We turn to leave, and Seth and Ethan are standing there.
“Don’t mind us. Continue as you were,” Seth says with a grin.
Ethan takes no time at all to corner Blanca in the elevator. “Come on, we’re headed out to grab a pizza and a beer.”
“We said no chicks,” Seth says.
Blanca looks around the small space. “I don’t hear any chirping, do you, Rian?”
I laugh, stepping out of the elevator. “No.”
Seth gets in and looks me up and down. “Looking good, Rian.” He nods at me as the doors slide shut between us.
I inhale a deep breath and glance at my watch to see it’s five fifty-five. Using my key, I open the apartment door and find Jax in the kitchen, opening a bottle of water. He doesn’t look much different than he does on any normal day. A pair of jeans and a gray T-shirt with a jacket over top. His hair is still mussed up perfection any girl would want to run her fingers through. He really is hot.
The bottle stays tipped to his lips as his gaze floats over me like a feather, pausing at my breasts, my hips, and my shoes. He’s blatantly and unapologetically checking me out. All those doubts and worries vanish.
He stops drinking, securing the top of the bottle. “I thought you were standing me up.” His vision won’t stop dipping to my chest, and I can’t deny that it feels good to be wanted. “You look fucking hot.”
I laugh, which spurs his own deep chuckle.
“Let me just put this away.” I head to my room and toss a bag with the clothes I was wearing onto my bed. I check that everything I need is in my purse, adding a phone charger just in case.
When I come back out of the bedroom, Dylan’s sitting in a chair with a water bottle in hand. I glance around not finding Jax in the room anymore, which only makes this even more awkward.
“Hey,” Dylan says. He’s still wearing his boots, one ankle resting on the knee of his other leg. He takes pull after pull off his water bottle. His eyes move the way Jax’s did over my body, but instead of the lust that filled Jax’s eyes, distaste fills Dylan’s. “Nice look.”
“Is that your way of complimenting me?”
Dylan’s gaze shoots up. Even I’m surprised I had the balls to ask him, but I’m stepping out into the world with the possibility of getting hurt. When’s the last time he did that?
“Good luck holding a conversation with him. He’ll be staring at your tits the entire night.”
I say nothing, every retort running through my brain not nearly good enough.
“Is that what you want, Rian? A guy who just wants to fuck you?”
“You’re being ugly tonight.” I beeline across the room to the kitchen. “Have you seen Jax?”
“He got a call. In his room.”
I turn around to find Dylan’s gaze still on me. He can act like he doesn’t like what I’m wearing, but this is the first time he hasn’t been able to take his eyes off me. Our eyes lock and he quickly diverts his, raising his water bottle to his lips. Those luscious lips I dream of kissing. Ugh. Maybe going on a date with Jax is a bad idea.
Before I have a chance to really think about why I’m doing this, Jax comes out of his bedroom. “Phillips.” He nods and shuts his door.
“Owens.”
The two are cordial.
“Ready, angel?” Jax asks, holding out his hand for me.
I nod and slide my hand into his. I’m surprised by how smooth it is.
“See you, Phillips.” Jax never turns around as he leads me to the apartment door.
“Have a great date. Just put a sock on the doorknob if you want to be alone later.” Dylan waves his water bottle.
Jax laughs, opening the door and waiting for me to walk through. His hand guides me by the small of my back, and we walk down the hall in silence. The elevator arrives quickly so I don’t have to force conversation, but Jax has a different idea once we’re alone in the small space.
“Was that as painful as it was to watch?” he asks.
I peek up. “What do you mean?”
“You pretending that you didn’t want Phillips and me to switch places?”
I smile at this man I barely know but who can somehow see through me as though I’m as transparent as a piece of glass. “I’m happy to be going out with you.”
“Bullshit.”
The elevator stops on the bottom floor and we file out. “I’m sorry. I’m not using you to make him jealous or anything.”
He nods. “I didn’t figure you were the type.”
“Do you want to call this thing off?” I ask.
A wicked smile crosses his lips. “Hell no. You’re looking smokin’ hot and Phillips is about to rage right now. We’re going out and staying out. You might not have an agenda to make him jealous, but I like to torture the shithead.” He grabs my hand again and pushes through the front door of our apartment building.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“That’s for me to know and you to find out.” He winks and we stop by a motorcycle. “Have you ever ridden on one?”
I shake my head.
“Never with Phillips?”
I shake my head again.
He blows out a breath. “I guess we’re walking then.”
I tear my hand out of his. “Wait, why? I can ride it.”
He smirks and stuffs his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He looks up at the apartment then down at the bike. “Your first time on a motorcycle shouldn’t be holding on to me. Everyone needs a great memory of the first time they ride, and if I allow you on my bike, you’ll regret it like girls do their virginity—always wishing they’d saved it for someone else.”
I step toward him, my hand on his cheek, and stare into his beautiful blue eyes. “You’re sentimental?”
“No. I’m just letting Phillips pop that cherry of yours. Contrary to what he might think, I’m not a complete asshole.” He removes my hand from his face and entwines our fingers.
The door of the building opens and Dylan walks out, his eyes falling to mine then to where my hand is in Jax’s. He walks in the opposite direction, climbs on his bike that’s a few spots down from Jax’s, secures his helmet, then he’s gone, turning right before the yellow turns red.
“If he’s going to be a pussy, the least I can do is show you a good time.”
Jax tears my attention away and we walk down the sidewalk to begin our date.
Jax takes me bowling. Which would be fine if I was wearing socks. But the gentleman he is, he buys me a pair for six dollars through the vending machine.
“What a prince you are.” I rest my cheek on his chest and flutter my eyelashes at him.
He shakes his head.
It turns out that Jax isn’t intimidating once we figured out nothing would happen between us. Although he is just as big a flirt.
We each get our shoes on and Jax asks the guy to put us at the far end of the lanes, away from other people. The kid tries to say he’s not supposed to do that but ultimately gives Jax his way. I’m pretty sure the sixteen-year-old was intimidated by the big Jax Owens.
I slide off the heels, which is a relief. I worry for a second that I won’t be able to get my feet back into them to go home. After I tie my shoes, I jump up to pick a ball. “I haven’t bowled since I was, like, eight. There was a birthday party and it was boys versus girls.”