Toxic Secrets (31 page)

Jaxon left Kendra and Reed’s bags by his Jeep, but had my suitcase in one hand and my carry-on bag draped across his shoulder and chest. “Welcome to Vaughn Estates,” Jaxon stated in a flat tone, squinting up at his mansion in the bright California sun.

“Are you fucking kidding me, man?” Reed exclaimed. “You make that kind of money running your bar to afford something like this? Hot damn!” Reed had dollar signs in his eyes.

Jaxon stopped in front of the door, his shoulders sagging. “Don’t get too excited, cuz. This kind of money doesn’t come from that bar. I inherited the money from Gramma Z,” he revealed with so much melancholy dripping from his voice. When he told me he opened his bar with the money his gramma left him, I wasn’t expecting it to be this much.

“Oh.” Was all Reed could say. It was all any of us could say. I was beginning to learn Jaxon ran through emotions as quickly as a cheetah chasing an impala. He had started with flirty arrogance, switching to happy, then to nervy, followed with anger, and finally sad in approximately four hours. I wondered what emotion the spinning wheel would land on next.

Chapter 27 ~ Pieces from the Past

Thirteen bedrooms and seven bathrooms, and the majority of the house was decorated in black. Aside from the gothic color scheme, was I the only person to notice those numbers to be an odd combination? Another mental note I made to text Kendra about later.

What single person needed a house with that many rooms?
I’ll tell you who—nobody.
Jaxon had surprised me on so many levels. He pulled off the whole normal, average Joe persona very well.  Never would I have guessed him to be loaded. I had to admit, it made me crush on him even harder. Most guys were quick to brag about being rich, but not Jaxon. I liked how he was so humble in that way.

Jaxon remained quiet as he navigated us through the house. When he did speak, his tone was monotonous, and it was only to give details on the room. He was causing us extreme discomfort, and none of us knew what to do or say. Jaxon had to sense the awkwardness he was putting us through. The tension was too obvious. Although he and Reed were cousins, they had never really had that close of a family bond. They were slowly working on it, but about ten years had passed without them seeing or speaking to one another. It was not because they didn’t want to, but because they had been too young to have the opportunity. Until recently, their relationship had been mostly about business, so Reed didn’t feel comfortable enough to talk in depth with him yet.

Jaxon gave Reed and Kendra an overly-large room that looked more like a suite at a hotel. And here I always thought Kendra’s house was over-the-top big, but that room had nothing on hers. I could easily live in that room itself. After dropping off Kendra and Reed at their room, I followed Jaxon down the never-ending hallway. Eventually, it had led to a couple more adjoining hallways. Then it reached an open sitting room with a balcony overlooking another room that was decorated in a sophisticated, but manly, style. It looked more like a waste of space to me. Once we stopped outside the door, I was completely lost. Panic struck me when I thought about how I was supposed to find my way back to Kendra’s room… or even my way outside in case of an earthquake or something.

He opened the door to another bedroom. “Here’s your room. It has anything and everything in it. The bed, of course, and here are some drawers if you don’t want to leave your clothes in your suitcase. Over here is the closet,” he said, walking around pointing everything out. “Here’s the bathroom, and it’s stocked with everything you should need.” He picked up two remotes, handing them to me. “This one is for the TV, and this one is for the fireplace, in case you get chilly at night.” He inhaled a deep breath then released with a loud blow. “If you need me, I’m right next door,” he said, his lips pulled in between his teeth, making his dimples sink in deep. He shuffled his way out of my room with his head hung low. Before he walked out of my sight, he stopped at the doorway, barely lifting his head to look at me. Frustration was written all over his face. I couldn’t handle seeing him in such misery any longer. I wanted to hug him, to comfort him, but mostly I wanted to talk to him, to get him to let me inside so I could maybe help him. He needed to tell me what was going on.

“Jaxon, are you okay?” I asked, honestly concerned. “You can talk to me, you know. I promise I’m not asking because I’m curious either. I’m asking because I care.” I wanted to walk over to him and hug him, but I’d learned he could be an odd character at times, so I didn’t want to force any unwanted affection on him. The way he reacted in the bathroom at the chalet was still fresh in my mind.

