Jaxson

by Kris Keldaran

  “I’ll see you then, Jax.”

  “Okay. Oh and you’ll want to take a nap soon. Good idea after all that adrenaline wears off.”

  He gave her that smile again, the loving one, and she thought she’d melt, even as he closed the door behind him, and Kehau sat down hard. This wasn’t possible. She was really going on a date with Mr. Too-Good-To-Be-True! Pulling out her phone, she shot out text messages to Pua and Carli since she just realized they had left. She could go and join them but then she thought of what Jax had said to her.

  Right now though, I’m going to go take that nap like he suggested.

  As if “nap” were a magic trigger word, she yawned loudly in the empty house.

  “A nap sounds perfect,” Kehau announced to nobody in particular. “Too bad he didn’t stick around to help carry me to bed.”

  Chapter Three

  Good Golly Miss Molly, sure like to ball

  Oh, when you're rocking and rolling

  Can hear your mama call

  Little Richard

  Kehau was still wondering what to wear for her date when she got in the shower a few hours later. The rush of warm water over her skin conjured up images of Jax, wearing only those brief olive green shorts in the hot tub. What the hell is wrong with me? Great, he's smoking hot and he asked you on a date, so what?

  When she came out of the bathroom though, Kehau was surprised to see two more friends helping Carli and Pua pick out an outfit for her. Nikole, who was African American/Chinese and Marissa, which everyone called “Mormon” Marissa. She was perhaps the best-behaved woman in Kehau’s immediate circle of friends. A quiet unassuming girl from Hauula, she had moved in a year ago with Pua as a means of escaping her alcoholic father.

  "Oh good you're done, come try this on," Pua chirped as she shoved a skirt toward her.

  "What's going on?" Kehau asked, just before a blouse hit her face.

  "We invited Marissa and Nikole to help us get you ready," Carli said nonchalantly.

  "Do I get choice in this?" Kehau asked, chuckling.

  "Not a chance," Marissa declared cheerfully.

  By the time they were finished she felt as if she'd been pulled in a thousand directions for the last three hours. But she had to admit, she looked good. The women had settled on a white and green sundress, with strappy cork wedges. Marissa, their make-up specialist, had gone to work with the quick movements that she used backstage to get theater cast members ready, creating cat eyes that ran the spectrum from a pale whitish green to the same dark emerald color as the dress.

  “Let’s be real, cuz,” Nikole asked as she dug through her bag. “How much would you like this guy to play with your hair?”

  “She’d like him to play alright, and I'm sure she wouldn't mind letting him play with some other parts of her too,” Carli said jokingly.

  “Oh really?” Nikole said with surprise, her interest clearly perked.

  “You seen the Rock, cuz? He looks like the Rock’s twin,” Carli replied.

  “Pictures?”

  “No!” Kehau exclaimed at the same time that Pua said “Yes,” producing her phone.

  “Oh very nice. Wouldn’t mind him playing with my hair either,” Nikole said suggestively, her eyebrows moving up and down. Then, pulling a brush and a bottle out of the bag, she spent the next thirty minutes teasing Kehau’s hair into a light, curly mass that was soft to the touch.

  Damn, I look good, Kehau thought as she looked herself over in the bedroom mirror. Please, God, let him like it too. She smoothed her dress, looking for any last dust motes when the doorbell rang.

  "I'll get it!" Pua yelled from downstairs. Kehau heard the door swing open. A long pause followed before she heard Pua speak again, "Kehau… You’ve got a visitor."

  What the hell? Something was going on and I plan to get to the bottom of it.

  Heart beating faster than she thought possible, Kehau moved slowly down the stairs. Jax came into sight and she felt her whole body freeze in shock. Men weren't supposed to look this good outside of movies! Solid dark wash blue jeans that fit him snugly in all the right places and came down over the top of scuffed up black motorcycle boots. A simple gray shirt with sleeves neatly rolled halfway up his biceps showed off his massive arms in perfect detail beneath a black leather vest. If it hadn't been for the four women standing in the entryway with their jaws on the ground, she was fully prepared to ravish him right the hell there. Dear God, she prayed fervently, please forgive me for all the things I'm going to do tonight.

