Stare Me Down (Stare Down) (19 page)

As painful as that was to digest, she had to, because it was the truth.

“You’re making the wrong choice Jaxx. Choosing sex over our relationship is not the right decision to be making.”

Jaxx sank back in her seat totally at a loss. “Is that what you think I’m doing?” She shook her head. After everything she’d just said to Maggie this was what she focused in on? “Even if I was, it’s my decision to make. It’s my choice. Right or wrong. Not yours.”

Maggie inclined her head. “All right. Have it your way.” She stalked to the door and then turned back. “I’ll leave you with this. The way I see things? Ramsey Taylor is a mistake waiting to happen. Mark my words. He wants something more than sex from you. A man like him always has an angle. You’ll see and when you do we’ll talk about your poor decision-making process, because unlike him? I’ll always be here for you. No matter what.”

Jaxx held her breath until Maggie left. Then, she let out the pent up air in a rush. She should be feeling a sense of relief knowing she’d handled the situation, yet all she felt was sadness that they couldn’t be honest with one another. It was fear that kept them from speaking the truth.

Mistake waiting to happen.

She’d sounded so confident that Jaxx sent a silent prayer skyward.
Please let Maggie be wrong.
At least in this instance because Jaxx didn’t know how she’d handle it if she were right.

*****

Aries spotted Maggie peeking through the blinds on her side of the building. This was a new one. He’d fully expected to be confronted by the dragon before he got to the front door. But then Jaxx appeared and he decided not to question his good fortune. Damn, she looked great. And she’d worn the tight little T-shirt too.

He smiled. “Hi.”

“Hey.” She closed the door and turned to lock it. This gave him a chance to check out her ass. She had the best walking away ass.

“Ready.”

“Yeah.” He took her hand and whispered, “We have an audience.” He led her down the steps and when they reached the bottom, he waved without turning.

They weren’t even to the car before Jaxx sighed, “Maggie’s a little upset with me today.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, I sort of gave her the Cliff’s Notes version of my theory about people with masks.”

“Hm. Woulda liked to catch some of that one.”

She gave a mock cringe. “Um, I don’t think so.”

“God you smell great. Like lemon and ginger. I happen to love ginger.”

She slid into the passenger seat and laughed in a real husky ‘don’t I know it’ kind of way. “I bet you do.”

He slammed the door shut and made it halfway around the back of the car when it hit him. She knew about ginger. Well, this was interesting. Now he had another item to add to the list of things he’d have her to pick up this week. Beautiful. He really did like surprises and as he got behind the wheel he decided Jaxx was great at surprising him.

“Why don’t you tell me what you know about figging?”

And when she explained in detail, he was sorry that he’d agreed to go to the party. He’d rather have gone to the grocery store to pick some up and then take her home to give her a practical lesson. He was harder than rock by the time they pulled into his friend’s the drive.

“Damn, I can’t go in there like this.”

“Like what?” She turned mock innocent eyes on him. That’s when he knew she’d been so explicit on purpose.

“You’re going to be punished for this later.”

“Great, can’t wait.” She opened the door and had one foot on the running board.

“Hey, I wasn’t joking.”

“Neither was I. Where’s the gift?”

“In the back. Normally I’d like you to wait until I came around to open the door for you, but today I’ll make an exception.” He pressed a button and the back door opened. “The present is under the blanket.”

“I thought that was workout equipment or something. What did you buy?”

He shifted and tried to readjust himself in his pants. “You’ll see.”

Two seconds later, she did. “You bought the boy this?”

She looked adorable in the review, standing there owl-eyed holding up the blanket, that he smiled. He’d been on the fence about her wearing her hair pulled back, but now examining her reflection, he was sort of liking it. “Yeah. You don’t approve?”

“I didn’t say that. It’s just it looks professional. How old is he turning?”

“Ten.”

“Do his parents know about this?”

“No.” He got out and shut the door. “I want them to be surprised too.”

“Oh, they’ll be surprised, all right. How are we going to carry it?”

