JAX (The Beckett Boys #2) - Olivia Chase Page 0,46

control what other people do,” I protest.

“No, you can’t. And I don’t expect you to. But that doesn’t mean I need to keep being okay with this.” She tosses her napkin down. “I’m suddenly not hungry anymore. I want to leave.”

Our plan was to enjoy this dinner and then for her to stay the night at my apartment. Gail already made plans to have her girlfriend crash in their dorm room. “Where the hell do you want to go? You don’t have anywhere else to sleep.”

“I don’t care.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

I toss enough money on the table to cover the wine and appetizer, plus a tip, and we leave. It’s fucking miserable as we get in the car. The whole cab is now filled with our angry tension.

“I can’t believe how you’re acting,” I say as I drive out of the parking lot.

“Oh? And how is that?” There’s ice in her tone, but I don’t care at this point. My own blood is boiling. What is she doing—why is she picking a fight with me right now? What made her choose this to be the blowing up point?

“Are you just trying to end things with me before you graduate next week? Is that what this is about? You know, there are easier ways to break it off with someone.”

“I’m sure you’re an expert at that.”

I pull off the side of the road and put my car in park, glaring at her. “Seriously? That’s how we’re going to play this?”

“We’re not gonna work out,” she says to me. “We’re too different. We want different things.”

“And what is it you want?”

“I want you to…” She stalls off.

“Oh, by all means,” I say, waving my hand in a magnanimous manner. “Please continue.”

“I want you to be someone you’re not.”

“And that’s, what, every other white bread douchebag who settles into a relationship without any reservations?”

Her jaw ticks, and she turns to look away from me. “And what’s wrong with that? That’s how I am.”

“Fuck.” I run a hand through my hair. “I’m not calling you a douchebag. Don’t twist my words.”

We sit in stony silence for a moment.

“I just wanted to have a nice fucking dinner and then have sex. That’s all,” I say. “This was totally unnecessary.”

“Of course it was. Because you don’t do drama, do you. Or complications. God forbid anyone you have sex with possibly has any feelings, right?” She gets out of the car and starts walking away from it.

Fuck that. No, she isn’t. I’m not going to be responsible for her getting hit or kidnapped or whatever. Especially when she’s in…whatever the hell mood this is that’s going on.

I get out and move after her.

I grab her arm and tug her back toward me. “Don’t walk away when we’re talking.”

That makes her explode. She shoves at my chest. “Screw you. I can do whatever I want, right? Just like you can. We’re both free people.”

I’m about at my boiling point. I’m so pissed I want to scream. “You know what you need?” I tell her in a stony tone. “To get your fucking attitude together. You clearly have shit you need to talk about but you haven’t with me. I’m not going to be responsible for that. Grow up, Brooklyn.”

She shoves me again until the backs of my legs hit the front of the car. “You grow up. You’re living like a child, no responsibilities, no attachments. You can’t be Peter Pan forever, Jax. Pull your head out of your ass.”

That does it. I grip her neck and spin her around until her ass hits the hood of the car. The darkness around us is completely silent except for her heavy breathing and the sharp look of anger in her eyes. “One of these days, that mouth is going to get you into trouble,” I growl, and then because clearly I’m insane, and being angry has me all riled up in other ways, I grip her face and tug it to me in a hot kiss.

She sits there for a fraction of a second, unmoving, then she’s clawing at my shirt and ripping it open, buttons popping everywhere. “You’re an ass,” she pants against my mouth.

“You’re too uptight,” I charge right back, tugging down the strap of her dress and taking her nipple in my mouth. I yank her dress up over her thighs and she shifts so I can tug it to her waist. Fuck, fuck, she isn’t wearing any panties, and that pussy is exposed. “Or maybe you’re not as