by Piper Rayne
Frankie looks over. Although I’d love to crash in our room and order room service, I’m sure she wants to spend more time with her cousin.
I shrug. “I’m game.”
Frankie smiles. “We’ll text you when we’re out of here.”
“Great. See you in a bit.” Aiden hugs Frankie.
Maksim and Ford must see themselves as family because they hug her too.
Huh. This isn’t a hugging booth, assholes.
After I wave goodbye and she comes back to her station, I hook a finger in the loop of her pants and pull her toward me. “These pants are driving me crazy.”
“I know. I only wore them for you.” She kisses me briefly and walks over to her station, glancing over her shoulder to see if I’m looking. Of course I’m looking.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Frankie
* * *
Jax is asked by at least ten people where he’ll be after we’re done. He mostly brushes them off, telling them vaguely that we’ll be at a lot of clubs. Aiden has already texted me where to meet him.
My feet are killing me in these heels, and although I love that my leather pants are driving Jax crazy, I just want a pair of pajama pants and a cart of room service. But this is Jax’s life here. I don’t want him to think I can’t hang with him.
After we’re done, Logan comes in and places money on both of our tables. “Everyone loved it. I could have you guys once a month and I’m not sure the crowd would tire of you. One girl told Jimmy you two were her new best friends.” He shakes his head. “I had my doubts about this when Jax called. I thought, is pussy really this important? But I guess there’re still some hidden gems in Small Town, USA, huh?”
I huff. Jax smirks at me with a grin so big he doesn’t have to say the words “I told you so.”
“Thank you for having me, Logan.” I take the cash and kiss his cheek.
He turns to Jax. “Can I have a word?”
I look at Jax as that smirk is stripped from his face. “Give us a minute, Frankie. I’ll grab your bag.”
“Okay.”
I walk out of the small glass tattoo room. Although I have no idea what Logan wants to talk to Jax about, I’m happy about how tonight went. It was so much fun tattooing alongside Jax, meeting people I never would have, traveling to a new place. I could see it becoming addicting. As I linger, checking out some of the displays again, Reese approaches me.
She pretends she’s reading what I am on the wall. “You know you can’t play house with a guy like Jax, right?”
“We’re not playing at anything,” I say.
“Sure, you are. I found you and your friends online. A little girl, huh? Is that how you trapped him into liking you? Using your daughter to lure him in?”
I turn to face her and narrow my eyes. “Don’t talk about my daughter. And whatever is between us is none of your business.”
“It kind of is because I consider Jax a friend. More than a friend actually, and if you’re pulling the wool over his eyes, he deserves to know.”
“I hate to break it to you, but Jax doesn’t feel the same about you.” I pat her on the shoulder.
She brushes it off. “You might have him now, but we both know you can’t keep up with him. What are you gonna do once he’s done feeling like being some loser-ass dad in a small town? Get pregnant? Trap him?”
“Listen. I’m sorry if he did you wrong. You’re obviously holding on to some hostility but pushing bullshit theories on me isn’t going to work. I have no chain attached to him. He’s free to leave whenever he wants.”
I turn to walk away, but she takes my wrist and flips me around. “He’s only going to break your heart. Do you think he didn’t use that foster kid story on me? Did he tell you how he doesn’t do relationships but then sticks around to lead you on? Hell, I wasn’t the first and you won’t be the last. It’s called getting laid. I thought you looked smarter than that.”
What is it with mean girls? Do they go to a special school to figure out your biggest fear and exploit it? Damn. Of course I’ve felt that Jax and I fell together in some ways because of Jolie. If he didn’t fall so hard for her, maybe our lives wouldn’t have weaved together. But those insecurities come from being a single mother.
“What’s going on?” Jax says from behind me. “Reese, how nice of you to hang around. You never did get the point very easily, did you?”
She smiles with her perfect white teeth. “I’m just enlightening Frankie. This scene is all so new to her.”
