“I’m not worried about it turning physical.” I might actually enjoy it. Didn’t like the ass**le the minute I met him, even before I knew he was playing games with Lily.

“I didn’t say you were.” She takes the phone from my hand and hits the REJECT button. “But I would prefer Caden and I not end that way. Our families have been close for too long. Joe is my family.” She looks at me and smiles sweetly. “And I don’t want you and I to begin that way either.”

Begrudgingly, I agree. Although something tells me there’s no avoiding a confrontation with the ass**le somewhere down the road.

Chapter 15

Lily

Last night, not five minutes after Jax and I talked about my need to have another chat with Caden, my phone started jumping and buzzing all over again. I turned it off. A satisfied grin on his face, Jax joined me, taking it one step further and unplugging my house phone after powering his cell off. Not that anyone ever calls my house phone…I’m not even sure why I still have the thing, but Caden would undoubtedly move on to try a different means after a few hours of going to voicemail on my cell.

We’ve been together for almost two days, half of the time we spent exploring each other’s bodies. Every time we started, the same passion consumed us, stopping only when exhaustion hit, both of us fully sated as we fell into blissful sleep. Although last night after we ordered in Chinese food, we laid entwined with each other for hours watching old movies and eating each other’s meals. Oddly, it felt so normal. So comfortable. So inexplicably right.

Finally turning the TV off some time after 2AM, we talked until the sun came up. The more I get to know Jackson Knight, the more I discover I like. He’s smart, thoughtful and well mannered. Well, well mannered on the outside, as in opening a door for me or pulling out my chair. It’s certainly a whole different ballgame when the door shuts to the bedroom with this man. Please turns into Keep your hand where I put it and Thank you turns into On your knees now, Angel. I’ve always heard the saying men like a lady in the living room and a whore in the bedroom, guess it’s not that far off for women either. There’s nothing sexier than a man with manners when he’s dressed, but a bit caveman-ish when he’s in the bedroom. Unfortunately, all I’ve ever had to compare it to were pure cavemen. The kind that don’t treat a woman like a lady. Ever.

Two days of short naps and long stretches of time in the bedroom when it’s not even nighttime have my internal clock off kilter. I have no idea what time it is when I wake. I try to untangle myself from Jax’s stealth grip as he sleeps, but he’s got one arm wrapped tightly around my waist and starts to wake as I gently peel back his fingers. Deciding it’s next to impossible to disengage without waking him, I attempt to stretch while in his arms, aiming to reach my phone on the nearby end table. It takes a couple of attempts, and the use of the tips of my fingers, but I’m able to spin the phone toward me a little at a time, until it’s finally fully within my reach.

Powering my iPhone back on, I’m not surprised the clock shows it’s almost twelve, but I am surprised at the quantity of messages and texts. Knowing Caden would be upset he was unable to reach me, I’d expected a half dozen angry messages. But it’s beyond that…my voicemail is completely full and there are sixty-two new texts. More than fifty from Caden, a half dozen from Reed.

I start with Reed’s…scrolling to the bottom to read the oldest of the bunch first.

Nice bath in the fountain. NY Post - page 6. Glad ape boy is away or he’d go apeshit for sure.

2 hrs later

Message from Ape on my vm. Not sure how he even got my #. Sounds angry. Did he catch the pic?

10 minutes later.

Ape flying home today. Apeshit for sure.

5 hours later.

Ape called me five times today. He’s lost it. He saw the pic.

10 minutes later

Where are you? Why aren’t you answering? Call me.

1 hour ago

Just saw your bath on TV. Uh oh.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I hit Reed’s number and try to whisper, but I’m panicked.

“Seriously? I’ve been trying to reach you for almost two days. I’m on my way to you now. You wait till I get three blocks away and call me? You better be calling to tell me you’re dead.” Reed rattles off before I’ve even had the chance to say hello.

“I’m sorry. I turned my phone off. I was with Jax.”

“So you haven’t spoken to Caden?”

“No.”

“Have you seen the picture?”

“I’m not even certain what you’re talking about, what picture?”

“You. And Jax. In a fountain. Is that Bethesda, by the way? That thing is filthy. You probably have Legionnaires’ disease.”

“A picture of us in the fountain?” I turn to Jax, his eyes are open now, my conversation has definitely caught his attention. He squints, silently asking me what I’m talking about.

“You look like Natalie Portman in that bad swan movie.”

“Black Swan. And it’s a Natalie Portman in a Dior perfume commercial where they’re in the fountain, not from the movie.” I have no idea why I feel the need to correct him.

“Whatever. Mr. Dior will be knocking on your door any minute. You two look hot together. It’s a still, but I mentally got the visual of you slip sliding all the way down his muscular body. Lucky girl.”

“Reed.” I sit up. “Who took the photo?”

“How would I know? A paparazzi I guess.”

“What are we doing in the fountain?”

“Jax has you lifted up into the air and water is pouring over your head from the top of the fountain. You’re looking down and he’s looking up. Your faces are maybe a few inches from each other’s…but you’re both smiling and laughing.”

“Shit.”

“It could be worse.”

“How exactly could that be?”

“You could look bad. You look beautiful. It’s a great shot.”

“Wonderful.”

“Someone is grumpy. Your knight in shining armor keeping you up all night? Did you see what I did there? The pun was intended.”

“Reed!” I scold. He’s gotten so far off track of where I need this conversation to be.

“Oh my god, he so did! I’m two blocks away. Tell me details until I get there.”

“Reed!”

“What? Jesus you’re cranky.”

“What did Caden say?”