PRESLEY
I was quite full from the restaurant so when Jax brought up the idea of a bar, and I agreed instantly. It'd been a while since I had been to a bar—not to meet a source—but to actually have fun.
I stopped going after the recent messages and learned it was better for me to stay in and be safe than meet a potential kidnapper.
Jax placed a hand on my lower back as he led me into the bar. It wasn't like any usual bar I'd ever seen but expensive-looking with the decor and I recognized there was a few elite members of New York here.
A man approached Jax, speaking lowly into his ear while his gaze coasted over my figure.
The feeling of wanting to disappear and crawl away from here consumed me. There were men that were shy about looking at times, only out of curiosity and then there were men like him, they looked without reservation. They didn't care about the fact that you were a complete stranger.
I tightened my grip on Jax's hand letting him know I didn't want to be here in this man's presence anymore but he didn't quite understand the message.
If anything, he gestured to me introducing us.
"Baby girl, meet Sam. He's a friend." Jax smiled, those pearly whites of his shining under the club lights.
"Hello." I muttered softly, reaching out for a quick handshake. I didn't want to be rude, and I knew if he was a friend of Jax, then maybe I was wrong about this feeling.
The man—Sam—took a firm hold of my fingers, caressing my soft skin before he reluctantly let go of me. "Nice to meet you." His low voice responded, deep eyes lingering on my face like he'd never seen a woman before in his life.
I faked a little smile, shifting my gaze to focus on something else—something that wasn't him.
After a quick conversation, Jax finally led us in the direction of a private room. He placed a kiss on our intertwined fingers as we walked through the area labeled VIP and escorted by the bouncers.
A little chuckle escaped out of my lips at the thrill of it all; How did he manage to accommodate this? Jax was a journalist but he didn't get paid enough to waltz in and out of a place like this.
Albeit I didn't complain. If he wanted to spoil me tonight, I could get into the groove and enjoy it. For once I'd wanted to shut my journalist brain off and just have fun. Even if my body didn't have the same burning reaction it did around him than other men, it didn't mean we couldn't have fun tonight.
Nothing was ever permanent with men. They never craved anything other than a fling or a one-night-stand. Growing up, I was always a daddy's girl. My father loved my mother and she did too—or so I thought.
The woman didn't even wait a couple of months till my father's body was buried in the grave before she brought my stepfather into the house.
My stepfather wasn't the only thing she brought, she was also pregnant. After she had the baby, my stepfather left her and she threw all of her guilt and sorrow into me. She stopped functioning—or rather being a mother.
I took care of Lotus, I bathed her, fed her, took her to the school. She grew up calling me mama until my mother finally stepped back into her role.
And then she wanted to try... keyword try to repair our relationship but it was too late. How could our relationship be repaired if it was never built in the first place?
"Baby girl." Jax murmured in a gentle voice pulling me out of my thoughts. His strong hand cupped my cheek, forcing me to look into his eyes. "You okay? You went away for a while?"
I nodded slowly while his fingers tightened around my cheek. "I'm fine. Just thinking about everything."
"Don't think. Just have fun, Ok?" See. Fun. That was the only thing they cared about.
I nodded once more before he gifted me with a flashing smile from those perfect lips and dropped his fingers from my chin. He'd ordered several rounds of drinks, displayed on the polished marble table and reached over for a glass of wine.
I accepted his offer, eyeing the glass suspiciously because I wasn't a fan of drinking shit if I wasn't there to witness it or I wasn't the one who made it. It was a common occurrence and the main cause of rape at clubs and bars.
I trusted Jax as far as I could throw him. Not very much. Even though we had a fun night so far, I was still a bit suspicious and nervous around him but I downed the drink because I didn't come out alone without telling anyone.
I already notified Finley of my plans tonight and told Beast if I didn't call him tonight before going to bed, he had permission to track my phone. Hell, Jax could try anything he wanted.
"So." The man smiled at me as I downed the contents of another glass. I relaxed against the expensive seats, my head resting on his shoulder as he placed a hand on my thigh. Jesus, that was fast. How strong was that drink? "How do you know the guy—Silma?"
Silvio.
A little giggle escaped my throat at the mispronounced name and I shook my head. "Silvio." Jax made a low sound of acknowledgement. "He's my next door neighbor now and a friend of a friend."
A friend of a friend who was confusing as hell and sexy to look at.
"You're not planning on being with him or anything, are you? I need to know, baby girl. I don't want to put my eggs in one basket and then two months passes and you realize you have feelings for this man."
I laughed again but this time, it was deeper and genuine. I could feel the alcohol begin to settle in, and my head was suddenly clearer than I'd ever been. "I don't have feelings for him."
Raising my head from his shoulder, I made it a note to look deeply into those dark brown eyes, showing him I was being goddamn honest. "He hates me and I don't like him that well. We're just friends through our friends. We don't talk much."
"Good because I want you all to myself." Jax smiled softly, moving closer and pressed a kiss on my lips. At first it was just once, very gentle but then I could tell he wanted more.
