“I warned you.” He growls.
I still but can’t stop the guttural moan that rips from my lips. He blows on my exposed flesh, before driving more licks inside me. Oh yes, oh god. I scream as I felt the sensations reach my nerve endings and I explode. He grasps my hips, driving deeper until I stop shuddering. When he sits up, I am panting and desperate to feel him inside me once more.
“Now, I want you now!” I growl.
“Greedy, baby?”
“YES!”
He takes hold of my legs, grasping them and yanking them up over his shoulders. Oh, damn. He thrusts into me, with one quick, hard movement and I crumble, tightening around him and screaming as pulses tear through my veins right to my nerve endings. Oh wow, what a release. He continues to thrust over and over, his body rigid, his skin glistening. I feel myself tense once more, and when I explode, he does to, with a feral moan.
“And what did we learn from this?” He rasps, slowing his thrusts.
“I…don’t know!” I moan as he rocks his hips once more.
“Never tell a man, you can’t.”
I groan as he leans up and unties me. Oh, I feel just gooey now. I want to roll and crash. He shuffles about for a moment before sliding in the bed beside me, using his hands to roll me, he pulls my back
to his chest and wraps his arms around me. Now this, feels nice. I fall asleep almost instantly, my body feeling at ease, comfortable.
I wake a few hours later to an empty bed, sighing; I slide out. Jax isn't in the room; I pull on a shirt and plod down the stairs. I see Jax sitting on the couch; he notices me and flips his phone closed. Who is he talking to at this hour?
“Hey.”
I sit down beside him. “Hey, I woke up, and you were gone.”
“Sorry, couldn’t sleep.”
“Are you ok?”
He smiles, but it isn't true. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”
“Oh, no reason. Can’t you sleep?”
“Nah.”
“Second thoughts?”
He looks at me and narrows his eyes. “God no mate.”
I swallow and nod. “I just thought maybe it was all heat of the moment and…”
He grasps my chin and yanks my face up. “I want this.”
“Ok.” I squeak.
“Go on back to bed, you need to sleep. Its been a huge night.”
“MMMMM, it has.”
He helps me back upstairs and into bed. He walks downstairs to get me some water, while he is gone I pick up my phone and open it. I haven't checked it all night.
Don’t forget our deal. Get that treasure or your daughter dies. Say nothing, to no one.
I freeze, and my blood runs cold. How the hell did that ass get my number? My scalp prickles and I shiver, god, I just won the man and now…
“Here’s some water.”
I jump and my phone goes flying across the room. “You scared me!”
Jax stares at me suspiciously and puts the water down.
“Jade, is there something you’re not telling me?”
“No.”
Guilt floods me as he kisses me goodnight and slides back into the bed. I wasn’t betraying Jax; I am just dealing with it on my own. I am protecting my daughter. He would understand, wouldn’t he? I would never do anything to harm him, or hurt him. I don't get much of a choice; her life is on the line and I have to do this. Oh god, I hope this is the right thing.
CHAPTER
10
I wake in the morning and Jax is beside me, sleeping soundly. I stare down at him, in all his beautiful, whole man, sexiness. He is mine, and I am going to break his heart. Maybe there is a way around it, maybe I can do this, and nobody would ever know. We could get on with our lives, and be rid of pirates. Maybe I could kill Ben?
I slide from the bed, the thoughts going around like a crazy ride in my head. I couldn’t pin any one of them and hold it for long enough to ponder. I pull on my robe and quietly slip down the stairs. I hit the button on the coffee machine and begin to pick up some dirty dishes from last night. I notice Jax’s phone sitting on the bench, oh…I shouldn’t. No, it would be a lousy idea. However, I find myself check
ing
it. The messages are from Sammy.
Jax, I am really sorry things turned out so badly. I really cared about you and, well, I am devastated.
Mate, I am sorry too. I care about you, a lot. I, love Jade but it hurts like hell just ending it so soon.
We were good together, I know you love her but you and I, we got on real good. I wish I understood how you could end it so easily.
It wasn’t easy, take it from me.
But your not going to consider coming back, do you love me Jax?
I care about you. I love her though. She has my child, its better this way.
And if Lilly wasn’t in the picture?
That point is moot, Lilly is in the picture.
Its going to take me so long to forget you, hunk.
Hunk?
You too, kitten.
Kitten?
Can we talk at least? Please?
It won
’
t go down well with Jade.
I just want to be sure this is sorted, can you not give me that?
Ok, I will come by tomorrow.
Thanks Jax. Goodnight.
Night Kitten.
I slam the phone down on the bench; Lilly has just walked downstairs.
“Hi mummy.”
“Hi honey, please get dressed.
Granddad
is waiting.”
I hurry her about, getting dressed and praying Jax doesn't wake up. I am furious and so hurt. His issues with Sammy are unresolved, and he still cares about her. I hurry Lilly out the door and drive her to Amber and Rusty’s place. She is thrilled to be spending the day with them.
“I will come and get her around five.” I smile after having a coffee and chat with Amber, she truly is lovely.
“Thank you for letting us have her for the day.”
“Anytime.” I smile, waving as I get into the car.
I drive over to the hotel my mother and step father are staying at. My phone buzzes in my pocket, I pull it out and glance at the message.
Hey baby, where are you?
It is Jax; I flip the screen off and shove the phone in my bag. No, he is not going to play that hey baby card with me. I arrive at the over the top, likely five star hotel and gape. It’s massive, ok, I knew it would be but damn! I slide out of my car which is kindly parked for me and walk into the front Lobby. The pretty receptionist with golden blonde hair smiles up at me.
