Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

It wasn’t really a surprise when Lucy found Gemma waiting for her when she got home the following day. Still…it had been a long day and she was exhausted from her lack of sleep the night before.

“Totally worth it,” she murmured as she grabbed her purse and climbed from the car.

“Finally!” Gemma called out as she got out of her own car. “Chinese food is on the way and I brought the wine.” She was grinning from ear to ear as she walked closer. “I figured if the food didn’t win you over and convince you to tell me who your super-secret sexy guest was, the wine might.”

“Good plan,” Lucy said with a laugh. Opening the front door, they went in and went directly to the kitchen. “And while I appreciate the food and wine, we both know I was going to tell you anyway.”

Placing her purse down on the kitchen island, Gemma pulled out one of the stools and sat. “I wasn’t willing to take that chance. We talk all the time and last I heard, you weren’t interested in dating! I was genuinely shocked when you just casually threw it out there like it was no big deal.”

Quickly opening the bottle of wine, she poured them each a glass. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure it was even going to be a thing. Or…maybe I should say I wasn’t sure it was going to be more than a one-time thing.”

Gemma frowned as she accepted the glass. “So…it was a one-night stand and now it’s more?” Then she shook her head. “I’m totally getting ahead of myself. Who is it? Do I know him?” Pausing, her eyes went wide. “Is it Blake? Please tell me you didn’t get back with Blake!”

Leaning against the island, Lucy took a small sip of her wine before replying. “Definitely not Blake, so don’t worry.”

“Okay, whew! That’s a relief.” Then she grinned. “Can we skip the part where I keep guessing incorrectly and you just tell me?”

All day long, she’d agonized over how this conversation was going to go. Part of her really wanted to keep things between her and Jax private, but…Gemma was her best friend and they told each other everything. She knew that whatever they talked about here tonight wouldn’t go any further. They were each other’s vaults. Still, Lucy was just a tiny bit nervous that her bestie was going to tell her she was making a colossal mistake.

Only one way to find out…

So, with another sip of wine to fortify herself, she decided to just confess.

“It’s Jax,” she said, placing her glass down. “I’m sleeping with Jax.”

For a moment, Gemma simply blinked at her as if she didn’t understand.

“Gem? You heard me, right?” Sighing, she practically sagged against the counter. “It happened when I went to Wichita with Ty last month. Once we cleared the air and got over all the misunderstandings, I realized I genuinely liked him. How weird is that?”

No response.

“Anyway, every night we hung out in his hot tub and would have these great talks and then one night Ty went home with this girl he only sees when he’s in Wichita. I have no idea what that’s about, but it left Jax and I completely alone and we both acknowledged that there was an attraction there. It was only supposed to be that night, but then we sort of sneaked in the following night and then he showed up at my house yesterday afternoon after the whole luncheon thing.” Pausing, she studied her friend. “Gem, come on. You’re freaking me out. Say something.”

Taking her own sip of wine, Gemma’s eyes never left hers. When she put her glass back down, Lucy knew she was gearing up for something major.

“I cannot believe that you’re standing here telling me that you—Lucy Dawson—went and slept with the man who has been your sworn enemy since you were thirteen years old!” Gemma cried. “I mean…I have had to listen to you bitch about Jax for all these years and then you’re all like… ooh…sorry for the misunderstanding, Jax. Wanna hop into bed? ”

And yeah, she was using a mocking voice.

“It wasn’t like that. It was…”

“It was what, Luce?” she demanded. “Are you seriously out of your damn mind? Not only were you openly hostile toward Jax all this time, but have you forgotten he’s your brother’s best friend? Do you have any idea what will happen when Ty finds out? Or Wyatt? Or even Charlie? They’ll want to kill him!”

Lucy fought the urge to laugh as she waved her off. “Are you kidding me? Jax is a freaking NFL quarterback! I think he can handle himself.”

Groaning, Gemma stood up and began to pace. “That’s not what I mean, and you know it! You’re going to ruin Jax and Tyler’s relationship! I know your brothers pretty damn well and I can guarantee you they are going to freak out about this! You’ve given Ty so much shit over his friendship with Jax. I just…I don’t understand how this could happen!”

“Seriously? Have you seen Jax?” she asked, hoping to inject a little humor into the conversation. “Even when I thought he was a total jerk, I thought he was hot! When he showed up at the pub that day, it was really hard to remember that I hated him because he was so damn good-looking! No man should be that good-looking! And if memory serves, you pointed that out to me in the ladies’ room!”

