Page 6 of Reputation
“So,” he said once the excitement had leveled out again, “let’s go out there and kick ass!Cheers!”He lifted his glass as his teammates echoed his words.
Everyone turned their attention back to each other.Jax was drawn into various conversations, his mind snapping back to his responsibilities to the team.As he chatted and laughed with those around him, thoughts of the blonde bombshell downstairs retreated to the back of his mind, at least for a short time.
An hour later, as the party was wrapping up, Jax was making his final goodbye to his teammates who still lingered as he navigated his way to the staircase at the back.He didn’t feel like going home yet, but he also hadn’t been in the mood to go out, as some players had.
Descending the black iron stairs toward the bathrooms, he glanced down at the main floor, his eyes immediately seeking the bombshell from earlier.When he spotted where she had been sitting, he was disappointed she wasn’t there.Shaking his head, Jax wove through the crowds, telling himself the odd feeling in his gut that she was gone meant nothing.
Chapter Three
Eavie
After an hour of gossip and an empty bottle of champagne, Eavie’s cheeks were sore from all her laughing.Getting Joyce to spill about the latest drama from the ballet was never too difficult and generally dominated the conversation, which was more than fine with Eavie.She wasn’t a fan of being in the spotlight.Joyce had tried to keep the focus on her promotion, but she gave in to Eavie’s persuading to dish about the recent drama behind the curtains.
Slipping through the crowd on her way to the bathroom, she was still shaking her head at the ridiculous story about how two of Joyce’s co-workers had been caught in the middle of having sex in one of the props by the stage director, who also happened to be the girlfriend of one of those dancers.
Finishing washing her hands, she pulled her lipstick out of her bag and reapplied a coat of her favorite Chanel Rouge that had since been rubbed off.Stepping back, she used her fingers to fluff her hair before giving herself a once-over in the mirror above the sink.
Her outfit, mixed with the warmth of the alcohol in her veins, made her feel sexy and confident.The heady sensation had her shoulders pulling back a little more as she left the bathroom, retracing her steps down the dimly lit hallway.
Opening her clutch, she swapped her lipstick for her phone.When she turned it to face her, the screen lit up, and a text notification from her brother flashed across the background photo of the two of them from their summer family vacation.
Eric:
Well, we both know I got all the brains
of the family, so it can’t be you…
Eavie gasped as laughter bubbled past her lips at her brother’s rude joke.Distracted by his message, she suddenly collided with a solid wall of muscle.
Two large hands shot out, grasping her upper arms to keep her from falling as she rocked backward on her heels.Sparks shot up her arms and spread through her body like a live wire, sending her heart beating like a hummingbird’s wings against her ribs.
“Shit, sorry.Are you okay?”a deep voice asked as strong hands steadied her.
His voice was smooth and rich—like decadent silk caressing her skin.A shiver snaked through her entire body as the hypnotizing sound wrapped around her.Heat radiated through his hands and into her, instantly igniting her body.An ache more potent than she had ever felt formed low in her belly and pulsed with each beat of her heart.His rich scent of musk and citrus was an intoxicating combination, amplifying her reaction and making her hormones flutter out of control.It made her want to lean in and lick him.
Stunned at her intense reaction to this stranger, she stepped back from him, giving herself space.The cool air around them brushed her cheeks, banking the fire burning in her body.
“No, that was my fault.I should have been looking where I was going,” she said, looking up at him.“I should be the one asking if you’re okay.”She laughed breathlessly as her gaze roamed his frame.
God, he was tall.Even with her height and heels, she still had to look up at him.He was well over six feet tall, with strong, broad shoulders and a chiseled jaw shadowed with dark stubble.His hair was a rich, chestnut brown—thick with a bit of a wave and mesmerizing gray eyes the color of a summer storm.In his tight blue button-down, he reminded her of a statue of a Roman warrior come to life.He was, quite possibly, the most devastatingly handsome man she had ever seen.
Oddly, as she stared transfixed into his dangerous gaze, she had an undeniable feeling she somehow knew him.It was ridiculous, of course.Surely, she would remember meeting someone like him.But as she scanned his face again, her mind spun, trying to place where she had seen him.
When he flashed her an irresistible smile, like a siren call, Eavie was helpless to resist returning it.
Uncomfortable with the intense pull she felt from looking into his eyes, Eavie looked down only to be greeted with a view of his chest, which, even covered in a shirt, she could tell was strong and sculpted.
Fumbling for words, she said, “Um…so I hope you are okay.”She laughed again nervously.“No permanent damage?”It was a joke, obviously, since there was no way someone her size could cause this god of a man injury.
He chuckled as he gazed at her, and she swore she could feel the rumble down her spine.“I’m good, I promise,” he said, flashing her a devastating smile.“Though maybe you could give me your number so you can check tomorrow for any bruising.”
“Oh?”Eavie raised one eyebrow.“How would me, giving you my number, accomplish that?”she countered, shocked at how naturally flirting with him came, but completely unable to resist.
“It wouldn’t, but it would give me the chance to ask you to dinner,” he said confidently.
Eavie laughed at the blatant pick-up line.Oh, but he was charming.She didn’t usually go for guys who jumped into flirting so quickly, but from him, it was almost irresistible.
She looked down, biting her freshly painted lips, as her eyes took him in again.There was something so magnetizing about him—an invisible force that made her want to prolong her time in his vicinity.
