Page 9 of For the Promise (The Raider Brothers #2)

“This must be what people mean when they say opportunity knocks.” ~ Jaxon

Jaxon

B lossom bites her lip as she studies me. I want to remove her teeth and replace them with mine. I shove my hands in my pockets before I reach for her.

“Why did you tell your ex we’re married?” I push when she doesn’t speak.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It doesn’t matter? He thinks we’re coming to his wedding next weekend.”

She waves her hand in dismissal. “He’ll forget he invited us. Alan doesn’t follow through unless it benefits him somehow.”

A woman hurries down the hallway. She was in the room with us and Alan, but I don’t know who she is. She stops in front of Blossom. “Here.” She hands her an envelope.

“What’s this?” Blossom asks .

“Mr. Simmons wanted me to make sure you have an invitation to the wedding next week. No need to RSVP. I’ll add you to the list.”

Blossom’s smile is forced. “Thanks, Terri.”

Terri waves as she rushes back to the room with Blossom’s ex.

“Mermaids drowning in the sea,” Blossom mutters. “I really thought he’d forget.”

“Why does he think you’re married?”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to come to the wedding with me. In fact, I won’t go.” She nods as if the matter is settled. The matter is not settled.

“Why did you tell your ex we’re married?”

“It doesn’t matter.” She pivots on her heel but I capture her wrist before she can escape.

“Blossom.” Her body shivers and I realize I’m caressing her wrist with my thumb. I drop her hand and step away. I immediately miss the feel of her silky skin.

“Tell me what’s going on,” I demand.

“You can’t demand to know what’s going on after ignoring me for months,” she hisses at me. “I’m a mistake, remember?”

“I didn’t say you’re a mistake. I said kissing you was a mistake.”

Pain flashes in her brown eyes.

“Forget I said anything. I’m an asshole.”

She snorts. “You won’t hear me arguing with you.”

“Come on.” I herd her down the hallway. “Let’s go somewhere private and discuss this. ”

“You want to discuss why you ignored me for two months?”

No. I want to discuss why she lied to her ex. I need to know why she’s afraid of attending his wedding. Does she still have feelings for him? My stomach curls as jealousy fills me. Blossom isn’t mine to be jealous of but my body doesn’t care.

We pass an alcove with two chairs. I coax Blossom into a chair and sit across from her.

“Why did you tell your ex you’re married to me?”

“Wow. No small talk. No asking how I’m doing. Just bam! Straight to the point.”

I frown. “I don’t understand small talk.”

“Of course, you don’t.” She motions to my t-shirt and I glance down to read it. This one says Hi, I’m good. Thanks. There. Now we don’t need to make small talk.

“Blossom, you pulled me into this situation by saying we’re married. And now we’re invited to your ex’s wedding next weekend. If you want my help, you need to tell me what’s going on.”

She scowls. “Who said I want your help? I told you I won’t be attending the wedding.”

“And what kind of message will your absence send?”

Her nose wrinkles. “Message?”

“You told this man you’re married. I assume there’s a good reason you lied.”

“There is. I promise.”

“If you don’t show up at his wedding, he might figure out you’re lying. What happens then? ”

She gasps and clutches her chest. “He can’t figure out I’m lying. He can’t.”

I capture her hand and squeeze. “Why? What will he do?” I feel her pulse race. She’s obviously terrified of this man. I growl. “What did he do to you?”

“It’s not what you think.”

“He didn’t hurt you?”

She ducks her head. “Not physically.”

I pinch her chin and force her to meet my gaze. “There are more ways to hurt a person than physically.”

“I know,” she whispers.

I want to find Alan and bash his face in. How dare he cause this vibrant woman to be afraid? But I can’t abandon Blossom. Not when she’s hurting. I want to pull her into my arms and kiss her until she forgets all about any other man who came before me. Let alone, Alan the asshole.

I’ve been fighting Blossom’s pull from the first time she told me she doesn’t have cooties. I can’t have her, but I can help her.

“Let’s go to the wedding.”