“I’m sure you are,” he says and looks at me. “Ready?”
I nod.
“Bye, Reese. See you… never again.” I give her a saccharine smile.
We walk away, and when he stoops to grab our bags, I look over my shoulder. Reese is still there, smiling, and I’m ninety percent sure she’s fucking with me. If only there wasn’t that ten percent that worries she’s telling the truth.
“Did you hear from Aiden?” Jax asks.
“Yeah.”
“Okay, we’ll drop these at the front desk of the hotel, then meet them wherever they’re at.”
I smile and nod. I’d rather let Jax prove to me that Reese is wrong while he makes love to me, but I haven’t seen Aiden in forever. And I could use a distraction from this other life of Jax’s, so cousin time wins out.
The club is dark and sweaty and everything I don’t enjoy anymore. Did I really age out of the club scene so young?
Jax follows me as I weave through the people, their skin sticking to mine as I pass by. By the time I get to the roped-off VIP section, Ford is popping open a bottle of champagne.
“Our famous friends!” Ford yells, and a splash of the champagne douses a girl’s blouse. She’s too drunk to care, I think, because she just laughs.
God, I’m so over this scene.
We walk through the ropes, and Jax shakes their hands again, asking the waitress for a whiskey. I’ve only ever seen him drink hard alcohol when something big is on his mind. Did something happen with Logan?
“I’ll have club soda and lime,” I tell her.
“Club soda?” Ford yells. “Aiden, what’s up with your cousin?”
Aiden dislodges himself from a huddle of girls. “She can get whatever she wants.”
“I’m off drinking after an embarrassing situation.” I look at Jax.
He shakes his head and kisses my cheek. “As long as there are no drinking games, we should be okay.”
It could be me, or maybe it’s him, but since we left the museum, it’s like we’re robots going through the motions of what a couple does.
We sit in the booth and Aiden sits with us.
“You know you don’t have to keep us company,” I tell Aiden.
“This scene is getting boring. Ford dragged me here because, as you can tell, he loves it.”
Sure enough, Ford has three women around him, all touching him as if it’s some game of whose hand gives Ford the hard-on.
“You’ve really turned your year around these past few weeks,” Jax says.
I wish I followed hockey, but as Jax mentioned, I can name all the Paw Patrol characters but not much else.
Aiden nods. “I was in a slump and I’m not sure I’m out of it yet, but I found something that’s working.”
“Like a superstition?” Jax asks.
He shrugs. “More like a good luck charm.”
“Do tell, little cousin.” I lean forward and so does Jax.
The music grows louder, but he tells us, and I think we both heard him right, which sounds absolutely ridiculous.
“Whatever works,” Jax says and drinks his whiskey.
“What is this? Get off your ass and dance.” Maksim comes over. “Do you mind, Jax?”
“I’m not dancing,” I say.
“With an outfit like that, you are.” Maksim doesn’t lower his hand. His Russian accent makes it sound more like an order than a request.
“He’s harmless. If it were Ford, I’d tell you to say hell no,
but Maksim just likes to dance,” Aiden tells Jax.
Jax slides out of the booth, allowing me to get out. I kiss Jax and follow Maksim to the dance floor. Most of the women are wearing half the clothes I am, and I feel like exactly what I am—a mom.
But then a good song with a catchy beat comes on and I can’t help but dance with Maksim. Aiden wasn’t kidding—the kid is everywhere, like he’s a magnet and everyone wants in on his energy. Women, men, and even one of the waitresses stop and dance with him. I’m so busy laughing I don’t even bother to consider how I’m dancing.
He twirls me and pulls me back. His hips shake and his ass circles, he squats down at me, his hands never touching me, but he is eye level with my pussy for longer than a minute.
Ford comes out and joins our duo. Now there are more women rubbing their bodies along not just Maksim and Ford but me. A redhead gives me the eye and thrusts her pelvis to my ass. It’s all just fun, and song by song goes by as I lose myself in the circle. The fear and everything about Jax and Jolie and Michael disappears as though someone slipped me a magic drug that makes all my worries fade away. I never realized how scared I was about this thing with Jax until it’s not front and center in my mind.
