When he says nothing, her pleading turns to fury as she growls, “You’ll regret this” before she storms out.
“Phew, never a dull moment around here, is there?” Hope tries to lighten the moment, but I’m on pins and needles, waiting for the fallout from everything that happened. Jaxon looks like an atomic bomb waiting to explode.
But what comes out of his mouth is very different from what I expected.
“Thank fuck for that.” His breath escapes in a whoosh, hands running through his hair. “I didn’t know how to deal with that without ending up with a sexual harassment suit on my hands. Harlow, you just helped me out, thank you.”
“Gee, glad I could be of help,” I mutter, continuing to rub my still stinging cheek. The girl put some force behind it. I seriously can’t win in the damage department at the moment; maybe I need to be wrapped in bubble wrap.Guess I should count myself lucky she wasn’t wearing a ring.
“Jesus, Jaxon, it’s what everyone has been telling you for a long time. Don’t shit where you work.”
“Hmm, classy, Hope,” he drawls. “But I’ve learned my lesson. No more office romances, I promise.”
“Thank god, because that would have been a PRnightmare. I mean, the least you guys can do is keep yourselves out of the tabloids. I have enough problems dealing with all the temperamental artists. Seriously, my PR team doesn't get paid enough for you to add more work to it.”
She’s wandered over to a coffee table on the side that has a jumble of what looks like fabric samples spread out over it. But it’s the three-dimensional model on a pedestal on the other side of the office that draws my eye. Walking over to it, I discover what must be a model of Jaxon’s new hotel. It’s small and boutique-looking, not like the five-star monstrosities they’re known for. This one only appears to be five stories high, and from the looks of the windows on each floor, there are maybe four or five suites on each level. The grounds are lush and tropical, with a number of intimate swimming pools dotted here and there through the foliage.
Hope sees where I’m looking and bounds over to it, Jaxon following close behind. “I’m so excited about this place! It’s completely different to what we normally own. It’s going to have themed floors,” she tells me, practically giddy over the idea. “And it’s aimed at the adult market. Each room is stocked with adult supplies which we source from Sugar and Spice. It’s like a mini bar for sex!”
Whoa, okay then. Sugar and Spice is an upmarket sex toy chain dotted around the country. Totally not something I expected Neighpalm to be involved in, but the idea is… intriguing.
Jaxon takes over the explanation. “It’s going to be a fun place for adults to play and live out their fantasies. Very exclusive, and we’re thinking about making it membership only. It’s something I’m discussing with my great-aunt."
His great-aunt? “That would be Poppy’s sister?” I ask carefully, and they exchange a glance before grins break out over their faces.
“Have you not heard that story yet?” Hope asks, dragging me over to the seating area and shoving me into a chair that’s as amazingly comfortable as it looks. Jaxon follows behind again with an indulgent smile on his face.
Wow, the look on his face almost has me speechless. I had forgotten what he looked like when he was relaxed and enjoying himself. It causes my heart to stutter slightly, the beat growing more and more erratic as I imagine the twinkle in Holden’s eye, Kai’s easy smile, and the softness in Declan’s whispers when he speaks to Princess.
“Well, in my defense, there's a lot I don't know about this family yet, nor have I really had the time to ask. I did hear that there had been a family falling out and that's why she sold the property across the road to the Transylvanian dude.”
“Yes, but it wasn’t Poppy and Aunt Merideth that fell out. It was their father and her,” Jaxon adds in, our momentary truce apparently extending to the sharing of family stories. “The old coot actually croaked not long after she moved away, so it’s never been a thing.”
“What happened? And what has she got to do with your new hotel?”
Hope's face gets all animated, and she leans forward, practically bouncing in her seat. “Well, Aunt Merideth wasn't interested in being a part of the Neighpalm Industries company; she was a groundbreaker and wanted to establish her own business.”
“Well, that’s awesome, I guess. I mean, it might have been a little daring back then, a woman CEO, but why wouldn't her father support it?”
“It wasn't actually that he didn't want her to run a business; he offered her half of Neighpalm Industries, after all. It was the nature of the business she wanted to run.” Jaxon rolls his eyes as Hope drags out the explanation, her smile telling me just how much enjoyment she gets out of this.
“Aunt Merideth realized, long before a lot of people, that sex is profitable,” he casually says, shrugging his shoulders.
"She's the CEO of Sugar and Spice Enterprises and the original owner and Madam of the Sugar and Spice brothel in Las Vegas.”
And just like that, my mind is blown. Whoa, first Nana and Poppy are talking about polyamorous relationships and now this revelation. I really do come from a sexually adventurous family.And I definitely don’t need to think too far into that aspect of the family tree.
“And she also has family problems of her own,” Jaxon says wryly. “Her daughter ran off years ago and hasn’t been heard from since. She’s spent thousands of dollars searching for her, but it’s like she just disappeared into thin air. She was a little bit younger than Dad and flighty as fuck from what he tells us. It’s sad, really. Aunt Merideth is a blast, but her eyes always look a little haunted now.”
“So this is a sex hotel,” I deadpan, and they look surprised. Immediately, they both jump in, trying to convince me that it’s all above board and blah, blah, blah. They look so worried that I can’t keep my face straight, bursting into laughter. “Relax, I don’t care, sounds fun. Do you have samples of the ‘gifts’ that are going to be available to the guests?”
Hope's eyes light up and she turns to Jaxon, probably because she wants to know too, but his eyes have narrowed on me, his previously pleasant manner disappearing quicker than snacks at a Weight Watchers meeting.Ahhh, there he is. I was starting to wonder who this pleasant person was.I guess saving him from a sexual harassment suit only earns me so much leeway. The ice has returned, and he spins on his heels and heads back to the desk, the moment gone.
“You can see yourselves out. I have a lot of work to complete.”
Exchanging glances, Hope shrugs before we both make our way out.
“And close the door,” he shouts, so Hope grabs the handle and slams it shut behind us, clearly telegraphing how we both feel about his sudden Jekyll and Hyde routine. Before we can dig into his return to assholeness, the scene that greets us is enough to distract us.
