His Kiss and His Bargain

CHAPTER 8

He lifted the mug off the desk and brought it to his lips without taking his eyes off the document in his hand. To his shock, Jaxson realized the coffee was all gone. He couldn’t recall when he had finished it. He couldn’t even remember how many refills he’d had so far. To make matters worse, he felt as though he hadn’t had a drop of caffeine in his body. He definitely lacked the increase in energy and neuron firing that came with caffeine ingestion.

Jaxson put both the empty mug and the frustrating document down. As he leaned back in his executive heavy leather chair, he felt the muscles in his back complain.

How long had he been seated reading through the documents that made him want to tear his hair out? He wondered. A quick glance at the clock above his door and a little mental calculation told him he had been at it at least three hours. He had told his secretary to hold all his calls and cancel all appointments so he could focus.

Jaxson groaned and pushed his body out of the chair. His legs were as stiff as his back, but he made his way to the floor-to-ceiling window that gave him the perfect view of the busy streets of the city’s main business center and the other buildings around.

In the silence of the office, Jaxson’s mind wandered. He went all the way back to his teen years. Since the death of Spenser Wex six months ago, Jaxson found himself reliving and questioning every memory of his father that he had cherished. 

He had grown up watching his father stand at the same window for years and knew he would do it one day. It had been expected that when his time came, he would grow the company his father had built from scratch over twelve years ago. 

Jaxson had studied and prepared for it. He had absorbed every morsel of advice his father had given like a sponge. Determined to make the old man proud.

What Jaxson hadn’t anticipated was to discover all the secrets that had fallen on his lap when Spencer Wex suddenly died of a heart attack. His father hadn’t even been put in the ground before the skeletons had started to fall out of the wardrobes.

And of all the skeletons, Niko was the worst. Jaxson now carried a gun with him because of Niko. The Glock never left his side. He would have bought one for Hunter as well, but he was still trying to shield his brother from the truth. 

Their father’s death had hit Hunter hard and had so far had very negative developments. Jaxson wasn’t sure his brother was ready to hear what their father had really been up to. He wanted his brother to keep the image of the great man that had raised them. Because, despite everything he had discovered, Jaxson was still grateful to the man that had raised them. At least his opinion had not changed on the fact that it took a great man to raise two teenage boys and build a business single-handedly after the death of their mother.

Although, on the business front, his thoughts were not so clear. For the last six months, since the discovery of skeletons, Jaxson had been combing through company documents. Searching for loopholes. So far, he had found none, and it was frustrating. He kept wondering what the hell had his father been thinking?

Jackson was desperately trying to keep everything under control while he looked for a solution. His progress over the last few days, however,  had been hampered since a certain blond with freckles and a sassy mouth kept creeping into his thoughts when he least expected it.

Three days had already passed since the basketball game. Jaxson could still see her stiff back walk away from him without even a glance over her shoulder. He had been both irritated and impressed at the time. Now he was just irritated.

It wasn’t the first time a young lady intrigued him. But it was certainly the first time he couldn’t get her out of his head. She was like a virus infecting every cell in his brain. Embedding herself with hooks.

He looked at the watch again. It was only one in the afternoon. The day was long from being over, but his brain couldn’t take much more of contract reading.

An image of Chloe’s angry face flashed in his mind for what felt like the hundredth time that day. The decision hit him suddenly. He didn’t question it or hesitate. Jaxson grabbed his jacket and phone, then strode to the door. Outside his office, he barely glanced at his secretary when he instructed her to cancel any appointment scheduled for the next two hours and left.

Half an hour later, he was parking his Ford Edge in the SWAR college car park. The internal battle was at its peak. It was total madness to leave the office and drive to the college just for a woman, but he couldn’t turn the car around if his next breath depended on it. 

He looked around and saw several students walking around with books and backpacks. A few sat on the lawn and attempted to study in groups. Or gossip, if the laughter and animated gestures were any indications of the kind of conversation they were having.

Jaxson didn’t see Hunter or Chloe. He wasn’t even in the mood to fool himself that he could leave without seeing her. The mere need to lay his sight on her made him itch with desperation. 

He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel for less than ten seconds before he was reaching for his phone and made a call.

“Hunter,” he said as soon as his brother picked the call. “Are you done with your classes? I am in the car park.”