Ford grabs my hips and puts his leg between my legs, but I push him away and put my finger up in the air. He looks back at our section where Jax is talking to Aiden.
“He’ll kick your ass,” I yell. He probably won’t because he’s not a violent guy, but it’s an easy way to get Ford off of me.
“He’s not even paying attention,” he says.
I shake my head. “One day you’re going to learn a very important lesson.”
“And what’s that?” he yells above the pounding music.
“Not to play with matches. I think you’re the type who likes to fire off little sparks everywhere. One day it’s going to burn you.”
A girl comes over, and I realize I’m lecturing a guy who just wants to get laid. I’m sweaty and I bet my makeup is dripping off me, so I look around and head to the restroom.
On my way there, someone pulls me back into his body. His hand slides around my waist, but I don’t remove it. I’d recognize that calloused forefinger and thumb, not to mention his scent, anywhere.
“You’re driving me crazy. I’m about to kick that Ford guy’s ass,” Jax says in my ear.
I shouldn’t smile that he’s jealous. That would be immature. But I do anyway.
I twist in his arms and wind my own around his neck. “I want to go to the hotel.”
“You’re speaking my language. Want to say goodbye to Aiden?” he asks.
“Give me a second.” I wind my way back through the crowd. I lean down beside my cousin so he can hear me. “We’re leaving. I’m too old for this.”
Aiden laughs. “I’m too old for this too. It’s good to see you. Come down to Florida and show Jolie the ocean.”
I hug him tightly. He’s one of my only connections to my family. “Deal. Keep that lucky charm, okay?”
He rolls his eyes. “As long as I keep scoring.”
“Bye, Aiden,” I say.
“See you. He’s a good guy,” he says with a nod.
I glance over my shoulder at Jax. “I know.”
Just as I’m about to move, Aiden grips my hand to stop me. I lean in closer to hear over the music. “Don’t let your past dictate your future, okay? That’s my unsolicited advice. Forget all the shit with Michael. Start fresh.”
I hug him one more time, squeezing him extra hard. “Thank you. Love you.”
“Love you back.”
I walk out of the roped-off area, and Jax takes my hand, leading me out of the club. Once we’re outside, he backs me up against a wall and kisses me until I can barely stand.
“I need to get you back to the hotel before I fuck you right here,” Jax says.
I step away and flag down a taxi.
“I do love a take-charge woman,” he says and opens the door of the taxi that stops.
I slide in, but Jax’s lips work mine, and I don’t remember anything about the ride back to the hotel or the elevator ride up. When the door shuts and we’re in our own private oasis, I finally feel at peace again.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Jax
* * *
Once the hotel room door clicks shut, I flip the deadbolt and the bar over, then turn to face Frankie.
“It made me crazy watching you with Ford,” I shamelessly admit. I put my arms around her stomach, unbuttoning her leather pants. “I’m not usually a jealous man, but these pants made me see red, knowing any guy in there would be thinking of exactly what I plan on doing to you right now.”
Her head falls back, and she doesn’t stop my hand from sliding down past the waistband of her panties. “Reese said some shit.”
I knew she did. I could tell. Normally it would bother me that a woman wasn’t secure enough not to question whatever we have, but I understand what Frankie has been through. Plus, this whole life I had before her isn’t anything she’s used to.
“She’s a liar. Whatever she said.”
Her arm wraps around my neck, and she kisses my jawline. “She said your line about not wanting a commitment is an act. That you’ve told a lot of women that.”
I slide my hand out from her delicious pussy and look her straight in the eye. “She’s lying. It’s not an act. I think that’s why Ford made me so jealous. He probably grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth, and he deserves you. I don’t.”
“Don’t say that.” Her hands fall to my cheeks.
