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Jaxon grasped me by the shirt collar, screwed it tight against my neck, and hoisted me up with one hand, pinning me to the wall. I kept my hands up, palms facing outward, making no attempt to fight back.
He readied his colossal fist, drawing it back, the muscles in his arm swelling and twitching. “Her name is Cecilia. And she’s not interested in being your next snack.”
“She’s not a sna—”
Wham! This blow thudded into my nose. The searing pain spread outwards, across my face, and I felt a bit woozy, my feet stumbling. Jaxon pinned me even harder against the wall, readying another strike.
“I deserved that, for my errant behavior. But please wait. Let’s talk about this.”
“Talk?” Cecilia interjected.
Jaxon shook his head. “You’ve been asking for this for a long time, with all the shit you’ve pulled. I’ve been way too tolerant of you.”
I nodded, as best I could, with my bunched-up shirt and his malicious grip blocking the forward motion of my head. “You’re right. Absolutely.” I then appealed to Cecilia. “I apologize, sincerely, for my behavior last night. If I scared you—”
“Scared? Scared? I was terrified!” She was hiding mostly behind the wolf, looking sheepish—ironically—but her tone was sharp, bold.
“And I apologize, a thousand times, sorry. I didn’t think it would be such a long conversation. Girls just usually—well, they actually get attached—straight away. Not you though, dear Cecilia. Your resistance was both surprising and sublime.”
Wham! Another one on the nose. The pain was the sharpest I’d felt in decades, perhaps longer. I moaned.
Cecilia made a small sound of distress, as if sympathizing with my pain.
I looked to her, to her expression of concern. “Do you want him to hit me all day, sweet girl? I’d let him, for you.”
Stepping forward to stand beside Jaxon, her tone softening, but only slightly, she said, “Well, you would deserve it if he did, for behaving that way.”
I creaked another nod. “I would.” My hands still signaling a lack of will to retaliate, I stared at Jaxon. “And I would suffer anything, for my sweet orchid. I’m not fighting back, so get on with it, if that’s what she wants.”
He tensed his arm, readied his fist, the pre-lunge grimace carved into his face. The tanned skin of his knuckles had turned bone white, he was clenching so hard, about to—
“Jax, wait.” She placed a dainty palm on his shoulder and looked at me, nose wrinkling in confusion. “Why are you talking that way?”
“What way?”
“Like…you love me, or something?”
Now she was getting it. “There is no ‘something,’ queen of my heart.”
Jaxon’s grip tightened. “Shut up, you sleazy bastard. I know what you do with girls. It has nothing to do with love.”
“It hasn’t before. And anyway, you’re hardly an angel yourself, Pup.” I gave him a knowing look then turned to Cecilia, as much as Jaxon would let me. “Last time I was up this way, my love, there was another chap. Or has the wolf chased off the bear?”
“We’re just friends.” Cecilia patted Jaxon’s back, like you would pat the back of a buddy, but as she left her hand there and gave his large muscles a squeeze, the gesture looked very loving. “Not that it’s any of your business, you…”
“The name you’re searching for is Xander, please.” I jerked my head towards Jaxon. “If you only heard him address me, you’d think my name was shitbag.”
“Suits you pretty well,” Jaxon snarled.
“Anyway, we’re just friends.” She still had her hand on the pup, who seemed far from pleased at being called just a friend, then she narrowed her eyes on me, frowning. “And you’re far too presumptuous, and you need to respect girls, and not scare the hell out of them, and another thing—”
“Friends, friends, yes, yes. I believe you. Thousands wouldn’t, of course. And I am very sorry about that night.” I really was. I needed to do better for this girl—my lovely, sweet innocent—because my obsession wasn’t going anywhere.
Jaxon released his grip, shoving me hard with both arms, the force sending me several feet along the hallway. “Nobody cares what you think. You apologized. Now fuck off, and don’t come back. Next time I’ll punch you back to Transylvania.”
I snickered. That was a good one, I liked that. But I didn’t like having to leave Cecilia.
“Cecilia?” Boring my gaze into her, I channeled my seductive powers more intensely than I ever had before, in all my countless years on the planet. “Can’t you and I be friends too?”
