Page 182 of Thorns of Malice

"Dax," I quietly beg.

The tension remains until Dax finally chuckles. "Okay. You're right." He holds his hand out to Jaxon. "Let's start over. I think we got off on the wrong foot. It's nice to properly meet you."

Jaxon softens. He shakes Dax's hand. "It's nice to finally meet you too. I've heard a lot of good things about you over the years. Well, before Ivy."

Dax's demeanor turns serious. "Yeah, I'm sure you've heard a lot of things. Most of them are probably true."

"But we're going to forget that stuff," I interject.

"Yeah. Come on. Here, have a drink," Lilly says, handing Dax a tumbler of scotch and then giving another one to Jaxon.

I hold up my flute, toasting, "To new friendships."

"Yeah. To new friendships," Lilly chimes in.

Everybody clinks glasses, and we take a drink and then sit down.

Dax asks, "How's business, Jaxon?"

I pipe up, "He has a supply chain issue. We need to help."

Dax snaps his head toward me, arching his eyebrows. "Oh?"

"Ivy, it's fine," Jaxon claims.

I glance at him and firmly assert, "No, it's not."

"It is," he says, and I forgot how he can be as stubborn as Dax.

"What's the issue?" Dax asks, his body relaxing as he slides his arm around me.

Jaxon doesn't answer.

I warn, "You tell him, or I'm going to."

Jaxon sighs and shakes his head. "Okay, fine. I didn't put enough orders in for Seducing Ivy when it came on the market. I wanted to be cautious. I've gotten burned before."

Dax nods. "That's a smart move, and understandable."

Jaxon adds, "I didn't realize it would be such a huge hit right out of the gate."

"His customers are threatening to move to a different wholesaler if he can't get them the Seducing Ivy supply they need," I say.

Dax nods, and his face turns solemn. "I'm hearing that from several wholesalers."

I slide my hand on Dax's thigh and tilt my head. "You're going to cancel other orders and send whatever Jaxon needs, even if it's the entire supply, right, Dax?"

He arches his eyebrows.

"Ivy, that's insane for him to do that," Jaxon claims.

Dax studies me a moment and then amusement flashes in his eyes. His lips curl.

My heart beats faster.

Dax states, "I guess a part of me is rubbing off on you."

Something changes in me. I can feel it. I can't describe it, except it's like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. It gives me confidence. And I nod. "Yeah, I guess you have. So you'll do it tomorrow? You'll make sure Jaxon's set up?"

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