Page 81 of Savage

“Well, I can’t imagine they’ll be happy with us being together.” The words felt wrong in my mouth but I was trying to be rational.

Jaxon leaned back in his seat and took a swig from his pint of beer. “And that’s fine. Their house their rules and all that shit. We have separate rooms, but they can’t stop us from seeing each other. Look, I’m not suggesting I fuck you over the dining room table or anything. We can be discreet and private, but just not have to hide that we’re together.” A warmth spread over my body as he’d already done that. When the house was empty of course.

I loved the idea of being able to tell people we were together and Jaxon being on board proved that he wasn’t ashamed of me.

“I’ll have to eat humble pie,” I suddenly batted out there, thinking of what I’d said to my mother.

His brows drew together. “Why?”

Pursing my lips, I explained, “I told Daisy I wasn’t interested in you that way.”

He shot me a saucy, conceited grin. “You little liar.”

Rolling my eyes, I smiled. “Alright, big head.”

Jaxon placed his pint on the table and rolled his massive shoulders before saying in a haughty, self-serving tone. “I’ve always known you liked me,” he bragged.

I puffed out my chest. “Whatever.”

His voice then dropped and he leaned over the table and took my hands in his. Rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand. “And you know I’ve always liked you.”

I felt like throwing my head back and cackling like a mental person. How wrong he was but I went with, “Now I do. You were such a shit to me. How could I have known back then?”

He continued to stroke my skin, sending a shiver up my arm before he lowered his head, those eyes of his, drilling into me. “I know and I’m sorry. It was a self-preservation thing.”

I decided not to get into that there and then and so moved my hands to place them over his, and with a squeeze said, “Let’s do it then.”

His expression instantly switched and his eyes glimmered. “Sweet. I’m glad you agreed, as I’ve checked your course term dates and I’m taking you away at Christmas.”

I withdrew my hands and dropped them into my lap as I sat up in surprise. “Really?”

Jaxon smiled at the waitress as she started to remove our plates. She eyed him like one of her ovaries was about to burst. Keep on walking bitch, I thought to myself but Jaxon drew my thoughts into safer waters.

“I’m taking you to Prague and we wouldn’t have been able to hide that from Marcus.”

I managed to refrain from jumping up and down in my seat like a school kid. “Prague, oh my gosh. Why wouldn’t we have been able to hide that from Marcus?”

“It’s his apartment we’ll be staying in.”

My mouth dropped open as I hadn’t realised that the properties my stepfather owned included somewhere in Prague. “Oh, OK. Well, I’ve always wanted to go there.”

“I know. That’s why I’m taking you. Well, that and all the depraved things I’m going to do to you when we’re there.”

The crack in my heart disappeared and I felt confidence in our relationship thrum through me.

As we made our way back home in Jaxon’s car, we discussed when to tell our parents the news. We both agreed that the morning was best. Daisy, Marcus, and Chris would only just have returned from their trip and there was every chance Molly would still be at the house. I told Jaxon that I’d prefer it if he told her separately as I didn’t want her reaction to crap on things. She’d always had a thing for Jaxon and she would be pissed off, I just knew it. I thought back to that flirty conversation I’d overheard at dinner that night before squashing it. It was in the past and if there had been anything between them, it was over now.

When Jaxon pulled the Range Rover in through the open gates of the driveway there was an unfamiliar car parked there at an awkward angle.

“Whose car is that?” I questioned, wondering if either Nixon or Mason had decided to visit. But the car didn’t really match their style; too slick.

“I have no idea,” Jaxon replied with a frown, pulling up beside it and yanking on the handbrake. His eyes narrowed as he took in the gleaming paintwork. It stuck out like a sore thumb in fire engine red and appeared to be a Mercedes. Maybe Marcus had treated himself. An addition to the fleet he and Jaxon already had parked in the garage. A tiny voice told me that wasn’t the case.

I’d received a text from my mother whilst we were on our way back. She said they were home and the lights were on to confirm this.

I felt an odd sense of alarm in my stomach as Jaxon and I climbed down from the vehicle. The front door of the house was ajar which was odd and I moved quickly, suddenly getting a feeling that something was off. I could hear Jaxon behind me. “Wynter, hold fire a minute,” he shouted, his feet crunching on the gravel as he attempted to catch up with me.

I pulled the door open, dropped my bag and coat and headed towards the kitchen, my heart accelerating and pounding against my chest, as if trying to break out. My sixth sense kicked in and I could taste danger. Fuck!

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