Pyxis: Book Three of The Stardust Series

by Autumn Reed

  When Chase and Ethan arrived, they greeted us at the outdoor kitchen, and Ethan grabbed a beer with barely a passing glance, then headed to the pool. Okay. I was trying not to rush to judgment, but Theo’s recent statements and Ethan’s actions were making me wonder what was going on with him.

  “Gorgeous,” Liam cooed a few minutes later.

  “Hmmm?” I responded, lost in my thoughts and the eye candy in front of me.

  “Go enjoy yourself. Theo and I have this under control.”

  Theo nodded enthusiastically before shooing me away. Approaching the area where Ethan and Chase were lounging shirtless next to the pool, I was so focused on the way the sun glistened off their hard, toned bodies, I nearly tripped over a chair.

  “Hey, E,” I called, hoping no one had noticed my clumsiness.

  Ethan waved, but otherwise remained silent, his eyes closed behind his sunglasses. Even his expression seemed tight.

  “How was your week, Chase?” I asked, setting my towel on an empty lounge chair nearby.

  “Pretty good.” He peered up at me, flashing his dimple. Sigh.

  “Good,” I said with a smile. I removed my shorts and T-shirt, feeling exposed in my turquoise two-piece swimsuit. It had a more modest cut than a typical bikini, but it was still the most skin I’d ever shown.

  Chase went wide-eyed as he scanned my body, and at the sound of a wolf whistle, I turned toward the pool, surprised to find Jackson was the source. Before I could respond, Liam was at my side, whispering in my ear. “You look incredible, but your sexy striped one-piece is still my favorite.” When I gave him a doubtful look, he said, “And you’re only allowed to wear that one for me,” and sauntered off.

  Laughing, I walked straight to the edge, then launched into the air and tucked my knees against my chest. Upon resurfacing, I was gratified that the water was still making waves around me. Got them! I thought as Jackson and Knox shook the water from their heads.

  My sense of victory was short-lived; they shared a mischievous look and set their beers on the side of the pool, then dove under the water and headed my direction. I tried to swim away, calling Chase’s name as Jackson and Knox pulled me underwater. I kicked at the hands grasping my feet, but they were too fast. Seconds later, strong arms settled around my waist and pulled me in the opposite direction, rescuing me from the sea monsters.

  When I resurfaced, Chase was standing behind me, his hands on my stomach. My skin seemed hypersensitive as he gently rubbed his thumbs over my bare stomach, lingering a few moments longer than necessary. I would have reveled in his touch, but there were too many spectators, and I was taken aback by Ethan’s agitated expression as he descended the pool steps. I couldn’t see Chase’s face, but the way he suddenly released me and added distance between us only intensified my discomfort with the situation.

  “I thought the alcohol would slow them down,” I joked, wanting to lighten the sudden tension, grateful that Jackson and Knox had already returned to their beers on the other side of the pool.

  “Because you really needed Chase to rescue you,” Ethan muttered in a snarky tone. What is that about?

  “It’s all in good fun,” Chase responded, although it seemed like his voice held a warning.

  Was Ethan mad at Chase for messing around with me, or was he just grumpy in general? Reading the guys’ thoughts, especially Ethan’s, had always been difficult, but I felt like I was on high alert. It seemed I was constantly paranoid as to who was watching my interactions within the group and trying to decipher what they thought about it. My burdened mind and heart made it nearly impossible to see things with a level head.

  As the evening wore on, especially after dinner, more people arrived on the roof; Liam waved to several neighbors, but everyone mostly stuck to themselves. Despite Ethan’s earlier comment, Chase continued to touch me nearly any chance he got. Jackson and Knox also seemed more physical than normal, and while I wanted to love every small touch or look they gave me, it only amped up my stress level.

  Not surprisingly, the guys attracted the interest of several girls, but they were either oblivious to the attention or uninterested. Ethan and Theo were still lounging by the pool when two girls approached and started flirting with them. Theo made polite conversation but came to join us in the pool not long after.

  “Glad to see you’re staying faithful to me—you know, your girlfriend,” I teased, splashing water in his direction.

