I sighed and turned around, my bag now on my shoulder. “There really isn’t anything we need to discuss.”
I started to walk away, but Jax stepped in front of me.
His chest flared out like he was daring me to push past him.
My body warmed, adrenaline kicking up a notch.
We’d done this dance before, and even though my mind repeated that I shouldn’t engage in it, I never listened.
Control played such a huge role in my life. I could tone down my feelings, my appearance, my life in general so that I lived the most normal life possible. I craved that normalcy.
Yet with Jax, my control fled.
Heoverpowered it.
He was the man who made me love men. I learned how much I craved the soft touch of a man from him, the caress of a man who loved rather than hurt. To have a man so full of power, so capable and able to harm me, touch me without injuring me. Well, quite frankly, that touch became my addiction. The touch that derailed everything.
“Nothing we need to discuss? Don’t act like you don’t remember the other night.” Jax stepped close to me, his hand hovering near my cheek but not touching it, as if he knew something had shifted within me, as if he knew exactly how I was feeling. I stared into his ocean eyes and remembered my downfall with him.
I ripped my gaze away. “I have to go, Jax.”
“You have to or you want to?”
I just sighed and looked out the window of the café.
“Jay is your best friend, right?”
I shrugged. “So what?”
“I’m his brother, Aubrey.” He put his hand behind his neck and pulled on it as he looked toward the ceiling. “I don’t regret much, but I do regret not being closer to him. We lost years, and I don’t intend to lose anymore. You’re really going to make him pick who to hang out with while I’m in town?”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Well, I’m not too concerned. You aren’t one to ever stick around ...”
Below the belt? I didn’t care. I was ready to kick him below the belt if necessary.
“I’m here for my app launch, which could last most of the summer, babe.”
My mouth dropped open. I attempted to form a rude retort, but I felt like a damn guppy that had been left out of water. Mouth open, mouth closed. Mouth open, mouth closed. I shook my head and stepped back. “No. That’s not possible. I mean, you can’t think that staying in this town is good PR. Don’t you need to promote your new app where you plan to launch it or something? Don’t you need to work on your investments at Stonewood Enterprises? You can’t possibly ... I mean ... Jay won’t even be here.”
“He asked me to stay at his place while he’s in LA.”
“Did he now?” I would have believed him, his lies fell just that good off his tongue, except my friend wouldn’t have kept that from me.
He narrowed his gaze just a bit and resigned. “He will ask me.”
“Or you’ll beg him,” I retorted. “You’d be surprised how little he cares about that house. He might care a little more about the whole freaking town you’ll be wreaking havoc on while he’s away though.”
My town. My whole freaking town.
“Fair.” He leaned back like he needed to relax. “Let’s cut the shit though, Whitfield. The app I’m rolling out needs to be tested on college campuses. What better college than one so close to Stonewood Enterprises? I also have investments that need attention in this region. And ...” He took a sip of his drink and let the word linger in the air.
“And what?”
“You’re right about this drink being orgasmic.” His eyebrows lifted like he was trying to lighten the mood.
I rolled my eyes. Not just a little. I rolled them so dramatically I wondered if Jackie could see from the other room.
I motioned for him to continue. “And what, Jax?”