Mom waved a hand. “Oh, it’s fine. We can get started without you. There’s a lot to get through.”
“Are you sure? I feel terrible rushing off like this and abandoning you with all the work.”
“We’ll be fine,” I said. “It’s probably better if we do it by ourselves, because we know exactly which boxes belong to me and which belong to Mom.”
“That’s true.” George glanced at his watch again and grimaced. “Well, I better get going. I’m sure Maeve will be happy to whip up some snacks for you before you start on the trailer. Right, Maeve?”
She nodded. “Of course. The two of you must be hungry after the long drive.”
George quickly kissed Mom goodbye before dashing outside and getting into the silver Maserati that Mom parked next to when we arrived.
“I’m actually not that hungry right now, so I’ll just start unpacking,” I said, turning back to face Mom and Maeve.
“I’ll make something for you anyway. Lifting all those bags and boxes will make you ravenous,” Maeve said with a friendly wink. “But let me show you to your room first, so you know where to go.”
My new bedroom was even bigger than I expected, with a bed so wide I could probably fall in and get lost beneath the plush duvet. Everything was decorated in tasteful shades of white and gray with pillows and throw rugs on almost every surface. The walk-in closet was the size of my old bedroom, and the bathroom next to it featured a double-sized shower, toilet, vanity, and spa bath.
“Do you like it?” Maeve asked once I’d finished looking around.
“Yes. It’s perfect,” I said. “Thanks so much for setting it up for me.”
She dipped her chin in a polite nod and went back downstairs. I had another look around my new room, and then I trudged downstairs and went out the front, heading for the large trailer Mom and I had hired to carry all the boxes and suitcases that wouldn’t fit in the car.
I went back and forth for half an hour, lugging box after box out of the trailer and up to my new room. By the time I returned to the trailer for the tenth time, I was exhausted.
I decided to rest for a moment and sank down against the trailer wall, smothering a yawn with one hand. I was about to take my phone out of my pocket to browse Reddit when the sound of a car pulling up the driveway attracted my attention. George must’ve returned from his hotel emergency already.
I craned my neck to look outside and spotted a swanky black sports car pulling up near the trailer. It wasn’t George after all. It was Jax.
I smoothed my hands over my jeans and stood up, figuring I should go and introduce myself. Just as I peeked my head out of the trailer, I realized Jax wasn’t alone. A blonde girl was sitting in the passenger seat.
I had a decent view into the driver’s side window, which was rolled all the way down, so I couldn’t help but see what was happening in the car. The girl was leaning over Jax, kissing his neck and running her hands all over his chest and arms. A second later, she dipped her head all the way down to his lap.
Eyes widening, I stepped back into the trailer. What the hell was wrong with this Jax guy? He knew Mom and I were arriving at the mansion today. Furthermore, he had to know we were already here, as evidenced by the giant trailer he’d parked next to. Was he actively trying to make us uncomfortable by getting a blowjob from his girlfriend right in front of the house where anyone could see? Or did he simply not give a shit if anyone saw?
Heart pounding, I stepped forward and peeked out of the trailer again, hoping the blonde girl had decided to stop for fear of being seen.Nope.Her head was still bobbing up and down, and Jax was leaning his own head against the seat, eyes heavy-lidded with pleasure.
My skin suddenly felt hot and prickly. Part of me was jealous of the girl in the car. Jealous of the fact she was touching someone as hot as Jax while I was standing in a dingy trailer covered in dust. Jealous that he was already taken by her, which meant I’d never have a chance to—
I cut myself off that line of thinking as soon as the thoughts began to form in my head. I was never going to have a chance with someone like Jax anyway. Especially now that we were going to be living together. That would just make things awkward as hell.
I tried to look away from the black car, but my traitorous body wouldn’t let me move. My feet were rooted to the spot, and little beads of perspiration were beginning to dot my rapidly-heating forehead despite the brisk breeze blowing in off the ocean. In the car, Jax’s lips fell open in a groan. Then he turned his head slightly to the side, making full eye contact with me.
Shit!
My feet finally regained their ability to move, and I ducked back into the trailer, face flaming. Even though I only saw Jax’s eyes for a split-second, the expression in them was practically burned into my retinas. He didn’t seem shocked or embarrassed at all. Just smug and triumphant. Like he already knew I was watching and wanted me to know that I’d been caught.
I sank down against the wall again, chest heaving.Shit, shit, shit.Even if I tried, I couldn’t have possibly made a worse first impression on Jax. He’d probably mock me about it endlessly. Tell everyone I was a creepy voyeur who got off on spying on couples. I’d be a laughing stock and a pariah at CPA before I even started my first class on Monday.
I blew out a deep breath and shook my head.No.I could salvage this. When Jax was finished with his girlfriend, I could introduce myself and make it clear that seeing them together was a total accident. The whole thing could actually be a funny ice-breaker, and we could all have a good laugh about it afterwards.
I crawled back over to the trailer entrance and peeked out again to see if they were done. They weren’t. The blonde girl was still going to town on Jax, head bobbing faster and faster. Jax shuddered and threaded his hands through the girl’s hair, pushing her down harder.
I quickly moved out of view again, pulse racing. A moment later, a masculine groan ripped through the air outside, and then it seemed to be over.
Finally.
I waited with bated breath to see what would happen next. The girl was talking to Jax now. I couldn’t quite hear what she was saying because the car was just far enough away that the sea breeze drowned out every second or third word, but her tone was clear. It was pleasant at first, but it started to turn angry a minute or so later.