My plan was to make this first kiss a sweet, tender embrace, something that Harlow might always remember as romantic.
Those plans went completely off the rails when she let out a low moan against my lips, and tightened her arms around my neck.
After that, there was nothing but the rampant desire flowing between the two of us, and the need to get as close as we could get.
She threaded her hands into my hair, and I relished the feel of her nails against my scalp.
I realized the two of us were literally devouring each other outside, in my brother’s driveway, but Harlow was so damn sweet I couldn’t seem to stop.
I am not going to fuck her on the hood of my damn vehicle like a horny teenager!
Harlow deserved a hell of a lot better than that shit.
I finally tore my mouth from hers, and both of us came up panting.
Harlow looked stunned when she finally opened her eyes.
“Jax,” she whispered. “What in the hell just happened?”
“We just found out what it would feel like if we kissed,” I told her tightly. “And it was fucking mind-blowing.”
I leaned down to give her a more affectionate, sweeter kiss…until I was distracted by a quick flash of light.
And then another.
And another.
“Mr. Montgomery, is this one of your one-date women?”
“Who is she, Mr. Montgomery?”
“Son of a bitch! It’s the goddamn press!” I told Harlow as I shielded her with my body.
A large hand clapped my shoulder as I heard Cooper’s voice. “Seth said the local press has been hanging around here lately. He left the gate open so we could get out, and the assholes invited themselves in. I’ll buy you some time. Get the hell out of here.”
“Harlow, get in the car,” I instructed as I pulled her body against me.
She snagged her jacket and her purse before I led her to the passenger door and got her inside. I’d tried to shield her the best I could, but the damn picture-taking never stopped.
Neither did the questions that I didn’t even acknowledge.
I learned a long time ago that it was best to say nothing when the media found me with a woman. No matter what I said, it would end up misconstrued.
As soon as I put the vehicle in gear, I could hear Seth outside, warning the trespassers that he’d already called the police.
As we exited the driveway, Harlow asked, “What is Cooper doing?”
A quick glance at my brother told me exactly what he was doing.
Cooper was definitely buying us a lot of time.
“He’s letting all of the air out of the tires of their media van,” I said with a smile. “I’m going to owe him one for this.”
Harlow
“I don’t want to argue with you about this, Harlow. Just pack up some of your stuff so we can get out of here,” Jax said gruffly as he waved his hand toward the bedroom of my apartment.
I huffed. “I’m not going to let a bunch of rude reporters chase me out of my own apartment. They were Citrus Beach reporters. It was a small, local channel.”
“Yeah, and those stories travel fast. How long do you think it will take before you’re identified, and every channel in Southern California is outside your door? You need to be somewhere secure right now unless you really want the media looking into your windows, and beating down your door. You won’t get a moment of peace, Harlow,” Jax rumbled irritably.
I folded my arms over my chest. “Would it really be that bad?”
“You have no fucking idea. There’s only one way in, and one way out of this place. You’re in a ground-floor apartment,” he growled. “You’d be apartment bound again, and this time, it would be my fault. My place is secure. Nobody is getting past the gate. Honestly, I’m not even sure they’d come to Coronado, but they’d hunt you down here just to try to get a story out of you.”
Just the thought of being stuck in my tiny apartment with media blocking my only way out had me scurrying toward the bedroom.
I yanked a suitcase out of my closet, and started piling some clothing into it.
Jax knew a lot more about this crazy media stuff than I did, so I trusted his judgment. There was no point in arguing with him. “It annoys the hell out of me that I could feel intimidated in my own home,” I told Jax as I started tossing underwear into my bag.
“I know. I’m sorry,” he answered as he leaned against the doorjamb of the bedroom with his hands in his pockets. “Don’t panic. We have time.”
“I’m not panicked,” I explained. “I’m pissed. First, those assholes interrupt the hottest kiss I’ve ever experienced in my life. Then, I have to worry about them coming after me like hounds after a rabbit to get a damn story. I’m trusting you on this one, but part of me wants to stay just so I can sit here and roll stink bombs out the door. Or figure out some way to mess with their heads. Nobody should be cornered that way for doing nothing more than kissing a smoking-hot guy.”
Jax chuckled. “Stink bombs?”
I sent him an admonishing glare. “Obviously, firecrackers are out since they could actually hurt someone, but some really good stink bombs would get them to scatter in a hurry.”
“Have I ever mentioned how gorgeous you are when you’re pissed off?” Jax asked huskily.
“You’ve never really seen me angry,” I reminded him.
“I haven’t,” he admitted. “But now that I have, it’s incredibly sexy.”
I let out an exasperated breath as I looked at the grin on his face, and pointed my finger at him. “Don’t shoot me that sexy, panty-melting smile because you think it’s going to calm me down. It’s your hotness that got me into this position in the first place.”
His grin grew broader. “You did ask me to kiss you,” he reminded me hoarsely.
I went into the small bathroom to gather my toiletries. “I asked you to kiss me,” I said in a louder voice so he could hear me. “I didn’t ask you to curl my toes and turn the entire universe upside down.”
That kiss hadn’t been just a simple kiss. It had been like having an orgasmic experience with my clothes on.
I’d been ready to climb up that hard body of his and demand that he fuck me immediately.
I slammed my toiletries bag closed and zipped it before I walked back to my suitcase and shoved it inside.
“Are you really mad because you enjoyed it?” Jax asked in a sensual, low baritone that sent a tingle down my spine, and landed directly between my thighs.