Something Amazing

by M. Clarke

  “Had to get a bigger one?” Max chuckled.

  Matthew’s lip slowly curled up into a smirk. “You know it.”

  “It’s your wedding day. I’ll give in this time.”

  I had no idea what they were talking about, but if my hunch was correct, there was a private competition between the brothers. After the blessing from the pastor, Matthew and Becky kissed to seal the deal. Heading back to the hotel for the reception, Becky rode with Matthew in their private limo and Max came with us.

  After the first dance and the cutting of the cake, Becky and Matthew were busy, going from table to table to thank their family and friends. While holding Connor and Addison’s hands on either side of me, we swayed to the fast beat of the music on the dance floor. We weren’t the only ones. The guests surrounded us dancing, while others mingled in groups.

  Though the ballroom was huge, the placement of tables and the décor were perfect. Kim had done a great job color coordinating and making sure every detail of the reception went smoothly. From the arrangements of flowers on the tables, to the black velvet seat covering on each chair, and the intertwining lace and flowers that adorned from the ceiling, it gave a fairy tale touch. I couldn’t have imagined it any better.

  “Is there a line or do I need to shrink myself to their size to be able to dance with you?” a deep voice with a British accent rumbled behind my shoulder. His accent alone shot quivers through me.

  I stopped dancing and peered up to see dreamy green eyes staring back at me. With light brown hair and wearing a dark suit that formed to his tone body, he caught my attention. Smiling, I released a light laugh. “I would love to see you shrink to their size.”

  Surprised by my remark, he shook his head. His devilish grin alone made me assume he was planning to do something to swoon me. “Your wish is my command.” Bending down to his knees, he tilted his head to meet my eyes.

  Connor and Addison started laughing, and I did the same. “Please, get up. I didn’t mean for you to get down on your knees.”

  “Shane, you’re not proposing, are you?” Max’s arm was wrapped around Jenna’s waist. It didn’t matter what he’d said. Max had a way of getting your attention just from his tone alone—strong and confident—just like Jax did.

  Shane stood up. “No. It’s how we introduce ourselves to a beautiful woman in England.”

  “Rachel, meet Shane. He’s one of the models at Knight Fashion Magazine. Rachel is Matthew’s sister-in-law.” Max arched a brow. “Just a friendly warning.”

  Shane raised a hand. “Just chatting. That’s all.”

  “Mommy.” Connor’s grip loosened and he jumped into Jenna’s arms.

  Jenna kissed him on the cheek. “Hi, handsome. It’s time for bed.”

  Connor yawned and lay his head on Jenna’s shoulder.

  “May I hold you?” Max asked Addison. She lifted her hands up. “Jenna and I are going to take them to bed. I’m surprised they held out this long.”

  “Good night, Rachel. It’s nice to see you, Shane,” Jenna said, gesturing for Max to follow her.

  “Right behind you, babe,” Max said, giving one last glance at us before he followed behind her.

  Chapter 24

  Rachel

  “Now that you’re alone, may I have this dance?” Shane asked, extending his hand out to me.

  God, how I loved his accent. I could listen to him talk all night. “Sure.” I took his hand and allowed him to guide me.

  “Confession time. I already knew you were Matthew’s sister-in-law,” he murmured against my ear as we swayed to the music.

  “You did? It’s pretty brave of you to ask me to dance,” I joked, inhaling the smell of his cologne. “Matthew can be pretty protective, especially when it comes to his family.”

  “Yes, he is. I wonder what he would do if I kissed you in front of him.”

  His words spread warmth through my body. “Why don’t we find out?” I said in my most confident voice. I didn’t know why I said this to him. Though we’d just met and I knew nothing of him, I felt it was fine since he was invited to the reception. And only those close to the Knight family were invited. Before I could change my mind, his lips covered mine in the most delicious way. Though it wasn’t a long kiss, it was tender and sweet, and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

  Maybe it was the way his strong hands pressed behind my back or the intoxicating smell of his cologne, or just his succulent kiss that had the room spinning. When he released me, my arms dangled down my side. I hadn’t realized he had tilted me back just as the song ended until he set me back to my feet.

