His Best Man's Baby (3 page)

“Sorry about that.” He smiled, taking her breath away. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“No worries.” She forced her gaze back to the chips, but with him beside her, she didn’t want to buy anything. “Alise not with you? I thought you two were joined at the hip.” The bucket clattered to the floor and she slapped a hand over her lip, bending to retrieve it. “Damn, I didn’t mean—”

“You don’t like her.” His words were a statement, but she heard his disappointment.

“What I think doesn’t matter. Besides, I shouldn’t have said anything. This is your weekend, and I’m not going to get in the way of that.”

He took the crumpled dollars from her clammy fingers, smoothed them, and fed them into the machine. While she said nothing, he made the selection for her, choosing the Cheetos. “You’re my friend, Tae. I care about what you think.”

She took the offered snack and her change, biting her lip. Warning bells went off in her head.
Keep your mouth shut, Tae. Wish him well. That’s it. Then get your butt back to your room where it’s safe.
“Are you sure about her, Daniel? Marriage is a big commitment, and she doesn’t seem… Well, she seems selfish. Does she love you? Do you love her?”

“Love,” he repeated.

She had said too much. Why couldn’t she mind her own business?

He frowned, his eyes flashing anger. “You talk to me about love, Tae? You turned me down when I asked you to marry me. No, you didn’t just say no or tell me you weren’t ready. You dumped me completely, without warning. Now what are you after? Why are you here? To stop me from being happy? Maybe you want to get back together after all this time.”

She retreated a step. “Excuse me? You invited me!”

He reached for her. “Tae—”

She held up a hand. “I’m sorry. I made a mistake.” She spun on her heel and hurried away, leaving her ice bucket. Let him keep it. Why oh why had she thought this was a good idea? Then to be accused of trying to break Daniel and Alise up because she wanted him back. That was absurd, and she hated knowing he thought that way. His anger was uncalled for, too. He suspected how she felt. Hell, he’d have to be blind and an idiot to think anyone in their right might would like that self-centered bitch he intended to marry.

Tae swiped her key card five times and jiggled the doorknob at her room. Each instance, the stupid light flashed red. She heard steps around the corner, and her heart raced, dread tightening the muscles in her stomach. She didn’t want to face him again and have him see the tears in her eyes.
Stupid, stupid, stupid!

She tried the card again and this time threw the Cheetos on the floor along with the cola. Now the stupid drink would explode when she opened it. She sniffed and swiped a hand across her face. The door swung inward, and she pitched forward and banged her mouth on a hard chest. Squeaking in pain, she tried to right herself, when hands came up to her waist to steady her.

“You want to tell me why you’re crying and trying to break into my room, Tae?”

She glanced up in to Jax’s face, then at the number on the door and realized too late she’d stopped at the wrong door. “Um, my bad.”

She spun to walk away, but he moved in front of her and stooped to gather her snacks. When he had them in hand, he placed fingers at her lower back to guide her farther into his room. The door shut, the automatic lock clicking into place.

Chapter Three

“Here.” Jax pressed a glass into her hand, filled with ice and an amber liquid. “Drink it.”

Tae sniffed the beverage and wrinkled her nose. “I only drink vodka.”

In answer he placed a finger on the bottom of the glass and tilted it toward her lips. Tae took a small sip, and the alcohol burned its way down her throat. Even though the taste was horrible, the effect was immediate. She felt light-headed but a little more relaxed. Another sip warmed her belly, and she walked over to take a seat at the table. Jax’s room matched hers, but where she’d folded her things into the dresser, from the looks of it, he’d left his in his suitcase. At least he’d hung a garment bag in the open closet, which she assumed carried his clothes for the wedding. The jacket and shirt he’d worn earlier that evening had been slung over a chair, and he stood bare-chested and barefoot.

“Aren’t you going to put some clothes on?” she questioned him, casting her gaze away from him.

“You’re the one who invaded my room.”

“I believe
you
abducted
me
.”

He grinned, and she matched it with one of her own. “That’s better. No more tears but tell me. Why were you crying?”

“I wasn’t,” she lied, and then she sighed. Another sip of the drink, and he nabbed it from her hands. She frowned. “I wasn’t done with that.”