“Well good morning miss, how can I help you?”
“I am here to see Grace and Steffan Casteah. I am their daughter.”
“Your…you’re a princess?” She cries.
Right, they know my parents are royalty. Of course they do. My mother wouldn’t go anywhere without being treated like the queen she is.
“Yes, are they around.” I might as well play that card too.
“Of course, I will call them. May I get you a drink, something to eat?” She offers, her eyes wide.
“No, thank you.”
She nods quickly and picks up the phone, punching in some numbers. My phone buzzes in my pocket again, I slide it out.
Jade, where are you? Are you ignoring me?
Yes I am Mr Watts, deal with it. I glance up when I hear the receptionist click down the
receiver
.
“They said you are welcome up. They are in room 772. Top floor. It’s the only room up there.”
Of course it is.
“Thank you.” I smile sweetly and walk over to the elevator and punch in the top floor. The receptionist has to enter a specific code for me to be able to access that floor. Odd.
I wait while it slowly goes up, up, up. When I step out, I am in a huge room. Oh, it went right to their room? No wonder the receptionist had entered a code. My mother and step father are sitting at a rather large dining table, covered in mountains of food they totally wouldn’t eat. Smiling at me, my mother rose and comes sauntering over with the grace of a dancer.
“Good morning honey, how are you today?”
I sigh then, pouting my bottom lip.
“Aw, what’s wrong angel?”
“Oh, it’s…nothing.”
“Come, sit…tell us all about it.”
I sit down, and my step father smiles at me.
“Good morning Jade.”
“Hi…dad.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Not great.”
“Oh?”
I rattle off what I had found on Jax’s phone this morning; my mother rubs her chin graciously.
“I can see why you are upset. Do you fear he cares too much for her?”
“I don’t know. I know he cares for me; I can see that, but he and I have a rocky past. What if it
’
s just easier to be with her?”
“Oh honey, sometimes you may think
what’s
easiest is what a man wants but it
’
s not always the case. If he loves you, then he loves you.”
Steffan rose then, smiling. “I think I will go for a stroll and fetch the paper.”
When he was gone, I turn back to my mother.
“Mack loved you and look how that panned out.”
She flushes. “Mack and I were very young, and he was…well what he is. I was already engaged to be queen; it wasn’t as though we were a normal everyday couple love.”
“It’s not really much different for us mamma, he is a pirate. I am not.”
“I beg to differ honey, he sees you as his own, that is clear.”
“Sammy was easy going, she never put a firm hold on him. Jax is a…loveable man and women adore him, and he adores them. What if he just decides it
’
s easier to be with Sammy, to have an easy life.”
“He is adorable,” She says in a dreamy tone, then shakes her head. “Moving on, he said he loved you in a group of people he didn’t know, I don’t see him as being someone who would do that openly?”
“You think I am being too hard on him?”
“Certainly not, but I think he deserves you to at least speak to him.”
“You are right, ignoring him won’t help.”
“So, how are you enjoying knowing Mack?”
“Oh mamma, I adore him.”
She smiles, a true, warm smile. “He is so mad about you, he…oh Jade, it’s my fault you never got to know him.”
“You weren't in an easy situation mum, I understand.”
“You’re a good girl, we should never have been so hard on you. I have missed you so.”
I smile, and we chat for another hour or so before I announce I am leaving. We plan to meet up tonight. I make my way out to my car, smiling at the receptionist as I walk past. I pick up my phone and take a deep breath. Just come out with it.
I saw your messages to Sammy.
It takes twenty minutes before I get a response.
Why were you going through my phone?
That’s beside the point.
Where can we meet? We need to talk.
Did you go and see her this morning Jax?
Yes.
Did you…touch her?
For fucks sakes, where are you?
I am going to see Jack.
To hell you are, meet me at sails in ten minutes.
Fine.
I plod very angrily towards sails. When I see him out front, my world stops. Oh damn, how in the hell could I resist such beauty? He is leaning casually against the railings on the deck. All blue jeans, black shirt open and swirling about in the breeze. Black sunnies, God Dammit. He is mine…and I am behaving like an immature child. He notices me and begins walking over, oh wow; I think I might pass out.
His bare chest catches my eye as the wind blows in his shirt and it flaps back. He slides his sunnies up to sit on his head and his green eyes blaze through me. Oh, ohhhhh. I suck in a breath, and when he stops in front of me, my voice comes out rather child like and pathetic.
“Please don’t leave me.”
His face softens and he shakes his head, grasping my shoulders and pulling me to his chest. His skin is hot from the sun; he smells sensational. All Jax crossed with manly
pheromones
. I sigh and wrap my arms around him, and we stand for a long moment, just cuddling. I pull back and look up at him with a sheepish expression.
“I’m sorry Mr Watts. I was stupid.”
He grins and strokes a finger down my cheek. “I am not going anywhere.”
“Ok.”
“Let’s go eat.”
I am starving; I had only nibbled at my parents hotel. “Ok.”
He takes my hand and leads me into the small sea side restaurant. When we step through the door, a group of young teens who had been chatting excitedly, stopped and stare. All mouths agape and flattering eye lashes. Yeah, he is damn hot. He must have grinned, or winked at them because they erupt in a fit of giggles and waves. I shove him from behind, and he laughs. Asshole.