Jax (Titan #9)(49)

Let him count the ways she had his attention—business, personal, clothed, naked. He could keep going. "Consider me interested."

Seven smiled, but not with her mouth, rather her eyes. They reacted before her lips curled. "Good to know."

Was it possible three boring words could make his dick hard?

Her head tipped closer. "I mentioned my dad's first love was the MC."

Jax nodded.

"He made many friends as he built what became Mayhem, and he didn't care what people looked like, what they rode, who they fucked. He did many favors for many people. They're indebted to me."

"Why?"

She lifted a shoulder. "Maybe because he never was."





CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX


And why she needed to spill family secrets, Seven had no idea. Maybe it was the rhythmic sway of Jax's fingers brushing along her back.

"This is what you need to know." She shifted, wanting to change his attention from her back to the reason he was there. "Your two o'clock. That's who Hawke's betting on."

"And you really think, with all the brass in this room, Hernán Suarez hasn't been tipped off that Mayhem might find a middleman to take up their distribution?"

"Not beforehand. Too much money on the line. Too much of a power struggle that could take place." She looked around. "Now the second that it's decided? It'll get ugly, and they'll know what happened. But part of what Hawke's doing tonight is finding out what the needs are."

"Meaning?"

"If someone doesn't get it? Can't offer what we need? They'll still walk away happy. No one's leaving here unhappy."

"Unless there's no deal," Jax countered.

"Short of Hernán walking in tomorrow, I don't think that will be possible."

Johnny walked across the room and eased onto the couch. He had a Mayhem slut puppy and a girl Seven had never seen before under his arms.

"Nothing about that was in any folder, either," Jax said.

"You Navy SEALs should do better research."

"There's a geek who knows how to kill you a thousand different ways that wouldn't be thrilled to hear you say that."

Seven smiled. "I speak geek, so maybe he'd let me die painlessly."

"Do you?" Jax laughed. "What else don't I know about you?"

She tilted her head to the asshole getting ready to let the slut puppy and the unknown suck his cock. Not that there weren't like antics happening around the room, but that was more Johnny sending her a message. "That's my ex."

"Boyfriend?"

"Mm-mm."

Jax's eyes went wide. "Husband?"

She wriggled her shoulders. "And what do I get for such a lovely designation? Not much. Other than watching the occasional blow job and knowing when he's into it or about to pass out."

"I don't get this… situation at all."

"We grew up together. We're actually friends. More like brother and sister, if that doesn't sound weird. But obviously not."

Jax side-eyed her. "Obviously…"

"It was assumed we would get married. I was my dad's daughter. He's presumed to take over Mayhem one day. The second we became legal, they pranced us to the courthouse."

Jax rolled his lips together.

"Oh, come on. Nothing to say?"

He burst out laughing. "No."

She pushed his chest. "Bull."

"How romantic?"

Seven leaned close, letting her lips linger near his. "It took me a while to learn about romance."

Jax let his lips touch hers. Amid the chaos and crudeness, the joints and the drinks, his kiss was sweet and real. Sober, even if she tasted the hint of beer. Cool, wet lips, and the tease of his hot tongue pushed past her teeth and toyed with the tongue stud. Seven quietly moaned into the kiss, falling away from this world and the smoky haze to where she could imagine it was just them.

Jax drew back. "Seven?"

"Hm?"

His dark eyes dropped a shade past black. "I'm not romantic."

Cold fucking shower, Jax. "Trust me." How had she spun herself into a situation with him? "You've never given me a chance to be confused about that."

Lines furrowed across his brow.

"But I think we… mesh well." She arched an eyebrow. No need to pretend they didn't have spectacular sex. "And we both have an end game here."

"We do." Though the distance in his voice wasn't convincing.

"I do." She nodded, closing her face to his. "I hate drugs. Hate them so much I'll sit on your lap, across from my ex getting a BJ, and whisper like we're talking sweet nothings."

"You want sweet nothings?"

"You don't do romance. Please don't try something that might kill you while surrounded by a room of men who have likely killed people. The headache that will go into establishing natural causes and all of their alibis?" She shook her head. "You're not worth that much trouble."

"I'm going to start a tally of every time you've screamed my name and show it to you when you say shit like that."

"I don't scream."