Avoiding Commitment (51 page)

The crowd cheered as the lights went out one
by one relinquishing the room into darkness. Lexi felt as if she
were about to combust. Way too many emotions kept clouding her
mind. The rollercoaster seemed to be dragging her around each loop
and bend without care. How could Jack be so secure in Lexi only a
few nights earlier, but at the same time be here, like this, with
Bekah. She knew what he was capable of…of course she knew. She was
trying to be smarter about the whole situation by staying away from
him, but she couldn’t stay away to her own detriment. She needed to
talk to him. She needed to find out if he had been lying to her
when he had said all those things about wanting to be together. She
knew Jack wasn’t a liar, at least not to her, but something about
the whole situation felt wrong. Well, everything about the
situation felt wrong, and that’s what really worried her.

The lights flickered back on and suddenly the
entire atmosphere of the party began to change. Loud music filtered
through the club speakers, the bar instantly became crowded with
eager patrons ordering hard liquor drinks, and dancing took up the
majority of the room. More people trickled in as the party began to
roll into full swing. All of them seemed to know either Jack or
Ramsey in some capacity, not that Lexi could keep up with any of
their names. Her mind was filled with other more pertinent
conflicts.

She let Ramsey lead her through a few dances
despite her better judgment. He was such a good dancer, and she
couldn’t help but stay on the floor with him longer than she had
originally anticipated. Her plan had been to dance a number or two
with Ramsey, cut in with Jack, and then somehow get him alone so
she could speak with him about what was going on. So far that plan
was falling to pieces.

Ramsey was such an excellent diversion that
she had completely lost track of where Jack had gone. Lexi’s gaze
had followed him as he had the bartender pour two drinks filled
with dark liquid. Then she watched as he finished the contents of
one and brought the other to Bekah who was chatting with her bitchy
friends. She giggled as he nuzzled into her neck and whispered
something into her ear. When she turned to face him, he led her out
to the floor where they danced together like the perfect couple
everyone thought they were. The sight of them rubbing up against
each other in such a manner made Lexi gag and turn her focus away
for a split second, and then they were gone.

She cursed under her breath for losing them.
It was getting late and she really needed to speak with him before
she left. She would only be in the state for two more days, and if
she didn’t speak with him now, she had no idea what would happen.
Would all this time she had spent here and everything she had gone
through be for nothing? Or would she finally get the happy ending
she deserved?

She couldn’t stand around and wait to find
out any longer. She needed to take action.

Lexi leaned forward on her tiptoes facing
Ramsey. His eyes traveled down to her lips staring expectantly as
they moved closer to him. She whispered, “Will you get me a drink?
I have to go to the powder room.”

“Sure, what would you like?” he asked
wrapping an arm around her thin waist to hold her tight against
him.

“Surprise me, but no Jack Daniels,” she
prompted immediately.

“Or a Sex on the Beach,” he responded.

Lexi stepped back automatically her mouth
popping open in surprise. She couldn’t remember ever telling him
that she didn’t like those, yet that was always her next response.
“Did I mention that to you?” she couldn’t help asking.

He smirked, his green eyes sparkling.
“Intuition, darling.” He reached down and cupped her cheek sending
chills down her heated body. His head dipped and he lightly brushed
his lips across hers before disappearing to get her a drink.

Her head was spinning. Where had that come
from? And why did it suddenly feel familiar?

She stared after his retreating back for a
second before someone collided with her sending her stumbling back
a few feet. The guy attempted to apologize, but Lexi brushed him
off. She rushed away from the man and began searching for the
birthday boy. It really shouldn’t be that hard to find him since
the entire party was thrown in his name. Lexi’s only concern was
that she was going to find him in a precarious position. That was
the last thing she needed to happen. She couldn’t imagine what that
would do to her in that event. She wasn’t sure how much more she
could take from Jack, and didn’t want him to tip her over the
edge.