  *****

  For the second time that day, Jax walked up to her door. He raised his hand to knock on it but thought better, and rang the bell instead. His door knocking was an ingrained habit from the years of having to do so in places where people wanted him dead. A habit that more than saved his live once or twice. However, not at all the right way to start a date.

  After a moment, the door swung wide open. "Come on in, Kehau is—" whatever else Pua had to say died on her lips. The women right behind her looked at him but said nothing as well.

  Damn, I'm good. At the sound of footsteps on the stairs, he looked up in time to see impossibly long tan legs headed down the stairs. Whatever line he was preparing died instantly as he watched the rest of the body attached to the legs come fully into view. This woman could make sandbags look sexy. Every curve was put on display in the light, flowing dress. Can't decide what I like more—the dress or the bikini?

  Trying hard to regain his composure, he looked at the wall just above her head. "Ready to go?"

  Kehau smiled back at him. "Yes. Hope I'm dressed right for whatever you have planned."

  He shot her a lopsided grin. "I'll let you be the judge of that," as he offered his arm. "Milady, our chariot awaits."

  "Lead on.” She threw him a smile. “Johnny Rocket."

  His groin tightened as heat ran through his veins. People had used that nickname for years. Nobody ever made it sound so good as she did now! And the crazy part is, I don’t think she’s trying to be seductive. She just naturally is.

  He followed her out the door while the other women stood in the entrance watching them.

  "What is that thing?" Kehau asked, eyeing the strange four-wheeled contraption by the curb.

  "It's a Brimstone Quad-cycle." He held up a light leather jacket. "Go ahead and throw this on." He eyed her lush figure for a moment before saying under his breath, "It might fit."

  "So where are we going?" Kehau looked at him expectantly.

  "Gonna get shave ice up on North Shore in Haleiwa."

  It took her a moment to realize what he was saying. “Matsumoto’s place?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  "Well, when you put it that way, what are we waiting for?"

  Jax shook his head ruefully. "Kahuku girls. So predictable."

  Straddling the bike and gathering her dress in the middle as to not flash her goodies to everyone they passed, she sat down behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and scooting in closer. Whatever he was wearing for cologne, smelled delicious. She breathed him in, enjoying the feel of his wide, hard chest beneath her hands. It was one thing to see it from across a hot tub. But to run your hands over it? To feel that rapid heartbeat pulsing under the dense pectorals? It's a good thing I chose panties over a thong, Kehau realized belatedly. Everything about this man smells right and feels right. And that just turns me on even more. The engine roared, vibrating at a steady bass-note thrum. Both booted feet came up as he shifted into first gear and headed into the night.

  Traffic stayed light as he drove down the Likelike Highway and into Hawaii Kai. It bypassed the traffic headed south to Waikiki for the nightlife along the Strip, considerably lessening the time they sat waiting stuck in bumper to bumper traffic snarls. Finally, as they began to move around the Hawaii Kai peninsula toward Hanunama Bay, Jax brought the speed down so they could enjoy the view as they went along.

  Even in the darkness, she could make out the white-capped waves rolling in against
the sandy beach. Surfers waited on their boards, hoping to get one last wave in before they called it a night and spear-fishers could vaguely be seen bringing their catches in.

  At first Kehau had been incredibly tense, probably worried she might fall off the back of the quad. By the time they made it up onto Old Kamehameha Highway, she had relaxed her death grip, even if she couldn't wrap her arms all the way around his chest. Jax looked down at her fingers, every so often. French tips with a dazzle of red glitter. Wonder what they’d feel like if she used them on my back. Something about feeling a woman dragging well-groomed nails down and across his back muscles, leaving behind a trail of welts was absolutely wonderful. It turned him on every time. It’s also impossible for me to scratch the itch in that one spot in the middle of my back properly. But a woman can hit it right. Every time.

