JAX (The Beckett Boys #2) - Olivia Chase Page 0,29

at our group and shuffles over to grab a bunch of liquor, shaking and stirring and muddling and pouring. He presents three glasses of dark pink drinks in front of us. “I whipped up rum runners for you guys. They’re strong and good and guaranteed to make you smile.”

When we go to dig money out of our purses, he waves us off.

“This round is on the house. I’m just glad to see you, Brooklyn.” Finally, words directed right at me, and there’s so much warmth and intimacy that it makes me flush.

Dianna and Jennifer, drinks in hand, shoot me shocked looks. Cat’s out of the bag now—of course, I figured I’d have to tell them at some point tonight. They recover fast. “Thanks,” Dianna says to him.

We head over to a standup table.

“Okay, you’re going to tell us what’s going on, right?” Jennifer asks, pushing a blond strand of hair behind her ear.

I give a heavy sigh. I don’t really want to talk about it all—partly because I’m afraid if I do, I’m going to give away how conflicted I feel. But I need to say something. So I explain how my cousin married his brother, and how we’ve gone out since then. It’s a little bit of a stretch to call what we’ve done “going out,” but it’s the closest thing I’ve got besides admitting that he’s licked my pussy in my dorm room bed.

Dianna gives me a long look, remaining silent. “I’m surprised,” she finally says. “He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy you normally date.”

“He’s not. It’s not that serious, of course.” Because I already know Jax, and nothing about him is serious. I’m not foolish enough to hope for more. “It was just a one-time encounter.”

I say that, and I act like it was nothing, but I know I’m lying. Because part of me wants to believe he thinks I’m special, too. That I’m different. That I’m worth more than a casual one-off fling. He’ll never want anything other than that though, despite the little piece of my heart that keeps remembering how we dropped those walls in bed. How he revealed vulnerable parts of himself to me. I may be innocent, but I’m decent at reading people. Jax was sharing his genuine self.

“He’s cute, I’ll give you that,” Dianna says with a sidelong glance to Jax. He’s talking up a couple of customers, and looking at him makes me feel both swoony and aroused. Reminds me of how those hands, how that mouth, felt on my naked body.

Why can’t I stop thinking about it? Maybe because it was so intense and amazing and deep down I want more.

“But let’s be real,” Dianna continues in a pitying tone. “He’s totally not your type.”

The words stick under my skin and dig at me, taking away my earlier glow.

Dianna is right, of course. Jax isn’t my type. Nor would he ever want to be. I think he’d rather hang himself than date just one girl. Which is why I can’t let him get any more traction in my heart. I’ve spent the last few days exchanging a couple of texts a day with him. Nothing in particular discussed, just random hellos and flirty quips, but enough to keep him on my mind.

I sip my drink, focusing my attention on the liquid in the cup, and try to act like I’m just fine. But some small part of me wants to cry a little bit. It’s a silly response, but he makes me feel emotional. He makes me feel a lot of things.

Things I don’t want to.

Things I’ve been desperate to.

A warm hand strokes my lower back, in the seam between my low-slung jeans and my top, and I turn around to see Jax standing there. My skin tingles from the contact—he keeps his hand on me. The possessive gesture makes my core clench. God, this man…the things he does to me…

“How are ya, darling? Didn’t expect to see you here.” His voice is low, little more than a rumble, but it makes my skin vibrate.

“We’re having a girls night,” I tell him. I try so hard to fake like I’m not drunk on his presence.

“Here? Interesting choice.” He gives a crooked grin. I know he can see all the emotions on my face, despite me trying to pretend everything is casual.

“To be fair, it’s the only bar I could remember,” I reply flippantly, tossing my hair.

He laughs. Leans close to me, his lips brushing my ear. Feeling