  I immediately regretted my joke, because Knox and Jackson stopped talking and the look on Chase’s face flashed from confusion, to pain, to indifference. Crap. And of course, Liam decided to join us at that awkward moment, sitting on the edge, dangling his legs over the side. Fantastic.

  “What’s this, gorgeous? Cheating on me already? The tongues will be wagging at the office. You know how they were talking at Uncle’s Christmas party.” Liam winked, and I knew he was joking, but the conversation, like my life, was rapidly spiraling out of control.

  “No, no. I was just teasing him.” My face was hot, and I would have given anything to disappear under the water. Jackson appeared particularly interested in the exchange unfolding.

  “So, you’re not dating Theo . . .” Chase said, leaving the question hanging in the air. I shook my head, feeling guiltier than ever for continuing to avoid addressing our relationship—whatever it was.

  Theo started to explain, but he seemed as flustered as I was. “You guys know Kenzi, right?”

  Everyone nodded, and I could tell from Knox’s face that he was amused. How many beers has he had? I had never even seen Knox tipsy.

  “Well, Kenzi wouldn’t leave me alone, so I told her I had a girlfriend. But she couldn’t leave it at that,” he huffed. “She pushed to know who it was, and I blurted out that it was Haley. I was desperate to get Kenzi off my back.”

  Knox chuckled. “I told you that girl was trouble.”

  “Yeah, yeah. We can’t all be as old and wise as you, big brother.” Theo elbowed him in the ribs, defusing some of the tension.

  “On that note, I’m ready for my mystery dessert,” Knox said, and I was thankful for the change of subject. “No candles.” He glared playfully at me, but I knew he was serious. He may have been willing to celebrate his birthday this year, but apparently there were still limits.

  “Shall we?” Liam asked, pushing himself up to stand beside the pool. “Ethan, are you coming?”

  Ethan shook his head, his attention clearly focused on the brunette in front of him. Figures. Although, really, was I any better? I had kissed two guys and was leading them on; at least Ethan seemed to stick to one at a time, even if it was short-lived.

  The rest of the guys gathered their stuff and headed toward the stairs. One more brief look at Ethan revealed that he and the brunette were now sharing a lounge chair, their arms around each other.

  Knox draped his arm on my shoulder as we ambled into the penthouse. “Shower then dessert?” He raised a brow in question. Is that an invitation? Because I would gladly accept.

  “You’re the birthday boy, you decide.” I grinned, forcing thoughts of Knox and the shower out of my mind.

  Knox leaned down, placing his lips closer to my ear. “Not a boy, remember?” he practically growled, forcing a shiver of pleasure through me at the reminder of the night in Bakersfield when he said he’d be happy to prove me wrong about being a “motorcycle-riding bad boy,” emphasis on boy. He released me and sauntered toward the guest room, having apparently decided on a shower.

  “Haley, why don’t you use Liam’s bathroom,” Jackson suggested. “Take your time; Chase and I can run through after Knox is done.”

  “I’ll escort you,” Liam offered and walked, almost gleefully, toward me.

  I turned and hastily headed down the hallway to his bedroom, calling, “That’s okay, I know where it is,” and hoping he wouldn’t follow. I knew he wanted to “escort” me so he could steal another kiss, and as much as I longed for one, I couldn’t handle any more tonight.

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nbsp; A while later, I returned from my shower to find Jackson, Knox, Chase, Liam, and Theo sitting around the table drinking and playing poker. Not surprisingly, Chase had a water, but the rest of the guys had transitioned from beer to tumblers filled with amber liquid. I pulled the dessert out of the fridge and began cutting it into slices.

  Jackson came into the kitchen, placing a hand on the small of my back and causing a zing of excitement to ping through my body. “What can I do?”

  “Will you help me carry these?” I asked, glancing in the direction of the table, relieved to find the other guys either hadn’t noticed Jackson’s touching or they didn’t care. Stop overreacting. His hand on the small of your back for crying out loud.

  “Absolutely.”

  We carried the plates to the table and I set one in front of Knox.