  Truth be told, he was having the time of his life. A beautiful woman, the Brimstone was running smoothly, and the weather was great. Now if only I could do something about my raging damned hard-on, all would be good. An hour worth of driving with Kehau's large breasts and crotch pressed into his deltoids and hips was enough to drive all the blood in his body straight to his crotch. Even in a pair of Cinch jeans, it wasn’t helping the situation at all. If I don’t get lucky tonight, my dick may commit mutiny.

  It also didn't help that her hands were gradually slipping lower and lower down his torso. This is the part where Gunny Adams would tell me to shut up and enjoy it. Oh well, guess I can't argue with that. It had been a long minute since he'd gotten laid though. His work schedule kept him busy at all hours, and no woman in her right mind would just sit around waiting for him to come home from another trip somewhere.

  He turned his head to look at something and her lips brushed across the edges of his ear. That got his attention in a hurry. Whisper dirty phrases in my ear too while you’re at it, he mused. Yep, Gunny'd definitely have gotten a kick out of this.

  Up ahead on the right, he could make out the white cross atop St. Joachim's, the tiny Catholic Church on North Shore. Wish you could see me now, Gunny. He crossed himself as they drove past the church. He did it every time, a silent salute in respect to the man that saved his life that day in al-Nasiriya.

  Wish you could have been with us the day Baghdad fell. You deserved it, Gunny. And the boys did you proud in Fallujah.

  "Is everything okay?" Kehau asked, suddenly concerned when she felt him tense slightly.

  "Sure thing. We're almost there," taking a deep breath to relax his body.

  "Oh good. I'm getting hungry for that shave ice you promised."

  Twenty-five minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot at Matsumoto's Shave Ice shop.

  "I thought Matsumoto's was closed by now?" Kehau asked.

  "Nope, I'm friends with the owners. They have an order waiting for us." Jax stood up, leaving his leather gloves behind on the seat. Reaching down, he lent Kehau a hand to stand up.

  "Oh, thank you."

  "You're welcome." Though I love seeing your legs on display like that. The most perfect legs ever. Tan, muscular, and she’d definitely shaven them recently from the shine, indicating recently lotioned skin. He’d ran his arm across them while he was driving just to see how they felt. Smooth as glass. The sort of legs a man caressed and teased half the night as he worked his way up her inner thighs, making her moan his name long and loud. And repeatedly.

  Mentally, Kehau waged an argument with herself. He’s so courteous it’s insane. Which doesn’t add up with how he beat Sione like he did. It doesn’t make any sense at all, she fumed.

  Sitting down together, he handed her a massive plastic flower bowl. "Piña Colada and li hing mui with mango ice cream and all the trimmings."

  "How did you know I liked all this?” she said, surprised.

  “Good guess." At her raised brow he confessed, "And I asked your roommates while I was at the house earlier today.”

  But you remembered it too! No man she had ever been with listened never mind remembering or even caring about anything she liked.

  “Hard to forget what a pretty woman likes. Especially when they’re nice like you are."

  That earned him another smile as Kehau tried to cover up her embarrassment at his statement, and a leg inadvertently sliding across his calf, causing a shiver to run through his body. This girl definitely has an effect on me.

  “So you know,” he said in between bites. “You look absolutely gorgeous tonight.”

  Kehau couldn’t remember the last time Sione had taken her for a drive. Just a drive. With nowhere in mind to go, nowhere to be, and no responsibilities. Instead everything had revolved around him: photo shoots, a meeting with an NFL agent, scouts, blogger interviews. Looking back, she realized she had been his arm candy, but even then, he rarely acknowledged the work she put into looking nice for him. And Jax thinks I look beautiful even with a busted up face.

  Now though, to be the center of attention, to have a powerful, capable man doing everything he could to please her, and make sure she was happy? A woman could get used to this. She licked up a scoop of coconut cream-covered shave ice. Very used to this. Especially when the man is this good looking. I’m so glad we stopped for shave ice. Every little thing he does just makes me hotter and wetter! I should have brought an extra pair of panties with me.

  “So where are we headed next?”

  “Ever been through the pineapple fields at night?” Jax asked, raising his eyebrows in question.

  The question caught her mid-bite and she could only shake her head no.

