by Taylor Lee
Jax flashed him a winning grin and said pleasantly, “I did indeed, Greg. A propitious role, Commander, and one that I am confident you are up to.”
“And if I’m not, Chief Hughes, may I presume that you will be on my ass?”
At Greg’s impertinent taunt, Jax pursed his lips and said with a thoughtful nod to his friend, “Count on it, Commander. And in the event that you find yourself in over your head, I will be there to console you.” He added with a knowing wink, “And back you up.”
At the general laughter following their suggestive banter at her expense, Viviana decided it was time she took control of the conversation and of herself. Stepping away from Greg, she made a wide circle around Jax and reached for Mick’s arm. Showering him with a bright smile, she ran her fingertip across his lapel and said in a throaty voice, “I don’t know about you, partner, but all of this one-upsmanship between our bosses has made me thirsty. How about we leave the makers and shakers and make our way to the bar?”
When Mick flushed and stepped back, Viviana tossed her head and threw him a saucy smile over her shoulder. “Or if you prefer to hang out with the big guys, Detective, I’ll make my own way to the bar and get that much-needed drink.” Sashaying away from the ogling group, she made a point of swaying her nearly bare backside from side to side.
In seconds Mick was next to her, murmuring, “Oh no you don’t, Vivi. You think I don’t know what will happen to my family jewels if I don’t do exactly what you tell me to?”
Keeping her voice low, Viviana glared at him and said, “Thanks, partner. Nothing like standing there with your thumb up your butt, letting those two arrogant assholes make insinuating remarks about how they are going to keep me in check.” She sneered. “As you must know, I just love being the helpless little twit, a shuttlecock batted between the two guys with the biggest rackets in the room.”
Mick laughed out loud at her derisive assertion as he hugged her next to him. “Two things wrong with that testy allegation, sweet cheeks. The first being that you aren’t, and never could be, a helpless little twit. Second, as a matter of pride, I insist that there are three guys here tonight with notable rackets, the third being yours truly. But, shit, I’m the first to agree that Commander Bannon and I best defer to the new police chief in that respect. Given those clanging balls he swings when he strides across the room, I’m confident the chief puts Bannon’s and my rackets to shame.”
Jax’s voice behind them was laced with humor. “Hmm, surprising modesty on your part, Detective O’Reilly. I didn’t know you had it in you. I’ll forego onsite comparisons and merely accede to your conclusions. Particularly the point you made regarding Sergeant Moreau’s ability to be a helpless little twit. Tell me, Detective, does the sun rise in the west? Is a tornado merely an annoying breeze? A hurricane a summer shower?” Jax smiled at O’Reilly as he reached for Viviana’s arm. Pulling her up next to him, he didn’t mask the edge in his voice as he looked down at her. “No, Detective, those of us who know her and love her are fully aware the last thing anyone could accuse this irascible woman of being is a helpless little twit.”
Nodding over his shoulder at the tight knot of impressive-looking men and women surrounding the mayor and Commissioner McElroy, Jax narrowed his gaze. “That said, unfortunately the prickly sergeant stomped off before I could introduce her to the rest of the mayor’s important guests. I trust you will forgive me, Detective O’Reilly, if I drag the little brat back to the group of elites who are eager to meet her. You’ll recognize them, Mick. They are the men with their tongues scraping the floor and doing the best they can to adjust their trousers. In contrast, the women beside them seem more than a little annoyed. If anything, they appear ready to smash their stiletto heels into their mates’ unfortunate tongues.”
At Mick’s boisterous laugh and Viviana’s glare and attempt to free herself from his grip, Jax shook his head. “Uh-uh, Enchantress. We both know that your goal tonight was to make as shocking an entrance as possible. Your partner and I will confirm that you accomplished that goal and then some. However, my outrageous little hoyden, you do not get to throw a Molotov cocktail into the midst of that upscale group, then saunter off as if your work is done. I’m quite sure if I let you, you wouldn’t deign to speak to any of the mayor’s power guests. Not an option, sweetheart. While you might think that turning the mayor’s party upside down is accomplishment enough for one night, I’m here to tell you that your work is just beginning.”