He cocked his head up, looking at me with a forced smile. “I’m good, don’t worry about me. It’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before.” He shoved his hands in his pockets looking like a man who’d been defeated. “I… umm… I’m gonna go… so… you can get settled. I’ll be next door in my room… uh… yeah.” He hastily disappeared around the corner. I heard his door close quickly after. Just like that. He cut me off short, just like he had before, never wanting to reveal any more than what he wanted to give.

Standing there in the middle of the room, I was running through the day’s events in my mind. My first day here was already turning out to be a disappointing one. I didn’t come this far to spend a week with Debbie Downer. Not meaning to sound insensitive, but I’d had enough sorrow of my own to deal with. I didn’t need any more negativity in my life at this point. This was supposed to be a vacation for me, a time to have fun, to live life to the fullest. I could be someone else here. I could do whatever I wanted without a watchful eye lurking about. I could tap into my inner goddess and invite her to come out and play for a little while, like for a week. I could…

My feet began moving forward before my brain made the decision of what I was about to do. I crept around the corner then stopped in front of Jaxon’s bedroom door. Taking a deep breath, I allowed my knuckles to lightly tap against the wood surface a couple of times. Jaxon opened the door half naked, wearing only swimming trunks. There was no way I was able describe them because my vision was engaged by the taut man standing before me. He stood holding the door, inviting me into his personal space. I couldn’t move. My eyes raked over the tight, defined grooves of every muscle in his body, the smoothness of his skin, the silver metal protruding from his puckered nipples. I was taking a mental picture to take back with me to North Carolina. As lust began running through my veins, my thought process started to turn to mush. I couldn’t think coherently, I forgot what my mission was, my purpose for coming over here.

“You’re doing it again,” he observed.

Oh hell.
I snorted a nervous laugh. “Sorry?”

“Sweet Cheeks, I’ve told you before, you don’t need to apologize, just don’t be so obvious with it.”

Did he smirk? Was that a slight smirk I caught?

Clearing his throat more than normal, he turned his back to me, walking into an adjacent room. I wasn’t sure what room it was—the bathroom, a closet, an entertainment room maybe? Hell, it might be a freaking fully equipped gym for all I knew. I quickly took advantage of the moment by myself and inspected his room while he wasn’t in it. It was decorated much like his house—sleek, but gothic. Everything was either black or had the color black incorporated into it. His bed was massive, big enough that all four of us could fit comfortably on it. The bedding was all black, the material soft as silk. Then again, it probably was silk… imported from China. Running my fingers along the sleek material, I thought about the things that could be done on that bed.
Stop it, Courtney!

Turning away to focus my attention on something else besides his bed, I spotted several pictures sitting on top of the wide, white marbled mantle over the black, rocked-in fireplace. One picture was of a beautiful young lady with jet black hair flowing freely down her back. She looked to be maybe in her twenties. By the style of clothes she was wearing, you could tell the picture had been taken twenty or more years ago. She was laughing in the picture. She looked happy, full of life. She also looked familiar. The hair, the eyes, the dimples—that smile. She looked just like Jaxon. She had to be his mother.

I switched my attention to the other picture sitting in a beautiful antique frame. This lady was older, the picture appearing to be taken by a professional photographer. I picked it up to get a better look. She had dark brown hair that curled right above her shoulders with strands of gray threaded through. She had a petite structure with delicate features. Despite the wrinkles that lined her eyes and mouth, she was a beautiful woman. She looked nothing like Jaxon or the lady in the other picture, but I had a feeling she was the grandma he always talked about.

“What are you doing?” Jaxon asked, standing right behind me, his mouth level at my ear.

Letting out a shrilling scream, the picture went flying out of my hands. Thank goodness for Jaxon’s quick reflexes, because he caught it before it shattered into a million pieces against the rock fireplace. The way he grasped it in midair put my heart into overdrive. I was already frightened by him sneaking up on me, but the closeness of our bodies only frightened me even more. I wasn’t afraid of what he might do, I was more afraid of what I would do.