“Yeah, but I was just trying to defuse the situation! I didn’t think you’d actually pay attention to how he looked or jump into bed with him!” Shaking her head, she continued to pace. “I can’t even imagine what your brothers are going to say.”

“Well, for now, they’re not going to say anything because we’re not telling them. Jax and I are just testing the waters here. His schedule is pretty much not his own until mid-February if the Warriors make the playoffs. As it is, we have no idea how this is all going to work—or if it's going to work—so there might not be any reason for my brothers to find out. You’re the only one who knows, Gem! You can’t say anything to anyone.”

That made her stop pacing. “You know I would never.” Her sigh was long and loud. “I know I’m being a major downer about this, but I just hate the thought of you arguing with your family. It seemed like you finally came to grips with Ty’s accident and all that. I’d hate to see things go south again.”

“To be fair, I was never angry with my brother. We were always good.”

“You know what I’m saying, Lucy.” Another sigh. “Of all the guys in the world, why Jax? And after hanging out with the entire Warriors team, why Jax? I’m sure there were plenty of eligible players for you to spend time with while you were in Wichita.”

Shrugging, she picked up her wine again. “Believe it or not, my brother kept pushing me and Jax together. I think he was so happy we were getting along that it never occurred to him that maybe we might actually…you know… like each other.”

For a moment neither spoke, but Lucy could read the disapproval on Gemma’s face. They each sipped their wine and the only thing that saved them was the knock on the door telling them their Chinese food had arrived.

It was almost painfully quiet as they set up their dinner and sat down, so much so that Lucy couldn’t take it anymore. “I deserve a little bit of happiness,” she stated, her tone more than a little defensive. “This has been a really, really shitty time for me after the whole engagement thing. So if my brother—or brothers—want to take this from me, I’ll fight them on it! I misjudged Jax for a long time and…and…this may not even be anything other than a fling, but dammit, I’m entitled to it!” With a huff, she stared at the assortment of food. “Now pass me a dumpling and tell me what’s going on with you and Mike.”

Luckily, that put them back on track for their usual easy conversation and girls’ night. She hated feeling like she had to explain herself to anyone, but more than anything, Lucy hated the thought of her best friend thinking less of her.

Unfortunately, only time was going to tell if she and Jax were going to be more than a couple of friends fooling around.

It was almost midnight and Lucy was curled up in bed and just about to fall asleep when her phone vibrated on her bedside table. Blindly, she reached for it and had to squint to see who was texting her at this hour. She and Gemma were cool, so this was either an emergency or…

Jax.

Smiling, she swiped the screen and read his message.

Jax: Hey, beautiful. Is it too late to call?

“Aww…is he the sweetest to ask first?” she said sleepily. After yawning, she replied.

Lucy: I was almost asleep, but I can stay up a bit longer.

Lucy: Call me.

The phone instantly rang and she felt herself smile. “Hey.” Her tone was soft, but not quite a whisper, and she gently cleared her throat. “Sorry, hi. I swear I’m awake.”

Jax’s laugh was deep and positively yummy. “Hey, no need to apologize. I’m the one who’s sorry. I should have waited and just called tomorrow.”

“It’s fine, Jax. Really. Is everything okay? Are you still in Raleigh, or did you fly home?”

“Still in Raleigh. I have an early flight home tomorrow because I have an appointment with the team doctor to check on my shoulder.”

That only answered half her questions, and she wondered if she should say anything.

“I wish I was there with you,” he said gruffly. “This whole day was spent talking in circles and while I love hanging out with my brothers, nothing got accomplished that couldn’t have been done over the phone.”

“Oh, so…you’re just going to wait and see what happens?”

“Basically. Until we have more information, there isn’t anything to do. None of us want to deal with our dad or engage in any conversations with him and, from what little we know, he’s not going to be much help anyway.”

“Yeah, but…if he’s known about her—even for a short time—he could be more helpful than you think. You know I’m not a fan of his, but…maybe you should talk to him.”

Ugh…I must be more tired than I thought…

“That’s what Noah suggested. The thing is…I’m not openly opposed to it, but I’m trying to be sensitive to everyone. Especially Simon. But…you’re probably right. Any information we can get could be helpful.”

“So…I have to ask…what are you hoping to achieve with all of this? If she really is your sister…”

“Half-sister.”

“Half-sister,” she corrected. “Then…what? This doesn’t really have anything to do with you or your brothers if you don’t want it to. You’re not obligated in any way to this girl.”

“Again, that’s what Noah said.” Then he chuckled. “The two of you are more alike than I realized.”

