Jaxson (3 page)

Jax had learned long ago the best way to make a woman relax was getting her to talk about herself. Especially around him. “So who taught you to dance?”

“Huh? Oh, my mother. She used to perform at a Luau years ago.”

“How long have you been dancing now?”

“Since I was three. Even performed in the Merry Monarch a couple times.”

He smiled. Jax was a man with a hard fast preference for dusky women that danced. “Tell me about it, I’m all ears.”

*****

Several feet away in the kitchen, Pua looked over at Kehau and Jax talking and smiled.

“They’re trying too hard.”

“At what?” Carli asked, filling the sink with hot water and soap.

“Acting like they’re not interested in each other?”

“Oh?”

“He’s only had eyes for her since he got here. Yeah, he looked us over. But he wants Kehau. And she can’t stop checking him out either.”

“He is an impressive specimen,” Carli said appreciatively.

“I won’t argue that. But Kehau sees him as a protector. She was getting hurt, and he saved her.”

“So you think that’s all this is? An infatuation with a rescuer?”

Pua shook her head. “No. But it’s up to him to ask her.” She looked outside once more. “Kehau’s got a clashing personality. She likes being submissive to men with authority and power, but it has to be on her terms. That’s part of why she and Sione broke up, he wouldn’t let her be herself.”

“You think Jax will?”

“Don’t know. He’s hard to read. Except when he’s mad. Then it’s obvious. He wants you to know he’s mad. He wants to put the fear of God in you. Remember when Sione stabbed him at the gym?”

“Yeah, and he kept fighting. I didn’t get it. Paper cut and I’m done.”

“He was so mad he didn’t feel the knife. He was still mad when he pulled it out. Didn't slow him down at all.”

“That's kinda scary,” Carli admitted.

“But he’s not insane either. Look at him. Totally in control.”

“So what is he?”

“Not somebody I want pissed at me. And we’re not letting him play poker with us.”

Eventually, Pua and Carli left to take care of errands, leaving Jax and Kehau sitting on the
l
â
nai
soaking up the sun, deep in conversation
. Neither seemed to notice that they were totally alone.

*****

Back inside the house,
Jax checked his watch after he’d drained his glass once more, then looked seriously at Kehau
.

“I know you’ve had a long morning so far, but are you busy tonight?”

Kehau had a good idea of what he was going to ask, but she needed to hear him say it.

“Not yet, no.”

“Would you like to go on a date with me?”

Her heart leaped
.
Got to play it cool
.
Hard to get
.
Just because he rescued me doesn’t mean I’ll throw myself at his feet
.

“What did you have in mind?”

“Dunno, except that I’ll pick you up around
six
and we’ll go from there.”

He really doesn’t want to take no for answer.

“I’ll see you then
,
Jax.”

“Okay
.
Oh and you’ll want to take a nap soon
.
Good idea after all that adrenaline wears off.”

He gave her that smile again, the loving one, and she thought she’d melt, even as he closed the door behind him, and Kehau sat down hard
.
This wasn’t possible
.
She was really going on a date with Mr
.
Too-Good-To-Be-True
!
Pulling out her phone, she shot out text messages to Pua and Carli
since she just realized they had left. She could go and join them but then she thought of what Jax had said to her.

Right now though, I’m going to go take that nap like he suggested.

As if “nap” were a magic trigger word, she yawned loudly in the empty house
.

“A nap sounds perfect
,
” Kehau announced to nobody in particular
.
“Too bad he didn’t stick around to help carry me to bed.”

Good Golly Miss Molly, sure like to ball

Oh, when you're rocking and rolling

Can hear your mama call

Little Richard

Kehau was still wondering what to wear for her date when she got in the shower a few hours later
.
The rush of warm water over her skin conjured up images of Jax, wearing only those brief olive green shorts in the hot tub
.
What the hell is wrong with me
?
Great
,
he's smoking hot and he asked you on a date, so what?