Within ten minutes, Hunter was strolling over to the car. He wore a concerned frown between his brows as he opened the passenger door and settled himself in the seat before he twisted his body and faced his brother.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

Jaxson frowned. “Am I not allowed to visit my own brother anymore?”

Hunter’s brows went up. He gave Jaxson’s suit a pointed look. “In the middle of the day? Shouldn’t you be in some boring meeting with old goats or something?”

“The fact that you are even referring to clients, directors, and investors as old goats should answer your question,” Jaxson drawled. His eyes unavoidably wandered the car park again and the buildings in the distance, hoping to catch a glimpse of a certain blond.

Laughter filled the car while Hunter made himself more comfortable by adjusting his seat and folding his arms behind his head. “So, you came to take me out for a late lunch?”

“Don’t they feed you? I thought this place had a cafeteria or something. And I believe I gave you enough money to feed an army.”

Hunter narrowed his eyes and pouted like a three-year-old, determined to get his way. “Don’t be mean. Take your favorite brother out for some steak and fries.”

“You are my only brother,” Jaxson reminded him as he put the car back in drive and started driving out of the college car park, knowing that he couldn’t turn Hunter down.

Hunter straightened in his seat. He reached for his seatbelt and paused to answer with a huge smile on his face. “Because the universe knew you only needed me.”

“More like I could only handle you.”

“Hey! I am beginning to take offense here. And I am now even more certain you didn’t come and see me for nothing.”

Jaxson considered lying to his brother for only a second before he dismissed the thought. Hunter was the only person he trusted with his life. They were not only brothers; they were like best friends. The two years that separated them in age barely ever made a difference unless Jaxson got protective and bossy.

He turned the car onto the highway, heading for their favorite restaurant. The silence in the car told him Hunter was still waiting for him to talk.

“Okay, I didn’t exactly just come and see you… I was hoping to see someone else as well.”

When he didn’t continue and mention who that someone else was, Hunter threw his arms in the air. “You are killing me with the suspense! Spit it out already!”

“The girl that sneaked into your apartment.”

Silence fell in the car for a heavy few beats before Hunter burst into laughter. They were almost at the restaurant. Jaxson allowed his brother to laugh until he parked the car, then faced him. “Are you done?”

Tears were spilling out of the corner of Hunter’s eyes. “I thought you said you just sent her out through the door and told her never to return.”

“I did.”

“Uh-huh? And you just want to see her because… You want to make sure she is not climbing through other windows?”

Jaxson’s eyes narrowed. He wasn’t enjoying the humor in his brother’s voice. “No. I happen to have spoken to her at your last game.”

Another round of silence. The humor in his eyes went down a few degrees as Hunter frowned. He tried to puzzle things together in his head. When he finally did, his face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. “The friend of the chick with the nice t**s!”

Jaxson shook his head. He threw his door open and stepped out of the car. “You really have to make an effort to at least remember the names of your booty calls.”

Hunter scoffed. “I would need a personal digital assistant just to keep track,” he said as he got out of the car. “Although, that one lasted a few days.” He smiled. “I really liked her t**s. But she was just too clingy.” 

Hunter reached Jaxson and patted him on the shoulder. “Besides, when you learn their names, there is a risk you will shout out the wrong name when you hit the big O. But when you call them all ‘honey’ and ‘bae’ you are safe.”

“That is not even funny,” Jaxson rebuked with a severe frown. He understood that his brother needed time to deal with their father’s passing, but things were getting out of hand.

Hunter waved a dismissive hand in the air. “We are discussing you, bro. Let’s leave me for another day.”

They walked into the restaurant and had to pause their conversation until they were seated and their orders were taken. And apparently, that was as long as Hunter could wait. 

The younger man placed his elbows on the table and steepled his fingers before dropping his chin on them. “Tell me everything.”

Jaxson couldn’t help laughing despite the somber mood he had been in. He shook his head, leaned back in his seat, and took a sip of the chilled water he had been served.

His mind wandered to Chloe. Her blond hair and freckles. The feel of her body leaning against his. And best of all, her lips and the taste of coffee and strawberries in her mouth. What was there to tell except that for some unknown reason, he was obsessed with the woman?

He shook his head again and chuckled. “It’s just crazy,” he murmured.