  “I think Matthew is too busy to care.” Shane continued to sway us. “Maybe I should try again, but make it more obvious.”

  I peered up to his stunning eyes. “Maybe not,” I rebutted lightly. Nothing was wrong with the kiss; it was the fact that there was a possibility we would be working together. Finding out he was one of the models, and me being the photographer, there was a big chance I would be taking pictures of him. I didn’t think mixing business with pleasure would be a good idea, especially when I hadn’t even started working yet.

  Shane arched his brows in surprise. “I hope my kiss didn’t turn you off.”

  “Not at all.”

  “Then perhaps I can give you a longer one after I take you out to dinner.”

  “Perhaps dinner will be—” I started to say and froze when the melody changed to a slower beat. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo’Ole was playing. Not only that, my mind was playing tricks on me, and I could have sworn I saw Jax. When I tried to get a better look, the figure was lost in the crowd. It was hard to spot anyone in the dimly lit room anyway.

  “Are you okay?” Shane asked.

  He must have felt my body tense up. “Yes. It’s nothing,” I said, but it wasn’t. That song hit me hard to my core, bringing back the good and sad memories I’d shared with Jax. I felt like I was back in Kauai, dancing with him. If I closed my eyes, I could imagine myself doing it right now.

  Jackson

  Rachel had no idea I was at the reception. I had debated whether to go, but knowing Rachel was going to be there gave me an incentive to at least make it to the tail end of the party. I should have asked her if she was coming alone or with someone, which would have at least saved me the embarrassment of thinking that we could hook up again. But when it came to Rachel, I never thought straight anyway. Although Rachel did send me a picture of a guy she’d dated, I didn’t think they were serious. Not serious enough for her to bring him to the wedding and meet her family, I hoped.

  Sitting in the corner where it was even darker, I watched Rachel dance with two little ones. I had a hunch that she would be great with kids, but seeing her in action confirmed it. Watching Rachel dance was hypnotizing. Her strapless, long black dress with a high slit in the back swiped the floor as she moved to the beat of the music. With her hair pinned up on both sides and long loose curls dangling in the back, she looked absolutely stunning. My mind ran with naughty thoughts, and I was already unzipping her dress with my teeth and running my hands up her thighs. When I stood up to surprise her, I sat back down when I saw an acquaintance approach her. How the hell did they know each other?

  Seeing them dance together did not go well with me. It was the way he was holding her that made me feel sick to my stomach; his body was pressed to her, the way I had done to her many times before. And I didn’t like the way his hand was on her bare back. Seeing another man’s hand on her like that drove me crazy, more so since I knew him. You didn’t hold someone that way when you were just friends. I tried to read her facial expression to see how much she was into him, but it was difficult when people were walking in my line of vision. Hissing in anger, I was just about to make my appearance to Rachel when someone greeted me.

  “Jax? You made it.” My brother gave me a good smack on my arm. I didn’t appreciate his physical attention, but I knew he was happy to see me. “When did you get here?”
/>   “A few minutes ago, but I have to head back to London tomorrow. I was going to find you eventually.”

  “You could have at least texted. It only requires you to move your fingers. How hard is that?”

  A short laugh escaped my mouth. “Sorry. You know I don’t like texting.”

  Hendrix pulled out a chair and sat next to me. “You come here for Matthew or for Rachel?”

  “I came for you.” I leaned in to his shoulder.

  “Shut up.” He pushed me away.

  I shared a hearty laugh with him. “I came for both,” I said, catching a quick glance of the dance floor before I looked back at my brother.

  Hendrix stared into the crowd for a bit then back to me. “Are you going to say hello to Rachel, or are you going to stalk her all night?”

  “She looks so happy. Maybe I’ll go back to London tonight.”

