“Nothing I can’t handle.” She tossed it back into her purse, dismissing the phone and Rod without a second thought. “So are you going to stop giving Jill a hard time and start helping her?”
“You’re pushy.” Jax glared down at her, leaning back against the doorframe.
“Very,” she nodded in agreement, her eyes not leaving his. “She needs all of you behind her, Jax. And your sister is not going to leave me alone until you do.”
Jax looked away from her, and then a small grin tipped his lips. “If you have dinner with me, I’ll think about it.”
Caroline snorted, but her stomach dipped at the thought of having dinner with this man. “And you really think I would agree to have dinner with you for you just to think about it?”
“Yes.” The tilted smirk Jax gave her was full of confidence that she would agree.
“Well, obviously, you don’t know me very well,” Caroline countered back. Her phone, which she turned silent, started to buzz and vibrate. She watched his eyes move to her purse then back up to her.
“You want me to answer that for you?” he asked, a look of irritation narrowed his eyes. “I’m sure I could help you with
that
problem.”
“No, it’s fine,” Caroline lied, but there was no sense getting everyone involved in her issues with Rod. It was over and he would soon get tired of being ignored and go away. “But I do have a deal for you. If you stop harassing Jill—”
“I am not harassing Jill,” Jax corrected her.
Caroline rolled her eyes at him. “Oh, okay then. When you stop
provoking
Jill and start helping her, teach me how to play guitar and, then I will have dinner with you.” Biting her lip, she wondered what he thought about her second stipulation. She had always wanted to learn to play guitar. She actually had an old acoustic guitar in the back of her closet. Jax laughed. The deep timbre of his voice washed over her and she suddenly found herself wanting to see him laugh more often. She surprised herself when she realized she wanted it to be her who made him laugh.
“I’m not provoking either,” Jax laughed again. “I’m being realistic.”
“In your own mind maybe.” Caroline cocked her eyebrow at him. “You like her.”
“And you know me so well that you know that as a fact,” Jax sparred with her some more, seeming to enjoy matching wits with her.
“I do,” Caroline nodded, also liking their banter. “If you didn’t, you wouldn’t care whether she was a liability or not, which she’s not.”
“No, I’m the liability.” His tone was disbelieving.
“Yes, now you’re getting it,” Caroline grinned, and then frowned when her phone buzzed again. In one long stretch, Jax reached into her purse expertly locating her phone. Flipping it open, his eyes met hers.
“Hello!” Jax’s tone was tolerant, not nasty, but definitely not nice. “You called this phone so why don’t we start out by you telling me who you are and why you are constantly ringing this phone.”
Caroline threw her hands up in the air, looking at Jax in disbelief. She was actually amazed he found it so quickly when it usually took her minutes of searching through all her crap to find it. When he continued to stare at her while listening to the other end, her stomach knotted up. This wasn’t going to be good.
“Rod? Did you say your name was Rod?” Jax made a face at Caroline as if saying ‘you dated a guy named Rod’. Then he snorted. “I bet you’re a muscle head. You go to the gym? Ah, that’s what I thought.” Jax looked proud of himself for calling that one.
She could hear Rod’s voice through the phone and he didn’t sound happy. Damn, this probably just complicated her plan of ignoring him. Now, he was going to be more persistent. Shaking her head at Jax and reaching for the phone only caused Jax to turn slightly so she couldn’t reach it, unless she went into his room since that’s where he stuck his head. “Dammit.”
“Well, listen, Rod. I don’t give two shits you and Caroline were engaged. She obviously doesn’t want to talk to you and I’ve taken it upon myself to warn you to stop calling her. If she wants to talk to you, she will call you.” Jax’s smile turned sinister. “Yes, I can back that warning up. Have no doubts about that.”
Taking her phone back that Jax handed her, she put it in her purse then looked up at him. She cleared her throat, trying to think of what to say.
“So you can dish out advice, but dated a guy named Rod.” Jax saved her from saying anything at all.
