The XOXO New Adult Collection: 16 Full Length New Adult Stories (324 page)

Karma didn’t say anything. She just brushed past her mom and back into the living room with a huff.

Jax couldn’t believe what he was hearing. No wonder the girl had no confidence. He had to stop himself from getting up and confronting the woman. He didn’t care how good she looked, he couldn’t stand hearing someone talk down to Karma like that. And the fact she was her mother made it a thousand times worse.

Garrett cleared his throat and stood up. “Isabella, a call to let us know you were coming would have been nice.”

“Where’s the surprise in that? So what’s going on, any big plans?” She rubbed her hands together, grinning.

Garrett looked at Karma’s mother wearily. “We’re staying in and watching movies.”

“On her birthday?” Her eyebrows drew together.

“Yes, on her birthday. If you were ever around you would know we do the same thing every year.”

“Well, that’s just boring. We should go out to a nice nightclub.”

“You’re welcome to stay if you want, but we are staying in,” Garrett said firmly.

Isabella made her way into the living room. “Matt, you’re looking wonderful. Did you do something different with your hair?”

Before Matt even had a chance to answer she turned her attention to Jax. Karma had come back and sat next to him. “Well, who is this handsome young man?”

Karma groaned loudly. “Mom, this is my friend Jax. I’m sure you have better things to do than hang out with us.”

“Nonsense, scoot over.” She wedged herself between Jax and the end of the couch.

He was very uncomfortable. What in the hell was wrong with this woman?

“Friend? What kind of friend?” Her eyes trailed him up and down, making him shift in his seat.

Jax didn’t think; he just reacted. He reached over and grabbed Karma’s hand, giving it a light squeeze. “We’re dating.”

She leaned over Jax, her hair tickling his face, and he tried to press himself further into the couch.

“Dating? Karma, how could you keep this from me?”

“Gee, I wonder, Mom.” Her lips twisted. A dark bitterness lay beneath her words.

Isabella’s eyes roamed down Jax’s body again like a cougar ready to strike, and he squirmed a bit. Isabella placed her fingertips on his forearm. “I’m sorry but I just have to ask. Why are you dating my daughter? Is it because of the money?”

“Wh-what?” Jax asked, incredulous.

“Guys like you don’t date girls like Karma. It’s just how it is.”

Jax looked over at Karma. Was this woman for real? Karma’s face was a bright shade of red, and she had tears in her eyes. Real tears. Her beautiful gray eyes were glossy and mortified. He turned back and met the woman’s gaze. “I’m dating Karma because she’s kind, beautiful, makes me laugh, and everything about her drives me completely crazy,” Jax said, surprising himself and, obviously, Isabella.

“Karma?”

“Yes, Karma! And from the sounds of it, maybe if you took a little time to get to know your daughter you might see that too.”

Isabella turned, mouth agape, to look at Karma’s father. “Garrett, are you going to let him talk to me like that?”

“I’d say he’s spot on Isabella, and he’s welcome in my house any time he pleases. You, on the other hand, need to go. How dare you come in here and try to ruin her birthday. You really are a cold selfish bitch!”

Isabella looked around, her mouth still hanging open. She pushed herself up to standing, brushed down her dress, and landed her eyes on Karma. “I really just wanted to spend your birthday with you.”

“Maybe next year,” Karma said in a detached tone.

Garrett took her by the arm and led her to the door. She walked out with her head held high without even glancing back at her daughter.

What a freaking piece of work
, Jax thought. She deserved to be tortured for destroying Karma’s self-confidence.

“Yeah, so that’s my mom, sweet, isn’t she?” Karma had dropped the mask back in place, and tears were no longer evident.

“I don’t even know what the hell to say about that bullshit. I can’t even believe that just happened.” Jax looked over at Matt for help.

He just shook his head and held up his hands. “I can’t go there. I get too worked up. That woman is a vile snake,” Matt said, and Garrett placed his hand on Matt’s shoulder. “Sorry, Karma, I shouldn’t have said that. She’s still your mother.”

“It’s the truth, no need to apologize.” Karma rolled her eyes and laid her head back on the cushion.

Garrett stood back up. “Why don’t we take a break and have those cupcakes. I got ice cream, we can make root beer floats.”