“I see it going to your head.”

She waved a hand. “I’m fine.” The slightest slur to her words made her wonder if he was right. “If you must know, I was falsely accused of trying to break up Daniel and Alise.”

Jax’s brows rose toward his hairline. “By who, Alise?”

She giggled. “That would have been drama, wouldn’t it? No, by Daniel.”

“Tae.” Jax’s voice held a warning.

She clenched her hands into fists. “Don’t ‘Tae’ me. I did not try to break them up! I would never do anything to hurt Daniel.”

“But you admit you still love him.”

She fell silent and looked away.

Jax strode over to the minifridge and rummaged inside. In a few minutes he’d made her another drink, this time just orange juice. Tae accepted it with her thanks. Jax made something for himself, downed it in a couple swallows, and poured another. He took the seat opposite her, and Tae put her glass up to her mouth. Over the edge, she took in his wide chest, noting the smooth and taut skin with no hair. She liked a hairless chest rather than the carpets some men sported.

“I’m your friend too,” Jax said. “Talk to me.”

“We’ve never had a confession type of relationship.”

“No reason we can’t start now.”

She kicked her sandals off and drew her feet up. Jax looked down at her toes, and she was thankful she’d gotten a pedicure before coming. “I do have unresolved feelings for him. That’s not a crime.” Damn, she sounded defensive, but Jax waited for her to continue. “He asked what I thought of her. I told him I didn’t see the love.”

“Fuck, tell me you didn’t say that, Tae.”

She couldn’t help the whimper. “I did. I’m such an idiot. I promise you, it wasn’t my intention to break them up. When I turned down Daniel’s proposal, I thought I was doing the right thing.”

A curious expression came on his countenance, one she couldn’t identify. He set his glass down and toyed with it. “So you feel you made a mistake?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You’re not denying it.”

“He’s getting married, Jax. Whatever I feel doesn’t matter. Anyway, I don’t know why I’m telling you all this. You’re his best friend.”

His green gaze met hers. “What you tell me tonight is between me and you.”

“Really?”

“Scout’s honor.”

“Boy, please. You were never a scout.”

He chuckled and winked. Her nerves settled a bit more.

“Since you shared with me, I’ll do the same.”

Tae tilted her head to the side, studying him. Jax had always seemed open about what he wanted. He didn’t bite his tongue or go along with the crowd. He had no shame even when others tried to judge him. One would wait an eternity for an apology for being what he was. “You have secrets? Don’t tell me you don’t like Alise either. No, wait. You do like her, and you’ve been keeping it from Daniel, heartbroken that you’ll never get to be with her.”

“Funny.”

She shrugged. “Anything’s possible.”

“Sure,” he agreed. “You’re right. The woman I’m interested in does belong to Daniel, in a sense.”

“I don’t get it. Is there some oth—” She froze. “Are you serious?”

“Is it so hard to believe? You’re incredibly beautiful and very sexy. Does my admission disgust you?” When he looked at her breasts, she resisted raising a hand to them, both turned on by his interest and confused by it. She and Jax had always flirted, but she’d never thought he was for real. Just because Daniel had dated black women didn’t mean Jax would find them attractive enough to take to bed.

She cast her gaze toward the floor, a tingle starting between her legs that she’d like to blame on the alcohol. “Not at all.”

Jax stood up to make her another drink, this time with vodka, and Tae accepted it. She took her feet out from under her and crossed one leg over the other. Jax downed another drink and stretched his arms over his head. The bastard knew what he did, she thought, amused as she watched the ripple of corded muscle.

“Have you been with anyone since Daniel?”

She choked on her drink and pounded her chest coughing. Jax rushed over and patted her back. He brushed close to her side, and she felt the heat from his body, but only concern registered in his expression. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Thanks.”

“You can ignore my question.”

“No, I haven’t,” she admitted after a few minutes of silence.

Jax hadn’t moved from the side of her chair. Now he leaned over her, his mouth so close she felt his hot breath on her neck. She dared not look up at him, but he had no such qualms when he grasped her chin and raised it. A tremor raced through her body at his touch, but still she kept her lashes lowered. Jax’s thumb teased her bottom lip, and she had the most ridiculous desire to suck on it.

