Before You(68)

“What are you going to do? Let every girl hang on you so you can prove how inconsequential I am to you? Is that your agenda tonight and for the rest of the weekend?”

“I don’t think we should talk about this in the middle of a hotel lounge when Cam could walk by at any minute.” He lifted his glass, taking a sip of the whiskey.

“You’re right. I’m leaving, so forget this conversation ever happened.”

He grabbed her hand and threaded his fingers through hers. “No, let’s go somewhere private. This has to end, Bre. We can’t keep doing this,” he said, his jaw clenched.

“Fine, let’s finish this.”

Pulling Bre’s hand firmly, but gently, he steered her out of the lobby back toward the ballroom. Bre stopped. “I’m not going back in there,” she whispered, her eyes searching his.

Untangling their hands, he pushed the hair that had fallen out of her chignon behind her ear, and they both froze, staring at each other until the tension became almost intolerable. Her eyes dropped to his mouth and she leaned imperceptibly toward him, just barely stopping herself from kissing him. Releasing a shaky breath, she raised her gaze back to his. His eyes were smoky and heated.

Just when she didn’t think she could resist the draw between them any longer, Alec came out of the ballroom, pausing in front of them. His dark eyes flashed, taking in every detail and connection between Bre and Jax. “What’s going on?”

Dropping his hand from Bre’s face without looking at Alec, Jax said in a dark voice, “Nothing. Bre doesn’t feel well. She’s going home. I offered to walk her to the door.”

Alec ignored Jax’s response, but instead he kept his gaze trained on Bre. “Do you want me to find Cam?”

“No. I’ll text him on my way back to his place. I don’t want him to think he needs to leave with me. He should stay and have fun.”

“Do you want me to drive you home? I’m ready to leave. I hate these type of events,” Alec inquired.

“No,” Bre responded firmly.

Alec nodded and walked toward the bathroom.

Jax pulled Bre in the opposite direction down the hall and deeper into the labyrinth of the hotel until he found an empty, windowless, conference room that looked as though the hotel used it for small meetings. Drinks were abandoned on the table and papers littered the surface. Jax closed the door behind them. It was quiet except for the sound of faint laughter and music drifting from the ballroom down the hall.

Pulling her hand out of his hold, she stepped backwards, pressing the back of her legs into the edge of the conference table. “So go ahead. Tell me how you’re going to hang on any and every woman in the vicinity while I’m visiting Cam so you can prove a point.”

Jax scoffed. “That’s ridiculous,” he spat out, his deep voice thick and laced with bitterness. “I’m not trying to prove a point. I don’t have a hidden agenda. I just refuse to sit around and wait for you to realize you don’t want to be with Cam anymore. If that means I flirt with another woman, then so be it. Right now, you have no reason to complain.”

Bre plastered a fake smile on her face, and she pushed her body away from the table. “You’re right. I didn’t mean to complain about the inevitability of being another unremarkable woman on your long list of forgettable nights.”

“Wrong,” he said, stepping in front of her, invading her space, looking large and overwhelming against the bright white walls. “You could never be unremarkable or forgettable.”

“Jax, it doesn’t matter. You don’t have to say that just to make me feel better,” Bre stated, shaking her head skeptically.

“You don’t believe me,” Jax said, with his eyebrows furrowed slightly as he touched her arm.

“Let’s just say that I find it easier to believe that I don’t mean anything to you.”

Placing his glass of whiskey on the table, he raised both of his hands on either side of her face, and he whispered softly, “That couldn’t be further from the truth. I want you. I want to be with you, only you. Tell Cam it’s over. I know you’re afraid, but we’re good together. I’m good for you. Let’s try this.”

“Incredible,” Bre said disbelievingly as she released an exaggerated breath.

“What’s incredible? Me?” Jax replied, with a flirtatious grin.

“Your opinion of yourself. Your ego is so inflated I’m surprised you don’t float away.” She glared at him without any heat because she felt herself softening toward him.

Jax turned to the side, and Bre noticed his bright white smile. His smile always unnerved her, so devilish and charming.