by Elsa Jade
Jax put her hand out. “Jaclyn Vasquez.”
Rafe did a double take at her. “Call her Jax. She hates Jaclyn.”
Jax laughed. Her laugh was like a secret handshake that only the two of them got, a low sound coming from her chest that traveled straight to his heart. And his johnson.
Jax held her hand out, shaking Vax’s then Callie’s. “Congratulations.” She indicated Callie’s midriff. “Boy or girl?”
“Boy,” Vax said.
“Maybe not,” Callie corrected him.
Vax laughed. “We’ll see.”
“Others say differently.” Callie shook her finger at him.
“Who dares defy me?” Vax’s voice was colored with happiness.
Rafe stopped to study his brother. He had never seen him as happy as he was now. He’d never known his brother had this side to him. The only side Rafe had ever seen was Vax’s anger.
And all of it was because of their father.
Rafe admired the way that Vax was with Callie, the love he clearly had for his mate.
It struck Rafe that he’d never really thought of any of this, he’d been so wrapped up in the feelings he’d thought he had for Callie.
Rafe looked at Jax. She was studying him as if she was in his head and could discern what he was thinking.
“We’re going out to the gazebo.” He pulled Jax’s hand, leading her to the French doors a few yards away.
A feminine cough caught his attention, and he snapped his head to the right. In a chaise lounge on the far side of the room, Maia was reclining. Her pale skin and ethereal beauty and stillness almost made her look like a statue. She was exquisite, a curvy beauty that was unparalleled, sure, but her remoteness made it hard to have a friendship with her.
“Hey,” Rafe said to her.
Her countenance had a measure of warmth, then she glanced at Jax and the warmth dropped several dozen degrees. Her eyes traveled over Jax’s casual sexiness, so different from Maia’s own aloof brand of sexual appeal.
Rafe stiffened. He had no problem helping Maia out with a job and a place to stay, but he wasn’t going to have Jax treated wrongly. She got enough of that shit from her parents. And anyone who bothered to learn what Jax was about would find a wholesome, wonderful, amazing woman who’d clearly been through enough shit.
He tugged on Jax’s hand, not bothering to introduce her to Maia.
Chapter Thirteen
‡
Since she’d gotten out of his car, Jax had felt like she was starring in an episode of The Twilight Zone. No, not an episode; more like a whole season’s worth of it.
A feeling of something much more than jealousy flooded through her.
“Who’s that?” she asked once they’d gone out the French doors onto a patio that had probably cost more than some people’s homes.
“My brother and Callie.”
“Right. I got that.” Her voice dripped sarcasm. “The dark-haired ice queen.”
“Maia.”
“She’s your… ex? Sister?”
“None of the above.”
The pool, Olympic-sized, she was sure, spread out in front of them, surrounded by the kind of lawn chairs that said anything but “disposable.” They looked to be of a durable metal with plush upholstered cushions.
On the far side of the pool, in the center of a lawn that resembled green velvet, a stone gazebo topped with wood beams covered with ivy beckoned.
They meandered slowly toward the welcome shade. The bright sunlight made Jax wish she had sunglasses.
“So if she’s not your ex or your sister, then who is she?”
“She’s a guest. She also works at one of our hotels.”
“She’s not very friendly. Or is that just me?”
“Maia’s quiet. She doesn’t talk to anyone. None of us really know much about her.”
“So why is she a guest?”
“It’s a long story. And to be very honest with you, it’s not worth our time.”
“Well, it was clear she wasn’t happy to see me. So…”
“Why does my pretend girlfriend for the weekend care?” His voice had a laugh in it.
Joke or not, that stung. She bit back the hurt. She was used to being told shit that stung, and she wasn’t going to react to it. The bridge of her nose burned like it always did when she became angry. Tears were the only way she could let her emotions out, but Jax pushed the tears and the pain away.
“Your pretend girlfriend doesn’t give a shit.”
“Don’t be like that.” He held on to her hand and took a seat on the low stone wall.
Jax wondered why he hadn’t released her hand. It wasn’t like anyone from his family was watching. She didn’t want to begin analyzing why she hadn’t pulled her hand away. So why did he need a pretend girlfriend? Or did he have a girlfriend already and Jax was just serving some mysterious purpose?
“So why do you need a pretend girlfriend? Am I here to piss Maia off? To make her think you have someone?” A lump settled in her throat.
Rafe’s face turned hard. His aquiline nose, that beautiful profile was marked with anger. His jaw muscles worked.
“What?” That single word was a hiss that carried the weight of a lethal weapon. “Do I seem like the kind of guy to deal in that kind of duplicity?”
Jax stepped back. It was as if he’d physically assaulted her, so strong was the reaction she had to his question. He was insulted.
“No,” she whispered. Why do I have to react with such venom? And is it any of my business? I’m not his girl.
And as far as Rafe knew, she still had feelings for Scotty. She didn’t allow the smile of derision to cross her face at the idea of still having feelings for Scotty. He was like a distant memory.
She closed her eyes against the accusation in his. “I shouldn’t have—”
“Jax.” His voice had changed.
