“Have you ever had a belief or thought process that you’ve lived by for years, and then something happens to make you think maybe you were wrong? Or maybe you weren’t wrong, but that it was time to look at things differently?”
“Yeah, sure. I think everyone does that at one point or another.” Corey’s eyes narrowed. “Are you giving up fighting? Were you trying to get injured out there? Because that’s just fucking stupid, man.”
“Fuck no. It’s not anything like that.” He sighed, stood up, and started taking his gym bag and things out of his locker. How did he tell his friend he needed his outside to match what his guilt was doing to him on the inside? He’d sound like a fucking lunatic. Hell, maybe he was. “Just forget it. It’s nothing.”
Corey crossed to his side and stood with his back to the lockers, arms crossed over his chest. “This have anything to do with that girl you brought in on Monday? Vanessa, right?”
Jax grabbed the top of the locker door and looked at the man, searching for any signs of interest on Corey’s part. When he realized he’d been gripping the metal so tightly that he cut the underside of his forefinger, he snapped out of the crazy—and uncharacteristic—bout of jealousy. He did a mental shake of his head, sucked the blood from his finger, and pulled on his T-shirt. “Yeah, Vanessa. I also call her Red, Viper, Princess, and behind her back, Woman-who’s-driving-me-fucking-insane.”
Corey busted out laughing, but Jackson knew it wasn’t due to his stand-up skills. “What’s so funny?”
The man sobered up enough to answer, but that wide grin stayed intact. “Now it all makes sense. You’ve finally met someone who ties you up in knots, just like the rest of us mortals.”
“The woman is a total enigma, so if she’s tying anything up in knots, it’s my brain, because nothing about her makes any damn sense.”
Liar!
Jax told his subconscious to take a flying leap off a high cliff. It wasn’t a total lie. Vanessa was enigmatic. He’d never met anyone like her before. And although he hadn’t been able to figure her out right away like he could with most women, he was confident he understood her. Maybe even more than she understood herself.
“Come on, Maris, you can’t bullshit me. I might not know you as well as Andrews does, but I’ve known you a long time. I’ve seen you with plenty of women, and none of them—even ones you had so-called relationships with—affected you any differently than a great steak would. Admit it. You’re really into this girl.”
Jax shut his locker and leaned back on it next to his friend. He couldn’t deny it, nor was he the type to. He’d always been straight with people. Which was why any type of relationship he had with women always resulted in them leaving. He never hid the fact that for him it was more of a companionship with the bonus of sex. They always expected his feelings to grow over time, and when they didn’t, they’d give him a Dear Jax letter.
“She’s so different, man. She’s stubborn and high maintenance and set in her ways…” He exhaled and let his head drop back, the banging metal sound echoing in the empty room. “And despite us living with each other the last few days, when I’m not with her all I do is think about her.”
“She’s living with you?”
“No, we’re at the Mau Loa. It’s a long story and not the point. The point is, I only have the rest of today and tomorrow to be with her and the thought of just being friends after that makes me feel violent.”
“She’s going back to the mainland Friday, huh?”
“No, she’s here through next week, but she made me agree that our fling will only last three days.” Corey opened his mouth, but Jax held out a hand. “Don’t ask. Suffice it to say she’s made it very clear she’s not looking for anything more than that. The thing is, I think she might want more, but certain shit from her past has her scared.”
“Listen, I’m no expert, but if you think there’s something more there than a few sheet dances—and it sounds to me as if there is—then you owe it to yourselves to give it a shot.”
“She won’t see it that way.”
“So change her mind.”
“You don’t get it.” Jax turned toward his friend, crossed his arms, and braced his shoulder against the locker. “She has these rules she lives by. Not just sayings. Rules.”
“So get her to break them.” Corey clapped him on the shoulder and walked over to snag his bag from his locker before heading for the door. Turning back, he said, “For what it’s worth, man, I’d rather fight and lose than never step inside the cage.”
