Saxon by Chantal Fernando
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Ari at Cover It! Designs for your talent and help with everything and anything. I kind of love you.
Thank you to my beta readers: Kimberly Brower, Stephanie Knowles, Kara Brown, Flavia Davids and Stephanie Felix.
Rose and Tash at Forever Me Romance- Thank you so much for all that you do for me.
Kitty Kats Crazy About Books- Thank you for everything!
Thank you to all the blogs that help promote me—I appreciate it more than I can express.
Last but not least thank you to my family and my three sons.
I love you all
Dedication
For Aileen.
Because that’s what friends are for.
Prologue
I can feel his eyes on me, tracking my every movement. Does he have to make it so obvious? It’s hard to ignore him, because I do feel that connection between us. I’m not so far in denial to lie about that.
The heat, it’s there.
Oh it’s there alright. It’s scorching. It’s an inferno.
And it’s going to burn me alive.
Why couldn’t it be anyone else? Why him? I turn my head and see him sitting there, his back against the wall. He is so handsome, it actually hurts.
My pulse starts to race.
His lips quirk, indicating he knows he has my attention. My date returns and sits opposite me. He starts to talk, but I have no idea what he’s saying, because my eyes are still on Sax. His gaze darts to my date, hurt and anger flashing in his brown eyes before he is able to mask it. My teeth sink into my bottom lip as I make up my mind. I offer him a smile, which I know he’ll understand. I’m about to tell my date I need to leave when Sax lifts his drink to his mouth. As I see the initials tattooed on his knuckles, I remember. I remember why he isn’t for me, and my shields rebuild right before my eyes.
Saxon Tate is forbidden. And I can never allow myself to even consider going there.
Chapter One
Tee
“Can you please wear some different jeans? I can almost see your ass crack,” Ryder complains as he sits at the table, mouth tight with disapproval.
“These are your girlfriend’s jeans,” I point out, raising an eyebrow. I had somehow managed to squeeze into them—they must be like the jeans from that travelling pants movie. “And trust me, no other man is complaining.”
“That’s the point,” he grumbles, biting into the cake Layla baked him. I had offered to deliver it to Ryder’s house, but not just because I was a nice person and loved my cousin.
The truth was, I had an ulterior motive and wanted to sweeten him up, so to speak.
“How’s the cake?” I ask him, leaning my elbows on the kitchen countertop.
“Fuckin’ amazing,” he says around another mouthful.
“Good,” I reply, thrumming my black painted fingernails on the table.
He puts the slice of cake down and narrows his eyes on me. “You want something don’t you?”
I gasp, acting affronted. “Can’t a girl just drop by and visit her favourite cousin?”
I put my hand over my chest dramatically and pout my lips.
Ryder flashes me a crooked grin in response. “What is it you want, Tee?”
“You mean besides your soul?” I reply in a creepy tone.
“Yes, besides that. My first born kid maybe?”
I scrunch my nose. “I don’t like kids that much—you know that.”
He stares at me and waits for me to speak, an amused look on his face.
“When you go on tour, can I borrow your car?” I ask, batting my eyelashes at him.
He stills. “You want to drive my car?”
“Yes…”
“My brand new Aston Martin Vanquish…”
“Yes.”
He starts laughing. “No way in hell, you’re a crazy driver.”
My jaw drops. “I’m still a good driver though! I’ve never had a crash.”
Knock on wood.
Well there was that one time… but he doesn’t know about that.
He raises his eyebrows. “Really? What about that time in Scotland when you…”
“Oh my god! I can’t believe Lexi told you that! What happened to hoes before bros?” I grumble.
“Did you just call my woman a hoe?” he asks through laughter, pulling out his phone—probably to message Lexi. I roll my eyes and purse my lips, deciding it’s enough with the nice act.
I take out my phone and send him a picture message. He opens it, and his eyes widen.
“You wouldn’t…”
“Oh I would,” I reply, unable to stop my smug grin.
He shakes his head, eyes twinkling. “Resorting to blackmail huh?”
“I’m a lawyer, it’s what we do,” I reply, tucking my hair behind my ears.
Ryder frowns. “I’m pretty sure that’s not what lawyers are meant to do.”
“Hey, I don’t tell you how to do your job…”
Ryder laughs.
“Does that mean I get to drive your car?” I ask him. I’ve wanted it ever since I saw it. I even named him ‘beast’.
“I’ll be good to beast I promise!” I blurt out.