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“I hope to see you again, Mariana. Perhaps I’ll contact you?”
She smiled, and that pissed Jameson off big-time.
No, she won’t be calling you. She’s ours.
He kissed her on the cheek and walked out of the room.
“I can call Benny or Alvin. My purse is here,” she said as she reached for her black clutch that sat on the rug by the table.
“No need to. We let Benny go, over an hour ago,” Jax replied. He stared at Mariana, and she immediately noticed it.
“Then I’ll call a cab,” she said as she began to walk. Jax stepped in front of her and gently held her in place by her hips. She stared up into his eyes as Jameson moved closer, too.
She was looking between both of them. From where Jameson stood, he knew she was intimidated. Anyone in their right mind would be. He and his brother were tall and big men. They both believed they carried themselves well, and right now Jax was still on alert and in security mode.
“We will escort you to Freda’s. She is waiting on you. You’ll change and then we’ll bring you home.”
Her lips parted, as she was about to object when he pulled her against his chest.
He had trouble catching his breath.
“I’ve never been so scared,” Jax whispered over the top of her head.
“Neither have I,” she replied softly, then looked up into Jax’s eyes. He brushed his thumb across her bottom lip.
“Why don’t we skip Freda’s, tell her you’re okay, and bring you back to our place? There’s things for us to discuss and now is as good a time as any.”
Jameson held his breath, waiting for her decline but was shocked when she held Jax’s gaze and whispered a soft “okay.”
Chapter 8
Mariana didn’t know why she said okay to Jax’s suggestion or demand or whatever it was. He looked so angry, and so did Jameson, that she should be fearful, but instead, she had that burning in her belly. It was so crazy. She was attacked, and it could have been worse if both men hadn’t come to her rescue or if she hadn’t hit that safety button. She shivered at the thoughts.
Stealing a glance at both men, she thought they were incredibly good looking. They seemed to care, but there was also this underlying control in their tones of voices and the way they did things. It was a dominance, and beyond just boss or leader aura. It both intimidated her and turned her on. Her body was a sure giveaway to the attraction of that control they seemed to emit.
Yet, they also seemed to care about her. Was it foolish for her to want that, to want someone, or two, to care about her safety? Perhaps she was reading into her reasoning too much. Sure, she was afraid for them to see where she lived, so going back to her place was a huge no. Then she didn’t want Freda to see her injuries. The poor woman would be so displeased, and she didn’t want to cause Freda any heartache. She had done so much for her.
“Come with us,” Jax whispered then wrapped an arm around her shoulders. They exited through a back door, and she was grateful. She really didn’t want the guests to see her. Not with her ripped dress and all.
She was oversensitive to everything happening. She was in tune to the darkness of the night as both men flanked either side of her body and whisked her off into the night. All the guests were still inside the estate. She would be completely alone with them shortly. The thought made her body tighten, and her nipples felt so oversensitive and hard, and this turned her on. She was definitely sexually attracted to these two strong, wealthy and resourceful men. As they walked, she would feel one of their thighs brush against her hip, and it felt like a sting of warmth and something more radiated through her skin.
She heard Jameson speaking into his cell phone as they headed across the walkway and into another clearing behind the house. Finally they approached an area
where cars and limos were parked. She heard Jameson, and he was speaking to Freda. He kept repeating that Mariana was okay and that they were taking care of her. Her belly did a series of somersaults as Jax stopped next to a Range Rover.
She was going to reach for the handle on the back door, but Jax opened the front passenger door for her to get in. She did and he closed the door as Jax got into the driver side and Jameson hopped into the backseat.
“Freda said she will call you tomorrow. She asked if you needed anything, to please call her.” Jameson sounded as though he was speaking through clenched teeth, but it was dark and she couldn’t see his face.
As Jax pulled out of the parking lot and onto the highway, she began to question her decision. Why expose herself to more disappointment tonight? Even if something wonderful happened between her, Jax, and Jameson, it would change the moment reality arrived on the scene. In her case, it would be when she got back to her apartment.
She closed her eyes and only jerked a moment when Jax took her hand into his own and squeezed. His reassurance did more than just quicken her heart rate. She had never been so in tune to two people in her life. Their masculinity encompassed the inside of the vehicle. She closed her eyes and allowed the scent to caress her body with each inhale of breath she took. She pulled the lapel of the tuxedo jacket closer to her face. It smelled like Jameson. She clutched it tightly with her free hand. It aroused her entirely too much to know that Jameson sat quietly in the seat directly behind her and that Jax stared straight ahead, determined to get home instead of bothering to force a conversation based on nonsense.
She could be making a huge mistake right now, but her body was overruling her mind. She had always been a pessimist and allowed bad thoughts to rule her actions. Not now. Not tonight. Something amazing happened between her and Jax earlier in the evening. His kiss lingered in the back of her mind. Then, as Jameson embraced her and offered her his coat, she felt that spark of respect, acknowledgement of sincere care, and it egged her on to take a chance at what they offered. Whatever it was. No matter how bizarre.
Of course as the car rolled to a stop, she blinked open her eyes in time to realize that the men lived in one of that largest, most elite apartment buildings in Houston.
She swallowed hard as Jax parked the car and she pulled her hand away and clutched the jacket.
