I down the last few sips of my beer and push both bottle and plate away from me. Next to me, Jax does the same.
"God, that burger was good," he groans. "Want another beer?"
I look at the shelf of liquor behind the bar, suddenly desperate to distract myself from the day’s events and my current traitorous thoughts. "I think I want some kind of liquor. I’ve always liked tequila the best, but it’s been a while since I’ve worked at the bar. I’m not sure if there are any new cocktails they’re making with it nowadays."
Jax studies the mixers along the bar. "Tequila sunrise is still the go-to, I think." I shake my head, not liking the idea of orange juice right now. "I don't know if they do margaritas here, and our bartender might frown us into the ground if we ask him for one." He tilts his head for a moment as he contemplates something. Then he snaps his fingers and says, "I got it. I have the perfect drink for you."
He waves the bartender over, who, once again, has a massive scowl on his face. Jax says something to him in a low whisper, after which the guy turns around to grab us two Coronas and then two shots of Patron.
When he slides the drinks over to us on the bar, I just look at Jax in confusion. "Um, the whole point of a cocktail is so I don't have to do a shot. You know I can't swallow those things."
Something flashes in his eyes at that, and I'm once again reminded of the tension floating between us. It's in the hesitation, in the glance at my lips, the unknown emotion in his eyes. It has me automatically clenching my thighs and sucking in a breath, even before I can think about what it means.
When he speaks, his voice sounds completely normal and all trace of the unknown has vanished. "It's a loaded Corona," he explains. He grabs the Corona and takes a few gulps. I watch, mesmerized, as his Adam's apple bobs up and down, and I don't even have time to process the thought before it's flying through my brain.
Why is that so erotic?
Ignoring my admiring gaze, he grabs the shot of tequila and pours it into the beer bottle that now has room for the liquid. Finally, he takes the lime and drops it into the beer before plugging the top and flipping it upside down to mix it.
"Loaded Corona," he gestures with a grin. "It's good, and so easy. You won't even taste the tequila. Try it." He slides the drink he just concocted across the bar to me, which I grab and—after sniffing the bottleneck suspiciously—take a curious sip. My eyes widen when I turn to Jax.
An explosive, happy laugh bursts from his chest at my expression. "I told you. It tastes just like a Corona with a hint of that tequila aftertaste, right?" I nod, taking another, bigger swig from the bottle. "We can throw another shot in if you want to make it a party," he says with a grin.
I debate for a moment, but ultimately decide against it. I can already feel the afternoon's beers buzzing comfortably in my veins, so a shot of tequila will be more than enough to put me at ease. I'm not entirely sure I want to be shitfaced in front of Jax right now, so I just shake my head.
"One is enough," I tell him. Then, I reach forward and make his drink the same way he made mine. Once I'm done, I slide it over to him, at which point he grabs it and holds it up for a cheers. I hold my glass up and wait for whatever he wants to say.
"Cheers to good drinks with good people." He clinks his bottle against mine before downing a fourth of his drink in one go.
We're both quiet for a few moments, sipping our drinks and staring at nothing in particular. Even without looking at him I can see Jax hesitating, trying to figure out how he can say whatever it is he wants to say.
I know exactly what he wants to say, so I don't rush the conversation.
"Do you want to talk about whatever happened today that upset you?" he finally asks me.
I sigh, twirling the beer bottle on the bar. "It's not even worth repeating. I got a few texts from Steve this morning that set a bad tone for my day. That's it." I sneak a sideways glance at him and see that he's got a tight jaw and he's glaring daggers at his beer. "I'm sorry I freaked out. It was a momentary lapse in sanity, it had nothing to do with you or the lesson."
His knuckles whiten where he’s gripping the bottle. “I told you I don’t want your sorries, Hailey. There’s nothing to apologize for.”
I nod immediately in agreement. “You’re right, I’m s—I mean, I won’t do it again. I just had a bad morning. But I shouldn’t have let it get to me, and I definitely shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”
I see the tension in his shoulders ease. He sighs and says, "I meant what I said, though, Hailey. The negativity needs to stop."
I focus my attention back on the bartop in front of me, feeling a blush stain my cheeks. I'm mortified that I exploded the way I did in front of Jax. It’s not like me to publicize my self-confidence issues, or take it out on others. The fact that I freaked out on Jax means I let Steve's comments hit more of a bull's-eye than I realized.
"I know," I whisper. "I didn't mean to, it just slipped out." I take a deep, stuttering breath. "I don’t know why it bothered me so much today."
I hear Jax let out a heavy sigh, then I feel his big hand on the back of my neck, gently massaging my neck and shoulders.
His touch instantly soothes me. My body relaxes the second he makes contact with my skin, a relieved exhale escaping my lips. I close my eyes to enjoy the touch and before long, the day's stress has completely left my body.
When I aim a grateful smile at Jax, our eyes meet—and the air instantly charges. I'm instantly flashing back to the moment in the gym where he had me pressed against the wall, whispering the filthiest thing I've never imagined ever coming out of his mouth.
My heart pounds at the memory.
I don’t think I ever could’ve imagined that Jax would enjoy…thatkind of sex. He’s such a nice guy, I just assumed he enjoyed the normal, good guy kind of sex.
What kind of whore do you want to be? On your knees with my cock in your pretty mouth? Or on all fours with my handprint on your ass as punishment for thinking you’re anything but perfect?