“Thanks, Dad.” Karma stood and plastered a smile on her face, but Jax knew it was a front. His sisters would be a blubbering mess if anyone had said anything so cruel to them, let alone their own mother. He had no idea how she was holding it together. Then it hit him—years of practice, he thought bitterly.

Jax waited until Garrett and Matt entered the kitchen, leaving them alone. Jax grabbed Karma by the elbows and pulled her close. “I meant every word I said.”

She buried her head in his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her. She didn’t say anything, but the way she squeezed him tightly said enough. He smoothed her hair down and kissed her on the forehead before they joined her dads in the kitchen.

––––––––

W
henever Karma’s mother was around, she felt like a hollowed-out version of herself. And to have Jax in the same room made the feeling that much rawer.

Why wouldn’t she ever be good enough for her mother’s approval? And why the hell did she have to insult her in front of Jax? It was bad enough she’d had to deal with her mom’s snide remarks all her life, but for her to do it in front of him was unforgivable. Karma wrapped her arms across her chest. What she really wanted to do was run to her room and cry herself to sleep. But she had to put on a front and somehow make it through the rest of the evening.

Her eyes flicked over to Jax. He looked up at the same time, his lips quirked up. She still couldn’t believe he’d defended her to the wicked witch of the west. She had to admit the look on her mom’s face was priceless. It sort of dulled the edge of the humiliation. His words were so sweet. He’d sounded so sincere, but as much as she wanted to believe him, she still had doubts. Her mother was right—men like Jax didn’t fall for girls like her. He was perfect in every way, and she was a broken disaster. As much as she tried to hold herself together she was always so close to cracking.

“Karma.” Jax nudged her arm softly. “Your dad is talking to you.”

She looked up and blinked her eyes a couple of times, pulling herself back to the present. “Sorry, what did you say?”

Her father turned back to look out the window before speaking again. “I just said it looks like a storm is headed this way.”

“Is it?” Karma loved storms; they relaxed her for some reason. She took a sip of her root beer float—cold and creamy with just the right amount of ice cream. “This is great. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I think it’s time for your present.” Garrett looked over at Matt, and they shared a secret smile.

Karma had no idea what they got her this year. They kept it tight-lipped. Usually, she was dying to know but after the incident with her mother, she really wasn’t in the mood for presents. But she couldn’t disappoint them.

“What is it?” Karma sat up straighter and gave them her undivided attention.

“Well, we had a hard time deciding this year. I mean you are twenty now,” Matt said with a gleam in his eye. He loved surprises. It was sort of his thing. During Christmas, he’d hide presents around the house instead of under the tree. Made for some fun times and also huge messes that her father grinned and bore to humor Matt.

“Well, I peeked at your bucket list...” her father said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Jesus, not that damn bucket list again. Karma braced herself. Who knew what the hell they had done.

Her dad opened the freezer and pulled out an envelope from an empty box of chicken patties. The envelope was covered in white and blue bows.

“The freezer, Dad? Really?”

“Hey, it’s the only place I could think of. You know all my hiding places.”

He had a point.

It took Karma nearly five minutes to get all the bows undone, and she opened the envelope slowly just to torture Matt. He loved the anticipation. She pulled out the papers and smoothed them out on the counter.

Oh noooo! Two paid tandem sky dives. She looked up at her dads, who were grinning from ear to ear.

“We thought you’d cross it off your list.”

“How kind of you,” Karma said, her voice laced with sarcasm.

Jax looked over her shoulder, and she could tell from the look on his face that he was excited. His eyes twinkled when they met hers. She started to feel a stir of excitement herself. It was crazy the effect he had on her. Only Jax could make the idea of jumping out of a plane sound like fun.

“It’s way too generous,” Jax said, looking at her dads. “If it wasn’t her birthday present there is no way I would accept it. Thank you.”

“We feel much better with her going with you than off on her own,” Garrett said, glancing at Karma.

“I’d never do it on my own,” Karma said truthfully. She gave them both a hug. It couldn’t have been easy for her father to agree to the present. Clearly, it was Matt’s idea.

