Jax glanced at the stained carpet and the water-marked walls. “No offense, Cal, but this place is a dump.”
“Yeah, I know,” Cal replied briefly as they stepped outside. It was just after dusk and Jax turned the collar of his jacket up as they walked down the sidewalk.
“And the neighbourhood is terrible,” he remarked.
“It’s not that bad.” Cal shrugged as they approached a dark alley. “Where did you park?”
“Just down the street.”
“I’m parked on First Avenue so I guess I’ll see you – “
He stopped as two men wearing dark clothing stepped out of the alley in front of them. The smaller of the two was gripping a crowbar in one hand and the other held a long, sharp dagger.
“Step into our office, boys,” the larger man drawled.
Cal glanced at Jax. The man’s face was serene and he didn’t hesitate as he stepped into the dark alley. His adrenaline pumping, Cal followed him.
“How can we help you this evening, gentlemen?” Jax asked as he unbuttoned his jacket and took it off. He draped it carefully over a garbage can before rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.
“Ooh, ain’t you a polite one?” The smaller man sneered. He raised the crowbar in his hand and spat on the ground. “You can start by giving us your wallets.”
“I’m afraid we can’t do that,” Jax replied.
The two men stared at each other as Cal cleared his throat. “Jax, just give them what they want.”
“Yeah, Jax, give us what we want and no one gets hurt.” The man holding the knife grinned at him, revealing a mouth full of stained and broken teeth.
“And we’ll take that watch too.” He pointed to the large, silver watch around Jax’s wrist.
“This was a gift. I cannot part with it,” Jax replied.
“Jesus Christ.” The smaller man rolled his eyes. “Just give us your fucking wallets and that fucking watch before I beat your brains in.”
“If you want it then take it from me,” Jax said softly.
“Jax – “ Cal began nervously.
“Fuck this shit!” The bigger man snarled. He nodded to his partner and they rushed Jax. Jax, his face calm, snatched the lid from the garbage can next to him and raised it above his head as the man with the crowbar swung it down toward his head. It hit with enough force to dent the lid as Jax kicked the knife-wielding man in the stomach.
Cal watched in stunned disbelief as Jax turned back to the smaller man and, with three quick and brutal punches to the man’s face, dropped him like a sack of dirt to the hard ground of the alley.
The second man, clutching his belly, bellowed with rage as he staggered upright and rushed at Jax. He thrust the knife at him and Jax blocked it easily before kneeing the man in the balls. The man dropped the knife and began to sink to his knees, coughing and retching miserably. Jax grabbed him by the shirt collar and lifted his knee, slamming the man’s face into it. His nose broke with a loud crack and the man screamed hoarsely as Jax released him. He vomited helplessly on the ground as the smaller man moaned softly.
Jax rolled the sleeves of his shirt down and picked up his jacket. “Come on, Cal. Time to go.”
He left the alley and, with one final stunned look at the two men lying on the ground, Cal followed him.
“Holy fuck, Jax!” Cal grabbed the man’s arm and pulled him to a stop. “I mean, holy fuck! You didn’t even break a sweat! I think you broke that guy’s jaw, and I know you kicked that guy’s nuts so high up he’ll be singing soprano for the rest of his life.”
Jax laughed as he handed his jacket to Cal. “Hold this for a minute, would you?”
Cal took his jacket as Jax did up the cuffs of his shirt.
“Where the hell did you learn to do that, Jax?”
Jax shrugged. “I’m Mr. Golden’s bodyguard, remember?”
“Yeah. I can see why.”
He handed him his jacket and frowned when he saw the torn flesh and blood on Jax’s knuckles. “You’re bleeding.”
Jax studied his hand. “It’ll be fine.”
“You should go to the hospital. Your knuckles are already starting to swell. You’ve probably broken your hand.”
“I don’t need to go to the hospital.”
“I think you do, man,” Cal argued.
“I’ll put some ice on it later,” Jax replied. “I’ll see you tonight at the club, okay?”
“Jax, wait!” Cal tugged on his arm again. “Hey, why don’t you come to dinner at my folks’ place tonight? My mom’s a great cook and she always makes plenty. Plus, my sister’s a nurse. She can take a look at your hand for you.”
Jax hesitated before nodding. “Sure, I’d like that.”