“I have nothing to offer you except a birth certificate with a dead mom listed. I have no idea if I have some hereditary heart condition and could collapse tomorrow or if cancer runs in my family.” Turn off the faucet, man, stop pouring everything out to her. But no matter how much my inner dialogue says to stop, I continue. “I am screwed up and it scares me because I’m loving this… whatever this is between us.”
“Is it because of Jolie?” A single tear slips from her eye. “The reason why you started to have feelings. Is it because you love Jolie?”
I shake my head and brush her tear away. What is she thinking? Goddamn Reese. “No. God, Frankie, you honestly thought I didn’t like you? Would anybody else buy a whole case of T-shirts just to get your attention? The minute I found you in Rian’s apartment, I knew I was in trouble. Jolie could win over an old Catholic school nun, it’s true. But you? All the shit I gave you was a sad attempt to get your attention. I knew you were going through things and I just liked to distract you from it all.”
“Really?”
I nod. “This is where you tell me you’ve had the hots for me this whole time.”
She giggles. “When you had that talk with Dylan about him pursuing Rian, it did make me pretty hot for you. And watching you with Jolie and now Gumdrop might have upped your hotness factor a little.”
I dip my head to look into her eyes. “A little?”
“A lot. God, Jax, why are we so insecure with one another?” She walks over to the bed and slides up it, bringing her knees to her chest. “What does that say about us?”
“It says we both care about how this turns out. Maybe we rushed this. It’s early and maybe with time…”
She tilts her head. “I wish I had met you before Michael.”
Does she really think that would fix this?
“No, you don’t,” I say.
“Why not?”
“You wouldn’t have Jolie. And as much as I’m pretty sure we would have an awesome kid, Jolie is the coolest little girl around. Plus, if we had to get together before people fucked up our psyches, we’d have had to have met just after I left the hospital after being born and that’s a little sick.” She laughs and I put my arm around her. “So neither one of us has to be jealous, right?”
“I have one more confession,” she says.
“What’s that?”
“I don’t like clubbing anymore. I would have rather come here and ordered ro
om service.”
I laugh and lean over her, grabbing the room service guide. “Me too. Order away.”
She takes the menu but puts it on the side of the bed. “In a minute.” She straddles me and I rest my hands on her hips. “What did Logan tell you?”
“He wanted me to come back on a permanent basis.”
Her shoulders sink.
“But I told him I’m done with this life. I know that my friends here don’t understand my reasons and I don’t really care. If you want to do pop-up shows, I’ll totally help you. I loved working side by side with you tonight, but we do that every day. And that’s enough for me.” She kisses me, and when she closes the kiss, I say, “I take it that’s a good thing?”
“The best. I loved that I got to experience it, but I’m happy back home too.”
I roll us over and push her hair off her face so I can kiss her again. Our tongues meet and slide together. The more she moans, the harder I get. I open her shirt, exposing her tits that I visualized long before I ever saw them bare.
Her hands caress me, pulling up the back of my shirt, urging me to take it off. I break from sucking on her nipples to take off my shirt, then slide her leather pants and her panties down her body. She inches up, and as she unbuttons my pants, she kisses my stomach and my fingers weave through her hair.
Tonight the energy between us feels different after putting everything on the table.
Once we’re naked, I urge her to climb up onto the bed and use my knee to open her thighs and make a spot for me to nestle between them.
“Oh, Jax,” she says, staring into my eyes.
This woman has ruined me completely. Her way of opening all her wounds and trusting me to be the one who heals them feels like the most precious gift I’ve ever been blessed with. I’ve never been more scared but honored at the same time.
The tip of my dick pierces her opening, and she raises her legs to give me more room, allowing me to slide in. She moans from the sensation of me inside her. I’ve never made love to anyone, but as I circle my hips, I can’t help but look her in the eye, hoping to dissolve all her worries. To prove that two hurt people can heal—together and apart. Neither one of us has to save the other, but we can save each other.