False Start (Mavericks #1)

by Julianna Marley

  The word “police” bringing her out of her daze, she forced herself to look at him. She had only known him for five months, had fallen in love with him and wasn’t even completely sure if he felt the exact same soul choking way about her as she did about him, but the way his eyes focused on her in such urgency, told her everything she needed to know about what was unfolding in front of her. He was telling the truth.

  “It’s not breaking in if your door is unlocked,” the woman said simply, standing up and covering herself with his bedsheet. The same bedsheet that Liv had spent several nights wrapped in with Jax. A few inches shorter and more than a few inches slimmer than her, the woman looked like a runway model with her jet black hair angling down her back. Everything about her was petite. Her face, her features, her rail thin body. She was everything Alivia wished she could have been.

  “You have two minutes to get out of here before I call the cops, Vanessa,” Jax barked over his wide shoulder bracing onto the doorframe above Alivia’s head. “Or your father,” he added, taking her shaking hand into his firm grasp. His face laced with more fury than she had ever seen on anyone before.

  Vanessa?

  As in his ex-girlfriend Vanessa?

  Squirming self-consciously under the woman’s intense inspection, the one who had no problem walking around in a lace bra and underwear to match, Vanessa ran her eyes up and down Alivia no doubt taking in her tired appearance. Of course on the one rare occurrence when she actually looked like a complete mess, rocking the side ponytail and all, she had to come face to face with Jax’s flawless ex. And the one who clearly still had her eyes set on him.

  “My mistake,” she said, resting her hands on her thin hips, “I thought that you were done abiding your time with little girls who don’t fit into your life.”

  “Get out of here before I call the cops,” Jax warned again.

  Chuckling, Vanessa reached her finger to Jax’s lips before he swatted her hand away, pulling Alivia behind him, shielding her. From what, she still wasn’t quite sure.

  “Be nice, Jax,” Vanessa said, tilting her head, meeting his fuming stare, “We both know you’re not going to call the cops. Not as long as you want to play on my father’s team.”

  “Are you threatening me?”

  Bending down, she picked up her black skirt, sliding it over her non-existent curves effortlessly.

  “I don’t threaten, Jax.” She zipped the skirt up on the side of her hip. “I just simply remind.”

  Jax winced at the memory. Liv had been so freaked out that night that even after explaining for the hundredth time that he had no idea that Vanessa had broken in while he was showering, she said she understood but still left his house insisting that it was best for her to go. What was supposed to be a night filled with making love and falling asleep with her in his arms, had turned into a restless night of wanting to pull his hair out. After finally tracking her down setting up a Mavericks luncheon the next day, she had apologized for leaving making him promise not to file a report or cause any trouble; insisting that she’d be damned if they were going to allow Vanessa to get him traded. So he had kept his promise.

  Putting distance between him and Brody, Jax lifted another metal plate onto his barbell.

  “You have my word, Jax,” Brody promised nodding to Trevor, Shay and Myles. Without another word he made his way towards the exit and Jax sat down on the bench taking a deep breath calming his temper and the urge to punch something. Why the hell would Brody allow her to work for him even when he knew damn well all the problems that Vanessa had caused? Feeling someone behind him, his back stiffened, tempting his irritation.

  “Rumor has it you and Liv are on the rocks,” Vanessa whispered beside his ear, the smell of her tart perfume, making him want to gag. “You now know where to you can find me,” she breathed, the hair on the back of his neck standing up. “I’ll even be willing to remind you why we were so good together, Captain.”

  Watching her back away through the mirror in front of him, she waved to the guys making her way out of the gym.

  “Vanessa,” he barked, standing up, pinning her with his eyes. “You stay away from Liv. You hear me?”

  With the same small smirk and not another word, she followed Brody out of the gym.

  Yeah, he wanted to punch something.

  Hard.