“We aren’t.” He took the blanket and placed it back over the set before he leaned in and pulled an envelope out of one of the side pockets near the wheel well. “He’ll have to come find it. I left instructions in the card.” He tapped it against her nose once and grinned. “And you made it sound like Dan and Marsha’s surprise will be bad.”

“They’re the parents?”

He nodded.

“Well, I’m no expert, but all my friends with kids warn me every Christmas. They say if I buy their kids anything that breathes or makes noise, I’m axed off their guest list for life.”

“Aaron wants to start a band. I’m giving him a leg up.”

“By buying him a full drum set‌—‌with cymbals, even?”

“Sure.” He pulled her out of the way and pressed his fob so the door closed. “The poor kid can’t carry a tune to save his life, and every guy knows when it comes to groupies, the drummer is the next in line after the lead singer.”

“I have to disagree. My friend Christine is married to a bass player. She has assured me on several occasions that he gets hit on more than the drummer or keyboard player combined. It drives her nuts.”

He took her hand and headed up the walk to the house. “Hm. What’s the guy look like.”

“Totally gorgeous.”

He shot a look at her when that came out with absolutely no hesitation. Before he got a chance to reply, she spoke.

“I think good genes trump good pipes, even. So maybe using Chris’s stud wasn’t a fair indicator.”

He was just about to say “
fuck good genes and pipes and tell me about the stud”
when Dan opened the door.

“Aries, how are you, my man?” Dan turned his attention to Jaxx with a warm smile. “Hello.”

“Dan this is Jaxx. Jaxx, this is Dan Vancello. We went to high school together.”

“Man, don’t bore her with that crap.”

One minute Aries was standing at the door with his girl by his side, and the next she was being pulled around by the host as he introduced her. It might be Dan’s job as host, but Aries was having none of that.

He caught up with them. “You’re right. We don’t want to bore her so I’ve got the introductions. Why don’t you go get changed for the party.”

“Ouch.” He looked down at his shirt and frowned. “What’s wrong with what I have on?”

Aries grinned. “The shorter answer would be what’s right.”

Dan mimicked being stabbed in the chest, but Aries ignored the show. “Pay no attention to him, babe, he’s juvenile. And speaking of kids, I see the birthday boy’s out back. I want to introduce you to him.”

“What about the card? Shouldn’t you leave it with all the other gifts?”

“Nah, let’s give it to him now. I want to see his face light up while his dad cries.”

She knocked her shoulder into him as they walked. “You are mean.”

“You’re just figuring that out about me?” He squeezed her hand. “I’ll have to step up my game.” Leaning down he whispered, “And your punishment for later.”

She shivered in a good way. The best way. God, he loved that.

Chapter Twelve

“I don’t see it,” Jaxx said as she searched the last corner of the shed. “Are you sure Dan said it was in here?”

“Yeah, it’s right here.”

She spun around and found Aries directly behind her, balancing the football in the palm of his hand. “Great. The boys will be happy.”

He put the football down on the seat of a ten-speed bike and said, “But I’m not happy.” His eyes darkened, and she recognized the look. “Are you going to make me happy, Jaxx?”

She searched his face before she dropped her gaze to his chest. He couldn’t be serious? They were at a kid’s birthday party. In a smelly old shed. With cobwebs and dust and the hot lust that poured off him and owned the space and air between them. Damn.

Don’t look up. Not in his eyes. Don’t. Just‌—‌too late
. The steel-grey was intense. Powerful.

“Get down on your knees and suck me off.”

She should have gasped or denied him. Maybe even stormed off, because logic called for her be outraged. Embarrassed. Ashamed of him. Yet the moment she got wet between the legs, the shame was all her own. Increasing tenfold when she found herself making note of the locked door and being glad for it before she stepped forward.

She was back to staring at his chest, afraid that if she didn’t, she’d see the triumph in his eyes. Without a word, she sank to her knees and undid his belt and then the button on his jeans. Being this close to his quietly restrained power was exhilarating. It wrapped around her, giving her courage while taking the shame away. Suddenly she couldn’t wait for the time it would take to bring down his zipper. The length of him straining under the denim was too much of a temptation.

Instead of using her hands, she leaned forward and traced the outline of him with her chin and cheek. Rubbing and brushing against the hardness.