“He was my fiancé.” Caroline didn’t know why she threw that bit of information out there, but the way he was looking at her made her feel like one of her school kids.
Raising both eyebrows, he nodded. “Well, it sounds like it’s not a big loss on your part.”
“Yeah, he treated my sister pretty bad.” Caroline frowned, not proud of the fact she had no clue how much Rod had tried to run her life and separate her from her twin until it was almost too late. “It took me a while, but I figured it out, and well, just dealing with the end results of a failed relationship.”
“It happens,” he replied, still staring at her with those intense eyes.
“Yeah, it does,” she nodded with a frown. “And I have no idea why I’m talking to you about this.”
Jax didn’t say a word, just stood in the same pose against the door looking relaxed, yet she had no doubt he was ready to take anything head-on in a minute flat. It was pretty intimidating, especially as he continued to stare at her.
“Okay, well, I need to be going.” Caroline gave him a short smile before turning.
“Dinner. Wednesday.” It wasn’t a question. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“You’re going to be nice to Jill?” Caroline looked back at him, wanting to see his face when he answered.
“A saint.” His grin was far from saintly.
Caroline snorted. “Let’s not overdo it. I don’t think you’ve done saintly…ever and I’m warning you I will ask Jill, so you better be nice or the deal is off.” Caroline pointed at him like she would a student in trouble. She eyed him a few more minutes before adding, “My address is—”
“I don’t need it.” Jax smiled at her shocked look.
“Okay, that’s creepy.” She bit her lip in thought. She didn’t need another Rod.
“I’m a Warrior, nothing creepy about it. I just have access to a lot of stuff, your address being one of them.” Jax grinned when she looked relieved. “You need to watch your back with him,” Jax warned, turning more serious.
“He’s just annoying,” Caroline replied, heading down the hallway. “He’ll stop when I don’t respond and find someone else.”
“Definitely his loss.” Jax’s words hit her as she made her way to the end of the hallway.
Caroline stopped and turned, but Jax was gone. Okay, maybe she hadn’t really heard that last part or maybe she just wished he felt that way and she heard the words in her subconscious mind. He was one hell of a man who she wouldn’t mind forgetting about Rod with. Taking off down the steps, she smiled then wiggled her eyebrows. Hell, men did it all the time, so what was wrong with her doing it with Jax Wheeler. Damn, she had to go shopping. One did not dress like a school teacher when going out with a man like him.
Jill didn’t want to breathe as Slade enveloped her with his body. Her back to his front, he snaked his arm around her bare waist, pulling her tightly against him. His head bent as his other hand reached up to the side of her face, tilting her head so he could bring his lips against her temple, down her cheek to her jawline and finally to her neck where he nipped, then licked. Her body exploded with feelings of intense pleasure making her toes curl into the carpet. The deep moan coming from within her throat sounded foreign to her own ears. “Slade,” she whispered.
His fingers brushed underneath her bra line, teasing her mercilessly. “What does a flashing yellow light mean?” he whispered in her ear before taking her lobe into his mouth.
Jill tilted her head, giving him easier access. “What?” she replied in a breathless whisper, but then his words hit her, making her eyes pop open wide. “What?!” She tried to turn toward him, but he stopped her.
“Stay where you are,” he demanded in a tone that meant business. His hand moved from under her breast, running slowly yet with pressured heat down her stomach, over the snap of her jeans and closer to the spot on her body that wanted this man most, and stopped. “What does a flashing yellow light mean?”
“Are you kidding me?” Jill moaned, almost in tears. Dammit, he was so close, so damn close. When he didn’t answer, she started to panic. Oh, God, what did a flashing…what color did he say…ah, shit this was not happening. She finally had Slade where she wanted him, with his hands all over her, and he’s wanting to quiz her on driving. “Can we please finish that after?”
“After what, Jill?” Slade didn’t move his hand, but added pressure, making her moan. “After I make you scream with passion you never knew existed?”
Jill wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. “Oh, God, yes.” She tried to slowly raise on her toes so his hand would move down closer to the throbbing nub that needed his attention so badly.