The space wasn’t that large and she quickly
realized he wasn’t anywhere noticeable. About to give up, she
relieved herself, since that had been her excuse in the first
place. As she was coming out of the women’s restroom, Jack exited
from the men’s. A group of men called happy birthday to him as he
began to walk back towards the party unaware that Lexi was directly
behind him. She pushed past the other men, her high heels clicking
against the tile as she approached him. Lexi reached out and
grabbed his hand before he entered the club again.

“What the…” he said turning around
sharply.

“Jack,” she cried stopping him in his tracks.
His expression shifted quickly from surprise to delight to anger
and then settled at indifferent. It all happened so fast that, had
she not known him as well as she did, she certainly would have
missed what was going on in his head.

“Lexi.”

“Can we talk…privately?”

“Now isn’t really a good time,” he said
pulling her closer to him so they could speak without anyone else
hearing. She hovered inches away from him.

“I think now is the only time,” she muttered
staring up into blue eyes.

“Why would you say that?” he asked his brows
furrowing together.

“Jack, I’m just…confused. Please,” she
begged.

He glanced around the hallway checking to see
who might notice them leaving together. He was an expert at
becoming invisible, sneaking around, and not getting caught. These
were all things she had been a source of in his past and now, she
reluctantly realized, she was forcing him into it all over again.
“Fine. Follow me.”

Lexi followed him around the corner and
through a side door that led to a long concrete walkway. She had
never been here in the past, but she assumed this must be the staff
exit or even an exclusive exit VIP members used while within the
private 755 Club. Jack closed the door behind them and led her away
from the door.

“Lexi. It’s my birthday. This couldn’t have
waited until tomorrow?” he asked crossing his arms over his chest
and standing before her. His stance made him appear distant and
unapproachable…not the way she typically viewed Jack.

“No. I don’t think that’s such a good idea,”
she told him hesitantly.

“Well, I do. I don’t have time for this right
now.” He spoke the words, but he didn’t move.

“Well, make time. I need to ask you some
questions,” she told him firmly.

“Now?” he whined. “It’s my birthday.”

“It’s past midnight,” she told him checking
her watch to verify. Actually, when she looked down, she noticed
that it was twenty minutes until midnight, but she didn’t mention
that fact.

He rolled his eyes. “Fine. Ask away.”

“Is this still what you want?” she asked her
voice trembling.

“Lex, baby,” he murmured hugging her against
him, “didn’t I tell you that you are what I want?”

She sighed against his body. She didn’t like
that he was evading her question with another question. Why
couldn’t he answer straight up? “That’s what you said three days
ago, but, Jack, I’m leaving in two days. What are we going to do
after that?”

“We’ll work it out. I just need time. You
have to understand. Bekah and I,” he sighed trailing off.

“I do understand that you have been together
for some time…without my distraction. But how can I be sure that
I’m not just that…a distraction?” she asked, her eyes pleading with
him. She had never felt so rigid against his body. He wasn’t
calming her as he usually did. Even his baby blue eyes, which
normally held so much warmth and desire when cast upon her, were
almost icy. She didn’t know what was going on.

“You have to trust me. I’ve never lied to you
before,” he muttered glancing towards the door.

“Jack, what’s wrong with you?” she whispered
staring up into his blank face.

When he next looked back at her, the Jack she
knew and loved had returned. His eyes looked hungry. It was a look
she knew well. His body had relaxed into her even pressing her
closer.

She didn’t know where his emotions would go
next. One minute he was icy cold and the next he was on fire. She
couldn’t keep up.

“Nothing is
wrong
with me,” he spat
the words out.

“I mean the way you were looking at me…” She
shuddered.

“Lexi, I don’t have time for this,” he said
eyeing the door again. “I really need to get back inside.” He
started to walk away from her. She knew she had kept him out here
too long, but he hadn’t answered any questions. He hadn’t done
anything but shift moods too frequently for her to count.

“I thought things were going to be
different,” she muttered stopping him with his hand on the door.
She needed to know what was going on, and if the only way to do
that was to elicit a reaction from him, then so be it.

He turned and faced her. “Things
are
different.”

“It doesn’t feel like it. It feels like every
other time.” Hurt crossed his features at her accusation.

“Get off my case, Lex” he said turning back
towards the door.

