Page 4 of The Last Second Chance
Summer raised her glass of water. “He was mouthing something to you, wasn’t he?” she asked innocently.
Jax’s perfect lips had mouthed every word of Beckett’s vows, his gaze never leaving Joey’s face. She didn’t know what kind of game he was playing. First his hand over his heart when she walked down the aisle and then the vows. And when he took her arm during the recessional, he’d leaned in so close his lips brushed her ear.
“It’s going to be us next, Jojo. You can fight it all you want, but you know as well as I do that we’re going to happen.”
She’d been so startled by the unguarded touch and his words that she’d nearly stumbled. Jax used the opportunity to pull her in against him as they hurried the rest of the way down the aisle.
He’d thrown her and she needed to get back in control, back on top. Maybe a night of no strings sex would do just that.
Joey held up a hand to catch Bailey’s attention. “Can I get a shot? A really big, strong one?”
“Make that two,” Gia added.
“You remember what happened last time we did shots together?” Joey warned Gia.
“Ugh, Ed’s Erasers. Don’t remind me. I ended up giving Anthony Berkowicz aMonthly Mooncover story about how dumb I thought Beckett’s face was.”
Joey grinned. “On second thought, maybe we should have some Erasers.”
She felt a tingle at the base of her spine and knew that Jax was watching her. Whether he was joking with his brothers, taking his mother for a spin around the dance floor, his gaze always returned to her.
Joey bided her time until just before midnight. Without looking in his direction, she sauntered outside, leaving the liveliness inside.
It was a night so crystal clear and cold that she could see her breath. Thankfully the perfect amount of booze in her system kept her warm. She hadn’t drank enough to make any bad decisions, just enough to loosen a few inhibitions.
She carefully followed the side of the tent looking for a quiet, secluded spot. Joey felt him before she heard him. That awareness of his presence she’d always had. His return to Pierce Acres had woken her from a sound sleep. It was as if the shadow had slipped off the face of the moon, finally bringing the light. But in the last eight years, Joey had grown accustomed to the dark.
“You’re not leaving without dancing with me.” It wasn’t a question or a request. Jax didn’t ask for permission.
Joey turned to face him, bracing for the familiar hum that vibrated through her blood every time she looked him in the eyes. She’d avoided him for months when he came back, not certain she could resist her body’s baser instincts.
Looking at him now, she knew the caution had been warranted. Even in her painful, pinching heels, he still had a couple of inches on her. His hair, dark and thick, curled a bit at the top. The ever-present stubble, something she’d always found irresistible, had been shaved off for the day. At one time, she’d been convinced that fallen angels had carved his face. Now she was fairly certain those dangerous planes were the work of the devil.
His gaze, despite a color akin to icy seas, warmed her blood to a simmer.
Even after all this time, she still remembered what if felt like to have his hands on her. She’d told herself that it was puppy love, that her sex life couldn’t peak during her teenage years. But, so far, her carefully selected ventures into the physical since then had held none of the thrill she’d experienced with Jax.
She walked to him, thankful that she didn’t trip on the uneven sidewalk, and put her hands on his shoulders.
Joey almost smiled at the suspicion that lit his eyes. He probably thought she was going to kick him in the balls. But she had something more mutually satisfying in mind. A fling. A one-night stand. She could enjoy scratching an itch and putting him back in his place, reminding him of what could have been his had he stayed.
“What are you doing?” he asked on a gravelly whisper.
“You wanted to dance,” she smiled slyly.
Jax hesitated for a beat before shrugging out of his jacket and draping it over her shoulders. She felt claustrophobic surrounded by his heat, by his scent. But two could play at that game.
Joey let him bring his broad palms to her waist. She wound her arms around his neck and let her hips sway to the beat of the slow rock ballad the Wild Nigels were playing the hell out of.
She felt his hesitation and relished it. Back in control. God, it felt good. And so did being in his arms again. But she wouldn’t dwell on that. Joey shook her hair back and wet her lips. She wasn’t going to lose her nerve now.
As if he read her mind, Jax’s fingers tightened on the curves of her hips. He pulled her in closer so they were touching everywhere. The heat that pumped through his crisp white shirt should have scalded her hands, but instead it just drew her in.
Her breasts were flattened against his chest and she felt his belt buckle digging into her stomach. It wasn’t the only thing hard against her. Somewhere between exiting the tent and pulling her in, Jax had gone raging hard.
She swallowed a heady combination of desire and fear. She could control this, couldn’t she? She could be the one to walk away this time.
His breath was hot against her face. They were too close. Her heart was thumping like a hammer and she hoped he couldn’t feel it.