Jax tugged her up next to him and pinched her cheek. Grinning when she let out a surprised yelp, he winked at Mick. “You’ll excuse us, won’t you, Detective?” Wrapping an arm around her waist, he let his hand rest suggestively on her hip. “Come along, Viviana, like a good little girl. I want you to meet all of the people who are trying to pretend that they weren’t as shocked by your appearance as you intended them to be.”
As he walked her toward the group at the front of the room, he allowed his fingers to slip beneath the tight fabric and smack her bare ass.
She drew back, shocked. “Jesus God, Jax, what are you doing?”
“Hmm, what I’m confident you wanted me to do but didn’t think I would dare.” Pulling her tighter against him, he murmured, “Yet one more mistaken assumption on your part, Sergeant Moreau. Apparently you thought that you could continue flashing your decidedly first-class ass in front of me and not expect me to partake. Think again, little girl. In fact, heads up. I think tonight is the night that I do something you have been begging me to do.”
When she looked up at him, her eyes wide with shock, he narrowed his eyes and said, “Yes, Viviana, I think it’s high time that I take that virgin ass of yours and show you what it truly means to be fucked by a powerful man.”
Chapter 6
Annabelle Simpson eagerly tugged on Viviana’s arm. The plump mayor’s wife had finally swallowed her astonishment enough to speak to Viviana. Taking an obvious breath, she asked in a somewhat normal voice, “I don’t mean to be nosy, but I’m curious about your dress.” She continued breathlessly, “It’s just that I’ve never seen a dress like that before. Where did you find it? What kind of a store sells dresses like this? I mean, did you have it made especially for you?” Her rosy cheeks flushing brighter, she added quickly, “I . . . I don’t know many women, or any woman except you who could wear something like that . . . ” She blushed and raised her hands in confusion.
Rather than hitting the abashed woman with one of her acerbic putdowns, Viviana took pity on her. She gave the uptight mayor’s wife credit for trying to make conversation. Besides she saw that Jax was watching her out of the corner of his eye and had no doubt heard Annabelle’s halting questions and the proper woman’s embarrassment at what might have been a tasteless remark. Knowing that he was likely to interfere if he thought she was being a brat, Viviana decided to play the game, even at her own expense.
Smiling at the flushed mayor’s wife, she said, “You’re right. I did have this dress made for me. I like interesting clothes and found a designer who is willing to push the boundaries.” With a saucy tilt of her chin, she added, “As I’m sure you’ve heard, I have a bit of a reputation as a rule-breaker. I guess when it comes to clothing, I am.”
Apparently not knowing how to respond to Viviana’s unrepentant answer, Annabelle pointed to a woman who’d been standing off to the side of the assembled group. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to introduce you to an old friend of mine.” Waving the tall, sandy-haired woman toward them, Anabelle said, “This is Penelope Williams. Penelope and her husband Rodney are philanthropists. They are considering supporting community organizations in San Jose. Mayor Simpson and I are hoping to convince them that it would be a good investment.” When Viviana merely nodded at the eager mayor’s wife and her impassive friend, Annabelle gushed nervously, “Believe it or not, Penelope and I went to summer camp together when we were girls. And then we found each other again in college. We both graduated from Barnard College.” She added with a questioni
ng smile, “If you haven’t heard of it, Barnard College is in New York City. Even though it is now associated with Columbia, it is still, thank goodness, a prestigious women’s college.”
Viviana managed to keep from saying how boring. Rather, she simply nodded at the flushed woman who seemed determined to bring Viviana into the conversation. Turning to her stately but rather plain friend, Annabelle gushed, “Penelope, you asked earlier who this startling-looking woman is. I’d like to introduce you to Sergeant Viviana Moreau. She’s the police officer everybody calls the Enchantress.” She flushed brighter, then said uncertainly, “Is that okay? I don’t want to be impolite. Is that a positive nickname, Sergeant?”
Viviana smiled and shrugged. “I guess that depends. I’m a superhero groupie and was pleasantly surprised when the media gave me that name. I don’t know how much you know about the Avengers, but the Enchantress is about as bad a badass as any of the superheroes.”