  “Figure we might stroll that way.” He watched her closer for any apprehension to his plan.

  “You mean on the bike, right?”

  “Even I know not to make a lady walk that far in heels.”

  “Did your mom teach you that?” Kehau figured to be so gentlemanly he would have had to have a woman's input.

  Jax verified her assessment, “Amongst other things.”

  “Are you an only child?” wanting to know everything about him.

  “No. I'm the oldest of three, got two little sisters that like to drive me crazy.” He pulled the pictures out of his wallet to show her.

  “Small family.”

  “Easy to keep track of though. My sisters still live on the mainland. Meilani wants to move out here for work after she graduates, and Nicky is thinking of going to law school.”

  “Very nice.” Kehau dropped the spoon in her now empty bowl. “That was amazing. If I wasn’t so stuffed I’d ask for another.”

  “I believe it,” Jax told her. “I have to force myself to stay away. I only come up here once a month for a reason. Otherwise I’ll get fat.”

  “You don’t look like you have any fat on your body at all,” Kehau retorted.

  “It takes a lot of work,” he assured her.

  "So, how come I've never seen you in the gym before?"

  "Normally I'm busy on Saturday mornings. Today was my day off, but I couldn't sleep any longer so I came down to try to work myself to sleep."

  "Lucky me." Her hands fell on his. "Seriously. Thank you." Even if I don't know how you expect me to fulfill that ‘thank you’.

  "You're welcome. And you don't owe me anything for it."

  That caught her off-guard. "What?"

  "Don't like men that hit women. I don't like them at all."

  "Is that why you broke his arm?"

  "Pretty much. Now, if you wanted to pay me back with a kiss, I wouldn't complain, but I'm not going to demand anything from you. Hell, I figured after this morning, you wouldn't want anything to do with me."

  Kehau was flabbergasted. Just off looks alone, she'd have said yes to a date. Throw in the chivalrous behavior and she was hooked. But this? What was she supposed to do with a man who had a white knight complex?

  Chapter Four

  Workin' on mysteries without any clues

  Workin' on our night moves

  Tryin' to make some front page drive-in news

  Workin'
on our night moves

  In the summertime

  In the sweet summertime

  Bob Seger "Night Moves"

  The pineapple fields were quiet now, with very little traffic coming either way. Jax turned off the main road and headed up onto a promontory overlooking the area. He killed the motorcycle’s engine, the headlights going out immediately. At once, darkness enveloped them. Kehau’s eyes adjusted, and in short order, she could see the stars overhead clearly.

  "Oh wow. This is incredible!"

  "Second favorite place on the island. Come out here all the time,” Jax said quietly.

  "I don't blame you. It's beautiful,” she breathed. “I’ve never seen the stars like this.”

  “Only other time I’ve seen it so clear was on deployment.”

  “Iraq? Or Afghanistan?”

  “Both. Didn't have anything to tie me down so I kept transferring to units as they got ready to go, went back out and had more fun.”

  He said it wistfully, and Kehau was suddenly reminded of a conversation during girls' night. Carli’s sister was visiting on vacation and had joined them. She proceeded to get very drunk, complaining about her boyfriend, becoming visibly upset over what he had said to her before she got on the plane to Hawaii.

  “He says he wants to go out on deployment again. I think he’s happier there than with me!”

  Things had degraded from there with the aid of tequila, and she couldn’t remember anything past that. But those words had stuck with her, and she wondered once more—why would a man choose to go away to war, when he could be safe at home?

  “You miss it, don’t you?”

  “A little. It’s hard, scary, crazy, and sane all at once,” he paused as if picking his words, “I think mostly I miss going out with my brothers and raising hell. We had a lot of fun together.” He shook his head, tossing the shoulder-length curls from side to side. “Enough about that, tell me about you," ending the subject as quickly as it started.

  For what seemed a long while, they lay on a blanket pulled from his saddlebags, talking and staring at the stars. Ambitions, dreams, desires. Jax hated the chili at Zippy's, but loved their chicken katsu. Kehau preferred macadamias to chocolate dobash in her malasadas.