Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding #1)(60)
Author: K.A. Linde

Lexi’s eyes followed the crowd of formally dressed do-gooders noticing a distinct pattern. She set her gaze on the swarm surrounding one end of the bar. Through the crowd a pair of blue eyes seemed to catch sight of her across the room. His mouth opened slightly when he took in her breathtaking beauty, all concentration lost on his eager subjects. He was king for the night and the room full of jesters were keen to do his bidding. The queen at his side appeared elegant and serene in her flowing, gold, silk dress. She upturned her nose as the king extracted himself from her grasp and volleyed himself across the floor to his mistress in red.

Bekah followed quickly behind, speaking before Jack could reach Lexi. "Ramsey," she cried wrapping her arms around her big brother. "What took you so long?"

Ramsey smiled down on her. "I had two gorgeous ladies to escort," he said wiggling his eyebrows up and down and moving to wrap his arms protectively around Lexi and Chyna.

"You came with him?" Jack asked them even though it was pretty obvious to anyone involved with the situation that he was talking directly to Lexi. After the conversation she had with Jack about her date with Ramsey, she was amazed this was all the reaction she had elicited from him.

"Well I did tell him that I would go with him, and I wouldn’t want to go back on my promise," Lexi stated pointedly. Jack’s eyes blazed at the implications behind the statement, but before he could react, he was shouldered out of the way from behind.

"What the…" he trailed off.

"Lexi, baby, oh dear God. Please tell me you are single. Please, oh please, oh please," Seth cried running his hands down her sides.

Lexi couldn’t help but giggle as he scooped her up into his arms. "Seth, put me down," she cried as he twirled her around in place knocking her legs into the unlucky few who didn’t get out of the way.

"I’m never letting go," he said setting her on his feet, but dropping his head so that it rested on her br**sts. Lexi let out a peel of laughter at the absurdity of the situation.

"I haven’t seen you in forever. The least you could do would be to give me a legitimate hug," she told Seth.

Just then someone stood behind Seth and smacked him hard against the back of the head. "You get off her this instant you pig," Sandy cried grabbing at his arms.

"Oh sweetie, it’s just Lexi," he said letting go and turning to his wife.

Sandy nudged him out of the way and reached out to hug Lexi instead of continuing her scolding. "I’m sorry Lexi. It really is good to see you. When Jack told me you were coming, I just flipped by shit I was so excited."

"I can’t believe you’re here either. Jack didn’t tell me you two were coming up," she said glaring over at Jack.

"Don’t blame him," Sandy replied swatting at her husband’s wandering hands. "Seth didn’t think he’d be able to get away so it was kind of last minute."

"Well this is all a nice touching reunion, but I need a drink," Chyna said as she wandered away towards the bar.

"I should probably follow her. You never know what…or who is going to happen to Chyna when she is alone," Lexi said extracting herself from the group. As much as she loved Seth and Sandy, it just brought back too many painful memories to be around them especially with Jack only a few feet away. She took one brief glance backwards and saw him staring at her behind as she walked away. She knew that look. It was right before his eyes turned crystal clear blue and his desire began to peak. He wanted her. Right now. It didn’t matter where he was at the moment; he just wanted to have her.

Just another reason for her to back away from him. She wasn’t sure how well she would be able to resist him when he looked so damn good, and was looking at her like he could devour her whole.

"Chy what am I doing here?" Lexi asked as she reached Chyna and latched onto her elbow.

"Because you want him," she stated simply ordering a round of dirty martinis for them. The bartender almost instantly had the drinks before them. He was cute, roguish looking with a strong jaw line masked by stubble and dark hungry eyes. She smiled at him taking in the way his large, callused hands poured the drinks into triangle-shaped glasses. He pushed the drinks towards her on blue and white napkins. Chyna produced a twenty from her billfold and tossed it into the blue glass tip container. He winked at her. Lexi knew Chyna could have his number any minute now.

"Yeah, you’re right. That is what I want," Lexi agreed reaching for the martini.

"Did you say you wanted something?" Ramsey asked coming up next to them. He raised two fingers and nodding at the man behind the bar.

"Uh…yeah. Well I already got my drink," Lexi replied anxiously.

"Steven," Ramsey said in greeting. The two men latching arms across the bar. "Good to see you. It’s been awhile. You here now?"

"A couple places now," Steven replied pouring a drinking for Ramsey and sliding it across the table.

"I was wondering where you had gone."

"Wherever the money is."

"Well if you need anything, you let me know," Ramsey told him.

Lexi analyzed the situation before speaking. "Do you know everyone?"

Ramsey chuckled. "Pretty much. It’s my job to know everyone."

"Uh huh," she humped. "And what do you do?"

His face turned a few shades lighter at the question, but he quickly recovered "I know people that’s what I do," he said sending a full-watted smile her way. Her eyes narrowed at his backhanded way of telling her to back-off. But her curiosity had been peaked, and now she really wanted to know what he did.