When she came out of the bathroom though, Kehau was surprised to see two more friends helping Carli and Pua pick out an outfit for her
.
Nikole,
who was African American/Chinese
and Marissa
, which everyone called
“Mormon” Marissa
. She
was perhaps the best-behaved woman in Kehau’s immediate circle of friends
.
A quiet unassuming girl from Hauula, she had moved in a year ago with Pua as a means of escaping her alcoholic father.

"Oh good you're done, come try this on
,
" Pua chirped as she shoved a skirt toward her
.

"What's going on?" Kehau asked, just before a blouse hit her face
.

"We invited Marissa and Nikole to help us get you ready
,
" Carli said nonchalantly.

"Do I get choice in this?" Kehau asked
, chuckling.

"Not a chance
,
" Marissa declared cheerfully
.

By the time they were finished she felt as if she'd been pulled
in
a thousand directions
for
the last three hours
.
But she
had to admit, she
looked good
.
The women had settled on a white and green sundress, with strappy cork wedges
.
Marissa, their make
-
up specialist, had gone to work with the quick movements that she used backstage to get theater cast members ready, creating cat eyes that ran the spectrum from a pale whitish green to the same dark emerald color as the dress.

“Let’s be real
,
cuz
,
” Nikole asked as she dug through her bag
.
“How much would you like this guy to play with your hair?”

“She’d like him to play
alright, and I'm sure she wouldn't mind letting him
play
with some other parts of her too
,
” Carli said jokingly
.

“Oh really?” Nikole said
with surprise,
her
interest clearly perked.

“You seen the Rock
,
cuz
?
He looks like the Rock’s twin
,
” Carli replied
.

“Pictures?”

“No!” Kehau exclaimed at the same time that Pua said
“
Yes
,”
producing her phone.

“Oh very nice
.
Wouldn’t mind him playing with my hair either
,
” Nikole said suggestively
, her eyebrows moving up and down
.
Then, p
ulling a brush and a bottle out of the bag, she spent the next
thirty
minutes teasing Kehau’s hair into a light, curly mass that
was
soft
to the touch
.

Damn
,
I look good
,
Kehau thought as she looked herself over in the bedroom mirror
.
Please
,
God, let him like it too
.
She smoothed her dress, looking for any last dust motes
when the doorbell rang
.

"I'll get it!" Pua yelled from downstairs
.
Kehau heard the door swing open
.
A long pause followed
before she heard Pua speak again,
"Kehau
…
You’ve got a visitor."

What the hell
?
Something was going on and I plan to get to the bottom of it.

Heart beating faster than she thought possible, Kehau moved slowly down the stairs
.
Jax came into sight and she felt her whole body freeze in shock
.
Men weren't supposed to look this good outside of movies
!
Solid dark wash blue jeans that fit him snugly in all the right places and came down over the
top
of scuffed up black
motorcycle
boots
.
A simple gray shirt with sleeves neatly rolled halfway up his biceps showed off his massive arms in perfect detail beneath a black leather vest
.
If it hadn't been for the four women standing in the entryway with their jaws on the ground, she was fully prepared to ravish him right the hell there
.
Dear God,
she prayed fervently
,
please forgive me for all the things I'm going to do tonight
.

*****

For the second time that day, Jax walked up to her door
.
He raised his hand to knock on it but thought better, and rang the bell instead
.
His door
knock
ing
was an ingrained habit from
the
years of
having to do so
in places where people wanted him dead
. A habit that more than saved his live once or twice. However, n
ot at all the right way to start a date.

After a moment, the door swung wide open
.
"Come on in, Kehau is
—
" whatever else Pua had to say died on her lips
.
The women right behind her
looked at him but said nothing
as well
.

Damn
,
I'm good
.
At the sound of footsteps on the stairs, he looked up in time to see impossibly long tan legs
headed down the stairs.
Whatever line he was preparing died instantly as
he watched the rest of the body attached to the legs come
fully into view
.
This woman could make sandbags look sexy
.
Every curve was put on display in the light, flowing dress
.
Can't decide what I like more
—the dress
or the bikini?