  * * *

  Running late, Alivia showed her blue ticket to the unconcerned volunteer father standing in the theatre entrance of the local high school. Pointing to her row, she took long, quick strides for her seat. It was the girls’ annual dance recital and she had been so busy back stage spraying buns tighter, tying ballet slippers more securely and taking more pictures than was necessary, that she hadn’t even realized that the show had already began. Much like the past week, the entire morning seemed like a blur. Between Ross still not speaking to her and feeling the aftereffect of insisting Whitney cut down her hours, she could just about find the time to shave her legs. She did however, manage to make it home on time to have dinner with Jax and the girls all week, but not much of anything else. If she hadn’t been in her office making calls, then she was on her laptop returning emails in bed with Jax. She did have to admit, that for as busy as she was, she felt at peace coming home to him every night. It warmed her heart when he had peeled the laptop out of her hands every night, insisting that she relax as to not get overwhelmed. But her heart wasn’t the only thing he was warming. He was still the same sexy, attentive, protective man he had always been, yet different. Better.

  Catching sight of the back of Jax’s head above the crowd, she excused herself squeezing through some other parents and past Chelsea and Jax sitting down in the empty seat between him and Ross.

  “Hi.” She smiled at Jax, slipping off her jacket and putting her pocketbook on the ground.

  “Hi.” He returned her smile, a small splash of stage light grazing his face, drawing attention to his dimples. Claiming her hand inside his giant palm, he kissed the back of her hand, placing it in his lap. A few months ago she didn’t think she’d ever have him beside her again; holding her hand and filling up her heart with just a sideways grin; the level of perfection making her pulse speed up.

  Watching Ross pretend to listen to the dance school director go on and on about the company, she took his hand. Breaking his gaze from the speaker, he looked down at their hands resting in her lap. She hated that they weren’t speaking and it had been the longest they had ever gone without talking to one another. She appreciated that he was only coming from a place of concern, but they all needed to get past this.

  “We good?” she asked above a whisper, hoping like hell that he wasn’t going to make her grovel. And although she would never admit it to him, she would beg if it meant having her best friend back.

  The side of his mouth lifting, he nodded slowly. “Yeah. We’re good, bitch.”

  Leaning forward, Ross looked past her at Jax, his expression hardening. Sharing a long stare without a word, Jax nodded firmly, before both men leaned back into their seats.

  What in the world?

  Pretty sure that words had been exchanged before she arrived, she didn’t question it. The curtain rose as the first act appeared on stage and she could barely suppress her joy. She had her man, her best friends and she was getting ready to watch her beautiful daughters dance.

  Life was simply perfect.

  After paying close attention to Jax’s reaction in the middle of the dance that she had watched the twins practice a million times inside their kitchen, it took all she had inside of her to contain herself from kissing him stupid. The adoration in his eyes when he watched the girls and the lump in his throat that he was determined to swallow back as they twirled to a song about little girls not growing up too fast, made her fall in love with him all over again. Knowing now that he had left her and the girls in an attempt to protect them pinched at her chest. But for as much as she still wanted to smack him for doing what he did, in an odd way it only proved just
how much he loved them. All three of them. The thought nearly leaving her breathless.

  “Mama! Daddy!” Hailey yelled over the crowd of parents and dancers from the stage, waving quickly as the recital came to an end. Following Jax to the front of the auditorium, he lifted each girl off the stage, treating them to loud kisses on their cheeks.

  “Y’all were amazing!” Alivia smiled, loving on each girl, looking into their excited little faces.

  “We know!” Hannah sassed.

  “Uncle Ross!” Hailey ran to Ross who waited with a huge bear hug for both girls. Handing each girl flowers, he fussed over their sparkly costumes making them laugh.

  “Alright, I’m gonna head home and get back to my men.” Chelsea smiled giving Alivia a hug. “Knowing Trevor, my poor baby boy is in nothing but a diaper, watching football highlights and gnawing on potato chips.”

