He chuckles. “Fuck, I missed the way you call me names. It used to turn me on. Makes my cock hard now, too. You think you can just pretend you’re innocent? You think you can erase what we were?”
“I didn’t erase anything,” I snap, my voice rising. “And I don’t need your games.”
“Games?” He pulls back, his monstrous red eyes unreadable. “Is that what you call it? You think you can walk away from this? You think I haven’t tried it myself?”
“You… you disappeared.” I say, my voice shaking slightly.
“Disappeared?” He laughs. “I never left this place. I did what I needed to do. You are the one who left, remember?”
“You knew where I was, and you never came looking. You made it pretty obvious you were done with me. So what do you want now, Jax?”
He stares at me for a long moment. “You’re right about one thing,” he says softly. “I knew where you were. I know you dance principal for the City Ballet now, even though you’re still listed as second soloist on their brochure. I know you eat those cheap shrimp noodles on your tiny balcony every Monday after a long rehearsal. I know you have a favorite spot by the window at that little cafe on Elm, the one where you always order the black coffee and pretend to read a book.”
My blood runs cold.How? How could he possibly know any of that?
“So yes,” he continues, his voice roughens, and his eyes burn into me. “I saw you were better off, so I stayed away. But you still have this power over me, and now… seeing you this close again, in this dirty place… I can’t control myself. I need my rabbit fix.”
His hand slides from my hip, his knuckles brushing against the sensitive skin of my stomach before his palm presses flat right above the waistband of my jeans. His thumb hooks into the denim, “Tell me,” he murmurs again, “Is your pussy clenching and soaked for me too, or are you really missing your fiancé on the other side of this door?”
I inhale, “Missing my fiancé,” I lie, and I know he knows. The words feel hollow and brittle.
When he leans in, I’m sure he’s about to kiss me. Instead—the lock clicks.
He steps back, one hand on the door, that familiar taunting grin already forming. “After you,” he says. His eyes flick toward the hallway behind me. “Please, pleeease tell me your fiancé… it’s none other than boring, fucking, gentle Lucas.”
It takes no time for Lucas to rush toward me, pulling me into his arms. “I was—where did you—who’s this?”
“Lucas,” I say tightly. “This is Jax.”
“Well, well,” Jax says smoothly, his eyes glinting with malicious amusement. “Heard a lot about you, Lucas.”
“Funny,” Lucas replies evenly, his jaw tight as he extends a hand. “Because I haven’t heard a word about you. Jax, is it?”
They shake. A silent, territorial battle passes between them.This can’t be good.
“Can I offer you both a drink?” Jax asks, his tone deceptively casual.
“You work here now?” I ask.
“No.” He grins. “Come on. It’s on the house. My bar. You two can be my first customers.”
“Your bar?”
Jax pushes open the side exit. “Still fixing it up,” he says as we step outside. “Soon it’ll be the best place to forget about this city. Thinking about calling it The Pitfall.”
I shake my head, a headache already forming.
“What, you don’t like it?”
“We can’t, Jax,” I say firmly. “We have plans.”
“Come on.” He throws an arm around Lucas’s shoulders. “Don’t you have a second for an old friend? I want to know all about this… engagement.” He squeezes slightly. “What do you say, Lucas? Up for some good old Tar City fun?”
I’m already turning away when I hear Lucas say, “Sure. Why not.”
I look at him, incredulous. “What?”
“You said you wanted me to see this place.”
