“I agree. Their sauce is just … it stands out from the crowd,” I say with an eye on Jaxi.
Her cheeks flush, but she doesn’t make eye contact with me.
“Jax, this is Marcus Van. He plays baseball for the minor league team here in Savannah,” I say. “Marcus, this is my girlfriend, Jaxi Thorpe.”
The word just rolls off my tongue. My girlfriend. On the one hand, it sounds so juvenile. On the other, it sounds perfect. And being that Marcus is one good-looking dude, I’m not mad that he now knows that Jaxi isn’t available.
Fucker.
Marcus’s eyes go wide for a second before he turns to Jaxi. “Nice to meet you, Jaxi.”
“It’s my pleasure,” she says.
He turns back to me. “How the hell did I miss you getting a girlfriend?”
“She fell into my lap.” I look at Jaxi and laugh. “Didn’t you?”
“Very funny,” she says, firing me a warning glare.
Marcus slaps me on the shoulder. “So, are we still going to Vegas next week, or is that off the table now that you have a girlfriend?”
Jaxi’s gaze immediately hits the table. She becomes focused on Rosie’s coloring page.
Vegas. Shit. I’d forgotten all about the trip. We go often—too often, probably. It’s a fun way to burn off energy and enjoy life before we get saddled with wives.
Or girlfriends.
Marcus grins.
I can’t go now. What am I supposed to do—leave Wade to figure out Greyshell by himself? He’ll be forced to take Oliver, and then Oliver will steal the glory that rightfully belongs to me. Plus, Jaxi and Rosie are too raw to fend for themselves. They need me.
Besides, what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay there, and I don’t have any interest in that right now.
“I’m going to have to opt out,” I tell him. “I was going to call you tomorrow.”
“Sure you were.” His chest rumbles with his laugh. “I get it. It looks like you have something worth staying home for.”
Jaxi lifts her eyes to meet mine. Our gazes dance together over the table.
“I most certainly do,” I tell Marcus.
“Alright. Well, I’m going to get out of here,” he says. “It was nice meeting you, Jaxi.”
“You too.”
“If he gives you any problems, you give me a call.” Marcus winks at her. “Later, Mason.”
“See ya around,” I say as he walks away. Once he’s out of earshot, I lean toward her. “Don’t give him a call. He’s a lot of trouble.”
“Then why were you going to Vegas with him?” She lifts her brow, teasing me.
“Who am I supposed to take to Vegas? Oliver? Wade?” I cringe. “Vegas is for fun, not calculating the odds and stressing yourself out because of how much money you’re losing.”
She laughs.
Lola, the waitress, arrives with our food. She sets a plate in front of each of us and warns Rosie not to touch hers because it’s warm.
“Can I get you anything else?” Lola asks.
“A zoo,” Rosie says between blows on her chicken strip.
“I think we’re out of those,” Lola says. “Any water? Ketchup?”
“I think we’re fine,” Jaxi says. “Thank you so much.”
“No problem. Enjoy.”
We sit quietly for a few minutes. My burger was sent out with vegetables on it, so I pick them off. I get the pickle off the bun when Jaxi’s stare catches my attention.
I raise a brow.
“You know,” she says, “you should go to Vegas if you want to. I don’t want you canceling stuff because of us.”
I bite off the end of a fry. “If I wanted to go, I would. Unfortunately for Vegas, it’s being outshined at the moment.”
She grins. “Is that so?”
“Yup. Unless you want to go. We can have a lot of fun there.” I wiggle my brows.
“I want to go,” Rosie says, a glob of barbecue sauce pooled at the edge of her mouth. “Take me with you.”
“I thought you wanted the zoo? Will you make up your mind?” I ask her.
“Zoo! Zoo!”
Jaxi laughs as she wipes Rosie’s face. She’s an unwilling participant in getting a clean face.
“Did you give your mother my phone number?” Jaxi asks.
