Page 33 of Reputation
Then, there was the knowledge that they would be explosive in bed.Beneath the frosty exterior, she was too feisty and bold with her quick wit and sharp comebacks not to be a firecracker in that department.Memories of her full lips sucking his tongue sent wild heat rushing south whenever he watched her speak.
Exiting her office, he made his way toward the elevators.Most of the cubicles and the reception desk were empty, everyone likely at lunch.
Stabbing the down button, he waited for the elevator, contemplating how to get Eavie to spend more than a minute within his company to prove that guy was not who he was.
He came face to face with her as the elevator doors slid open.Just like every time he saw her, a fierce pull of desire burned through his gut as he gazed into her vibrant, sky-blue eyes.
She was laughing when the doors opened, her face alight with joy, and the brief flash of happiness almost stole his breath.When she turned to look at him, her smile fell from her generous mouth, replaced by a look of panic as she noticed he was blocking her path out of the elevator.
Looking unsure, Eavie glanced at Mandy before focusing back on him.Recovering from the momentary blindness of her smile, Jax released the full force of his.
“Hey, Jax,” said Mandy, stepping off the elevator.
“Mandy.How was lunch?”he asked, nodding to the paper cup she held.
“Good,” she answered.“We had a huge serving of spicy Mexican chili.I’m stuffed, but I’ll probably be thankful for it later.Since Eavie wanted to go for lunch early, I needed something to keep me full this afternoon.”
Eavie turned a wide-eyed, guilty look at Mandy, who didn’t understand that she’d just confirmed what Jax had suspected.Eavie had planned to be gone when he came out.
Mandy continued down the hall, oblivious to Eavie’s discomfort.Jax chuckled, watching as Eavie attempted to step around him.He let her get a single step off the elevator before he blocked her way down the hallway.Behind her, the doors slid closed, trapping her from behind.
“So,” he said, lowering his voice so no one else could hear.“You are avoiding me.”This time, he tried to ensure the smile he gave her was genuine.
God, he loved how tall she was.It made him picture how their naked, sweaty bodies would align while he pounded into her, fucking her rough and hard.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Eavie said, the look of embarrassment from moments before now masked by an icy glare.
He was fascinated watching her eyes change.He swore he could actually see the warm blue frost over within her irises.
Regret settled in his gut.He tilted his head as he continued to gaze down at her.“I’m sorry about the other day,” he whispered into her ear.He might as well start to atone for his mistakes now.
“Nothing to apologize for,” Eavie replied tightly.“I clearly read you wrong at the bar.At least I learned the truth before I did something stupid, and now I don’t have any regrets.”
A lump formed in his throat.He hated knowing she thought of it as a mistake.“Cinderella—” he began.
Jax saw that spark in her eyes at the nickname.Oh, he liked seeing her fiery side—craved it like an addiction.He enjoyed being the one to stir that within her.He wanted all her anger, wanted to turn that fire into a burning passion that matched his.
“Don’t,” she said sharply, “call me that.”
He couldn’t resist stoking the fire in her eyes and discover what he could ignite.“Why?I think it suits you.”His eyes swept down her body, noting her breathing had turned heavy.Perhaps she didn’t hate it as much as she claimed.
Her hair was styled in her usual high bun, making his fingers itch to pull the pins out and watch it unravel.She was clad in a black wrap dress with a belt that synched her waist.It draped over her curves, hugging her in all the right places, accentuated by the black stiletto heels with patent red bottoms.Seeing her in one of the sexiest heels in women’s fashion was an image Jax would not forget.He could easily picture what she would look like wearing them as he drove into her, bringing her to the edge.
He swept his gaze back up to her face.He smiled, studying her, letting the heavy silence stretch through their silent war.After a minute, she broke their eye contact as she shifted in her sky-high heels.Her eyes flicked past his shoulder, and he saw her calculate how she would get around him.
Disappointment slammed into him.He’d well and truly messed up where she was concerned.
“I should get back to my office,” Eavie said, drawing her gaze back to him.
“Of course,” he acknowledged and turned to let her pass.
Just as she went to step around him, he leaned in close, making one last desperate attempt to plant the seed of doubt about him.Halting her movement with his body, he stood inches from her.The floral scent of her lavender perfume tickled his nose, the smell sending another hot jolt of desire south.
He heard her sharp intake of breath, their chests brushing at the movement.He could see her pulse beating madly at the base of her throat.Jax smirked, knowing she could deny it all she wanted, but her body told him what she was really feeling.
“You can believe it was a mistake, but I think about that night constantly.I don’t regret a single second of it,” he said softly, his lips brushing the shell of her ear.“So you can keep disappearing, Cinderella, but there isn’t a single place in this arena that you can hide from me.I’ve had a taste, and I want more.”
He felt the shift in her body, her rigid posture melting as the muscles in her neck and shoulders relaxed.Without realizing it, she’d shifted closer, her fight thawing into his until he felt the light touch of her body.