  “Sounds like the perfect afternoon to me,” Jax chuckled, wrapping his arms around Alivia’s waist.

  “Our next baby will be a boy,” he added simply, looking back at the girls twirling in their tutus for Ross. “I’m not sure how many more tea parties and manicures one man can endure.”

  Whoa!

  Another baby? Jax wanted to have another baby? Another baby meant long term. Long term meant that he was staying? Right?

  “Oh, you think you’re getting another baby, huh?” she asked, grinning up at him unsure if she should be warmed by the fact that he wanted another child with her or turned on by the way he was pushing his groin into her lower back.

  Sliding his big palm across her belly, he squeezed it gently, kissing the top of her head.

  “Oh, I know I am.”

  Yep. Definitely turned on.

  Ignoring the desire creeping inside her body at Jax’s hands on her and all the promises that came with it, she forced herself to focus on Chelsea, her indecisive bride.

  “I need you to come into the office this week and start doing some major decision making, Miss.”

  The reality of Chelsea’s wedding approaching was enough to launch Alivia into full organization mode and hinder thoughts of Jax’s mouth and body on her, suppressing the shamelessness of getting turned on in the middle of a crowded auditorium.

  “I mean it,” Alivia stressed. “It will be here before you know it.”

  Rolling her eyes, Chelsea turned to Jax for a hug.

  “Keep her busy so she gets off my case with this wedding, will ya, Cap?”

  “Oh. I’ll keep her more than busy.”

  15

  Jax was anxious. He was a lot of things, but anxious had never been one of them. Pacing the kitchen again, he checked to make sure everything was in place. Liv had been working so damn hard with the draft party lately, he wanted this night to be special for her. Wanted her to feel special.

  He had realized while coloring with the girls the night before that they had missed Valentine’s Day during their time apart. That and a long line of other important holidays and anniversaries. Looking down at Hailey’s drawing covered in red hearts, he specifically remembered the day dedicated to romance and how he had drank himself into a stupor that night, wondering what Liv had been doing. Drowning his guilt in his newfound buddy Johnny Walker, he had questioned if he made the right choice. Had she been upset that he had left? Or relieved that he was gone? Had she been out with another man who could make her happier? He had contemplated nearly a hundred times that night getting into the car. Squeezing his keys inside his hands, the stabbing edge of the brass tempting him to get into the car and drive over to the house to get his wife back. He never did it though; he never would have driven as drunk as he was and knew that it wouldn’t have solved anything anyway. So he continued to drown the thoughts of holding her, kissing her and the sound of her laughter into the brown liquid until he had passed out. The next morning in the haze of an angry hangover, he knew he couldn’t be separated from her any longer. That he needed her in his life in some capacity. What had started out as a selfless act of giving her what she needed had slowly turned selfish because he wanted her. He needed her.

  Things between them were good. Real good. And although she still hadn’t forgiven him for leaving, they were headed forward. And recreating her favorite holiday for her seemed like a good place to begin. “Valentine’s Day in May.” That had a decent ring to it as he checked his phone for the fifth time. When he had called Chelsea to inform her of his plans, she didn’t hesitate in offering the girls to sleep over her house giving him the privacy he wanted with Liv. After hanging up with her, he had called over to the office for some help pulling off such a large feat in such a short amount of time. After calling the personal chef that Ross had suggested because his culinary skills didn’t exceed the outside grill and the microwave, he had texted Whitney asking if she could set-up the back deck with an outrageous amount of flowers. Jumping at the opportunity claiming that she was ridiculously bored just sitting at home, she had spent the better part of the day decorating. And boy she hadn’t disappointed. The house had looked better than he could have hoped, making him even more eager for Liv to get home. It was difficult to impress a woman that designed for a living, turning things from scratch into masterpieces, but he had a feeling she would be rendered speechless. At least he was hoping. Hearing her car finally pull into the garage, he smoothed out his suit jacket. Her heels clicking against the cement floor, he could hear her inching to the door, as he stood taller, crossing his wrists, waiting for his Valentine.