“Now this makes me happy.”

He took hold of her ponytail and lifted, pulling just hard enough to get her focused, more wet and ready to do anything for him. To him. Her heart beat against her rib cage and her pulse raced. Was that her panting?

She slid her hand up his thigh and took hold of the pull on his zipper, but when she went to take it down he put his hand over hers. “That’s enough. Refasten the button and belt.” When she didn’t move, he gave her hair a light tug and said, “Jaxx.”

She wasn’t budging. He’d put her in some sort of trance-like state and then expected to snap her out of it in the blink of an eye? She stared at his groin. “I want to suck you off.”

“I know you do. But I said no. Now do as I told you,” he ordered and let go of her hair.

She refused to look up and continued staring at his tempting package for no other reason than it gave her a modest amount of satisfaction, knowing he was as uncomfortable as she was. “Is this a test? It’d better be some kind of a test, otherwise—”

She fell silent and closed her eyes the second his large hand landed on the top of her head. Just the weight of his warm palm on her while she was in this position calmed her somehow. And then when he spoke, she was back to being breathless.

“It is.” His tone was firm, but soft too. “Now please do as I asked.”

Once he removed his hand, she opened her eyes. With shaking fingers and heart, she did up the button. When she buckled his leather belt, all she could think about was the night in the maze.

As if he’d read her thoughts, he said, “This is the belt I spanked you with in the maze. Do you like it?”

“Yes.”

“Kiss it.”

Her head fell back. “Wh-what?”

His expression was dark and unreadable, but his eyes? His eyes burned like steel-grey fire while he waited for her to do it. The silence rained down around her, and she knew she had no choice. Leaning forward, without putting her hands on him, she pressed her lips against the leather.

“I’m very happy now.”

He helped her to stand, and a need to fill the awkward moment with something came to her. Grabbing the football, she tossed it up and caught it, asking, “So what was the test? Did I pass?”

“You had to, because there was no failing allowed.” He swiped the ball from her and held it up high so she couldn’t get it.

“Hey, that’s not fair.” Smacking him playfully in the chest she repeated, “The test?”

“Oh, it was just to see how long it took you to do what I told you to when you’re horny.”

This time when she smacked him there was no playfulness about it. “You’re evil.”

“And you’re adorable.” She gasped the second he dropped the ball and scooped her up for a bear hug. But then he nuzzled her neck and kissed her there, and she was back to being horny all over again. Especially when he slipped a hand between her legs and kneaded her, right where she was the most sensitive.

Tingles skated all over her as he whispered against her cheek, “Are you happy?”

“I’m shameless,” she answered and to prove the point, she flexed into his fingers.

“Shameless is exactly how I want my woman to be.”

He kissed her, and her whole world spun away. She was sinking. Fast. So she wrapped her legs around his waist and buried her hands in his hair to hang on to him. She loved the way he made her feel small and light, when she knew she was neither. God, the power of him was the best aphrodisiac of all.

Bang, bang, bang.

“Uncle Aries? Are you in there? Dad says you took Jaxx out to the woodshed, but this is a garden shed. Hello?”

She tore her mouth away from his and panted. “Fuck, we’ve been discovered.”

“Such foul language coming from—” he kissed her quick, “—such a pretty mouth. I like it.” He let her slide down him and once her feet touched the floor, he made a grab for her breasts.

“Aries. Don’t do that. The birthday boy is at the door.” She craned her neck to see over some lawn equipment making sure Aaron didn’t have a key to get in.

“So what? It’s not like you’ll be burning up with shame. You didn’t suck my cock or anything.”

She hissed in a breath. The guy was incorrigible. “Aries!”

“Oh, relax. The kid’s ten. He has the attention span of a hooker who’s been paid up front. He’s probably checking the house by now.”

“He’d better be.” She bent and snatched up the ball. “Is touch football like tackle, only you don’t tackle?”

“Yes.” He brushed his knuckles down the side of her cheek, and her toes curled. “We call it flag though. I guess you haven’t played before.”

She took his offered hand and headed for the door, careful to step around the numerous stored items along the way. “Nope not football, but basketball, volleyball and golf.”