Gratified by the shocked expressions on both women’s startled faces, Viviana wasn’t surprised when Jax came up beside her and interjected himself into the conversation. Tugging lightly on her arm, he said with a smile, “Sergeant Moreau should be honored. In the Marvel world, the Enchantress is known for her extraordinary beauty. Unlike some of the other superheroines, rather than relying on physical prowess, the Enchantress prefers sorcery and seduction. It is said that few can resist her beauty, particularly when she augments it with her magic. According to legend, a single kiss from the Enchantress is enough to make a man her slave.”
Viviana tossed her head, annoyed that Jax thought that he needed to interject himself into their conversation. She was sure that in this case he intended to soften her smart-ass remark to the clearly surprised society women. Seeing the two women gazing at Jax as if he were the second coming of Christ, her anger soared. Of course they would think he was extraordinary. He was. In addition to being beyond gorgeous, he was sexy as hell. In contrast, seeing the two cultured bitches looking at her as if she were from another planet—an uncivilized one at that—Viviana made her decision. How could she possibly compete with these women—or with him? Her dress that had seemed extraordinary she now saw through their eyes. As Annabelle Simpson had made clear, what kind of a store would sell a dress like this? More telling, what kind of a woman would wear it? In that moment Viviana knew that if she didn’t get away from these pretentious people, including Jax, she would shrivel up and die.
She pinned him with a hard glare and forced a smile to curl her lips. “Thank you, Chief Hughes. I hadn’t heard that particular take on the Enchantress. I didn’t realize she was also a sorcerer. No wonder she was such a badass.” Brushing his hand away, she said, “It was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Williams, and nice to see you again, Mrs. Simpson. As always, you and the mayor are gracious hosts. If you’ll excuse me, please, I need to join my men.”
Without waiting for either woman or Jax to respond, Viviana quickly made her way through the crowd of power brokers and headed for the bar, where Mick and several of her squad members were engaged in a heated discussion on the future of the NBA. Mick’s florid face confirmed that in addition to his passionate defense of Jordan’s supremacy over LeBron that he’d been enjoying the high-end booze the mayor’s bartenders were liberally providing. Moving next to him, Viviana interjected herself into the conversation. “Not to complicate your analysis, boys, but you guys can’t really have this ‘whose dick is bigger’ conversation without including KD or my favorite, Stephen Curry.”
The men separated to make room for her in their circle, obviously delighted that their superstar had chosen to stand with them rather than the more prestigious crowd in front of the room. Viviana didn’t need to look behind her to feel Jax’s piercing glare. It was as if there were a trip line between them, and all he had to do was tug on it and every nerve in her body responded. In that moment, Viviana decided that she’d had enough. She was more than tired of Jax making the rules, thinking he could control her. Arrogant asshole that he was, he even thought he could decide who she should talk to at his fucking party. The final straw was when he’d come over to smooth over the irreverent remark she had made. She was confident that he was pissed as hell that she’d dared to walk away from him. Realizing that she was far more pissed than he was, the next step became crystal clear. Not only would she keep walking, she was leaving, going home.
Tugging on Mick’s arm, she motioned for him to follow her.
“What’s up, sweet cheeks? Tired of all those bigshots trying to get close to their wet dream in the flesh? Decided that you wanted to get back to the guys who long ago gave up on getting lucky with you?”
“I want to leave, Mick. I need you to take me home.”
Mick’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You gotta to be fuckin’ kiddin’ me, Viv! You want me to take you home? Christ, Vivi, you think I don’t value my manhood? Hell, even if my jewels don’t clank as loud as his, it doesn’t mean I’m willing to go without any!” He stared at her, then his face darkened with concern. “Hey, wait a minute. What happened, sweet cheeks? What did the big guy do? Pull your chain? What did he tell his uppity little woman that she needed to do now?”
Viviana knew she shouldn’t be surprised that it was obvious to others, including her partner, that Jax thought he was in charge of her. Jax was making it damn clear tonight that he would decide whom she would talk to and what she should or should not say. His overbearing arrogance infuriated her and solidified her intent. Glaring at Mick, she said, “So, partner, will you take me home, or do I have to call a cab?”