  “Peanut butter chocolate cheesecake. Happy Birthday!” I leaned over and squeezed him around the shoulders.

  He licked his lips and stared at the plate before him. “Awesome.”

  After dessert and several rounds of poker, I got up to clear the dishes. When I returned to the table, Knox pulled me down, settling me on his lap. He wrapped his arm around my waist and picked up his cards once more.

  “Knox,” I whispered.

  He grunted in response, while the rest of the guys studied their cards, talked, or refilled their drinks.

  “Knox,” I poked him on the shoulder.

  “What?” he finally whispered back, concentrating on his cards.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Playing poker. Thanks for the delicious dessert.” He smiled, finally meeting my eyes. His emerald gaze seemed softer somehow, and his expression was more relaxed and happy than almost any other time I’d been around him.

  “No,” I laughed softly, “why am I sitting on your lap?” I was amused by his current state and couldn’t determine whether he was buzzed or actually drunk.

  “Because you’re my good luck charm,” he stated simply.

  I stifled a laugh. “You’re the one with the champion poker face; I’m not sure how I’m going to help.”

  “Well, you smell good,” Knox added as he leaned in and inhaled deeply.

  “Bro, did you seriously sniff her hair?” Theo asked. “How much have you had to drink?”

  Knox shrugged. “You’re just jealous.”

  Theo made a face like he couldn’t disagree with that statement, and when I tried to stand, Knox pulled me back down again.

  “Sit,” he commanded playfully. “Let’s play poker. You can help me beat these fuckers.”

  As they restarted the poker game, I remained perched atop Knox’s strong thighs. And damn did he smell good. Guessing he wasn’t going to let me up any time soon, and feeling on edge due to the tic in Chase’s jaw, I looked to Jackson to gauge his thoughts. Jackson’s expression betrayed nothing; in fact, he seemed rather blasé. And Liam seemed almost amused, as did Theo.

  Knox consulted with me on poker strategy, even though we both knew he was the far superior player. Fortunately, it was a mostly friendly, low-stakes poker game. Thinking a drink might help me relax, I lifted Knox’s tumbler to my nose, inhaling the strong liquor.

  “I wouldn’t . . .” Knox said, but it was too late. I had already tilted my head back, letting the alcohol pour down my throat. I screwed my eyes shut, scrunching up my nose as it burned like acid.

  “Argh,” I rasped out before coughing.

  The guys chuckled, and Knox patted my back, then pulled me against him, his muscular arm forcing me further into his lap. Tucked into his chest, I felt safe and cherished. When Chase stood from the table, I could sense that he was upset, and I was almost positive that I was the cause. I hated that I was hurting him and knew I could no longer drag out a decision on our relationship; we both deserved an answer.

  He grabbed a beer from the fridge, prompting a remark from Theo. “Whoa. It must be a special occasion if Chase is drinking.” Chase took a swig of beer, his eyes boring into me the entire time.

  Sensing my chance, I went to the kitchen and filled a glass of water. I grabbed Chase’s wrist and tugged to get his attention. Speaking in a low voice, I knew I had to make this quick and to the point.

  “Hey, I’m sorry about . . . tonight,” I said, unable to articulate all the little things weighing on my conscience.

  Chase shrugged. “It’s fine, Haley. You don’t owe me an explanation.”

  “Can we meet up later this week to talk?”

  Chase nodded as he scanned my expression, searching for my answer. Unfortunately, I still didn’t have one for him, but I knew that I couldn’t delay any longer. Maybe the solution would magically come to me before then.

  I smiled, hoping he wouldn’t read too much into it, and gave him a side hug. He squeezed me back and placed a gentle kiss on my temple. My heart clutched at the thought of hurting him any further, and I felt more torn than ever.

  Beyond tired, I bade the guys goodnight and headed to the guest room. Passing a stack of Ethan’s clothes on the way, I realized he still had yet to return. It seemed he was going to stay out all night with the brunette, one more in a long line of women. I tried not to be disappointed by his behavior but couldn’t help it.