Slade did move his hand lower, but only to smack her lightly, making her cry out, but not in pain. “Do not move.” His demand was spoken in clipped tones. “Answer the question or I’m going to tie you to your bed and leave until you remember the answer.”
She could feel his hard cock against her back. She had to make herself stay still so not to rub up against him. Okay, that was stupid as hell. If she moved against him, he would smack her through her jeans again, because fuck that felt so damn good. She ground against his hardness waiting for ecstasy to follow, but his hand remained still as his lower body moved away.
“I know what you’re doing, Jillian,” he bent, whispering in her ear. “I may not be able to read your mind, but I sure as hell can read your sweet body. Now answer the question.” After a second, he pulled her back into him again; this time he ground against her ass, his hand staying still as if super glued to the damn spot. He kept grinding in perfect timing, knowing when she was about to go over the edge and then stopped, moving away.
Not knowing whether to use her strength to pull away from him and attack—meaning rip his clothes off and go for it—or just get her mind straight and answer the damn question. Jill struggled against his hold because she couldn’t remember the damn color he said. His grip was too tight. Slade was way too strong for her to break free. Her eyes slit open in frustration and when she was ready to scream, her eyes landed on the fabric of a yellow shirt that stuck out of her drawer. “Slow down,” she screamed in excitement. “Yellow flashing lights means slow down.”
His deep chuckle reached her foggy mind as her body waited impatiently for his touch. Her body wasn’t disappointed. His hand moved, cupping her as his fingers worked magic against her jeans. Her head fell back against his chest, using him as leverage to stay upright. Her own hand reached down to unsnap her jeans, but his free hand grasped it, keeping it prisoner against her stomach. Her moan of frustration and pure pleasure seemed to please him. Damn him.
“Good girl.” His voice broke through her thoughts that were rushing ahead thinking of him inside her. “Who has the right of way at a crosswalk? The driver or the pedestrian.”
Jill growled her displeasure at being asked a question during the most erotic experience she had ever had. “Slade, please.”
“Hmmm, I like when you say please,” Slade growled back. “Now answer the question.” His hand kept moving against her with expert ease.
“Pedestrian,” Jill breathed out. Then her body jolted when his hand stopped and moved up to her breasts. Within seconds, he had the bra off her, his hand cupping her breast, but nothing more. “Dammit, you’re killing me.”
Slade bit the side of her neck and when she turned her head toward him, he took her mouth with a hot, overbearing kiss. “This is nothing, Jillian,” he warned against her mouth. “We can stop anytime.”
“If you stop, I’ll die,” Jill answered, and then took his mouth back, kissing him deep and hard.
“So if I keep going, I’m killing you, and if I stop, you will die.” Slade’s mouth turned up in an arrogant grin.
“You don’t have to be so smug,” Jill frowned, trying to move her body so his hand would move and not just cup her breast. “But yes, either way, I’m going to die, but it will be an awesome death.”
He reached up to pinch her nipple with enough pressure to send pings of pleasure throughout her body, which stopped at her pulsing pussy. “I told you not to move.”
“Sorry.” Her moan indicated she was anything but sorry.
Slade continued with his questions with Jill answering right every time, when she could remember the question. By the time he was done, she was completely naked and plastered against his clothed body. He had finally let her turn around to face him. Jill watched as Slade took his shirt off, tossing it to the side. Her hands went to reach up to touch his hard, ripped stomach, but stopped, her eyes meeting his, asking permission.
“You don’t need permission to touch me, Jillian.” His voice wrapped around her.
“Thank God.” She smiled at his masculine chuckle, her hands moving to his hard ripped stomach, up his chest and back down. She could spend hours touching him, feeling his rippling muscles beneath her hands, something she never thought she would experience. She could hardly believe she was standing in front of Slade Buchanan, Dr. Slade Buchanan, naked and enjoying his body. Her own body quivered at the thought of what else was to come. Glancing up, she caught his dark gaze. “Is my eye as black as yours?”