“Maybe.” I eat another fry. “Why?”
“She called me today and asked if I thought Rosie would like to play with a little girl named Bree.”
“Bree is the little girl who Bellamy babysits. She’s a little wild but fun. I think Rosie might like her even though she’s quite a bit older. Might be good for her.”
“Well, apparently your mom is going to Coy’s tomorrow with Wade.”
Rosie perks up. “I like Wade.”
“We know,” I deadpan.
Jaxi chuckles.
“I want to play with Wade,” Rosie says, dancing in her seat. “Can I?”
Jaxi looks at me as if she’s waiting on an answer.
“I think she might have fun,” I offer. “Might be good for her to start making some friends.”
“Do you wanna go?” Jaxi asks. “Do you want to go with Siggy and meet a little girl tomorrow?”
“And Wade?” she asks through a mouthful of chicken.
“And Wade,” Jaxi agrees.
“Then yup!”
I sit back in my seat and laugh.
I never knew I would be so grateful for Wade.
Life just gets weirder by the second.
Nineteen
Boone
“You good?” I make a face at Rosie all strapped in her car seat in the back of Mom’s car. “Need anything?”
“Nope. We’re going to see Wade!”
I lean out of the car. “I’ve never been that excited to see Wade.”
She giggles, pulling her Glo Worm up against her face. “Bye, Boone.”
“So, that’s it? You’re done?”
“Wade!”
“Fine. See ya later, alligator.”
“After a while, donut pile.”
I laugh and close the door.
Mom laughs too. “Where did she hear that?”
“Jaxi. We were making up goofy rhymes this morning as I left for work, and she latched on to that one.”
“It is cute,” Mom says.
The breeze picks up and ruffles my mother’s hair. It reminds me of a movie … one that’s not getting over quickly enough.
Jaxi is inside the house. Alone. Waiting on me. And I’ve been waiting on this moment too fucking long to be standing outside talking to my mommy.
“You’re good then?” I ask her. “Don’t give her too much chocolate or sugar. It hypes the shit out of her.”
Mom rolls her eyes. “I raised five children. They all turned out just fine.”
“Not all of them. Something is wrong with Oliver.”
She smacks me on the arm. “Stop that.”
“It’s true.”
“You go on and spend some time with your …” She lifts a carefully arched brow.
“I don’t know what she is to me, Mom. But I like her.”
She winks. “I know you do.”
I shuffle my feet against the concrete. “Do you think this is too fast? I mean, I haven’t known her that long. This all just happened, but it didn’t feel like it. Not to me.”
“You get one life. If you know what you want, and who you want to spend even a day of it with, you should do that.”
Makes sense.
I kiss her cheek. “Thank you for all you do. You’re the best.”
“I know. Thank you.”
Laughing, I walk backward toward the house. “When does Dad get back from Michigan?”
“Next week. This fishing hobby of his is starting to get on my nerves.” She opens the driver’s side door. “Although, I do enjoy falling asleep to things other than sports channels.” She climbs in. “I’ll call you later with an update.”
“Bye, Rosie. Later, Mom.”
“Goodbye, Boone.”
As soon as her door shuts, I turn and jog to the house.
My heart thumps in my chest as I enter the foyer. The sound of running water comes from the kitchen, so I head there.
Jaxi is standing at the sink with a plate in her hand.
“What are you doing?” I ask her, my voice pained with suppressed desire.
“I just wanted to rinse some of these off while I have a second.”
I nearly prowl around the counter. “They can wait.”
“It’ll just take a second.”
The Alexa switches songs to “Ride” by Chase Rice. The slow, sensual opening beats pulse through the room.
I walk up behind her and grab the end of her ponytail. The motion causes her back to arch and her ass to pop out. I widen my stance and let my cock brush against her backside.
“Are you rushing me, Mr. Mason?” she asks, the words raw.
“Yes, I’m rushing you.”