“Jax…”

“I don’t know what we’re supposed to do,” he blurted out. “It seems wrong to just pretend we didn’t know about her.

“I wish I had something helpful or profound to say here. Just know I’m a good listener.” She snuggled a bit deeper under the blankets.

“Thanks.” She heard the weariness in his voice and hated it for him. “I didn’t really call to talk about this mess. I just wanted to hear your voice. It sucked having to leave this morning.”

That made her smile. “Well…I had to go to work.”

“It would have been cool to be waiting for you when you got home.”

She had to agree.

“That definitely would have been fun, but I’ll be with you in two weeks. Your game is on Thursday night, so we’ll have most of the weekend together. You know, after you have practice and all.”

His sigh was long and weary. “That’s so far away…”

That one little comment made her happier than it should have. It was nice to know that he was going to miss her. “It is, but we can video chat and talk every night. With your busy schedule and mine, the time will pass faster than either of us can imagine.”

Then she yawned.

Loudly.

“Get some sleep, beautiful. I’ll call you tomorrow night at a more reasonable hour.”

“I’m sorry. I should be able to stay up and talk, but…” Another yawn. “I guess I’m still tired from last night.”

The laugh he gave her was low and sexy again. “Then get all the rest you can because when you’re with me in my house and my bed? There won’t be much sleep either.”

Lucy hummed sleepily. “Mmm…I can’t wait.”

“Goodnight, Lucy,” he said softly.

“Night, Jax.”

Two weeks later, Jax was back on the field. The stadium was packed and the stands were buzzing with excitement as the game entered the final minutes. This was it—go time. As much as he felt completely on his game, the truth was that he’d been making stupid mistakes the entire game and was basically playing like crap. Now, the score was tied with just two minutes left in the fourth quarter. Everyone had been patient with him during his first practices back, but he had a feeling that was about to end.

Standing in the huddle surrounded by his teammates, Jax knew he needed to be fierce with them and himself.

“Alright guys,” he stated firmly. “This is it. We've got one last chance to win this game.”

“No shit,” someone muttered, but he refused to argue about it.

“We’ve been in this exact situation before with these guys and They’ve always gotten the better of us. I don’t want that to happen again.” He rambled off the play and what everyone needed to do. “Are we ready?” he asked with a surge of energy. “Let's bring home the victory!”

“Yeah!” they all shouted as they broke from the huddle and lined up at the line of scrimmage. Jax took his position, his heart pounding with anticipation. His shoulder throbbed mildly, but that was to be expected. He scanned the defense, trying to read their movements and find a weakness to exploit.

Come on, come on, there's gotta be an opening somewhere…

The ball was snapped, and Jax dropped back into the pocket. Surveying the field, searching for an open receiver amidst the chaos of the opposing defenders charging towards him.

“ Go deep! I'll hit you!” he called out to Declan.

It all happened so fast and yet in slow motion. Jax saw an opportunity and wound up for the throw, his arm cocked back as he prepared to release the ball.

But just as he was about to let it fly, disaster struck. One of Seattle’s massive defensive linemen broke through the offensive line and barreled towards Jax with unstoppable force. With no time to react, he hit from behind, and the ball knocked loose from his grasp.

“No!” he screamed to no one in particular.

His heart hammered hard as the football tumbled to the ground, bouncing awkwardly amidst the chaos of bodies crashing around it. Players from both teams dove for it, scrambling to gain possession as the crowd erupted into a frenzy of cheers and gasps.

In the midst of it all, one of Seattle’s players emerged triumphant, clutching the ball tightly to his chest. With no one left to stop him, he sprinted towards the end zone to the roar of the crowd scoring the game-winning touchdown.

“Touchdown!” the announcer called out. “Seattle takes the lead with just seconds left on the clock!”

Jax watched helplessly from the ground as his mistake cost his team the game. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that disappointment was written all over his face as the cameras zoomed in on him as he slowly picked himself up. He kept the rage he felt toward himself inside because the last thing he needed was a headline talking about him having a hissy fit on the field. He’d save it for the locker room or even until he got home if he had to.

Those last few seconds were spent running out the clock and Jax simply did what he had to do until he could walk off the field and take the punishment for losing the game for his team.

When he finally walked down the tunnel toward the locker room, Travis came up beside him. “It was a shitty thing,” he murmured. “And it wasn’t your fault. We all let you down by not keeping that guy away from you.”

“Yeah, but…”

“But nothing. The weight of the world isn’t solely on your shoulders, Jax. Remember that.”