As the door closed behind his friend, Jax dragged his hands down his face, Corey’s last sentiment still ringing in his ears. Not only could the guy dish out a decent pounding, it turned out he wasn’t half bad at advice, either, because he was right…
Win or lose, Jax was stepping into the cage.
…
The atmosphere at Duke’s was a lot like Vanessa’s beloved Fritz’s back home. Hard-working locals who had probably lived in the area most, if not all, of their lives, kicking back with good friends and great beer.
The only real differences were the addition of tourists mixing it up with the locals and the aesthetics. Fritz’s was dark with wood-paneled walls, black vinyl benches and stools, and little lighting to speak of, whereas Duke’s Waikiki had walnut-colored wood furniture and surroundings, Tiki-style overhangs and table umbrellas, and open walls that looked out onto Waikiki beach and the vast Pacific beyond.
Jax had gone up to get them some beers from the bar while she grabbed a small table, ironically next to the only dartboard in the place. A piece of paper with scrawled marker was taped next to it informing patrons that the electronic aspect of the game no longer worked. But the darts were still in it, so it was usable. It’d just be a play-at-your-own-mathematical-peril kind of game.
Vanessa looked out through the open walls of the bar. Waikiki beach was absolutely stunning. She’d spent the afternoon on the back of a Jet Ski, her arms around Jackson, touring the different coves and having a blast as the wind whipped through her hair and stole the laughter right out of her mouth.
At one point a family of dolphins swam alongside them, jumping out of the water every few seconds. She’d been to SeaWorld before, but seeing them like that in the wild had been beyond magnificent. With their speed and grace, they were truly awe-inspiring, and she was disappointed when they eventually went their separate way.
However, her mood had brightened considerably when Jax claimed he needed a few minutes to rest his throttle hand and she realized they were floating in a very secluded bay, surrounded on three sides by high cliffs with a narrow mouth for an entrance. Somehow she managed to swing herself around so she sat in front, facing him.
“Mmm,” he’d said as he wrapped his strong arms around her and gave her a kiss. “As much as I like this seating arrangement, babe, I’m not sure it’s the safest idea to drive with you on my lap.”
“Oh, I’m not planning on staying like this. I just thought maybe I could help you relax more than just your hand.” When she palmed his cock over his shorts she felt him already halfway hard.
He sucked in a sharp breath. “If you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking, relaxing will be the last thing on my to-do list.”
“Ah,” she said before capturing his lower lip with her teeth and pulling until released. “It might be last on the list, but if we take care of everything else, it’s guaranteed to get checked off, too. Yes?”
His hands dropped to cup and squeeze her ass. “Very yes,” he said, his voice gruff and low.
The memory making Vanessa smile, she waited for Jax to return with their drinks. She probably looked like an idiot, but she couldn’t help it. They’d done some pretty inventive things on that Jet Ski. She’d only planned on fooling around with him, giving him a little taste of things to come and a little release. But after only a minute of having her mouth on him, he’d dragged her body up and her bikini top down.
He’d devoured first one nipple and t
hen the other, then asked if she was on the pill. Since she wasn’t a moron, she was able to answer him in the affirmative, to which he croaked out, “V, I want you right-fucking-now, but I’m obviously not prepared. So you can say no and I swear I’ll respect it, but I want you to know that it’s mandatory I get full-scale physicals on a regular basis and I’m totally clean. I would never do anything to put you at risk.” His hands slid into her hair, his thumbs framing her cheeks. With his forehead touching hers and their short breaths mingling between them, he whispered, “Please say yes.”
She replied equally as soft, unwilling to shatter the perfection of the moment. “Very yes.”
In an instant he descended like a starved tiger let loose on its prey, consuming her completely—and carefully—on a Jet Ski in a small Hawaiian cove.
“What are you thinking about?”
Vanessa startled at Jackson’s deep voice next to her ear. She gave him a dirty look as he laughed and sat down across the table from her. “Thank you for taking a year off my life.”