When Mick didn’t answer, just shot her a troubled frown, she shoved at his hand and snarled. “Fine. See if I ask you to bring me to a party again. Or do anything for me or with me, for that matter.” Fighting the tears that were burning her eyes, she couldn’t hide the catch in her voice. Shaking her head, she said bitterly, “I should have learned. I know better. The only person I can count on is me. Thanks for reinforcing that important lesson, partner.”
Mick caught up with her at the exit. “Hang on, Vivi. If you really want to leave, I’ll take you. Let me get my car.”
Viviana shook her head. “Don’t bother, partner, I’d rather take a cab. I wouldn’t want you to annoy the new police chief. We all know he requires absolute deference. Apparently we’re required to kiss his ass or be relegated to second-class citizenry. Which is where I’ve decided I belong. Particularly since that means I won’t have to associate with him.”
Mick’s voice was strained. “Vivi, I’m not sure what happened, but I’m not going to let you leave like this.”
She tossed her head as she marched toward the cabstand. “That’s not up to you, Detective O’Reilly.” Climbing into the back seat of the waiting cab and not able to hide the tears streaming down her face, her voice cracked. “By the way, I hate this dress. The least you could have done when you picked me up was tell me that I looked like a freak.”
***
“What the fuck!”
Hearing the driver’s astonished curse, Viviana startled when the cab lurched crazily to the side of the road. The driver added in amazement, “Damn, that fucker could have run me off the motherfuckin’ road!” As the cab swerved again, the driver shouted, “Holy Christ, I think that’s exactly what the asshole’s trying to do!” As the cab lurched from side to side, the driver yelled in bewilderment, “Jesus God, here he comes again! Sorry lady, I don’t know if you know that guy, but there’s no way in hell that I can outrun an Alpha Romeo. Or the crazy fuckin’ asshole who is driving it!” He swore again as he yanked the cab to the side of the road. “Damn, honey. Call me chicken, but that guy is determined to run me off the road. Only reason I can think of is that the motherfucker is after you.”
As the cab shuddered to a stop, Viviana slammed her eyes closed and smacked down her door lock. She wasn’t surprised to see him open the front passenger door, then reach back and release her lock. One quick glance confirmed that Jax was furious. His jaw was rigid and the crease
on his cheek was deeply etched. Anger rippled off him in sheets. As he dragged her out of the back seat, he apologized to the cab driver, who was staring at them in amazement. Pressing several large bills in the cabbie’s hand, he said, “Let me know if this doesn’t cover any damages to your cab. The name’s Hughes, Jaxton Hughes.” Keeping her tightly secured with one strong arm, he handed a business card to the cabbie, who looked askance from him to the card. Jax nodded and said with an exasperated sigh, “Yes, I’m that Hughes, the new SJPD police chief.”
Without speaking to her, Jax strapped her into the passenger seat of his high-end automobile and then ambled around to the driver’s side. As he revved up the powerful engine, he cast her a sideways glance. His voice was cool, tinged with irony. “Apparently I didn’t make myself clear when I told you that you would be going home with me tonight. Or more likely, you chose not to hear me. Perhaps going forward you will listen to me. Or hell, I might start requiring you to fork over the big bills. Your disobedience is getting expensive.”
Chapter 7
Viviana sucked in a deep breath and forced herself to speak calmly. She was determined not to let him see how upset she was. “I want to go home, Jax.”
His rejoinder was curt. “So do I. That’s where we are going.” He added, “My home.”
“No, I—”
He cut her off. “Sorry, princess. My car, my home.” He added, “My rules.”
Jax wasn’t surprised to see the angry flush wash across her face. He would have to be brain-dead not to know that she was angry with him. She’d made that clear when she thrust that fearsome chin of hers in the air and strode across the ballroom, leaving the gaping mayor’s wife and her startled friend staring at Viviana’s curvy backside. Without a backward glance at him, she’d joined her fellow officers, confirming that their company was preferable to the elite guests. Clearly preferable to his.