“I barely know him!” I shoved first one leg then the other into my jeans and pulled them up.
“So what?” Jax exclaimed. “That means nothing! He’s read your words and that’s enough to get any man’s cock hard!”
I almost laughed out loud. If it wasn’t so idiotic, it would be funny. Did Jax really think I could look at anyone else after being with him?
“You’re ridiculous, and oh, so eloquent! Not every guy uses his dick as a compass, you know! Maybe he thinks I’m a good writer, and maybe he just needs my help! Ever think of that? God, you’re such an arrogant bastard!”
Jax ran both hands through his hair impatiently. “He might need help, yes, but you’re incredibly naive if you think he doesn’t want into your pants, Addison.”
“Whatever, Jaxon.” I mocked his use of my full name and rolled my eyes.
“He could have spoken to me himself if that were truly his issue. Unless he’s got microscopic balls.” He stood fuming in front of me. “In which case he needs more than help with his writing.”
“Ugh! You’re unbelievable! He’s afraid you’d go all napalm on him, just as you’re doing to me now, I might add! Jesus!”
His hand landed on his hips again, then his strong jaw jutted out. “Baby, my napalm is not for him, and you know it,” he mocked, still furious. He was beautiful when he was angry and it was hard for me not to run to him, put my arms around his body, and then reach up and kiss the movie-star cleft on his chin.
I cringed at my own helplessness. A torrent of emotions raced through me. I was so mad, yet I wanted him… and I realized suddenly; I was in love with him.
“How would it look if I put you in as one of my T.A.s when you haven’t even finished the course, yourself?” he asked sarcastically. “Why not tattoo that I’m fucking you directly on my forehead, instead?” He used both index fingers to point to it. “I thought we decided to keep this between us, Addison?”
“God! I hate it when you say my name in that sanctimonious way! How many times do I need to tell you that I didn’t tell him about us?”
“Ahhhhh!” Jax yelled. “What a way to ruin a great fucking weekend,” he muttered, storming into the en-suite bathroom and slamming the door behind him with a substantial bang.
I inhaled a deep breath and froze in place. He was right. It was ruining the weekend, but I was hurt that he didn’t trust me. I would have told him the truth if I believed he would have kept his cool. I wanted to tell him, but I’d hoped he’d be reasonable enough to listen. Was this how he was with Luke all the time? No wonder the poor guy hesitated to approach him.
The anger fled, and sadness replaced it. My eyes filled with tears as I found my shoes and shoved them on, gathering my purse, and turning to walk out of his bedroom, I left the apartment. Jaxon Michaels definitely needed a cooling-off period, and I needed to decide what I was going to do. Becoming T.A number two was off the table, so if I wanted to critique Luke’s novel, I’d have to be honest. Judging from his overreaction this morning, he wouldn’t take it well, but to hide it would be worse.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
What the hell just happened?
I inhaled deeply, trying to calm myself but yanked a fluffy white towel off of the rack and flung it over the top of one of the glass walls on the shower in my private bathroom. Soon the room was full of steam and I was standing under the hot water. Unfortunately, my dick was still at attention despite our fight.
My hand reached out and turned the faucet all the way to the cold side. When the icy water hit the steaming skin of my back and shoulders, it made me flinch. “Jesus Christ!” I cursed, turning around to take it like a man. I let the water rush over my face and down the front of my body. It had the desired effect, and soon, my problem was solved.
Shit! I thought, returning the water to a more palatable temperature.
So much for my plans to take Addison out to a light breakfast, then Oktoberfest NYC and after the sun went down, I’d planned to take her to the Great Jack-O-Lantern Blaze. I’d never been but had heard it was fantastic; thousands and thousands of intricately carved pumpkins all a glow. It would have been very romantic, and now my entire day of plans was ruined.
I groaned aloud, sucking in another deep, calming breath as I continued to let the warm water rush over me. How could I let a discussion about Luke Anderson screw up the entire day? A new twinge of anger, or some other emotion I hesitated to define, nagged at me as I used some of the musky body wash from the chrome dispenser situated in one corner of the shower and lathered up my skin. My mind was racing, my chest felt uncomfortably tight and I wanted to fucking punch something.
What in fuck’s name was wrong with me, and what was Luke doing texting Addison about anything other than her assignments? Reading and grading her work didn’t mean he needed to call or text her, I rationalized.
I paused to think about it before I turned to rinse off. He was a man. Younger than me by a decade, sure, but still a man, and what man wouldn’t want her? Just looking at her brought me to my knees, but especially after knowing how her incredible mind worked. He didn’t have her scent, the feel of her in his arms, the knowledge of how her body came to life with just a little coaxing, but I had to admit that even her words were enough to get his dick hard, and knowing he was helpless to his hormones didn’t make the anger and anxiety I was feeling subside.
My jaw clenched, fighting with my own emotions; knowing how completely owned I was. I didn’t want Addison anywhere near him. More than that, I just wanted to get through this academic year without raising too many eyebrows. If I didn’t know it before that moment, it hit me that I wanted Addison to be part of my future, not just a casual fling.
I shook my head. I couldn’t make her my T.A. for a class she hadn’t even finished, no matter how brilliant she was or how much help Luke might need. After she graduated and her book was published, we could be more open about our relationship, but only then. Publishers generally took at least a year to get a book out after the contract was signed, so it should all work out if I could just keep control of the situation.
I grabbed my towel and quickly ran it over my face before exiting the glass-enclosed stall, my body still dripping wet. I let the plush terrycloth soak up the water droplets still clinging to the skin of my chest and abs, then further down my body as I stared at myself in the large mirror that reflected the gleaming marble, chrome and glass through the steamy air. My eyes widened at my reflection. She was definitely changing me. I’d never put anyone’s needs above mine before. Instinctively, I wanted to tell the world we were together, and the consequences be damned. That’s what I’d always done; taken what I wanted, done what I wanted, and not made any apologies, but I couldn’t lose my perspective on the goal. I had to keep focus, for Addison’s sake.
Grunting, I dropped the towel on the floor and walking into the vast open space of the master bedroom, and the magnificent Manhattan view including Central Park and the East River. As I grabbed an expensively weathered pair of jeans from one of the built-in dressers in the huge closet, I fought with myself. She’d apologized after our last argument, so it was probably my turn to eat crow, though it was completely against my personality to do so. Plus, everything in me wanted to confront Luke about asking her to come to me about his problem, when he should have done so himself.