Page 72 of Cadence

Bryn approaches and I steel myself. I’m in public; he has to deal with this calmly. I attempt to gauge the thoughts held behind his dark brown eyes as the tall man’s physical presence takes up the space around us.

“How much have you had to drink, Jax?” asks Bryn, indicating my glass. “That was quite a move you pulled there.”

“Just a few this afternoon. About the same number as you, I think.”

He pauses long enough for the perspiration to build along my back. “You and Tegan, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” He lowers his voice. “You do realise that if you hurt Tegan things will be very unpleasant for you.”

I gesture at the people around. “I shared the fact I’m with a chick, who she is, and that it’s exclusive. I wouldn’t do that if Tegan wasn’t something to me.”

Bryn’s mouth tips at one corner. “I’d be heavier handed with you, but you’re about to learn a valuable lesson on your own.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“What you just did? You’re public property now, man, and I can’t wait to see how Tegan deals with that. You should know by now that she doesn’t take shit from people. You might be the one getting hurt.”

“We don’t care what people think!”

“You say that now. I never had as much shit from the press as them.” He indicates Dylan and Jem. “Early on, when I did stupid crap, yeah, but not recently. I’m never under the spotlight, and never hit the headlines. You, my friend, are deep in it.”

“Yeah, I get it, I’m on their radar.”

Bryn cocks a brow. “You’re dating the Blue Phoenix drummer’s sister. That’s quite a story. You know what’s a better story?” I shake my head. “You getting caught with someone else and the Blue Phoenix drummer ripping your balls off.”

“I just said —”

He laughs. “That wasn’t a threat. Much. It won’t be me you need to persuade, Jax. I call bullshit on half the things printed about people I know, but Tegan may not. Reckon she can deal with you being randomly linked to other chicks? ‘Cause I know her and she won’t.”

“I appreciate your concern for me, Bryn, but I’m fine.” Tegan appears behind him and crosses to me. She cuddles next to me and winds an arm around my waist, placing her hand in the back pocket of my jeans and squeezing. “Jax understands: the first hint he’s screwing me around and this is over. Besides, we’re not bloody getting married, just being exclusive.”

“Right.” Bryn’s voice is as doubtful as his eyes. “Good luck ‘cause you’re going to need it.”

I stare after Bryn as he heads back to his friends. “That it?”

Tegan smiles and nuzzles my neck. “He’s right though. I hope you know what you’re getting into.”

“Well, according to him, I don’t.”

“You know what we do, Jax?” Tegan slips her hand into my other pocket and pulls out my phone. “We control this. Me and you.”

“How?”

“Take a picture of us. Tweet it. Instagram. Everywhere. I’ll do the same. That way we’ll steal the story before the paparazzi get hold of it. We’ll already have given the world pictures they hope to sell. Why should they make money from being bottom feeders?”

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing? You’re not a PR expert.”

“Despite what Tina thinks, I know a hell of a lot about how this crap works. My brother’s job means I have a special interest in the media and fame. I wrote a paper on it for my A Levels and I’m intending to study media.”

“Oh. Right. I forget you’re smart as well as beautiful,” I say and squeeze her ass.

She smiles. “If I’m dating Jax Lewis, the world’s going to know, and they should leave us the hell alone.”

“I don’t think they’ll want to mess with you!”

“I’d like to see them try.”

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