I press my lips against the crook of her neck. Her head falls farther back, and a low moan escapes her throat.
It’s as if someone cranked the thermostat in my blood.
I can’t take it.
From the edge of her shoulder, up her throat, and to the base of her ear, I press kiss after kiss to her sweet, soft skin.
Her eyes flutter closed. The lashes splay against her cheeks as she bends her head to allow me more access.
“Turn,” I whisper. “The. Water. Off.”
The plate in her hand wobbles. The edge catches the stream of water and falls noisily into the sink.
“Let me finish,” she whispers breathlessly.
I nibble at her neck, making her jump, before I pull away from her. A host of goose bumps spatter down her arms.
She reaches for the plate again, and I’m not sure if she’s fucking with me or if she really thinks this is the time to do dishes.
Fuck. That.
I grab her hips, letting my fingers dip into her waist, and turn her around.
Her eyes go wide as she’s spun unexpectedly. I plant my lips on hers as I lift her to the edge of the sink.
Her ass dips into the pool of water behind her. Shots of water spray into the air as the stream bounces off her back.
Our mouths move together in a frenzied way. I weave my fingers into her hair to hold her in place.
This woman is breaking me and putting me back together, even though I didn’t know I needed that.
Her kisses are the glue that holds me, my hopes, my dreams—the me that goes to work, about how to create passive income, and DVR cartoons so a little girl can watch all of the episodes—together.
I have no idea how we got here so fast. I don’t know why I bought in from the beginning.
I just followed my heart.
“You get one life. If you know what you want, and who you want to spend even a day of it with, you should do that.”
I grin against her lips.
Jaxi is it.
And I’m never letting her go.
Jaxi
Don’t let me go.
Water crashes down my back. My shorts are soaked and I’m grateful I didn’t add the dirty dishes to the basin.
My hands roam over his muscled shoulders, across his rock-hard pecs, and down his chiseled stomach until I find the hem of his shirt. I make quick work of pulling it up and over his head—only letting our lips separate for the briefest of moments.
He tastes like cinnamon and syrup. Heat and spice. Passion and hunger.
Water splashes onto the floor as I help his attempt at getting me out of my shirt by wiggling to separate the wet fabric from my skin.
The feeling of letting go, of giving in, makes me feel alive again.
He flings my shirt across the kitchen. It lands somewhere with a wet thud.
I reach behind me to turn off the water. In response, he pulls me into his body again.
“The ….” I sputter as he nibbles on my bottom lip. “Water.”
With a deft hand, he turns the faucet off.
I pull away, panting for air. He looks at me with the wildest, sexiest eyes.
“You’re going to be the death of me,” he says, trying to haul in oxygen to his lungs.
I hop off the sink. Water comes out with me, pooling at my feet.
I stand in front of him in a pair of soaked shorts and a black lace bra that’s only partially covering my breasts.
But with the way Boone is looking at me, I might as well be wearing lingerie.
The ferocity in his eyes from earlier has eased and is replaced with something else—something softer. Something more intimate. Something that bolsters my confidence to a level I didn’t think I could reach.
I run a hand down the center of his body. “Don’t die yet.” I grin.
He growls as he reaches for me. The hum of his timbre is gasoline to a fire that’s already burning out of control.
I fall into his arms willingly. He kisses me. This time, it’s less starved but sweeter.
It’s just as sexy.
He moves me around the kitchen, his strong arms guiding me to the island. I feel the snap of my bra clasp freeing, and then the air rushing against my nipples as the lace falls to the floor.
“Shit,” he says, taking a step back. He looks me up and down. “Damn, you’re gorgeous.”
My first instinct is to cover up. I catch myself.
“Thank you,” I say.
He slips off his sweatpants and drops them to the floor. My gaze falls to his cock.
It’s hard, sticking straight up, with a bead of pre-cum on the tip. He catches me looking and grabs it by the base and strokes it for my benefit.