Jax followed Cal into the small bungalow. He hung his jacket on the coat tree as Cal shrugged out of his suit jacket and hung it neatly beside his.
“Mom?”
“In the kitchen, pumpkin!” His mom hollered.
Cal gave Jax an embarrassed look. “Yeah, my mom’s big into nicknames.”
Jax grinned at him. “Lead the way, pumpkin.”
Cal rolled his eyes and Jax followed him down the hallway. Light was streaming out from a doorway to their left and Cal stepped into the kitchen. “Hey, mom. Where is everyone?”
“Your father’s downstairs watching the football game, your brother and his new girlfriend aren’t here yet, and I sent your sister to the grocery store to pick up some butter. I was sure I had some in the pantry but I can’t find it anywhere.”
Cal’s mother was short and plump with graying, brown hair. Her back was to them as she lifted a steaming roast out of the oven. Jax’s stomach growled softly at the sight and smell of the roast.
“How’s your new job going, pumpkin? Are they being nice to you? Have you made any new friends?” His mother asked as she poked the roast with a fork.
“It’s good, mom. I’m enjoying it.” Cal gave Jax another embarrassed look as his mother wiped her hands on her apron and turned around.
“Oh good. I’m so glad that – oh, who’s this then?”
“Mom, this is my friend Jax Anderson. He works for Mr. Golden as well. Jax, this is my mom Darla.”
“It’s so nice to meet you Mr. Anderson!” Darla said brightly as Jax stepped forward and held out his hand.
“It’s lovely to meet you as well, Mrs. Thomas.”
“Oh please, call me Darla.” She grinned at him as she reached for his hand. She gasped loudly. “Oh dear, your poor hand! What on earth did you do to it, Mr. Anderson?”
“Two guys tried to mug us and Jax kicked the shit out of them.” Cal grabbed a piece of cheese from the plate on the counter and popped it into his mouth.
“Language, pumpkin.” Darla said as she examined Jax’s hand. “This might be broken, dear.”
“It’s fine.” Jax assured her.
“I thought maybe Mel could take a look at it for him.” Cal popped another piece of cheese into his mouth and Darla slapped him lightly on the chest.
“You’ll ruin your dinner, Calvin.” She pinched his cheek affectionately. “And that’s a great idea. We’ll have your sister look at it as soon as she’s back from the store.”
The front door slammed and Mel’s voice drifted down the hallway. “I’m back and I have the butter. I repeat, I have the – “
She stepped into the kitchen and blinked in surprise at Jax. “Oh, um, hi. Mr. Anderson, right?”
“That’s right.” Jax smiled at her and she flushed before turning her to mother.
“Here’s the butter.”
“Thank you, butterfly.” Her mother kissed her cheek.
“Hey, Cal.”
“Hello, Mel.” He ruffled her hair and she swatted him on the chest irritably.
“Stop it.”
“Butterfly, poor Jax hurt his hand after a couple of hooligans tried to mug him and your brother. I told him you’d take a look at it for him.” Her mother said cheerfully as she poked a fork into the potatoes bubbling on the stove. “Pumpkin, drain these and mash them for me while your sister looks at Jax’s hand, would you?”
“Sure.” Cal lifted the pot from the stove as Darla smiled at Mel.
“Take Jax to the guest bathroom. The first-aid kit is under the sink.”
“It’s really not necessary,” Jax said. “I’ll just wash it and – “
“Don’t be silly, dear. Butterfly’s a nurse and you really should have that hand looked at. You might have broken something.” Her mother interrupted. “Go on.”
She made a shooing gesture with her hand and Mel gave him a tentative smile. “Follow me.”
Jax followed Mel down the hallway. She flicked the light on in the bathroom and he watched as she bent and rummaged in the cabinet under the sink. She was wearing a tight denim skirt and he studied the curve of her ass as she pulled out the first-aid kit and straightened.
“Um, come on in and I’ll take a look at it under the light,” she said nervously.
He stepped into the room. The bathroom was small and he took a deep breath as Mel opened the kit. Her perfume was light and flowery and he tried not to jerk when she took his hand.
Although not as short as her mother, the top of her head only came to the middle of his chest. She was on the slender side but she had lovely full breasts that pushed at the fabric of her green blouse.
