Red Bullets in June

Chapter 5: Shopping

     Jaxon's brow furrows. "Do with you? I'm not going to do anything with you, baby." He gives me a flirtatious wink. "Unless, that is... You want me to..."

     I blush. "No. I - I didn't mean that..."

     "I know," he teases with a sexy and satisfied grin. "I was actually considering making you part of my gang."

     I choke on an intake of oxygen.

    He can't be serious, right?

     My petrified expression coaxes a low chuckle from his throat. "That is, if you want to. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do. Although, if you choose not to join, I'll feel very dejected to let you go..." And his infinite ebony eyes are captivating black holes again, sucking me deeper into their event horizon.

     Holy crap.

     "So, if I don't join your gang, you're going to let me go?"

     "Yes. You can only stay if you join."

     Hm. I could live at the mansion? For good?

     With Jaxon?

     "You can think about it," Jaxon offers.

     What's there to think about? my hopelessly smitten heart is jumping the gun. This horrifyingly sexy, criminally sweet and confusingly gentle man has you completely and utterly ensnared. He is a supermassive black hole and you are a scanty object, floundering at his mercy. Just admit it. You like him.

     But, of course, my better judgment feels differently. Don't listen to that crazy loon! You don't know what the heck you're getting yourself into, Charlotte! You can't join a gang! You're not a criminal! And don't start being one now just because Jaxon's 'sexy' and 'sweet' and 'gentle.' She rolls her eyes.

     But it's so much more than that, my heart counters. He's respectful to you. And you feel something toward him. A connection. That gravitational pull that you can't deny.

     My heart and better judgement continue to banter back and forth for my approval while quiet prevails in the external world.

     A colossal skyscraper of stores in front of us arrests my full attention as the car comes to a stop. "Wow..."

     "Do you have any stores in mind?" Jaxon asks.

     "Do they have a Ross Dress for Less?"

     He laughs. "No, I don't think they have any discount clothing stores."

     "I'm glad you think I'm funny," I spit with sarcasm.

     "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to poke fun. I just... I remember shopping at Ross as a kid."

     "Really?"

     "Yeah..." he shakes his head to clear what must be an unpleasant memory. "I would've taken you to Prada, but they're closed. I'll take you there tomorrow. That is... If you decide to stay."

     The thought is welcoming and disconcerting all at once.

    Will I decide to stay?

     My heart screams a resounding, Yes! while my better judgement counters with a resounding, Heck no!

     Man, I'm tired of them.

     Shut up! Both of you!

     I turn to Jaxon. "We could try Nordstrom?"

     "Okay." He flashes his attractive smile.