I took several long strides to keep up with her and get to the door before her so I could open it. She stopped and watched me as I stood back and waited for her to walk in. A small smile touched her lips, and the flirty Jess was back.
I followed her inside. The music was already loud and the bodies were packing in closer to the stage. The band wasn’t playing yet, but it must have been getting close to time.
Several guys called out greetings to Jess, who waved at them in return. They all knew her. Even the bartender, who winked at her. This was not something I’d be able to deal with. Glad I was getting to witness it tonight.
I saw several male eyes shift from her to me. They were all wondering if I was with her. I could feel it. I didn’t move to touch her because she wasn’t mine. We had just come here together.
“Where’d you find this one, Jess?” a girl with dark brown curls and bright pink lipstick asked as she stared at me with open curiosity. Her eyes scanned my body slowly.
“He’s with me, Tiff. Pour ice water on yourself and move on,” Jess said, reaching back to grab my arm and tug me closer to her.
I was trying real hard not to grin.
“When you get tired of her claws, come see me. I’m sweet as a kitten,” the other girl called out as Jess pulled me through the crowd.
“Friend of yours?” I asked, amused by the stiffness of Jess’s shoulders.
She stopped walking and looked back at me. “Uh, no,” she snapped. “You stand out, island boy. It’s all over you. It’s gonna draw the gold diggers.”
“What, it’s not my good looks?” I asked, teasing her.
She started to say something and noticed the amused look on my face, and her shoulders relaxed. “You’re hot, island boy. I’ll give you that. So it’s the whole package. Just stick close to me because Tiff is only one of many.”
I nodded and she flashed me a real smile. The kind that made her eyes dance with amusement. “Come on. My friends are right over here,” she said.
I followed her through the crowd. I noticed Rock first. He was sitting at a table facing the stage. Beside him was Dewayne. No sign of Preston or Amanda. I took an easy breath. I could deal with Rock and Dewayne.
Although, I was a little nervous as to how Rock would react to this. I didn’t want to piss that dude off.
My secret would be out after Rock told Jess who I was. She already saw me as a rich boy who was out slumming it. I wasn’t sure her knowing that my brother was Jax Stone would change her view that much. Her not knowing had seemed important to me at first, but now I wasn’t sure she’d change like most girls did once they knew. I was used to girls going from interested in me to obsessed with me the moment they found out who my brother was. Having Jax as a brother normally got me any female I wanted for all the wrong reasons.
I’d know soon enough. If Jess began acting like one of Jax’s crazy fans and getting clingy, I was out of here. This would be our test. I really didn’t want this night to end. I had hopes Jess wasn’t a Jax Stone fan.
Chapter Four
JESS
How did he do it? One sexy, amused grin from Jason and I was completely over being ready to bitch slap Tiff. I wanted to thread my fingers through his, but I didn’t want to scare him off. He seemed to be waiting on me to do something stupid. Or mess up. He didn’t have to say anything—I could see it in his eyes.
“That’s my cousin Rock and one of his best friends, Dewayne,” I told him, not wanting him to think I only had guy friends. Even if that was true, it didn’t sound good. In reality they were Rock’s friends. I had flirted with most of them and pissed off all their women. Except for Rock’s wife, Trisha. She loved me. And then, of course, Amanda. She had never judged me or looked down on me. At school she had always gone out of her way to speak to me and act as if we were good friends. Then a little over a year ago she had decided to take a trip on the wild side and came to me for guidance. Our friendship had been cemented then.
Rock’s eyes met mine and he smiled, and then they shifted to Jason and his smile faded. Was it because he was so obviously not from around here? I would have thought he’d be happy to see me with someone so clean-cut. Actually, anyone other than Hank should have made him smile.
Rock stood up, and I wondered if I should step in front of Jason. Before I could decide what to do, Jason stepped up beside me. “Rock, Dewayne, good to see you both again,” Jason said with a familiar ease. I froze.
This didn’t make sense.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Dewayne said with a loud laugh.
Rock’s frown turned to a scowl. “Want to explain this?” he asked Jason.
“I’m the Porsche,” he replied simply.
Rock’s eyebrows shot up, and he looked at me, then back at Jason. He ran a hand over his shaved head. “Why didn’t I think of that?” he muttered.
I opened my mouth and was about to ask what the hell was going on, when Dewayne let out another hoot of laughter. “Motherfucker! That’s priceless. And you didn’t say a word about it the other night.”
The other night? I turned to Jason, and he gave me an apologetic smile. He knew who I was? He was with Rock the other night? How?