She studied his hand carefully before turning on the hot water. He rolled the sleeves of his shirt up and she washed the blood from his skin before patting it dry with a clean towel.
“This might hurt,” she warned him before manipulating his knuckles lightly.
He didn’t flinch and she gave him a tentative smile. “Well, I don’t think it’s broken but I’m not a doctor so take my diagnosis with a grain of salt.”
He shrugged. “It isn’t broken.”
She arched her eyebrow at him. “Have you broken your hand before, Mr. Anderson?”
“Yes. And call me Jax.”
She pressed a clean piece of gauze to the biggest scrape on his knuckle, holding it firmly to stem the blood still trickling from it. “I suppose that shouldn’t surprise me. In your line of work, I imagine you’re used to broken bones.”
He didn’t reply. Her soft touch was making not completely unwanted tingles of pleasure run up and down his arm and he was fighting a ridiculous urge to lean in and kiss her full lips. He snorted inwardly. Now was not the time to indulge in a meaningless bout of sex and besides, Melanie didn’t strike him as that type of woman.
“Is my brother in danger working for your boss, Mr. Anderson?”
“I’m sorry?” He frowned at her and she sighed impatiently.
“I’ve heard the rumours about Jimmy Golden and I want to know if Cal is in danger.”
“I didn’t realize you were in the business of personal security as well, Ms. Thomas.”
“Excuse me?”
“How much of your time do you spend babysitting your brother?”
“Asking a simple question isn’t babysitting,” she said hotly. “Do you not have any family, Mr. Anderson? Family looks out for their own.”
“Your brother isn’t in any danger,” he lied.
She studied him carefully. “Why are you lying to me?”
He twitched backward. He had spent so much time lying in the last two years that he considered himself an expert at it. To have this woman so bluntly see through his lie made him incredibly uneasy.
“I’m not. Mr. Golden is a businessman, nothing more.”
She made a very unladylike snort before removing the gauze and dabbing antibiotic cream on his torn and swollen knuckles. “Bullshit.”
He grinned at her. “You seem to know an awful lot about Mr. Golden’s business practices. I find that odd.”
She carefully placed Band-Aids on the scrapes. “Like I said, I’ve heard the rumours. I’m not sure that Cal working for Mr. Golden is the best thing for him.”
“But being an escort is?”
She shut the open bathroom door with a harsh thud and glared at him. “Keep your voice down!”
Her cheeks were bright red and she was glaring angrily at him and, once again, he was surprised by his desire to kiss her. He tamped down the urge as her hand tightened around his. “How do you know Cal was an escort?”
He shrugged but didn’t answer and she stepped a little closer to him. “You keep that to yourself, Mr. Anderson. Our parents don’t know and it would be devastating for Cal and our parents if they found out. Do you hear me?”
He nodded, fascinated by the bright blue ring of colour around her pupils. “I do.”
His gaze dropped to her mouth and she licked her bottom lip nervously. “Stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“You know what,” she said. “I don’t like you, Mr. Anderson. I want you to stay away from my brother.”
He grinned again. “You don’t even know me. And I told you to call me Jax.”
He moved a little closer, no longer willing to ignore his odd and immediate attraction to her, and she licked her lips again before straightening her back. “I know you’re dangerous and bad for my brother.”
“How do you know I’m dangerous?” He whispered as he leaned forward. Her pupils were widening and he felt a thread of satisfaction when her gaze dropped to his mouth and her lips parted invitingly.
“It – it’s not hard to figure out,” she muttered.
“You smell delicious, Melanie,” he suddenly said.
She blinked at him. “I – what?”
“You smell delicious.”
He lowered his head until his mouth was only inches from hers. “I’d really like to kiss you.”
He waited for her to say no and when she hesitated, he gave her a predatory grin and pressed his mouth against hers. She made a soft noise of surprise and his arm slipped around her waist as he traced the seam of her lips with his tongue.
“Open your mouth, butterfly,” he whispered against her lips.
She moaned softly and when her lips parted, he slipped his tongue between them. He touched the tip of hers delicately, his hand tightening around her waist, as she opened her mouth wider.
“So sweet,” he murmured before he pulled her up against his hard body and thrust his tongue deep into her mouth.
