Free JAX (Breaking the Declan Brothers #1) by Kelly Gendron Page B

kinda,” she holds the mug close to her mouth, “sweet.”
    “Right,” I say slouching back into the cushion. “I don’t get him. One day, he’s saying all these wicked naughty things to me in a dark room, and the next he’s holding me naked while we sleep.”
    “Hold up,” her hand comes out as she nearly spits out her coffee. “You were naked in bed with him, and he didn’t touch you?”
    “Yes.” I nod again. “Completely naked.”
    “Damn, that boy’s got some discipline. I’m mean, how many guys do you know who would or could do that?”
    “None.”
    “Exactly.” Rayna looks at me. “I always wondered what he’d be like. Ya know, to see him in a relationship. He was the mature one, the responsible one. Even though he’s only two years older than Slate, he seemed to hold down the fort in the Declan home. Even when Grams was around, everything had to go through Jax. Don’t get me wrong, he was always nice, but I gotta say, he was a bit intimidating.”
    “I think that’s what I liked about him…that quiet reserve. A lot of guys are so cocky, full of themselves and such jerks, but Jax, as hot as he was, he never threw it around.”
    “Ya, I get what you’re saying. So what are you going to do?”
    I stand up, Jax’s scent still clinging to me, and look down at Rayna. “I’m going to try to break him before he breaks me.”
    Her brow rises. “Do you have feelings for him? I mean, aside from wanting to fuck him?”
    “I don’t know.” I set my hands on my hips. “He’s so confusing. He makes me think he wants me, almost as if he’s always wanted me, but I know that can’t be true. If he would’ve just showed some interest all those years ago, I’m sure he knows that he could have had me.”
    “Slate never mentioned anything to me, but then again, Jax did always look at you longer than a guy who’s not interested should.”
    “No, he didn’t.”
    “Ah, ya he did, always when you weren’t looking, but I kept it to myself. As I said, he scared me. And if I was wrong, well, I didn’t want Slate’s big brother angry with me. Besides, I didn’t want to give you any false hope. I knew you had a huge crush on him.”
    “I did, but now I got a big girl crush on him. If he starts to show interest after all these years, I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do. This was supposed to be fun, breaking the Declan brothers. But Rayna,” I toss my hand out in there, “Jax Declan, he could be the first guy to break me.”
    “Oh, Emmie.” She gets up and gives me a hug. “I’m sorry for making you come back here.”
     “Don’t be.” I pull back and smile at her, remembering what Jax said in the café. That maybe I’d thank Rayna too for bringing me back to him. Depending how all this turns out, he could be right. “I’m okay. I’m glad that we came back. I’m worried about you, though. Besides the other night, have you seen Slate at all?”
    “No, and I’m not sure that I want to.” She drops back down onto the sofa.
    “I get it, but I think deep down you know that you need to. You guys had something special, and no matter how it ended, you still had that.”
    “He fights, Emmie. Fights! Can you see my Slate doing what Jax was doing the other night in that cage? And you heard what Melody said, Slate brings in the biggest crowd. So, he’s gotta be good. Right?”
    “Jax says he’s changed.”
    “What? How?”
    “He didn’t say, just said he changed.” I lean forward and pick up my mug.
    She stares at me. “That’s it.” She shakes her hands. “I don’t wanna see him.”
    “Yes, you do.” I grin as I turn and head to the kitchen for a decent cup of java.
    “Dammit!” I hear Rayna say a few times while I pour the coffee.
    I enter the living room, and Lurlene comes slumbering in, hair all around her lightly freckled face. She’s rubbing her eyes and says between a yawn, “Mornin’.”
    “Coffee’s on in the kitchen,” I say passing by