“Boone …”
My insides twist. The ache between my legs becomes almost unbearable. I pant as my blood pressure soars to dangerous levels.
“I need to grab a condom,” he says.
“Well, run, dammit.”
“I will indeed. Get naked while I’m gone.”
He disappears around the corner, and I do as instructed. I lose my shorts, and my panties are off just as he returns with a condom.
The foil is in his hand. Its gold packaging catches in the light. He’s about to rip it open when I walk up to him and stop him.
His eyes grow dark as he holds his breath.
I drop to my knees on the cold, wet kitchen floor and grab him. His gaze finds mine and holds as I stroke him from the bottom to top and back down again.
He’s firm and hot, the bead of cum warm on my fingers.
Wetness coats the inside of my legs as I kneel before him. I want to do this. I want to give without getting, to take a moment to make him feel the way he makes me feel every day.
I pump him again, my body pulsing too, and take the head of his cock into my mouth. It’s salty and smooth, and I swirl it around with my tongue.
He moans low and deep, his hips flexing forward.
I flick the head with my tongue as I stroke him, feeling him swell in my hand. I cup his balls with my free hand and massage them gently.
With each pump, each suck, his balls tighten. Every squeeze of my hand makes his hips push farther. Each bit of saliva that drips down his length, he works himself a little more into my mouth.
He holds my head still with his hands, and we find a rhythm. Just as I think he’s going to explode, he slips himself out of my mouth.
I rock back on my heels and look up at him.
“Up,” he says. He takes my hand and helps me to my feet.
I open my mouth to ask him what he’s doing, but he presses a kiss to my lips instead.
We walk to the corner of the kitchen where the counters form an L. On top, in the bend, is a bread cabinet.
He lifts me at the waist and sets me on top, my back against the cabinet. He opens the lower cabinet doors and places one of my feet on each one. Thoughtful and sexy.
The condom is rolled down his shaft, and he positions himself between my legs. He runs a finger up my inner thigh and then th
rough my wetness.
His eyes glimmer. “Wow, Jaxi.”
“I can’t help it,” I tell him. “Now take advantage of it.”
“I intend on doing just that.”
He lines the head up with my opening. I hold my breath and wait for him to ease his way in. Just as he parts me, he loses control.
I’m filled completely with Boone. It’s too much. It’s not enough. It’s so intense that I can’t see straight.
My head falls back as I try to feel everything he’s doing to me.
A hand cups my breast. Another wraps around my back. His mouth captures mine and the moan he elicits from it as he works himself in and out of my body.
I’ve never felt more beautiful, never more desired. I didn’t know this is what sex could be like.
It’s always been a transaction—an expectation in a relationship or used as a bargaining chip. It’s never been given freely and never with such reverence.
“Fuck,” he whispers near my ear.
There’s something about that word, about how hard and sexy the end sounds as it’s pressed into my skin, that makes me come apart.
I don’t know it’s going to happen. I don’t have time to warn him.
I open my mouth and shriek as a burst of energy shoots through me.
My legs stiffen; my body shakes. My head feels like it’s going to blow off my body.
Boone attacks my mouth again with his as he pumps into me in a heated frenzy. Each stroke brings me higher and higher until I’m sure I’m going to disintegrate into a heap on the kitchen counter.
“Fuck!” Boone shouts, shoving himself inside me.
His head tips back, his throat muscles bulging, as he loses himself too.
He’s inhumanely gorgeous as he succumbs to the pleasure. His fingertips bite into my skin, his glorious body vibrating with the force of the moment.
I can’t take it. I need him closer to me.
I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him down. I kiss his lips, his chin, and up his jawline until he finally collapses against me with his forehead resting on mine.
We pant, our bodies wet and hot. We come back to Earth together.
Finally, he chuckles and leans away so he can see me.
“You are a fucking vixen,” he says, his chuckle growing deeper.
“And you are still inside me.”
Reckless (The Mason Family Series Book 3) Page 17