Her eyes flew open.
“Don’t say it.” He stood. “I’d be lying if I said that I don’t have the same… I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I…”
His eyes told Jax what his lips couldn’t. The indigo passion of his eyes reached deep into her, into the place she’d never let anyone enter.
Jax rose to her feet. She wasn’t a wallflower. Not with him. She wasn’t a doormat. Not with him. Her gaze stayed locked on his. In the depths of his blue intensity a golden glow flared. It was as if that was a sign that what she was thinking of doing was so very damned right.
She put her arms around his neck and pulled his head down until his lips were so close that she’d have sworn she felt the heat that emanated from them. She pressed her mouth against his with a tenderness that belied the ache she felt for him.
When had this thing started? How had it caught her so off-guard?
More importantly, why did it feel like it had been there forever? Why was it as if there had never been another man in her life? Like he was the missing puzzle piece?
She felt his breath as he exhaled, warm with a hint of spice, like cinnamon or something exotically Mediterranean. It caressed her face and her lips. She breathed it in, then held her breath as if she was holding him captive. She kept that breath, that essence of him, trapped in her lungs, wishing she could trap him in her heart the same way.
His hands alit on her hips, gently, as if she were a wild animal that he didn’t want to scare away with any sudden movement. One traveled up her back slowly, leaving shivers behind. The shivers fanned out completely, covering her body with goose bumps.
She stood on her tiptoes and touched her lips to his. If she had to let him out of her life one day soon, she didn’t want to go away without this, at the very least. She didn’t want to think about spending the rest of her life wondering what if…?
She didn’t count on her tongue deciding that it had a mind of its own. She couldn’t stop herself. She traced the tip of her tongue along his lips, then thrust it into his mouth.
His groan was the permission that she needed, the combinati
on to the vault. He pulled her tight against his body, his muscles unyielding to her soft curves. The passion in her heightened when she felt his erection pressing against her, demanding, needing, throbbing.
His large hands lowered, cupping her ass and pulling her upward into his kiss.
The kiss had indeed become his. With another groan that revealed even more of his desire, he took control of her. Her hands made their way down over those bulging shoulders to a chest that rippled. She dug her nails into his flesh, wishing his shirt wasn’t between them.
A base and inexplicable yearning took over. Her moan matched his as their tongues danced together, meeting, challenging, taking, and giving.
*
Rafe’s tiger roared within him, urging him to take her, to couple bond with her. Rafe pushed the tiger back. It was too early. They hadn’t talked about anything. She knew nothing about him, and he wasn’t willing to make her his forevermore if she didn’t know what she was getting into.
And yet the tiger kept insisting that he knew what he was doing, that he knew she’d accept them both.
Her lips were sweet, sweeter than the fire-hot temper she’d let him see a few times. This was the woman he wanted. Fire and ice. He loved the dichotomy of her, the two different extremes that brought out the passion in both of them.
Rafe pulled away the slightest bit, barely separating their lips. “I want you.” He let the words fall on the warm summer breeze.
“I want you, too,” she whispered, confusion coloring her words.
She trembled in his arms.
“You don’t need to be afraid of me,” he murmured into her hair.
“I’m not.”
The idea that it was desire that had created her trembling almost threw him over the edge. He’d better pull away, or he’d behave like a caveman and take her somewhere to sample every taste and scent and touch of her. He fought with all his might to keep his tiger restrained.
“I could make you mine.” He held her tight against him, his large hands cupping her face, his thumbs resting on her beautiful cheeks.
“You think it’s that easy?” Her words issued a challenge, but her tone said the opposite.
“Nothing’s easy with you.” He touched his lips to hers, then lifted them. “And it’s exactly how I’d want it to be.”
A soft sigh escaped her, warming his neck, filling his heart.
“Tell me about you.”
“I’d rather hear about you,” she countered.
“Nothing to tell. Youngest son of Giovanni Tiero. Brother to a whole lot of sisters.” He shrugged. He didn’t really want to talk about himself.
“So you’re the youngest son? How many other brothers?”
“Just my half-brother Vax. He’s got a sister, Veila. Then their mother died and Gio married mine. And I’ve got two sisters, Lila and Sophie.”
“You call your dad by his first name?”
“He prefers that. Not so odd, though. Your father prefers to be called by his rank only. Even his wife calls him that.”
“Our fathers are fucked up,” she laughed.
“Potty mouth.” He sat and pulled her into his lap.
She frowned and gave him a dirty look. “Complaining already? I don’t think you’ll make it through the weekend at this rate.” Her full lips curved into a slow smile.
“Not complaining. I like your potty mouth.”
“It’s probably not a good idea for our fathers to ever meet. That could get ugly.”
He laughed heartily, his arm looped over her thighs so she didn’t fall out of his lap.
“Or maybe they should meet,” he offered. “Maybe seeing each other’s peculiarities would be an eye-opener.”
She rolled her eyes and stretched, yawning, then covered her mouth with a muffled, “Sorry. Long night.”
He knew about her long night. He’d been there for most of it.