Together, they joined their teammates in the locker room and listened to the coaching staff as they praised and berated them. He almost said a loud prayer of thanks when they could finally grab their things and go.

“You want to grab something to eat?” Declan asked as they walked out to their cars.

“Nah. I’m just gonna head home. Lucy’s flying in tomorrow morning, and I need to make sure I’m not in a foul mood when she gets here.”

“Lucy’s coming in?” Travis asked from his other side. “Is this serious? Does Ty know?”

Shit.

Raking a hand through his hair, he kept walking. “No, he doesn’t know, and we’re not telling him until we know this is really…you know…something.”

Beside him, Travis snickered. “Nice. So you get to mess around with your best friend’s hot little sister with no guilt. I’m impressed.”

Dropping his duffel bag, he turned and shoved his friend.

Hard.

“Dude! What the hell?” Travis snapped.

“Don’t you ever talk about Lucy like that! Understand?” He took one step back before advancing on Travis again. “It’s not like that, so just shut the hell up!” This time when he stepped back, he scooped up his bag and stormed off toward his truck. It wasn’t until he was yanking the door open that he realized Declan was standing there with him. “What? Do you have something to say too?”

Declan was the more even-tempered of their little trio and his smile was a bit on the serene side. “So this is something,” he stated casually.

There was no reason to pretend like he didn’t know what he meant. “Yeah,” he admitted. “I mean…I want it to be, but I have a feeling I’m the only one.”

“Why?”

Shrugging, he tossed the duffel into the truck. “Just a hunch. I know she’s interested and we have a great time together, but sometimes it just feels like I’m way more invested.” Muttering a curse, he shook his head. “It’s probably just my imagination. I’m distracted and being pulled in so many directions that I barely know my own name anymore.”

All Declan did was nod for a moment. “We’re all disappointed about the game, but all of us failed. You’re coming off an injury, you’re dealing with the camp, thinking about retirement, and now…Lucy. Cut yourself some slack.”

“Maybe.” He hated how much he sounded like he was whining. “Thanks, Dec. I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but…I’m gonna go.” Then he glanced across the parking lot and watched as Travis drove off. “I’m not apologizing for that, though.”

With a snort of laughter, Declan replied, “Yeah, you will, because you’re not a dick. Go home and try to relax and enjoy your weekend with Lucy. Although…I’ll see you at practice Saturday.”

“Yup. I almost can’t wait for the season to be over.”

Declan turned and started to walk away. “That’s definitely a sign that you’re leaning more toward retiring, buddy. Think about it.”

Jax knew he would be.

Along with this stupid loss, the camp, arguing with Travis, and where things are with Lucy. With another curse, he climbed into his truck and headed home.

Lucy came that weekend and it had been amazing.

They had gone out to eat Friday night, but the rest of the time they spent alone at his place basically enjoying the hell out of each other. Sunday had come far too soon and when he drove her to the airport, he knew it would be another two weeks before they saw each other. He was the one going to her because he wanted to see how the camp property was coming along and he didn’t want Lucy to be the only one traveling.

The downside to that plan was that there was no way for him to be in South Creek without word traveling that he was there. And that wasn’t ego talking; it was a simple fact. As much as he wanted to spend all of his time there with Lucy, it just wasn’t possible. So he had lunch with his mother when he arrived on Friday—and then lied by telling her he was only there for the day—then went and walked the property with his team that afternoon before meeting Tyler for a drink at the pub. As much as he hated lying, he felt like it was the only option. No one questioned him or made him feel guilty when he said he needed to get back to the airport because he had practice the next day.

The reality was that he was meeting Lucy at a beachside resort about an hour away.

They had argued lightly about the whole thing, but ultimately they agreed that he couldn’t stay at her place. The resort on the Outer Banks was fairly private and he was able to snag them the Presidential Suite with two balconies—one facing the ocean and the other facing the sound. There were wild horses close to the hotel and honestly, he was looking forward to seeing them and having Lucy all to himself.

It had been harder to convince her than he thought it would be.

When he pulled up to the resort, it was almost six in the evening and it was an hour later than he had planned. Ty had been a little chatty and—to be honest—he’d lost track of time. He knew he was going to have to really turn on the charm and perhaps grovel a bit to make up for being late. He should have called or texted, but he’d been in such a hurry that he had forgotten.

Stepping into the lobby, he figured he’d just have to ask for the room and go meet her, but he found her sitting alone in a chair in the corner.

“Hey,” he said softly as he walked over to greet her. “You didn’t have to wait down here for me. I thought we’d meet up in the room.”