  “Whatever you decide, don’t start what you can’t finish. I know you’re not that close to Matthew, but Matthew is a good friend of mine. I’m not going to tell you what to do. Just keep that in mind. Also, I’m looking out for your best interest. Whomever you were meant to be with, she will love you no matter what. If you decide to stay the night, you can take my other room. But just a warning, Stacey will be spending the night.”

  “Thanks. Where’s Mom and Dad?”

  “They’ve already retired to their room; so did Mr. and Mrs. Knight.”

  “I don’t blame them. I’m kind of tired myself.”

  “If you were going to keep your visit a secret from Rachel, it’s too late. Here comes Stacey.” Hendrix stood up. “I was going to bring you that drink you wanted, but I ran into Jax.”

  “Hey, Jax.” Stacey dropped her arms around my shoulders. She’d had one drink too many. “Does Rachel know you’re here?” Her words slurred.

  “No, not yet.”

  “Well…go get her.” She threw her arms in the air as if she was the fairy godmother that could make Rachel appear in front of her. I had to laugh at her gesture.

  “I will, but I need to find Matthew first. Have fun,” I said, leaving her behind with my brother as I headed to the DJ.

  As I was asking the DJ to play a special song for me that would catch Rachel’s attention, I spotted Matthew and Becky. Not wanting to be rude, I followed them, going toward the back where the cake was located.

  “Matthew,” I called over the music.

  “Jackson.” Matthew looked happy and stunned to see me. “I’m glad you made it. It’s been so long.” He shook my hand, then wrapped his arm around Becky’s waist. “This is Becky, my wife.”

  “We haven’t officially met before, but I know of you. Hendrix likes to talk about Matthew way too much,” I said, shaking her hand. I wanted to tell her that I knew her sister, but decided not to. Being that she was Rachel’s sister, I felt a sense of closeness toward her. Becky’s hair was lighter than Rachel’s, but I could see the resemblance in their facial features…their perfect noses, high cheekbones, and their plump lips. Regardless, they were both beautiful.

  “I hope he only says good things.” Becky’s eyelashes fluttered. Her tone was sweet, yet playful. She was the type of woman that knew how to reel a man in with her firecracker personality…possessive and domineering if she needed to be. Sweet and yielding, allowing the man to think he was in charge. They were sisters for sure.

  “Only good things,” I reassured her. “Anyway, I wanted to say congratulations. I’m sure you need to attend to other guests.”

  “It was good to see you,” Matthew said.

  “Same here,” I replied, then walked away. Stopping by Rachel’s table to drop something off, I texted Hendrix to let him know I was planning to get my own room. It was late into the night, and I didn’t want to intrude on my brother. When I saw Rachel locking lips with the asshole on the dance floor, it twisted my heart in a most unpleasant way that I had to look away. He was probably swooning her with his British accent. What was I thinking coming here? I didn’t need extra stress in my life, and I sure as hell didn’t need to feel this pang stabbing my heart.

  Rachel was mine in Kauai and that was all. I had to face the fact that Rachel had moved on, and I was just a memory. Sometimes reality sucked.

  Chapter 25

  Rachel

  I didn’t know what had gotten into me. Thinking that I had seen Jax and hearing the song that reminded me of him made me antsy and uncomfortable. “I need some water,” I said, feeling queasy all of a sudden.

  “I can get you a glass of water, or something else that you prefer to drink,” Shane offered. He was so sweet. I felt bad cutting our dance short.

  “I think I need to sit down. How about we continue after I rest a bit?”

  “Sure. That sounds like a plan. I’ll come and find you.” He winked.

  As I waved to Nicole and Kate, Becky’s friends, I headed back to my table. The first thing I grabbed off the table was the glass of water and gulped it down. When I placed my glass down, I was shocked to see a small turtle magnet-figurine, just like the ones I’d seen at the stores in Kauai. Made from gray stone, the shell was the color of caramel mixed with beige. Petting it as if it was real, I discovered it was smooth and cold to my touch.

