Page 39 of Christmas with my Three Best Friends

“What other clown was there?”

I frown slightly. “Why are you mad?”

“Because I remember how badly he hurt you, Shay. I don’t understand why he’s even allowed to set foot in this place. I have a mind to snap his neck like a chicken.”

“Please, don’t,” I reply, trying to sound more upbeat and failing miserably. “We need clients, Jax. Even the likes of him. Besides, he’s harmless.”

“I heard him sucking up to you.”

And then it hits me as I look at Jax and notice the nervous muscle ticking in his stubbly jaw. “Oh, Jax… You’re jealous.”

“Not jealous. Ill-tempered when it comes to assholes trying to get into your pants.”

I’d laugh, but Jax is too bothered by this whole situation, and I know better than to stoke the fire. I’m also irked by the whole idea that I’d be foolish enough to take Vincent back, especially when Jax, Marius, Richard and I are together.

“He can try,” I tell Jax. “It doesn’t mean he’s going to get anywhere.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Jax… Did Chappaqua mean nothing to you? Friday night? Monday night? All the other moments we’ve had together?”

He stills, suddenly realizing where this conversation may lead unless he slows down. “Shay, I don’t want that bastard anywhere near you. I’d ban him and Roxanne in the blink of an eye. She’s a menace to our relationship, too,” he says. “I’m not a jealous man, but I know to kick any kind of trouble away as soon as it emerges.”

I don’t like where we’re headed. There is too much tension, too much doubt, and it’s causing strife between us. The last time Jax and I were alone in a room, he fucked me so passionately, I almost cried tears of joy. Now he’s all hard edges and threats. I cross my arms and walk over to the window, unsure how to handle this shift in our dynamic.

“I should be on the treadmill,” I tell him. “And I certainly don’t want to argue about Vincent.”

“You don’t have to argue. You just have to let me kick his sorry ass out.”

“Jax, I can’t do that. Marius and I agreed we need to be professionals for the sake of our business. Forget our personal lives for a moment and really think about it. Can we really afford to send people away? Oh, and don’t forget, if we kick Vincent out now, what kind of a public review do you think he’ll post about us? We can’t take a PR blow like that. We simply can’t.”

Jax curses under his breath and walks over, light on his feet and storms raging in his blue eyes. He takes me in his arms and kisses me deeply, harshly, hungrily. I moan against his lips, welcoming his rebellious tongue as it wrestles mine. I am soft against his rippling chest, our hearts thudding furiously as he runs his fingers through my hair and tightens his grip on the back of my neck.

I feel his cock hardening, pressed against my lower belly, as he pushes me until my back is glued to the window. Here’s to hoping nobody outside looks up and sees us. Jax trails biting kisses down the side of my neck, one hand fondling my breast through the soft t-shirt.

“You’re not getting back with him, you hear me?” he growls, pausing for a moment so he can look at me. I’m breathless and flustered, liquid desire trickling between my legs as his hand slips downward and under my gym tights. “We have an agreement, and you’re going to honor it.”

“What agreement?” I whisper.

“You’ve yet to receive the first item on your naughty list,” he says.

“It’s not like you have some kind of dominion over me,” I reply, trying to protest, but as his fingers slide between my wet folds, I feel the last of my defenses crumbling. “Oh, shit… Oh, right there…”

He rubs my clit with added pressure before he penetrates me with two fingers, letting the base of his palm drive me over the cliff. He finger-fucks me so hard and so fast, all I can do is lock my arms around his neck and hold on for dear life as I feel the orgasm working its way outward from my tightened core.

“I have you for as long as I want you, Shay,” Jax says, his voice low and commanding.

He doesn’t know it, but Vincent once said the same thing. I can almost hear the words echoing in the back of my head. The moment is lost, and I let the simmering anger take over as I push Jax away. I’m edging, close to climaxing and unable to reach it on my own. My knees feel weak, my legs shaking as I try to catch my breath.

“You don’t have me, Jax,” I manage between sharp inhales. “This is just physical, remember? That’s what you, Marius, and Richard wanted. You don’t own me, and I don’t own you.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Yes, it is!” I snap. “This thing between us isn’t going to work out, not in the long run, so there’s nothing for you to be jealous about.”

Jax’s eyebrows shoot upward in surprise. He needs a moment to process the words I just threw at him. His breath is ragged and uneven. Some of his sweat drips down my jawline and into my cleavage. His rough, masculine scent lingers in my nostrils. And my pussy is in desperate need of his attention. He scoffs and shakes his head, his eyes never leaving mine.

“There is something seriously wrong with us, and it started as soon as that prick came into the gym. What the hell were you and Marius thinking? Are we really so desperate that we can’t turn Vincent away?”

---