They finished eating and went back to the movie. Her father was right; it wasn’t long before the thunder and lightning started. The lights flicked on and off a couple of times, but thankfully didn’t go out for real. Karma loved the soothing sound of the rain pelting the roof and hitting the window panes.

It was almost midnight by the time the movie marathon was over. Karma felt much better after watching comedies with Jax’s arm wrapped around her shoulder. Thoughts of her mother’s visit didn’t sting quite as much as they did earlier. It still boggled her mind that he really liked her.

“We’re going to bed.” Her dad stood up and gave her a hug and Matt followed suit.

Karma wished them good night, and then they were left alone in the quiet house.

“It’s still raining,” Jax said with a smile.

“Is it? I didn’t notice,” Karma shot back playfully.

“I hope you don’t mind that dress of yours getting wet.”

“It’s just a dress.” Karma’s heart was thumping against her chest. Just the thought of kissing Jax in the rain was enough to make her head spin.

They were standing at least six inches apart, but she felt as if he was touching her. It was disturbing and exciting at the same time.

“Walk me to the truck?” Jax trailed a warm finger down the side of her face. His touch was tender, and Karma wanted to melt into his big strong arms.

She couldn’t speak so she just nodded like a fool. She would have walked with this man to the end of earth and back if he’d ask her to.

They stood on the porch watching the rain.

Jax turned her toward him. She was nervous.

“You’re beautiful,” Jax said simply as if it was a fact and not a matter of opinion.

Karma felt off kilter by his words. She looked down and whispered, “Thank you.” Her chest felt so tight it was hard to breathe.

“I know you don’t believe me.”

“I’m not beautiful, Jax. I see myself in the mirror every day. My eyes are too wide, my nose is too big, and my hips are huge. Don’t even get me started on my thighs. I could go on and on.”

Jax smiled sadly. “Your mirror is cracked.”

Karma looked up at him in surprise. His words totally disarmed her, because she could tell he was telling the truth. He really thought she was beautiful. He could have any girl he wanted, and he chose to spend time with her. It was utterly astonishing to Karma.

Karma shook her head and refused to meet his eyes. “My mother is beautiful.”

Jax pulled her closer. “Of course she is, she gave birth to you.”

“That’s not what I mean. You’ve met her. You saw what she looks like—a walking billboard.”

“She’s ugly on the inside and your shrink sucks,” Jax said, his eyes never leaving hers.

“What?” Karma stammered, completely caught off guard once again.

“It blows my mind you can look like you do and not see it for yourself.”

Her throat tightened. Why did he keep saying things like this? Couldn’t he just drop it? “Please, stop.”

He stepped closer and dropped his hand to the swell of her hips. “I love your hips and the way they fit perfectly in my hands, your nose gives you character, your thighs... Jesus, I can’t even think about them without getting a hard-on, and your eyes make my heart race like a schoolboy with his first crush.”

Karma stood on her tippy toes and went in for a kiss, but Jax pulled back, laughing. “You’re not getting out of it that easily. We’re crossing another one off your list.” He pulled her down the stairs into the pouring rain.

“You’re crazy, Jax!” She laughed, tilting her head up and spinning in the rain like a five-year-old. When she came to a stop she looked up and Jax was staring at her so intently it took her breath away.

He yanked her toward him, and his hands slid down her back to the curve of her waist. His legs widened as he pulled her closer, and she could feel the hard ridge of need through his pants. “You’ve been driving me crazy all evening,” he said roughly.

Wild desire tore through her body as the rain pelted down on them. Jax bent his head and his lips covered hers. A moan of pleasure escaped as her hands slid up and gripped his shoulders. The response to his body was overwhelming. She was trembling and it had nothing to do with the cool rain.

Jax pulled her tighter, as though he never wanted to let her go. One of his hands released and cupped her breast, his thumb caressing her rigid nipple. A shot of desire ignited between her legs and her breathing became ragged. The burning pleasure was instant and spread throughout her. Her body was ready for him, moist, warm, and drunk on desire.

“I want you,” Karma gasped.

Jax looked at her for a moment and didn’t reply with words. His mouth was warm and his tongue slow and gentle. He seemed totally lost in the kiss, taking his time exploring her. Karma wanted to strip naked and ride him on the lawn.