We both stood still, panting, and I could feel his breath against my cheek. The smell of mint tickled my senses, inducing my endorphins. Peering at him from the corner of my eye, I noticed that his eyes were closed. His throat grunts sounded strained. He was trying his best to hold back his tics. He was fighting it… us, the struggle was clear on his face. He was battling with the need as much as I was. The only thing was, I didn’t want to fight it at this point in time.

I had to know, I had to put myself out there and see if he would react the way I wanted him to. Turning my head toward him, I lightly brushed my lips against his. He inhaled sharply, his exhale releasing in a shaky pattern, as his lips gently pressed against mine. Turning my entire body to face him, I relaxed into him. Everything I’d felt for Jaxon before came back with a vengeance. It was so much stronger this time. Was I denying those feelings before because I was afraid?
What was I afraid of? Was I afraid of him treating me the same as Phillip had?
Their mood swings and colossal personalities were similar, but, no, Phillip never treated me with the tenderness and care that Jaxon showed me.

My lips ached as he broke our kiss and tenderly traced my jawline, lingering on the shell of my ear. “What are you doing to me?” he whispered.

It wasn’t a question to be answered, it was a statement. His lips engulfed my earlobe, suckling lightly and sending a tingling sensation across the skin of my neck. Just the feel of his warm wet tongue drove my body wild. Slowly and gingerly, he scraped his teeth over the now moist, sensitive flesh. A surge of heat struck my core, the warmth radiating all the way to my cheeks. I couldn’t respond back. All I could manage was a soft low moan of pleasure. Hearing my uncontrollable desire for him, he didn’t hesitate. He reached down, placing his arms underneath my knees, and swiftly lifted me up, cradling me in his arms. I held his gaze for seconds, and the look of lust he directed at me didn’t go unnoticed before his lips came crashing down onto mine. Effortlessly, he walked me to his bed, and then placed me down so gently onto the silky fabric. Our kiss remained intact, we were too hungry for one another to let go. He straddled his hands over me, firmly setting them on each side of my head. His feet remained on the floor. My fingertips grazed along his ribcage then around to his back. With my fingers spread out, and my palms flat over his smooth skin, I wanted to explore all of him. I could feel every ounce of lean muscle flexing under my hands as he moved against me. The touch was so exhilarating. It made me want him more. The bed dipped down beside me as his upper body hovered over mine. Pulling down on his back, I wanted to feel the warmth of him against me. He wouldn’t give. His arms remained straight, holding his weight off of me. “Hmm mm,” he grunted into my mouth. “Don’t rush this. I want to savor you,” he breathed heavily.

Confident. That was how he made me feel right there in that moment. I felt like I could conquer anything I set my mind to. I felt attractive, I felt desirable, and I felt truly wanted for the first time in my life. I craved Jaxon. I wanted him. Whether it was a thoughtless act or not, I didn’t care. Reaching down, I shimmied out of my shorts.

Jaxon gasped, and I knew my brazen move lit a fire within him, tormenting him. I wasn’t about to let go of him, though. Our kiss intensified, mint bursting into my mouth as his Altoid brushed against my tongue. I felt exuberant, but at the same time intoxicated. As I was getting drunk off of this incredible guy, he was utterly unaware of how dangerous he might possibly be for me.

My lips felt swollen and my chin irritated from the stubble on Jaxon’s face, but I didn’t care. The sweet kisses he placed across my raw skin and then trailed down my neck felt so good. Nothing could cause me discomfort at this moment. My breath hitched when he lifted up my coral colored blouse and placed tender kisses around my naval. His hand trickled up along my ribcage, stopping to rest underneath my breast. I grabbed his hair, tugging it hard. I wanted his mouth on mine again, but he had other plans. He palmed my breast over the thin fabric of my bra, rubbing it in circles until a peak formed while his mouth continued to work its way down. He pressed his lips lightly along my panty line all the while rolling the tip of my boob between his fingers. The feeling was overwhelming, and I felt my body heat up to a life-threatening degree. My core was aching. I wanted him to continue his path, to journey his way down to the wetness between my thighs. He must have read my mind because without warning his teeth caught onto the top of my thong, and both hands gripped the barely there material on each side of my hips, pulling them down so slowly, so sensually. I was spent. I felt like I was going to implode.