“Well, we would have, except you needed to be here to check us in,” she said tightly, standing up and meeting his gaze. “I got here an hour ago, Jax. Just like we agreed. I felt like an idiot when they wouldn’t let me check us in.” Then she glared toward the desk. “And that snooty little bitch at the desk saw your name and thought I was some kind of groupie trying to get into your room, so…”

“Shit, Luce, I’m so sorry. I lost track of time and didn’t realize it wasn’t just a quick drive to get over here. You have to know I had every intention of getting here before you, but the day just got away from me.”

“Uh-huh…”

Grabbing her suitcase in one hand and his in the other, he said, “Let’s go.” He stormed over to the desk and watched as the girl standing behind it started smiling at him. Then she must have read his annoyance and immediately stiffened.

“Mr. Wylder, welcome,” she said formally. “It’s a pleasure to have you staying with us this weekend.”

Stepping up to the desk, he put the bags down and did his best to look polite but intimidating. “I’d like to speak to your manager please.”

“Yes, sir. Right away.” A minute later, she was back with a prissy little man in a suit.

“Good evening, Mr. Wylder. How may I be of assistance?”

“I would like to lodge a complaint,” he began evenly. “My girlfriend has been sitting here for an hour after being denied access to our room.”

“Her name wasn’t on the reservation,” the girl offered as her defense.

“And no one thought to maybe reach out to me?” he asked even as he realized that Lucy could have called him too. “I understand that her name wasn’t on the reservation, but you clearly saw the reservation was for two people. She had the reservation number or confirmation number or whatever you want to call it, and you denied her access. Tell me why I shouldn’t demand a refund right now and go down the beach to another resort?”

“Jax,” Lucy whispered softly. “It’s okay. It was only an hour. You don’t have to make a fuss.”

Glancing at her, he shook his head. “Too late.” Then he faced the manager and waited for his response.

“You’re right,” the man said after a moment. “We should have reached out to you if there were questions. I’m terribly sorry for the inconvenience. As an apology, dinner in the restaurant is on us tonight. Please. You’ll be our guests. Or we can have dinner brought up to your suite. Whichever you prefer.”

Jax turned to Lucy again. “Which would you prefer?”

Her eyes went wide. “Um…”

“The restaurant will be fine. Thank you.” With a curt nod, he added, “We’d like to go to our room now.”

“Of course! Let me get one of our bellmen to help you with your luggage!”

Five minutes later, they walked into a luxury suite and Jax stood back and watched as Lucy went to one balcony and then the other to admire the views.

“Holy crap! This is amazing!” she said, all smiles.

That’s when Jax knew they were almost back on track. Moving in close behind her, he wrapped his arms around her. “Yes, it is.” Pausing, he placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. “I really am sorry about being late. My plan was…”

Lucy twisted in his arms and faced him. “We’re good, Jax. Really. We only have the weekend and I don’t want to spend it rehashing something trivial. I’m fine.”

Relief washed over him as he lowered his head to kiss her properly. She met him halfway and it was a sweet kiss of reacquaintance before going deeper and a little more urgent. As if of one mind, they slowly made their way across the room toward the bedroom, reluctant to break apart. After banging into a second piece of furniture, Jax pulled back and scooped her up into his arms.

“This is faster,” he said with a wicked grin.

“Thank God! My legs were going to be black and blue if we kept going that way!”

The bedroom was massive and the bed had a mountain of pillows that were a total nuisance. But he gently placed Lucy down and then swiped them all onto the floor.

Giggling, she looked at him. “Wow. That was impressive. I thought for sure you would have knocked over the lamp.”

With a wolfish grin, Jax crawled up on the bed and over her. “The night’s still young. Anything’s possible.” Then he was kissing her again. Lucy wrapped herself around him and even though they knew they had dinner reservations in an hour, it didn’t matter. They both ached to be closer. Clothes slipped away and when all he could feel was her smooth, warm skin, he didn’t care if they ever left the room.

He wanted her.

Needed her.

Craved her.

They were breathless and panting. Lucy’s hands seemed to touch him everywhere, and he was doing his best to keep up.

“Jax,” she breathlessly whispered. “Now. Please.” She was writhing beneath him, and he couldn’t have formed a single sentence if he tried. Not that it mattered.

He was a man of action anyway.

“Thank you for indulging me.”

Leaning in close, Jax playfully nudged her with his shoulder. “My pleasure.”