“You can’t even look at me,” she cried
knowing she was being completely unreasonable. She felt as if she
were about to burst. She couldn’t think of another way to get
through to him. All she needed was some sort of answer one way or
the other. A part of her knew that she wasn’t being fair. He
deserved time to figure out what to do about Bekah. Another part of
her thought she had given him enough time over the past six years
to figure out if he wanted another girl or not and that she needed
an answer.

He turned around and walked slowly back to
her, standing only inches away, but not touching. “There. I’m
looking at you,” he said his blue eyes staring purposely into her
brown ones.

“You’ll never change,” she snarled. She
couldn’t believe the words had come out of her mouth. She had been
thinking them all along, but the words struck too close to home for
their relationship.

“Maybe I already have,” he growled back
walking forward and pushing her forcefully against the cement wall.
His hand reached down, hitched her left leg up around his waist,
and he pushed himself against her. She could feel his erection
jumping to life as the adrenaline pumped through their bodies. Her
black silk thong brushed against the crotch of his charcoal suit
pants causing both of them to shudder with desire.

His blue eyes thawed upon catching her gaze.
He leaned forward, pressed his free hand against her bare neck
pulling her head away from the concrete barrier, bringing her face
less than an inch from his own.

“Uh, Jack,” she whispered unable to break his
steady gaze. He leaned forward his breath hot on her face. For a
split second, she could see herself giving into him right then and
there. She could break down all those walls of sexual tension and
give him back the control he so obviously desired. It would be so
easy to let go. He was what she wanted after all. Why did it have
to be wrong to get what she wanted?

“Shh,” he said covering her mouth with his
own. The kiss was soft, yet urgent. She sighed against his lips
letting them part and his tongue to enter her mouth. The kiss
turned feverish, and she found that she had pushed her fingers up
through his thick hair pulling him closer to her. Her desire was
growing every second she stood with him close to her. She couldn’t
even think properly with the way he had her positioned. His hand
pushed the red material of her dress away from her thigh, cupped
her bare ass, and hoisted her other leg up around his waist. He
pushed against her then slowly, almost teasingly, rubbing himself
against her.

Lexi groaned not sure how they had ended up
in this position, but she didn’t care. She had resisted him so
long, and it was painful to stay away from him. Even when her mind
allowed her the moments where she wasn’t thinking of him, he was
always there in the back of her mind. And here, in the present, she
couldn’t imagine anywhere else she wanted to be.

He bit her lip a little harder than intended,
and she knew she would have a bruise the next day. Right now she
just enjoyed the pain mixing with the pleasure of his hands running
across her breasts and fluttering across her erect nipples. Lexi
reached between them unfastening his belt, popping the button open
and shaking the zipper to the bottom. Her hand trailed the length
of him through his cotton boxer briefs. He shoved himself against
her harder than before when she touched him.

She reacted instantly, reaching into his
pants and grabbing a hold of the shaft. It lengthened in her hand
and he groaned deep in his throat. His hand fumbled for her
underwear, ripping the gentle material in his haste to slide them
to the side, and pushed his thumb against her clit. He moved his
mouth from her lips to her ear and throat roughly biting, sucking,
and nibbling as she squirmed against his chest.

Convulsions were overtaking their bodies,
their desire heightening as each second of public fornication
dragged on.

Jack abruptly stopped his kneading of her,
grabbed his dick in his now wet hand, and forcefully pushed inside
of her. Lexi’s head snapped back against the cement wall not even
feeling the pain as his erection filled deep inside of her. She
clenched her muscles around him unable to believe how incredible he
felt. He let his head fall between her breasts breathing a few deep
breathes of desire. Then he lifted his head up and began thrusting
inside of her. She gasped at his forceful demeanor. He refused to
take it slow as he vigorously pounded into her body. He filled her
over and over again. His movements were unrelenting, and she almost
cried out. She wasn’t sure if it was with pleasure or pain, but he
covered her mouth with his hand. Lexi felt the orgasm take over her
body. She tightened around him, her body shaking with pleasure, but
he never let up. Even as the waves of passion took over her body,
he continued inside of her holding out on his orgasm so she could
have another.