Page 2 of Traitorous Lies
Seducing her to try to get the location of where her reclusive father was hiding out was wrong on so many levels, and yet, what other choice did he have?
This was more than just about finally clearing his father and stepmother’s names, it was more even than getting revenge, it was about literally saving the lives of the people he loved.
Ever since his stepbrother Cooper’s trip to Egypt back in July, it hadbeen one assault after another on his family. First, his stepbrother Cole’s neighbor had been violently assaulted because these people mistakenly believed her to be Cole’s girlfriend. The two were together now, but back then, Cole hadn't even liked Susanna.
Before his family could begin to get their feet beneath them again, his stepbrother Connor’s trip to Cambodia to attempt a reconciliation with his ex, Becca, had left the couple fighting for their lives. Immediately after that, his stepbrother Cade’s four-year-old daughter, Esther, and the girl’s nanny, Gabriella, had been abducted. Thankfully, both had survived and now the three of them were a family and expecting a baby. Then just ten days ago, his brother Jake and Jake’s best friend and now girlfriend, Alannah, had almost been killed after being lost at sea.
Enough was enough.
There was no way he could stand by and do nothing when his family kept being threatened repeatedly. Just because they’d been lucky so far and none of them had died, they’d all been left with physical and psychological wounds that couldn’t even begin to heal because they were all on edge, wondering when the next assault would come.
If using an innocent woman to try to put a stop to it was the only way, he had to take it. No matter how uneasy it left him feeling.
Besides, it wasn't like he would take things all the way. Jax had no plans on having sex with Monique, would try to keep any touching to a minimum, and would do his best to make sure he didn't even kiss her. The last thing he wanted was for her father’s games to add another victim to the tally.
All he had to do was make contact, convince Monique to leave with him, and then get her talking to find out where her father was hiding. After that, he could send her on her way, and she’d walk away with at most a bit of a bruise to her ego. Which he was sure for a woman like Monique, with the entire world at her fingertips, was not going to leave behind any lasting scars.
It sounded so easy in his head, Jax just had to hope it turned out to be that easy in real life.
Behind him, the most exquisite laugh tinkled like bells.
The sound seemed to slam into him with the force of an explosion, leaving him equally as groggy and confused.
Only the pain centered in just one appendage. The one made for pleasure as the sweet, musical sound had him growing rock hard.
No, no, no, no, no.
He absolutely could not allow himself to be attracted to anyone tonight. And he had the most horrible sinking feeling in his stomach that he knew exactly who the magical laugh belonged to.
Still, Jax clung to denial as he slowly turned around, doing his best to shift his pants slightly to make the growing bulge less obvious.
As soon as he turned, he knew this already unwanted mission had just become a whole lot more complicated.
Because the woman with the laughwasMonique Kerr.
In person, she was a whole lot more stunning than she’d been in the photos he’d seen as he prepped to fly to France and seduce her. Her pretty gray eyes twinkled like stars, her hair was twisted up into some fancy bun, and she wore an honest-to-goodness tiara with what he was positive were real diamonds. Her ball gown was two shades off white, making her look like a fairy princess getting married.
But it was her smile that hit him the hardest.
It was bright, it was beautiful, and it was aimed at him because she’d very nearly walked right into the back of him.
Their eyes connected, and something passed between them. From the faint blush that stained her cheeks, Jax knew she felt it too, and from the way her smile grew wider, he knew that this op just got a whole lot easier because seducing the pretty Kerr princess was going to be as easy as taking candy from a baby.
That should make him feel better, but instead, it left him feeling sick.
October 31st
8:03 P.M.
You can do this.
You’ve done it before so you can do it again.
The little pep talk did little to ease Monique Kerr’s nerves and served only to distract her to the point where she almost walked right into the back of someone.
Trust her to do something so silly.
Despite growing up in a wealthy family where attending social functions just like this one was par for the course, she could never really get used to it. Dressing up had been fun when she was a kid, but now it was more than a little embarrassing. All the time, Monique kept waiting for someone to announce her as the fraud that she was.