“Sorry, Red. Couldn’t resist. It’s not often—or ever, for that matter—that I catch you daydreaming.” He slid her Heineken across the table to her and leaned in close, his eyes darkening several shades. “Were you thinking about me bending you over the handlebars of a certain watercraft and taking you from behind?”
The tone in his voice had changed to one he always used with her during sex. So unlike his normal, playful tone, this was sexually charged and authoritative. They’d only been together a handful of times and yet she already responded to that voice like one of Pavlov’s dogs. As soon as she heard it, she melted into a woman whose every goal was to follow his lead. She’d tried fighting it, tried taking back her usual control, but never succeeded. There was something about Jackson Maris that unraveled her control. No, she realized, that wasn’t it. He unraveled her need for control.
Oh my God. That’s it, isn’t it? She half expected to look up and see a floating lightbulb over her head. Her need for control—for her rules—was because she didn’t trust anyone to do right by her. If she controlled everything and everyone around her, she never needed to worry about that.
But almost from the first, she’d felt differently with Jackson. Outside the bedroom he was easygoing, laid-back. More than happy to let her indulge her need to hold the reins. But when it came to intimacy, he snatched the reins right out of her hands and refused to give them back until he was good and ready. And even though she’d fought it out of habit for a while, subconsciously she’d known she was safe with him. So she’d been able to let go. Finally.
She hadn’t realized until now just how freeing that was for her. To let someone else take control, to give her what she needed without her having to take it or order it like she was choosing from a fucking menu. Yes, I’ll have the Bites On My Neck as an appetizer and the Take Me From Behind, medium raw, as my entree, with Pull My Hair and Make Me Beg For It for my sides. Oh! And I’d love some Not-At-All-Awkward Snuggling for dessert. Thanks ever so much.
She met Jackson’s dark gaze and answered him honestly. “Yes. I was.”
“Good. Because I can’t get it out of my head, either.”
“Oh, yeah?” They were in a public place. Surely she could challenge him a teensy bit, right? “Which part exactly?”
The black of his eyes swallowed what little color was left and their intensity left her feeling as naked and on display as she’d been earlier in that cove. “Careful, babe. I’ve never been one for huge public displays, but when it comes to you, it won’t take much to incite me into throwing you up against the nearest wall and taking what I want.” He dragged the rough pad of his thumb over her lower lip. “Especially now that I know what it’s like to have you bare. Goddamn, you felt so good.”
A shiver of unadulterated desire swept over her body. All the moisture sucked out of her mouth and apparently ended up between her legs. He kissed her lightly and then leaned back in his chair, casual as could be, as if he hadn’t just shaken her to her very core with nothing more than words.
She swiped her bottle up and quickly downed half its contents before setting it back on the table. Jackson chuckled as he lifted his own beer to his lips and did the same. Thankfully the waitress brought their food then, because she’d been in danger of leaning over and licking that sexy Adam’s apple as he drank. What? Can those even be sexy? Mentally, she slammed her head against the table. She was soooo into this fling a lot deeper than she’d planned. The next thing she knew she’d be sighing over the guy’s cuticles. Come on, Nessie, where’d you put your balls?
For the next hour they enjoyed their food, talked, laughed, and even debated politics. Turned out, Jackson was extremely intelligent and up on current events. He had a large database of useless facts stored in that gorgeous head of his. By the time they finished their Kimo’s Original Hula Pie—which was absolutely sinful and totally worth the extra sit-ups she’d have to do—she was ashamed of herself for assuming he was simple-minded simply because he had a career in fighting and a hobby in surfing.
He set his fork down after taking his last bite and noticed her staring. “Do I have whipped cream on my face or something?”
She smiled, thinking of what she’d like to do if he had whipped cream anywhere on him. “No, you’re fine. Want to play a game of darts?”
He shot a skeptical glance at the dartboard. “On that thing? It’s broken.”
She shrugged. “So we’ll keep score in our heads, or else ask for a pen and notepad.”
