He was standing near the doors, his hands in his pockets, the broad line of his shoulders tense. The look on his face tightened. “Last night won’t happen again.”
Annoyingly, disappointment threaded through her. “Why not? I liked it.”
“Because we have more important things to worry about than sex.”
“You’re kind of uptight, you know that?”
“Your opinion is noted.”
The railing was a hard line against her spine, the mirrored interior reflecting her pale face back at her. There were bruises on her neck. Bruises from his mouth.
The thought sent more electricity racing through her and dammit the disappointment became a little sharper. She shifted against the railing and caught his blue eyes watching her in the glass. There was hunger in his gaze.
She raised a brow at him. “If you don’t want last night again, then why are you looking at me like that?”
“I never said it was because I didn’t want you.”
The sharpness of the disappointment eased. How stupid that such a small affirmation should make her feel better, but it did. Compliments that actually meant something had been few and far between in her life.
“Too sexy for ya, huh?” She tried to keep it light, flippant.
“Too sexy, too passionate, and far too much for any man in his right mind, Pandora Garret.” In the mirrored paneling, his gaze met hers once again and her heart contracted at the intensity in his blue eyes, heat washing over her. “You must know that, surely?”
“Actually, no, I didn’t.” Her voice was much hoarser than she would have liked. “No one’s ever said anything like that to me before.”
“Why not? You’re beautiful. Any fool can see that.”
She looked away, an emotion she didn’t quite understand clogging her throat. “I don’t care about beauty. It doesn’t mean anything. The only thing my looks ever did for me was to make me a more valuable commodity for Dad. Like an added bonus or something.” She bit her lip. “Being beautiful has got nothing to do with me. Not me as a person.”
A silence fell.
“I don’t see you as a commodity,” Jax said quietly. “I’ll admit it was your face that made me look last night. But it was the fire in your eyes that made me ask you home.”
A small glow of pleasure took up residence behind her breastbone. She tried to hide it, not wanting him to know how much that simple statement meant to her, but she knew it was probably obvious by the blush on her cheeks. Ah, well, too bad. Let him see.
“Do you regret it?” she asked, catching his gaze in the mirror again. “Asking me home, I mean?”
“No.” A fierce light burned in his blue eyes. “Not one single second.”
For a moment something hovered between them, something important.
Then the elevator pinged and the doors opened. And the moment vanished.
Jax turned away. “Come on. We’re here.”
*
“Jesus, Jax. You never put a foot out of line for years and the next thing we know, Nick Garret is blackmailing you into marrying his daughter. Only you would have a one-night stand where you end up having to get married.”
“This isn’t a fucking joke, Van,” Jax growled into the phone, not appreciating his brother’s amused tone.
“No, it isn’t. It’s just sex and blackmail. It’s not even like you murdered her in a dark alley or anything.” Donovan paused. “Unless you have murdered her in a dark alley, in which case we’ll have some serious shit to deal with.”
“I didn’t murder anyone. She’s right here in my penthouse.”
“What, you’ve moved in together already? Don’t tell me you’re in love.”
Jax couldn’t help himself, shooting a glance through the dining-room doorway to where Pandora stood. Among the glass and steel and concrete of his clean, minimalist lounge area, she was a bright pop of color and softness in her red dress with her silky black hair falling down her back. She was gazing out the massive windows, one hand pressed against the glass, her dress pulling tight over her curves, outlining them to perfection.
Heat gathered low inside him, a heavy, persistent feeling.
Yes, she was beautiful, but he’d told her the truth back there in the elevator. It hadn’t been her beauty that had made him want her. It had been her uncertainty, then her bravery, the look of challenge she’d given him, and the chemistry that had ignited between them that had done it. And now, the flash of vulnerability she’d given away in response to his confession only tightened his desire for her even further. Made him want to know more.
Garret hadn’t been kind to his daughter, that much was obvious. Physically it looked like he hadn’t harmed her … but emotionally? There were secrets there and he wanted to find out what they were.