“I know this isn’t the most romantic thing for us to do when we only have the weekend, but I really appreciate it.” She playfully nudged him in return. “You’re kind of a great guy.”

He preened at the compliment. “Glad you finally realize it.”

Lucy’s snort of laughter was her only response before their tour guide started speaking. They were taking a two-hour tour along the Outer Banks for a guided wild horse tour. When they had planned their weekend, she had mentioned it, but Jax hadn’t thought she was serious. During dinner last night, it was almost all she could talk about, so…how could he say no?

By the time they got back to the resort, he was the one gushing over the whole thing.

“Did you see them?” he asked excitedly as they got on the elevator. “I mean…there were like…twenty of them! They were so freaking majestic that I almost hated that we were driving through and disturbing them!”

“I told you it would be awesome!”

“Hold the elevator!” someone called out just as the doors were about to close.

Jax reached out and held them open as a couple joined them. They both smiled at him, but then he noticed the guy’s expression completely change.

“Lucy?”

Turning, Jax saw that Lucy had gone completely pale and he stepped in close, his arm possessively going around her waist. “You okay?”

She nodded, but her whole body had tensed up. “Hello, Blake,” she said quietly.

“Wow,” the guy—Blake—said as he hit the button for the third floor. “This is…uh…small world, right?” His laugh was forced and awkward as hell as his gaze landed on Jax. It took a moment for recognition to hit. “Holy crap! You’re Jax Wylder, right? You play for the Warriors and you’re Tyler’s friend.”

There was no way not to answer, so he nodded politely. “That’s right.”

He glanced at Lucy. “Looks like you’ve moved on to something bigger and better, Luce…”

“Blake, don’t…” she began weakly, but he wasn’t listening.

Turning his attention back to Jax, Blake’s smile turned cold and a bit sinister. “Let me give you a bit of advice, Jax. You should beware—after all, Lucy was willing to marry me just to get away from her crappy little town and crappy little life. I knew she didn’t really love me, but I was hopeful. I’m sure a guy like you could offer her a hell of a lot more than I ever could.” With a casual shrug, he added, “Better you than me, buddy.”

Everything in Jax wanted to lean in and pound this snarky little bastard, but the elevator came to a stop just then.

“You two have a great weekend. And…best of luck, Jax.”

For a moment, neither Jax nor Lucy moved and they didn’t utter a single word until they were back in the suite.

“Of all the damn places in the world, I can’t believe we had to run into…him,” Lucy murmured, tossing her purse on the sofa. “What a total ass he is for saying all that crap. He cheated on me and somehow he thinks he has the right to talk shit about me?”

Jax wanted to agree, but…something was niggling at the back of his mind. Was Lucy with him because she genuinely liked him? Or did she come to Wichita and suddenly decide that maybe he could offer her something she so desperately wanted?

Namely, a way out of South Creek with a rich guy.

He immediately pushed that thought aside. There was no way Lucy was that kind of person. Blake was clearly just being spiteful and, from everything she’d ever shared about the guy, it totally made sense.

Still…

“Jax?”

That’s when he realized she was standing right in front of him, looking worried. “You don’t believe him, do you? I mean…yeah, I was going to marry him for all the wrong reasons, but I would never have gone through with the wedding. I was having all kinds of second thoughts. He made me sound like some sort of gold digger and that’s not me.” She was rambling and he could tell she was nervous. “Do I want to get out of South Creek? Hell yes! But I know I can do that on my own eventually. I don’t need a man—or anyone, for that matter—to do that for me.”

Slowly, some of the tension and doubt started to leave him. This was Lucy. He’d known her for almost her entire life, and the woman Blake described wasn’t the woman standing in front of him.

Or was she?

Dammit! He hated how that weaselly bastard put that thought in his mind.

“You believe me, don’t you?” she begged, her hands clutching the front of his shirt. “Please don’t let him ruin our weekend. We can leave here and go someplace else, just…we were having such a great time and I hate that this happened.”

Part of him wanted to pack up and leave because he didn’t want to risk running into Blake again, but he wasn’t a coward. He’d be damned if that little prick was going to make them run away.

“We’re not going anywhere,” he finally said, pulling her in close. “I’ve been thinking about this weekend ever since you flew home two weeks ago. I’m not going to waste a single minute thinking about the ramblings of a spiteful guy.”

Liar.

“Now, let’s go inside and get ready for our couples' massage.”

“We still have an hour,” she said softly, her smile the perfect mix of sweet and sexy.

Taking her by the hand, Jax led her to the bedroom. “And I have the perfect way for us to pass the time…”