put it in the drawers provided.
Neither of them spoke as he put her clothes in the wardrobe.
When they were both finished, he grabbed her hand and walked her back to the kitchen. “It’s all fully furnished and stocked.” He opened the fridge and the cupboards. “Do you want to cook or order in?” Jaxson asked.
She was about to speak when the doorbell rang.
Jaxson let her go, and she watched him walk away. Putting her fingers to her lips, she felt how swollen they were. The kiss had gone from soft to hard, and it had been an intoxicating change. Her body was on fire, and she wanted more.
“I brought goodies,” Dane said.
Hearing her brother’s voice, she brought herself under control.
Jaxson and Dane were close as brothers, but she never saw him as such. He’d always been Dane’s best friend. If Dane knew what he’d been doing, he’d kill him, and she couldn’t allow that to happen.
She stepped into the corridor and saw Dane held a tray with Chinese food containers. Jaxson was playing with fire when it came to her. She knew that now, understood it, but again, why?
One glance at him didn’t help her. His shutters were down.
She couldn’t allow Dane to know anything had happened.
“I brought Chinese,” Dane said. “Truce?”
“I’m not happy with you right now,” she said.
“You can hate me all you want. I told you this when you were a kid.”
“I’m not a child anymore.”
“I know, but I still take care of you. Truce?”
“You know I’d never hurt you,” she said, walking toward the sofa. She plopped down and folded her arms.
The door closed, and she watched Jaxson as he took a seat next to her.
Dane sat in the chair opposite and put the food down.
“I was happy to cook,” she said.
“I figured after getting kicked out of your old apartment and coming here, you wouldn’t be in the mood.”
“You do know you can visit me at my old apartment. You didn’t have to have one of your men escort me out of my place. My neighbors watched that. I looked like a criminal.”
“If they know you, they know it’s not the case,” Dane said.
She didn’t like her brother watching her, not with Jaxson so close and her lips feeling swollen from his kiss.
“Where’s your girlfriend?” she asked.
“Gone.”
“You dumped her already?”
“I don’t screw druggies for long. You know that.”
“She’s a druggie?” she asked, looking from Dane to Jaxson.
Jaxson nodded.
“I couldn’t tell,” she said.
“And that’s why I have to keep taking care of you, Noelle. You’re too trusting. You believe people at face value, and you don’t see what they’re hiding.”
“Some people are hiding nothing,” she said.
“Everyone has a secret. An agenda of their own and most of the time it’s not in your best interests.”
She looked toward Jaxson. Did he have an agenda right now?
He stared at her. He wasn’t hiding the hunger, and grabbing a carton of food, she averted her gaze.
She used chopsticks, even though her brother went and got some forks from the kitchen.
Taking a bite of prawn, she tried not to think about that kiss, but she couldn’t stop. Jaxson’s lips were ingrained on her mind, and there was no getting away from it.
“Truce?” Dane asked. “Promise me you won’t be a pain in the ass and I’ll give you whatever you want.”
This piqued her interest. “You will?”
“I promise.”
Chapter Four
“You could have anything you want, and yet you pick this.” Jaxson looked out of the car window at the bakery on display.
“It’s what I want.” Noelle smiled.
“You want to work. This is your dream?”
“Yes. I know you don’t get it, and that’s fine. I don’t need you to understand. I want to work. I love working, and staying at home all day is so boring.”
“You could read.”
“True, but I run out of books, and then I go through times of not wanting to read anything. I’m bored, Jaxson. I know Dane’s this big important person and I have to be careful. I have no doubt in my mind that he’ll have people here watching over me. I just can’t believe he caved. Wish me luck.”
“You don’t need luck. You’ve got this.”