She blinks at me. “What?”

“Let’s go to the wedding.”

“Why?”

“Let’s show Alan the asshole he did not break you. In fact, you leveled up.”

She giggles the way I intended her to. “Leveled up? With you?”

I puff out my chest. “With me. Trust me. I clean up nice. ”

Her gaze dips to my chest and she bites her bottom lip. My cock twitches. It wants to play with those pretty lips. Feel them surrounding it. It hardens and lengthens as visions of her on her knees in front of me flash through my mind.

“Do you have an outfit that doesn’t include a nerdy t-shirt?”

I draw a hand down my chest. “You don’t like my t-shirts?”

I’m playing with fire. This woman can’t be mine. She’s too tempting. She causes me to act out of character. My body’s reaction to her isn’t normal. I should leave well enough alone.

But I won’t. I will give her a weekend to remember. And afterwards we’ll go our separate ways. Again.

She wags the invitation at me. “The wedding is black tie.”

“It’s a good thing I own a tuxedo.”

Her eyes widen. I could drown in those light brown eyes. The deep gold reminds me of a smoky whiskey. I do love a good smoky whiskey.

“You own a tuxedo?”

“My brother’s a billionaire.”

“And you’re a millionaire.”

I’m not sure if she’s asking, but I nod. The distillery is doing extremely well. I refuse to be ashamed about having money. Not after how we struggled after Dad abandoned us.

“Okay,” she gives in. “We’ll go to the wedding.”

I reach for my phone. “I’ll reserve a chalet for the weekend.”

She places a hand on my wrist to stop me. “We don’t need a chalet for the weekend. We live on the island. We can go home after the wedding. ”

I smirk. “But if we stay in a chalet for the weekend, it’ll give us a better chance to rub our relationship in Alan’s face.”

“I never knew you were this devious.”

“Have you met my brothers? I wouldn’t survive in the Raider family without being a little devious.”

She grins. “I like this side of you.”

“The matter is settled. We’ll stay in a chalet next weekend for the wedding.”

“Can’t we book a room?” Her nose wrinkles. “The chalets are super expensive.”

I kiss her adorable nose. “I’m paying.”

“You are not paying.”

“I’m your husband. I’m paying.”

“Jaxon,” she growls. It’s cute. I have to bite my tongue before I laugh at how cute she is. Somehow, I don’t think she’d appreciate me laughing at her.

“Blossom.”

“Seriously, Jaxon. I don’t care how much money you have. You’re not spending it on a chalet at this fancy schmancy resort because of me.”

“Why not because of you?”

“Duh.” She rolls her eyes. “You don’t like me.”

“I like you just fine.” More than just fine, actually but I can’t give Blossom any hope. Our relationship will never be more than friendship, despite how my body yearns for hers.

“Geez, hubby. Careful how romantic you get. I might not be able to handle it. I might end up jumping you right here and now. ”

She’s joking but my cock doesn’t realize it. It urges me to take Blossom up on her offer. Jump her! Jump her!

I ignore my cock. It’s usually not difficult to ignore my physical urges. But with Blossom, I have to grit my teeth and force myself to calm the hell down before I do something I regret.

“We’ll save the jumping each other for this weekend when we have privacy.”

Her mouth drops open. “Jaxon Raider, did you just make a joke?”

“I can make jokes.” Not often and not very well but I’m not completely inept. Socially awkward? There’s no denying it. But even the most socially awkward person can laugh and joke sometimes.

“Maybe this weekend won’t be terrible after all.”

I squeeze her hand. “This weekend will be wonderful. I promise.”

“You don’t have to do this. Alan is my problem.”

Anyone who causes my vibrant Blossom to dim is my problem to deal with. I can’t have her for myself, but no one is hurting her on my watch. No one.

“I agreed to help you. The matter is closed.”

She stands. “I thank you, good sir. For your services.” She curtseys. “But I will pay you back,” she mutters before walking off.

As I watch her retreat, I realize she deftly avoided answering my questions.

I still don’t know what Alan did. But I will find out.