For tonight, though, she needed to focus on Jack. It was his big night after all, and she needed to find out what he was actually going to be doing about Bekah. She would be leaving on Sunday for New York, and she needed a more definite answer about what they were going to be. They had talked a few times on the phone since she had fled his apartment, but she hadn’t gone to visit him again. Too much temptation in one week wasn’t good for her. He had respected her wishes thus far, but she wasn’t going to hold her breath that it would continue.

Lexi gritted her teeth as she watched Bekah saunter across the room with a trio of other blonde-headed bimbos. "You know them?" Lexi asked Ramsey nodding her head in their direction.

"Ahh…yes. The fearsome four was what my friends used to call them in high school. They’ve been inseparable since then too. They all went to Duke, spent four years there, and came back to Atlanta together," he told her knocking back his drink.

The girls stood just a few feet from Lexi as they ordered drinks. She heard them giggling and then eventually began to pick out the voices from each other. She didn’t glance their way, but soon learned the gist of the conversation. They were talking about a guy…Jack.

"I wish I could find one like him," a mousy voice squeaked.

"He is so handsome and charming," another girl spoke up. Her voice was more of an alto compared to the last girl.

"And I bet he f**ks great," the last one drawled, her thick southern accent marring her voice and grating on Lexi’s eardrums.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lexi could just make out the devilish smirk that played across Bekah’s innocent-looking face. "Oh God, he is amazing. Girls I don’t think I delve into it enough, but last night was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced."

Lexi blanched at the words. Jack had been with Bekah last night. She hadn’t thought he would stop seeing Bekah, but she certainly hadn’t thought he would sleep with Bekah after just promising Lexi they would be together.

"The way he f**ks me," she cooed, "it’s really just better than any other guy I’ve been with."

"Oh no need to be so crude, Bek," the mousy girl retorted giggling.

"I like it," the southern drawl sounded again. "Is he fast and wild? Does he just pound into you? Or is he gentle and smoothing pushing his c*ck in and out of you forcing you to scream with pleasure?

"Amber," the mousy girl shrieked, "think about where we are!"

"I was just wunderin’," she replied her accent getting deep and throaty.

"I don’t mind talking about it since he does all of the above. Last night he just took me fast and wild like you were talking about Amber. He took me as if I was the only person he ever wanted to be with, as if he was claiming me for his own."

Lexi leaned forward away from the bar feeling all the blood rush to her face as nausea took over her body. This couldn’t be happening. Had she been this stupid? Could he have done this to her? She knew the answer was yes. He wasn’t exactly strong on keeping his promises. The only exception being that he had never lied to her, and sometimes she wished that he did.

"Whoa, are you okay?" Ramsey asked wrapping his arm around her shoulders and hauling her back to a standing position.

"Um, yeah I’m fine," she mumbled putting one hand on her stomach and the other over her mouth.

"You don’t like fine. Chyna look at her," he commanded.

Chyna pulled herself away from the hot bartender to give Lexi a cursory glance. "Oh, you do look sick. Maybe you should go get her some air," Chyna suggested.

"That’s a great idea," he said supporting her as they began to cross the room towards the open balcony. The farther away she got from Bekah the easier it was to walk and not feel like her stomach was about to erupt. But dwelling on Bekah’s words were completely counterproductive to any ease she might have been feeling.

"Ladies and gentleman, if you will join us over here, we have a bit of a tribute to the birthday boy over the years," Seth announced into the microphone. The crowd began to reassemble in front of a projection display.

"Will you be okay to watch this? I don’t want you to get sick," he said anxious about her well-being.

Her curiosity stalled the feeling in her stomach. She stepped forward with Ramsey clearing the way for her to pass through. A series of pictures began to flash across the screen in quick succession. The first few she didn’t recognize. She figured, from the looks of them, that they were bachelor party pictures. Coveted images that girlfriends were never supposed to see. As the slideshow progressed, Lexi started noticing more and more pictures. Suddenly, the film stopped on a close-up of her and Jack huddled together on the beach. They were showing off their tanned bodies. Lexi could vividly remember them goofing off that afternoon. It was the day before they had made love for the first time.

She gasped not remembering that there were still pictures out from that time of her life. Another series of photographs shot across the screen of her and Jack along with dozens of other friends. She was as much of a constant through the pictures as he was.

Her eyes scanned the room and landed on the baby blues that had already located her. The emotion that welled inside of her was completely different than what she had earlier been feeling. She was still angry, but with her past flashing before her eyes all she could see was Jack. Jack had been as much of a constant as she was to him. And they would get through this…whether or not he was currently sleeping with his girlfriend. They had gotten through everything before, and they would get through it now.

Lexi watched Jack snake an arm around Bekah’s waist and pull her in close like she had felt him do to her so many times before. Bekah smiled lovingly up at him, and the same nauseating feeling began to creep over Lexi.