Page 20 of Dangerous Curves

Jaxx chuckles, but it sounds defeated. “I don’t think I ever brought out the best in you Kenndirx and I think that’s the hardest thing to swallow. I see you now and you’re successful and happy. You thrive in this world and the confidence you have now shines. When you were with me…you didn’t have that. Somehow, I never gave you that. I always wanted to but I couldn’t for some reason.”

“Jaxx…”

He stands up abruptly, his food forgotten, my words die on my tongue. “I think I’m going to head down to the bar and get a drink.” I watch as he crosses the room to the door, he opens it then looks back over his shoulder. “Ronin is a lucky guy. I hope he knows that.” His words make my heart sink and my stomach sours and the closing of the door feels like déjà vu all over again.

Eighteen

Jaxx

I head down to The National Restaurant and Bar attached to The Benjamin. When Kenndrix stepped out of the bedroom looking so simple, exactly how I remember her, she sent my heart and head into a tailspin. It was always my favorite look of hers. She causes a war to wage within the confines of my body. When she approached, I could smell her floral scent that brought back every memory we’ve shared throughout our time together. She was so close, I could feel her body heat and it took every ounce of willpower I had not to pull her into my arms, bury my nose into her damp hair and breathe her in before claiming her mouth with my own.

I couldn’t do any of those things though. Kenndrix isn’t mine anymore, despite how familiar things feel with her. She belongs to someone else. Someone else that is also in New York City. Someone she traveled to see. I want to know what happened, why she’s here with me instead of with him, but she doesn’t owe me an answer and I don’t have the right to ask.

Being around Kenndrix...I always knew it’d be difficult but I never imagined it would be this challenging. I’m fighting to let go and hold on at the same time. The rain is still pouring outside as I take a seat at the bar. After my first drink is delivered, my attention is pulled to a table of girls, all slender and beautiful in their own way, but they can never hold a candle to the girl that owns my mind currently. I’ve become a lovesick puppy and it’s ridiculous. Before our paths were thrown back together, I knew I missed her, but I was blissfully naive.

One of the girls stands up from the table and I move back to face the bar in front of me. She saunters over and takes a seat next to me. “Hi I’m Ashley,” she says, in a higher toned voice than what would be her natural. I just nod my head in reply. She doesn’t seem to take the hint, leaning in closer. “What’s your name?”

“Jaxx.” One word, barely heard over the music and chatter of the bar.

Her hand lands on my arm. “Oh, like Jax Teller from Sons of Anarchy. I love that show and Charlie Hunnam is so dreamy.” Another nod of my head. “What are you drinking?”

My glass is nearly empty now. “Whiskey.”

“Oh I’ve never tried that. Is it any good?” She really isn’t taking the hint, so I just shrug in response. Something tells me she knows more about whiskey than I do. “You’re the strong, silent type, aren’t you?”

“Obviously,” I reply.

She leans even closer to me and her perfume is all wrong. It makes me want to gag. “And a bit of bad boy if I had to guess.” Her eyes are shining with hope now. I’m not sure why I haven’t given her anything to boost her hopes, but she doesn’t seem to notice that. What is it with girls always wanting a bad boy? I ignore her comment and wave for another drink from the bartender. I glance in Ashley’s direction. She’s pouting. “Aren’t you going to order a drink for me too?” Silence falls between us once again and I can feel the frustration coming off her in waves. The bartender slides the drink in front of me.

He smiles at Ashley. “Can I get you anything baby?”

“Not yet,” she says, ignoring him. He takes the hint and walks to the other side of the bar. Ashley’s hand lands on my arm as her fingertips begin to lightly trace the muscles of my forearm. “It’s a shame for such a handsome guy as yourself to be drinking alone.”

“Oh, that would be a shame, but he isn’t drinking alone.” That voice causes my muscles tense and my heart to race. I turn in the opposite direction of Ashley. My eyes start at the feet, sexy as hell red heels, long toned legs, black leather mini skirt, red crop top that shows just a sliver of skin between the top and skirt. A black leather jacket finishes the outfit along with some over the top earrings that only Kenndrix could pull off. Her hair is down and messy in her natural waves. Dark, intense eyes and red lips that form into a smile while I drink her in. She’s better than any damn glass of whiskey I could drink. I could get drunk off just staring at her. She steps closer to Ashley. “Thank you for keeping my seat warm.”

If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was somewhat jealous. But Kenndirx has never had anything to be jealous over. She has always been the sexiest and most beautiful girl I’d ever laid eyes on, even if she couldn’t see it. Ashley scoffs, clearly still missing the obvious hints so I turn around, my hands landing on Kenndrix’s hips. I watch as her lips part in the quick intake of breath and her eyes flare with heat. “There you are,” I tell her, as I lean forward and bring my lips to the pulse on her neck. “I thought you were taking too long but it seems it was well worth the wait.” When I pull back away her cheeks are blushed. Ashley jumps off the barstool and rejoins her friends in a scurry. “Why don’t you have a seat?” I motion to the now vacant stool.

She sits beside me. “So, drinking alone didn’t used to be your style.”

“It’s funny the things that can become your style when you have no other choice,” I reply. “If I remember correctly, you didn't drink at all.”

“I still don’t. I just didn’t like the thought of you being down here alone, drinking in the rain. That sounds like some bad country love song,” she says with a laugh.

I smile at her. The bartender comes over and she orders a glass of water. We sit in silence. “So, tell me about the boyfriend.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “What?”

“That’s who you’re here to see, isn’t it?”

Kenndrix looks away. “Yeah, but it didn’t go as planned.”

“Well, if you’re sitting here with me, drinking in the rain, then I’d definitely say it didn’t go as planned,” I laugh, and take a sip of my drink, letting it burn my throat.

“We don’t have to talk about this.” Her fingertip traces the condensation running down the side of the glass.

I slip a finger under her chin and lift her eyes to meet mine. “What else are we going to talk about?”

Two hours later and I know basically everything there is to know about Ronin. I don’t like him to say the least and it’s not just because he has the girl I’m realizing I'm still madly in love with. It’s because he has her and doesn’t even deserve her. He doesn’t worship her the way she deserves. At some point, Kenndrix reaches over and takes my glass. She takes a small, tentative sip before choking from the burn. “How do you drink that? It’s awful.”

---