  Watching her freeze in the doorway, his mouth turned up unable to hide his satisfaction that he did, in fact, render her speechless. Even after the long day he knew she had, she still took his breath away; her hair thrown up on top of her head, her eyes slightly tired, and she looked surprised. He had done a million romantic things for her since the day they had met, but for some reason, this felt different. More vulnerable. Maybe he was still looking for her forgiveness, or maybe because he felt like his heart was beating outside of his body, maybe a little bit of both, but looking around the kitchen, she smiled brightly, her eyes locking on his.

  “What in the world?”

  Picking a white rose from one of the many bouquets on the counter, he stopped in front of her, looking down into one of his favorite pair of baby blues.

  “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

  Considering him a moment, she took the rose bringing it up to her nose gently. Smelling the fresh flower, her eyelids drifted shut, a shy smile sweeping across her face.

  “I know how much you love Valentine’s Day and we didn’t get to celebrate it this year,” he paused, swallowing the lump in his throat. It was still hard to talk about his time away from her, knowing that he had screwed up big time. Not a second went by that he wasn’t thankful that she was giving him a second chance and he would stop at nothing to make her completely happy again. Stepping back, he allowed her to take in the entire house filled with red and white rose bouquets, candles and flower petals. He had been ready to choose yellow and pink roses, her two favorite colors, but when Whitney educated him on the symbolism of the colors in relation to the flower, red roses signifying love and white signifying new beginnings, he felt it rather fitting. Loving her more than anyone in the world, he wanted that new beginning with her. Now.

  “Welcome to Valentine’s Day in May.”

  Touching the rose petals on the counter gently, she breathed, “Jax, this is amazin’!”

  “No,” he said pulling her closer, feeling her breath hitch, “you’re amazing.”

  Resting his forehead against hers, he wrapped his arms around her waist. “This is all just long overdue.”

  Standing up on the balls her feet, she took his face in her hands, muted traces of her perfume, her presence and her touch feeling like home. Aligning her lips with his, she brushed them softly, dangerously flirting with his self-control.

  “I hope you’re hungry, Mrs. Monaghan,” he said against her lips, refocusing his attention.

  He needed to concentrate because h
e was going to savor every minute of this night.

  Of her.

  * * *

  Still wrapping her head around the idea that all of this was for her, Alivia was in awe of the amount of rose petals covering the floor, the intimate glow of the nearly hundred candles lighting up the room and the beautiful man standing in the middle of it all. Jax looked too handsome for his own good, his gray fitted suit hugging his body wickedly, making her mouth water. His long black tie was taunting her, as thoughts of putting it to good use and pulling him on top of her before ravishing his beautiful mouth came to mind. His hair done in his usual sexy mess was just begging for her hands to run through it, and if he wasn’t careful, she was going to do just that. Taking her hand, he brought it to his lips, placing a small kiss on the inside of her wrist. He was driving her wild, but she had a feeling he already knew that.

  “Come with me.”

  Resting his hands on her hips, he guided her through the kitchen as she reveled in the beauty of all the candles and flowers. Leading her onto the deck, her heart missed a beat. Or possibly two or three. A table for two draped in beautiful white linen embellished in more red rose petals and various sized candles scattered across the small table, only accentuating a delicate centerpiece. Stepping closer to the table, her heels glided across the cloud of petals. For as stunning as it all was, the beautiful white bulb lights strung above them were her favorite; reminding her of blissfully strolling the streets of Greece the night he had proposed.

  “Jax. This is spectacular,” she breathed, meeting his warm face. Tears threatening, she closed her eyes, relishing in how special she felt in that moment. How special he was making her feel.

  “A spectacular evening,” he said, placing his finger beneath her chin, bringing her lips to his once again, “for a spectacular woman.”