  Thinking everyone had received one, I looked at the placement to the right of me…nothing. Looking to the left, I also didn’t find anything. Then I searched the whole table, and then the table adjacent to ours, but nothing.

  Thoughts of Jax jumped into my mind. He was one of the few people that knew I collected magnets. Picking up the figurine, I got up fast and glanced around. Spinning in circles and getting dizzy from searching for him through the crowd, I decided to find Hendrix and Stacey. Though it was difficult to search for them, I was determined to find them, but no matter where I looked, it was to no avail.

  My blood pressure shot up so fast, heat rushed through my body. Many thoughts ran through my mind. What if he saw me with Shane? What if he saw us kissing? Why didn’t he come find me? I halted when I found myself out of the ballroom and now in the lobby as another thought invaded my mind. What if he didn’t want to see me? He would have at least texted me to let me know he was coming. At least I thought he would.

  When I saw a figure across the room talking to the front desk clerk, my heart thumped faster in blissful beats. It had to be Jax. I recognized the length of his hair, his broad shoulders, his toned body, and squeeze worthy ass.

  “Jax,” I called, walking faster, but the figure ignored me and headed toward the hall. Perhaps he didn’t hear me. I was now jogging when I saw him turn the corner. “Jax.” I raised my voice. There was no doubt in my mind he had heard me when I saw his neck crane just enough for me to see his profile. It was my Jax. But why wasn’t he stopping?

  “Jax,” I pleaded one last time as I saw him enter the elevator. Why I was after him like this was beyond me. A part of me was desperate to see him, and another part told me to get out of there and run far away from him.

  Just as the elevator door was about to close, I said loudly, “JC and I miss you.”

  A fist popped out to stop the door from closing, and I was yanked inside. “Are you seeing Shane?” It was the first question he asked while he punched the number of the floor he had intended to go to. Holding me tightly, his eyes gleamed in either anger or sadness as they pierced into mine. I couldn’t tell.

  “How do you know Shane?”

  “That’s not an answer, Rachel.”

  “I don’t have to give you an answer.” I was being stubborn, but I didn’t care. That’s what he got for asking me a question that was none of his business.

  “Is he your date?” Jax didn’t give up. He needed to know.

  “No. I’m not dating anyone.” I wondered why he’d asked that question. Without a reason, anger flushed through me. How dare he ignore me when I had called his name? How dare he probe about my life? Feeling irate, I tried to escape his hold as he continued to glare at me in confusion, as if he was fighting whatever he wanted to d
o. No matter how hard I tried to push him away, he only held me tighter. “Let go of me, asshole.” I was surprised at the words that escaped my mouth.

  “Is that what you said to Shane when he kissed you? Or did you like it?”

  “You were watching? It’s none of your business. And why do you care?”

  “You’re right. It’s none of my business.” His tone was somber, and for some strange reason the way he said those words was killing me. I needed to know what he was thinking. When his grip slightly loosened, I thought he was going to let me go, but he snapped out of his thoughts and tightened again.

  Taking us to the corner of the elevator, he raised both of my arms up and pinned them there. The sight of him already aroused me, but this took me to another level. Heat blistered through my body, and I ached for him… ached for his touch.

  “Jax,” I murmured, wanting to tell him how much I’d missed him, but I couldn’t find the words.

  “How much did you miss me?” Jax sneered through his teeth. His eyes were fuming, like a wild animal ready to attack.

  “Hardly at all,” I spat back. “Why did you come and not let me know? Why did you ignore me?”

  “Because,” Jax’s eyes became soft as he leaned closer to the side of my neck, “it hurts too much to be near you, knowing I can’t have you. And I can’t stand to see other men touch you, hold you, kiss you. I don’t think I’ve ever been this jealous in my life, and I don’t have an ego problem.”

  Shocked by his words, I stopped squirming. My lips parted to speak, but the words never came out. Jax swallowed my lips into his with hunger and passion. I was drowning in the tidal wave of his lips and tongue. I had craved him and dreamt about our reunion, but nothing was as good as the real thing.