  Even with the bedroom door closed, voices and laughter carried down the hall, and my heart ached at the sound. I imagined it was rare to encounter a group of guys with such deep bonds that they were more like family than friends. And, just as I'd begun to think of myself as one of them, I finally understood that my actions could jeopardize everything. If I made a single misstep, I risked fracturing their close relationships beyond repair, and I would forever despise myself for it.

  Complications

  Sunlight was peeking through the drapes in Liam’s guest room when I awoke, and I grabbed my phone to check the time. Already after nine. Wow. Rolling over, I buried my head under the covers, not ready to face the day despite the late hour. Ever since I first read the note, I had done my best to avoid thinking about the implications of Gerald Douglas discovering my true identity. But, now that our meeting was only hours away, I had to prepare myself for the possibility that my life was about to be turned upside down once again.

  Fear and guilt competed for domination as I wondered—probably for the thousandth time in the last few days—what Douglas wanted with me. Did he believe I had information about Dad’s whereabouts? Or was it possible that he’d finally tracked down my dad? My stomach lurched with unease at the thought.

  I didn’t even want to consider how the guys would react if they found out about the meeting. After all of the times I’d called Jackson out for holding back information, I was keeping the mother of all secrets from him. I felt like a colossal hypocrite and was starting to hate myself for it. Part of me wanted to jump out of bed, run to the center of the apartment, and yell it at the top of my lungs. But, my instincts told me that I needed to follow the note’s instructions and refrain from telling anyone.

  An unknown amount of time passed before I heard a soft knock at the door. “Come in,” I called, sitting up and pushing my unruly hair out of my face.

  The door opened to reveal Jackson, looking all too sexy with his tousled raven curls and sleepy blue eyes. He leaned lazily against the doorjamb and gave me an amused grin. “Liam made brunch, but if you’re planning on staying in bed all day, I can bring you a tray.”

  “Oh, would you, darling?” I asked in an exaggeratedly pampered voice. “That sounds divine.”

  “Anything for you, sweet pea,” he responded in an equally fake tone.

  After assuring him I’d be out in a few minutes, I twisted my hair up in a messy knot and pulled on a hoodie over my thin tee, then headed to the kitchen. Considering the guys were still going strong when I went to bed, I had a feeling they’d all look about as rumpled as I did. My heart skipped a beat, because disheveled was a frustratingly good look on every single one of the guys, and I was about to be inundated with the sight of all six . . . assuming Ethan made it
back last night.

  Brunch was nice, the food as mouthwatering as the view, but I was too distracted by my upcoming encounter to really savor it. I found myself constantly checking the clock, the minutes somehow passing by too quickly and too slowly.

  When I finally left the penthouse, I was relieved to escape the watchful eyes of the guys, who had thankfully not picked up on my tension. Or, if they did, no one bothered to mention it. I was borrowing Theo’s car and had made plans with Kara as my cover for staying in San Jose for the afternoon. I just wouldn’t be going straight to her place like the guys expected. I had considered “accidentally” leaving my phone behind at Liam’s in case one of the guys tracked me, but I didn’t want to show up at the park without it and hoped to record the conversation, so I decided to take my chances.

  The park was a few miles away, so I made it there with plenty of time to spare. Entering the Japanese Friendship Garden, I almost laughed at the irony of Douglas selecting such a tranquil setting for the meeting. But, the location did make sense, I realized, since the garden was hidden within a walled section of the park and there was only one way in or out. Even if I had told the guys, it would have been difficult to conceal any security without Douglas finding out.

  I glanced around and was relieved to see a number of people wandering through the space. Not that I expected a physical threat, but it was nice to know there were witnesses, just in case. Since the note hadn’t detailed a specific meeting place and I didn’t see anyone resembling Douglas, I walked along the path until I found a bench that was relatively private but still within view of others.

  After sitting down, I took a few deep breaths to settle my nerves and attempted to focus on my surroundings. Water poured over several small waterfalls into a series of ponds filled with koi fish. The greenish-tinted water rippled at their movements, creating a wavy reflection of the landscape. Large trees encircled the garden and smaller, more ornamental plants were sprinkled throughout the narrow pathways dotted with rocks and pagodas.