Trying hard to regain his composure
,
he looked at the wall just above her head
.
"Ready to go?"

Kehau smiled back at him
.
"Yes
.
Hope I'm dressed right for whatever
you have planned
."

He shot her a lopsided grin
.
"I'll let you be the judge of that
,
" as he offered his arm
.
"Milady, our chariot awaits."

"Lead on.”
She threw him a smile
.
“Johnny Rocket."

His groin tightened as heat ran through his veins
.
People had used that nickname for years
.
Nobody ever made it sound so good as she did now
!
And the crazy part is, I don’t think she’s trying to be seductive
.
She just naturally is.

He followed her out the door while the other women stood in the entrance watching them.

"What is that thing?" Kehau asked, eyeing the strange four-wheeled contraption by the curb.

"It's a Brimstone Quad-cycle."
He held up a light leather jacket
.
"Go ahead and throw this on."
He eyed her lush figure for a moment
before saying under his breath, "
It might fit."

"So where are we going?"
Kehau looked at him expectantly.

"Gonna get shave ice up on North Shore in Haleiwa.
"

It took her a moment to realize what he was saying
.
“Matsumoto’s
place
?”

“Uh-huh.”

"Well
,
when you put it that way, what are we waiting for?"

Jax shook his head ruefully
.
"Kahuku girls
. So predictable."

Straddling the bike and gathering her dress in the middle as to not flash her goodies to everyone they passed, she sat
down behind him,
wrapping
her arms around his waist and
scooting
in close
r.
Whatever he was wearing for cologne, smelled delicious
.
She breathed
him
in, enjoying the feel of his wide, hard chest beneath her hands
.
It was one thing to see it from across a hot tub
.
But to run your hands over it
?
To feel that rapid heartbeat pulsing under the dense pectorals
?
It's a good thing I chose panties over a thong
,
Kehau realized belatedly
.
Everything about this man smells right and feels right
.
And that just turns me on even more
.
The engine roared, vibrating at a steady bass-note thrum
.
Both booted feet came up as he shifted into first gear and headed into the night.

Traffic stayed light as he drove down the Like
like
Highway and into Hawaii Kai
.
It bypassed the traffic headed south to Waikiki for the nightlife along the Strip, considerably lessening the time they sat waiting stuck in bumper to bumper traffic snarls
.
Finally, as they began to move around the Hawaii Kai peninsula toward
Hanunama
Bay, Jax brought the speed down so they could enjoy the view as they went along
.

Even in the darkness, she could make out the white
-
capped waves rolling in against the sandy beach
.
Surfers waited on their boards, hoping to get one last wave in before they called it a night and spear-fishers could vaguely be seen bringing their catches
in.

At first Kehau had been incredibly tense, probably worried she might fall off the back of the quad
.
By the time they made it up onto Old Kamehameha Highway, she had relaxed her death grip, even if she couldn't wrap her arms all the way around his chest
.
Jax l
ooked down at her fingers, every
so often
.
French tips with a dazzle of red glitter
.
Wonder what they’d feel like if she used them on my back
.
Something about feeling a woman dragging well-groomed nails down
and
across his back muscles, leaving behind a trail of welts was absolutely wonderful
.
It turned him on every time
.
It’s also impossible for me to scratch the itch in that one spot in the middle of my back properly
.
But a woman can hit it right
.
Every time.

Truth be told, he was having the time of his life
.
A beautiful woman, the Brimstone was running smooth
ly
, and the weather was great
.
Now if only I could do something about my raging damned hard
-
on
, all would be good.
An hour worth of driving with Kehau's large breasts
and crotch
pressed into his deltoids
and hips
was enough to drive all the blood in his body straight to his crotch
.
Even in a pair of Cinch jeans, it wasn
’
t helping the situation at all
.
If I don’t get lucky tonight, my dick may commit mutiny.