“You need to get him out of your system.”

She didn’t know what made her say, “I suppose you think you’re the one to do it?”

He closed the breath of space between them and kissed her. Tae’s lips parted of their own accord, and she dipped her head farther back before her mind caught up with what she did. She raised her hands to push him away, but her will snagged on the feel of his warm skin beneath her fingertips.

“Make no mistake,” he intoned, “if I took you, another man would not enter your mind.”

“Y-You…” She cleared her throat. “You’re pretty confident. Every man can’t please me sexually.” What the heck was she saying? No way she’d show a man of Jax’s physical perfection her lumpy body with the stretch marks and cottage-cheese thighs. Hell, she’d been terrified of showing Daniel, but when she did, she’d been a size smaller, and he loved her at the time.

Jax dropped a hand to her shoulder and then moved it down her arm until he reached her hip. When he slid it around to her belly, her pussy clenched. She bit her lip as he massaged a spot above her clit, not even touching it, but so close it drove her insane.

“I could drop to my knees right now and eat you until you scream.”

She shivered and shut her eyes. “I should go back to my room.”

“Is that what you want?”

“Um.”

He pinched the button open on her jeans and lowered the zipper. She had a sudden urge to say if they were going to have sex, she needed the light turned off. That would deny her too. She wanted to see him, to take in his sexy body and to see his cock. From the beginning, even when she and Daniel were hot and heavy, she’d noticed how Jax had seemed to be hung. Were women dropping at his feet because he had everything they wanted and knew how to use it? Or did he have the equipment and thought he knew how to please a woman but was more about getting his? She couldn’t help desiring to find out for herself.

Jax eased a hand inside her jeans, and she didn’t stop him. He flattened his palm against her pussy on the outside of her panties. His fingers pressed to her bud and her slit, but he didn’t go farther than that. He nibbled her earlobe, tugged it between his teeth, and then licked the sensitive spot behind it. She arched against him, her eyes shut.

“You don’t have to be nervous,” he whispered.

Her eyes flew open. “I’m not.”

He drew away and looked into her face. She stared back, and the denial died on her lips. “Is this the charm you use to get what you want?”

He smiled. “I’ve been with all types of women.”

Wow, she didn’t care to hear that, but it sobered her. If she wanted this, the decision would be a conscious one, with an awareness that this was about sexual pleasure, forgetting the past, and like Jax said, getting Daniel out of her system.

Well, here goes nothing.

Tae pushed Jax back, and he didn’t resist. He pulled his hand out of her pants and stood. Tae did as well, and she crossed her arms to grab both sides of her T-shirt to pull over her head.

Jax’s moan a low rumble, he stretched a finger toward her bra and hooked the tip between her breasts. A slight tug told her of his eagerness to get a better view. “Take it off.”

She swallowed. Her breasts weren’t as perky as they’d been before she hit thirty a year ago, but they weren’t bad either. She liked the D cups. They were heavy, and her nipples were nice and big. After dropping the bra to the floor, she waited for his reaction.

“Damn,” he muttered. She could tell nothing from the one word until he cupped her breasts, weighing them in large palms, his gaze locked onto her nipples. Just having him stare like that sent an arrow of desire between her legs and made the small buds pucker in readiness of his touch. Jax still held her breasts in his hands when he brushed thumbs over the tips. He said no more but stepped closer and lowered his head. She anticipated the pleasure, her lashes fluttering and her head dipping back. He closed lips over one nipple, and she cried out. Her reaction must have unhinged his need because he snaked an arm around her waist and jerked her off her feet, crushing her against his length. With her feet dangling in the air, he devoured her breast, at first kissing the swollen mound and then sucking the peak between hungry lips. He flicked his tongue across the most sensitive area and then captured it to bite down. Tae dug her fingernails into his shoulders, gasping for breath. She couldn’t believe she came so close to an orgasm, and she wasn’t even naked yet.

“I’ve been wanting you a long time,” Jax growled when he raised his head. The intensity in his gaze made her shiver. “Now I’m going to have you, and I’m not stopping until my need has been sated.”