He swallowed her cry of surprise and took possession of her mouth, kissing her firmly and deeply as she gripped his shoulders and pressed her pelvis against his growing erection. He cupped her breast, kneading it gently through her bra as she moaned softly, and sucked lightly on her bottom lip.
It was ridiculous how badly he wanted to fuck her and without stopping to think of the consequences, he reached down and pulled her short skirt up around her waist. She didn’t object and he lifted her and set her on the edge of the sink, pushing his body between her thighs and reaching for her panties. He curled his fingers around the waistband and yanked. The thin scrap of fabric was no match for his roughness and they tore with a soft ripping sound. He stuffed them into his pocket as she pulled her mouth from his.
“Jax, wait, I –“
Her softly muttered protest died away when he cupped her core and rubbed her clit with the rough pads of his fingers. She moaned again and he kissed her deeply as he circled and pressed the swollen nub. He was surprised by her wetness. She was so ready for him that it made his cock ache. Still kissing her, he quickly unzipped his pants and tugged his cock free. He pressed it against her warmth and her eyes widened with surprise as he cupped the back of her neck.
“I want to fuck you, Melanie,” he whispered.
She stared mutely at him and he licked her mouth. “Say yes. Tell me you want me to fuck you.”
He paused at her warm opening, his cock throbbing and his balls aching, as he waited for her rejection. She wasn’t the type of woman to have sex with a complete stranger in the bathroom of her childhood home - he knew that as well as he knew his own name - and he was already steeling himself to pull away from her when she gave a short, brief nod.
“Yes.”
With a harsh groan, he clapped his hand over her mouth and thrust into her. She cried out, the sound muffled against his hard palm, and he forced himself to stay still. He was larger than average and, despite his sudden and undeniable need for her, he didn’t want to hurt her. Her pussy rippled and squeezed around him as she stared wide-eyed at him and he moved his hand from her mouth back to her breast, sliding it under her blouse and petting her gently through her bra.
He put his mouth to her ear and licked the curve of it. “You feel so good around my cock, butterfly.”
“Jax,” she whimpered his name quietly as her hands dug into his biceps.
“Tell me what you need,” he whispered.
“You. I need you,” she whispered back.
He smiled at her and her breath caught in her throat as he slowly withdrew before sliding back into her. She gasped, her pussy tightened around him, and he fought against the almost instant urge to come.
Condom, asshole. If you’re going to come in thirty seconds like some damn prepubescent teenager having sex for the first time, at least put a condom on.
Fuck. A condom was definitely needed. He was reaching into his back pocket for his wallet when she suddenly thrust her hips against his. It tore a loud groan from his throat and she gave him a wide-eyed look of dismay.
“Sorry,” he mouthed.
“Mel?” The loud burst of knocking on the door made her jerk and clench around his cock, and his pelvis arched helplessly against hers as he groaned again and fought the urge not to blow his load right then and there.
Cal knocked again. “God, Mel, what the hell are you doing to Jax? It sounds like you’re killing him.”
“I’m fine,” Jax said immediately. He could hear the hoarseness in his voice and he cleared his throat roughly. “She’s just cleaning the scrapes. We’ll be out in a minute, Cal.”
“Well, hurry up. Court and Julie just pulled into the driveway.”
“Be right out.” Mel’s voice was strained and high-pitched and she squeezed her eyes shut when Cal spoke again.
“Mel? Are you alright? You sound weird.”
She pushed frantically at Jax and he reluctantly pulled out of her. She hopped off the sink, her eyes widening when she took a quick glance at his cock, and hurriedly pulled her skirt down.
“I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, Cal!” She shouted.
“Alright, alright,” he said irritably. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch.”
Her face turned a crimson shade of red and her gaze dropped to the pocket of Jax’s pants, as Cal snorted and walked away. Jax reached out to touch her and she backed away, her hands held up defensively.
“Don’t touch me!” She hissed at him.
“I’m sorry, butterfly. I didn’t – “
“Go!” She wrapped her arms around her waist and glared at him. “Get out!”
He tucked himself back into his pants and zipped them up as she stared studiously at the floor between her feet.
“Melanie, we should talk about what just happened.”
“No!” She snapped at him. “I – I need a minute by myself, please.”