It also didn't help that her hands were gradually slipping lower and lower down his torso
.
This is the part where Gunny Adams would tell me to shut up and enjoy it
.
Oh well, guess I can't argue with that
.
It had been a long minute since he
'd
got
ten
laid though
.
His work schedule kept him busy at all hours, and no woman in her right mind would just sit around waiting for him to come home from another trip somewhere
.

He turned his head to look at something and her lips brushed across the edges of his ear
.
That
got his attention
in a hurry.
Whisper dirty phrases in my ear too while you’re at it
,
he mused
.
Yep, Gunny'd definitely have gotten a kick out of this.

Up ahead on the right, he could make out the white cross atop St
.
Joachim's, the tiny Catholic Church on North Shore
.
Wish you could see me now
,
Gunny
.
He crossed himself as they drove past the church
.
He did it every time, a silent salute in respect to the man that saved his life that day in al-Nasiriya
.

Wish you could have been with us the day Baghdad fell
.
You deserved it
,
Gunny
.
And the boys did you proud in Fallujah.

"Is everything okay?" Kehau asked, suddenly concerned
when she felt him tense slightly
.

"Sure thing
.
We're almost there
,
"
taking a deep breath to relax his body.

"Oh good
.
I'm g
etting hungry for that shave ice
you promised."

Twenty-five minutes later, they pulled into the park
ing lot at Matsumoto's Shave Ice
shop.

"I thought Matsumoto's was closed by now?" Kehau asked.

"Nope, I'm friends with the owners
.
They have an order waiting for us."
Jax stood up, leaving his leather gloves behind on the seat
.
Reaching down, he lent Kehau a hand to stand up.

"Oh, thank you."

"You're welcome."
Though I love seeing your legs on display like that
.
The most perfect legs ever
.
Tan, muscular, and she’d definitely shaven them recently
from the shine, indicating recently lotioned skin.
He’d ran his arm across them while he was driving just to see how they felt
.
Smooth as glass
.
The sort of legs a man caressed and teased half the night as he worked his way up her inner thighs, making her moan his name long and loud
. And repeatedly.

Mentally, Kehau waged an argument with herself
.
He’s so courteous it’s insane
.
Which doesn’t add up with how he beat Sione like he did
.
It doesn’t make any sense at all
,
she fumed.

Sitting down together, he handed her
a massive plastic flower
bowl
.
"Piña Colada and li hi
ng
mui with mango ice cream and all the trimmings."

"How did you know I liked all this?” she said, surprised.

“Good guess
." At her raised brow he confessed, "
And I asked your roommates
while I was at
the house earlier
today
.”

But you remembered it too
! No man she had ever been with listened never mind remembering or even caring about anything she liked.

“Hard to forget what a pretty woman likes
.
Especially when they’re nice like you are.
"

That earned him another smile as Kehau tried to cover up her embarrassment at
his
statement, and a leg inadvertently sliding across his calf
, causing a shiver to run through his body
.
This girl definitely has an effect on me.

“So you know,” he said in between bites. “You look absolutely gorgeous tonight.”

Kehau couldn’t remember the last time Sione had taken her for a drive
.
Just a drive
.
With nowhere
in mind
to go, nowhere to be,
and
no responsibilities
.
Instead everything had revolved around him
:
photo shoots, a meeting with an NFL agent, scouts, blogger interviews
.
Looking back, she realized she had been his arm candy, but even then, he rarely acknowledged the work she put into looking nice for him
.
And Jax thinks I look beautiful even with a busted up face.

Now though, to be the center of attention, to have a powerful, capable man doing everything he could to please her, and make sure she was happy
?
A woman could get used to this
.
She licked up a scoop of coconut cream-covered shave ice
.
Very used to this
.
Especially when
the man is
this good looking
.
I’m so glad we stopped for shave ice
.
Every little thing he does just makes me hotter and
wetter! I should have brought an extra pair of panties with me.