His eyes feasted on the way her body arched when she stretched, the way her full breasts popped out, teasing him, making him want to touch, taste, and lick.
When had things gotten so intense between them? The undercurrent had always been there, but this fervor to have her had built so quickly.
His tiger snarled at his naiveté.
“Your turn,” he told her. He wanted to know more about her.
“Will you show me your place first?”
He looked at the three-story structure nestled in the pines behind the villa. He couldn’t imagine anything more boring compared to spending time with her.
Then it hit him. “You’re stalling.”
Chapter Fourteen
‡
Ugh.
Jax was stalling. The truth was, she couldn’t care less whether he lived in a villa or a hovel.
He pushed her off his lap gently.
“Hey, what’s that about?” she asked.
“Come on, we’re going to a private place. To talk privately.”
“Oh, that sounds mysterious.”
“Just follow me.” He led the way into the trees, away from the pool and the grandiose house. “This property has been in my family for generations. We haven’t sold it. It was a stronghold, then the fortress we had was torn down and the villa was put up.”
“Your family has been in this area a long time.”
“On my father’s side.”
She stumbled. “Sorry. Sandals aren’t the best for this sort of hike.”
“Damn. I’m sorry.” He stopped and put his hands on his knees, squatting. “Hop on. I’ll take you there.”
“What? No. I’m not—”
“Come on. Now.”
Oh, the hell with it. She hopped onto his back, her hands sprawled across his chest, fingers wide, holding on for dear life, though she knew he wasn’t going to drop her. “Where are we going?”
“The only place I felt like I could be me when I was young.”
She felt his chest expand under her hands, the muscles like bands of irons beneath her fingertips. Her breath hitched at the sheer sexiness of being on this devastatingly sensual man’s back, her body so close to his that it was as if they were melded.
“Why did you have such a hard time?”
“It doesn’t matter now, does it?”
He didn’t have to say. She’d already picked it up. It was his father.
The forest had become denser, the bed of pine needles thick and crunching beneath his shoes.
“No, it doesn’t matter now.” She wrapped her legs tighter around his waist and hips and held on tightly. “How much farther?” He must be tired.
“A few yards.”
True to his words, several paces later he paused and straightened, arching back a bit so she could slide off.
Jax slid down slowly, loath to part with the feel of his body against hers.
The forest had opened up to a tiny grove, and at the far end of the grove there was a cave in a little hill. He took her hand and they walked slowly across the grove.
“My haven until I was sent to boarding school.”
“You went to boarding school?”
“One after another. I was a bit of a behavioral issue when I was young.”
The idea of being sent away from your parents was foreign to her. Jax wondered if she’d have wanted that. As bad as her relationship had been with her parents, they’d never done anything like that. They’d never abandoned her to a boarding school.
“Why didn’t your dad keep you at home?”
“He just didn’t.” Rafe shrugged. “It’s not a big deal.”
It’s a big deal to me. “I hope you won’t feel that way about your own children.” She felt sad that he might perpetuate the pattern.
“Hell, no. I’ll want my kids.”
Relief coursed through her, though she knew she had no cause to feel relief. It wasn’t like they’d have children together.
“Going in with me?”
“Rafe. It’s dark in there.”
“I have great vision.”
; This time she did roll her eyes.
“Come on.” He dug his phone out of his pocket and flicked the light on, shining it into the cave.
She followed him in, both of them ducking to get through the low entrance.
“I guess it was easier to get into when you were young.”
He didn’t answer as he brushed leaves and debris aside with his shoe and pulled a large rock away from the wall.
“Have a seat. I want to show you something.” His voice had an eerie note in it. “But first, a question.” He propped the phone up on a ledge on the wall.
“You can turn it off,” she said. “It’s not that dark once you get accustomed to it. What’s your question?” She sat on the rock and scooched over so he could join her.
“Why did you come to Italy?”
“To study. I attend the university.”
“Yeah, but why here? Why Rome? Why Italy?”
“I…” She rubbed her palms on her pants. Why were her hands sweating like this? “I can’t answer that. I just had to.”
“Will you tell me about the tattoo? And the dreams?”
She chewed on her lip, could feel it becoming raw. “I’m tired of being laughed at and made fun of about it.”
“I swear I won’t make fun of you.” He swiveled the light. “Look.” He shone the light on the wall.
Jax gasped.
On the wall was an image that was an exact replica of the white tiger tattoo on her neck.
She tried to breathe but nothing was going into her lungs. “That can’t be.”
“But it is.” Rafe took her hand.
“No. You just put this here. You just drew it. Today. Or yesterday.” She shook her head, over and over.
“When would I have had the time to do that since I saw your tattoo? How would I have made it look so old? You know that’s not true.”
The tattoo on the back of her neck had become warm. “How long has this been here?”
*
Jax’s question bounced off the cave walls. Although it had been spoken softly, it had a reverent tone to it, almost as if they were in a holy place.
For him it was holy. Rafe wondered if she understood how this could impact him, even if she didn’t know about his tiger. He’d created the artwork years ago. After shifting into his tiger, he’d studied the tiger in the mirror and memorized his features, then he’d come out to his cave.