“I’m surprised you’d want to play without your own darts. You and Lucie take this game pretty seriously, don’t you? You’ll have to use bar darts. Could throw off your game.”
“Then you’ll actually have a chance of beating me. If I had my darts, I’d kick your ass down Waikiki beach and back. Then again, I’ll probably still do that without my own darts.”
The competitive glint sparked in his eyes. “Oh, you’re on, babe. Let’s go.”
They played game after game as the sun turned the sky into shades of pink, orange, and purple. The waitress was kind enough to make sure they always had plenty of beer and replacement order cards to keep score on. Trash talking between them ran rampant, and they even collected a small audience who chose sides and cheered appropriately.
When they finally decided their throwing arms were sore enough for one night, the sun had long ago vanished and made way for a brilliant cast of stars surrounding a full moon. The patrons had grown and spilled onto the beach in front of Duke’s and a band started playing music, signaling the start of the beach nightlife. Colored lanterns strung between trees and posts served as the only source of light other than the moon. People whooped and laughed as they gathered in the sand to dance, their drinks in one hand and a willing partner in the other. It looked straight out of a travel commercial. It was awesome.
Jax grabbed her hand and tugged. “Come on.”
She happily followed him into the center of the dancers. Vanessa had always loved to be in the thick of a party, and she could scarcely recall a time when she hadn’t closed down the dance floor. The music infused her body and compelled her to move and sway in time with its beat. She loved being mixed into the crowd, bodies brushing up on each other, sweaty and visceral.
As soon as they found a spot, she began to move, and so did Jackson. Not a lot of guys had rhythm, but he was not one of them. Placing one thick leg between hers, he pulled her close and rolled his pelvis with hers, their hips swaying to the beat.
She laced her fingers behind his neck and tilted her head back to meet his eyes. “Look at you, all Patrick Swayze and stuff.”
“Dancing is no different than sex. It’s all about moving with your partner. Finding a rhythm together. It’s just like having sex while standing up.” He dipped his head to speak into her ear. “Pretty sure I’ve proved my skill in that department once today already, but if you need a refresher, I’d be more than happy to oblige.”
He nipped her earlo
be before pulling away again. She was so tempted to yank him back to his Jeep and give him permission to break every speed limit from Duke’s to the Mau Loa. But it had been so long since she’d had a chance to dance, especially with a guy as good at it as Jackson obviously was, and they had the rest of the night to bang each other’s brains out.
“Right now I want you to show me your skills on the dance floor. But later you can refresh my memory as much as you want.”
A wicked smile split his face. “You can count on it, princess.”
For the next several songs they danced, sometimes facing each other and sometimes she’d turn and press her back against his chest. Every time she did the latter he’d grab her hips and pull her ass against his cock, allowing her to feel his hard length behind the thick denim. She’d rest her head back on his chest, and he’d tell her how he planned on hiking her sundress up as soon as they got to their room.
Between the dancing and the sexual tension, they worked up one hell of a sweat and a really big thirst. At the end of the fifth song, Jax kissed her neck and said he was going to get them something to drink. She waved him off and started moving with the next song, hands raised overhead, eyes closed, feeling the beat roll through her body.
It seemed like no time at all before he returned, pressing against her back, one hand spread over her stomach to pull her in close. He bent closer and spoke next to her ear.
“I knew you’d come around once you got rid of that asshole, baby.”
Vanessa’s heart skipped a beat, and not in the good way. Whipping around, she stared at the one person guaranteed to ruin what had been the perfect day so far. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Danny? Didn’t your mother teach you to ask a girl if she wants to dance before mauling her?”
The dance floor was still crowded, so backing very far from him wasn’t an option. Behind her people were ebbing and flowing with the music like the ocean waves, gently nudging her toward him. His breath reeked of alcohol and from the looks of the stains, so did his shirt. His would-be-handsome face was ruined by the arrogant sneer it held and the treacherous look in his eyes.