Breathe (Sea Breeze #1)(16)
Author: Abbi Glines

I knew standing and talking to Jax would start talk, and I didn’t want attention, so I nodded my head as I left him. Without a backward glance, I walked up to the next group. It took all my concentration to forget the warmth still clinging to my ear and focus on my job.

“I’ll only eat one if you let me feed you one first.” A tall ‘all American blond’ winked at me, and I woke up out of my Jax daze. I gave him a forced smile, and then shook my head.

“Sorry,” I managed to get out without my voice betraying my nerves.

“You won’t let me feed you oysters, huh? Well, what about a little stroll down to the beach?”

I started to say no when the guy next to him stepped beside me, and I recognized him instantly as Jason Stone. “Trey, leave the help alone. Jax will send you packing.”

Trey frowned and turned his attention back to me. “I would think if she is all right with a walk, then after she gets off tonight Jax would have no say in the matter. Besides, what did he expect when he let a gorgeous, blond southern belle serve food? He is flaunting her in front of people. He should expect this.”

Jason glanced over to where Jax stood, but I didn’t dare do the same. I noticed Jason seemed a little nervous. “Listen, Jax doesn’t hire people. We have someone else to handle the hiring of employees. He didn’t purposely put her here as if on the menu, so leave her alone.”

Jason nudged me, and I took it as my cue to leave. I took a step toward the next group with my hands shaking and my heart racing.

“Wait, I never got my oysters.” Strong fingers clamped around my arm, and I fought the urge to jerk free and run. I let him pull me back since my other option would involve dropping oysters all over the floor. I quickly searched the crowd for Marcus, worried he would come flying to the rescue and lose his job. I needed to remain calm to keep him from knowing about my predicament. Keeping the pained expression off my face from the tight grip of his hand was starting to prove difficult. Suddenly, another set of warm fingers gently, but firmly, took my other arm.

“Let her arm go and pray she has no bruise,” a familiar voice said in a low angry tone.

I shuddered from relief at the sound of his voice.

Trey released my arm and shrugged, grinning. “I just wanted an oyster, and she wouldn’t serve me.”

I opened my mouth to protest when the warm fingers holding my arm softly squeezed me for reassurance. So, I stayed quiet.

“Jason, please escort your friend to the door. I have no other reason to speak with him unless Sadie has a bruise, or any lasting mark from his hands, and then he will see me again.”

Jax took the tray from my hand and handed it to Marcus. I hadn’t realized he was standing there. Marcus took it with a concerned frown on his face. I gave him a small smile, hoping to ease his worry.

“Come with me,” Jax said in a voice only loud enough for me to hear.

I let him lead me down the hall and into the room I knew as the library. He closed the door, and then turned me around to face him.

“Are you all right?” he asked in a concerned voice. Chill bumps covered my arms.

I nodded. “I’m fine, really. Marcus warned me something like this might happen. I came mentally prepared.”

Jax muttered what seemed to be a curse and pulled me over to a large leather chair. “You shouldn’t have been serving tonight. I don’t know what Mary was thinking.”

His words stung. I immediately felt the need to defend Ms. Mary as well as myself. “I am a very hard worker and I believe she entrusted me to serve and follow instructions well. I don’t see how it is her fault some jerk thought I was on the menu as well.”

Jax gazed down at me confused, and then grinned. He stepped over and sat down beside me. “I didn’t mean I thought you were not capable of serving. I meant you’re too young and too beautiful to be flaunted in front of guys who think they have enough money and power to take what they want.”

My throat went dry at his words.

He smiled and leaned over and asked in a soft voice, “Do you know you’re beautiful?”

I swallowed, hoping my dry throat allowed the words through without making me sound all choked up. “I wouldn’t say ‘beautiful.’ I realize I have nice hair and eyes. I got those from my mother. But I don’t have a good personality. So it really takes away from the others.” My words sounded stupid being said aloud, but I realized I managed to bare my soul to this boy yet again. The power Jax held over me disturbed me.

Jax smiled and took one of my loose curls and played with it absently. “So your personality is bad, is it?” He laughed then, and I stiffened. He traced my cheekbones and the bridge of my nose. “I hate to be the first to break the news to you, but your personality happens to be your most charming asset.”

I searched for any sign in his perfect face telling me he didn’t mean what he said. “I can’t believe you said that.” I finally heard myself say.

He touched his finger to my lips. “I think these rank right up there next to your personality.”

A warm tingly sensation worked its way through my veins, and I shivered.

“Ah, and you go, do something as enchanting as shivering, and almost break my resolve.”

He dropped his hands from my face and stopped doing those incredibly wonderful things to me. He stood, walked over to a bookshelf, and leaned up against it as if he were posing for a camera. “I can be good over here. This is safer territory.” I frowned, and he gave me a guilty smile. “You tempt me, Sadie White. You’re sweet, honest, caring, perfectly unique, and because of all those reasons, I am keeping my distance from you.”

I frowned unsure why all of those things meant he needed to keep me at a distance.

“Sadie, I have always got what I wanted. Even before I became rich and famous, I had a gift for getting what I want. Now, I have the fame and fortune to get what I want when I want it and for the first time in my life, I want something I can’t have.” He gave me a sad smile. “For the first time, the object of what I want is more important than fulfilling my desires.” Before I could form words to reply, he opened a drawer and pulled out several magazines and laid them in front of me. “These are from my mother’s collection,” he explained.

They were pictures of him with movie stars, rock legends, and even the president. His name was linked with several famous females, and his personal life laid bare for everyone to see. I had seen articles like these before, but after actually meeting Jax and finding a real person, it seemed hard to think of him as the rock star the media portrayed.