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Emma
Iset the phone down on the island with only one focus: Jax. Gorgeous, intelligent, perfect, all words to describe him. Passionate. Intense. Dominant. Powerful. Gentle. Tender. Who is all of those things? What girl is lucky enough to find that man? What girl is unlucky enough to lose him this quickly?
“I was selfish,” I admit. “I never even considered that my past could come back on you. York was gone from my life, and then suddenly, you were here, but he was back, too. And you and I were all kinds of right and—”
“We still are, baby. He doesn’t change that.”
“He does, Jax.He does.”
He steps toward me, and I step back.
“Emma—”
“Listen.” I hold up a hand. “I need to say this and then make the call to York, Jax. I need to try to do some kind of damage control. So just listen, because it’s going to be hard to get it out. Please.”
“I’m listening. I’m right here.”
“Okay. You’re listening. And I’m talking.” I bite my lip and look away, telling myself to just do this. Do it, Emma. I force my gaze back to his. “He was a normal guy fighting for his father’s approval, and, on that, we connected. Then his father died and—he changed.” I blow out a breath. “How did he change, you ask?” I laugh, a choked bitter laugh. “Not the average way someone might change. He started holding sex parties on his boats. Really raunchy sex parties. He’s going to connect me to those.” I hug myself, embarrassment and shame overtaking me, tears sliding down my cheeks. “I went,” I say, and somehow, I’m rambling and can’t stop the words from falling out of my mouth. “I went to some of the parties. I didn’t do things. I was just there, but I saw things. Okay, and I dressed sexy. He made me. No. I wanted to please him, and I was clearly lost and confused. My father and the company and it doesn’t matter. What matters is that I’m pretty sure he filmed everything, so I wore those outfits. I was there, and it looked like I was loving it, but I hated it so much. I hated those damn parties, but he was the only person I was connected to. I thought I loved him, and my family—I didn’t seem to fit. I went along with him. I didn’t want to lose him. I was pathetic. Embarrassingly pathetic, but I tried to get out. I tried and that’s when things went really wrong.”
Suddenly, Jax is in front of me, folding me close, sliding his hand over my hair. “You are not pathetic. You’re human. And you left him.”
“You don’t understand. I had—” I swallow hard, “I had—” I press my hand to my forehead. “Something happened. Something bad, Jax. And I can’t. I can’t do this now.”
He cups my face. “Then don’t. I know enough. You feel like there might be photos. You feel like this could hurt your hotel brand.”
“It will. Jax, it will, especially after my brother just took over, and this will be seen as our brand falling apart. We’re aluxury brand. This will hurt us. And if you’re connected to me romantically, it’s going to hurt you, too. Let me go home.”
“Youare home, baby. You just don’t know it yet.”
“You don’t get how bad this is, Jax.”
“I get it. All of it, even beyond what you’ve said. I’ve put it together. I know what he did to you.”
“You don’t know. You don’t know.”
“I know enough, Emma. And know this, baby, I will not betray you. I will not cause you pain or fear. I am always your friend, and I hope, a whole lot more. I got you. I got this.” He kisses me, lips to lips, a kiss that is tender, strong, warm. A kiss that is filled with all the possibilities that I can’t believe still exist. And when his lips part mine, for just a few moments, we linger there, breathing together. “We don’t end here.” His fingers caress my hair from my face, brushing it behind my ear. “I’ll be right back. Don’t make that call. Trust me to handle this.I got this.” He starts to pull away, and my heart lurches.
I grab his sleeve. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to handle York Waters.”
“No. He’s evil, and there’s more. Jax, there’s more I need to tell you.”
“Tell me the rest your way, when you’re ready. He doesn’t get to force that on you now, too.” He strokes my hair. “I know just what to do now to control York, but I need to talk to Savage now.”
“Yes, but—” He kisses me and strides away.
“Wait!” I call out desperately.
He pauses at the archway to face me, and I all but reach in my mouth and yank out what comes next. “The night that I told him no,” I say. “The night that I tried to walk away, things happened to me. Bad things, Jax. There could be photos.”
His eyes narrow and darken, and he closes the space between me and him, catching my hips. “He raped you.”
I nod, and my eyes burn. “He tied me up. He shared me. It was, it was so bad.”
The air crackles with anger, his anger, and his hands go to my face. “Remember when I told you, you convinced me revenge wasn’t necessary. I was wrong. Revenge is going to taste good, to both of us. Don’t do anything. I’ll handle this.”
“I need to call my brother.”
