“Please.”He rolled his eyes.“You're humiliating yourself with every lie you tell.You don’t need to fake-date someone to make me jealous, Sav.If you want us back together, we can be.You know that.”
My laugh was bitter.“You arrogant, self-righteous prick.”
“You know it's the truth.You loved me once—it won't be hard for you to love me again.Say the word and this entire wedding is done.”
“It doesn’t matter.I’m happy now.With Jaxon.”
“For fuck’s sake, Savannah, he's not even worth your time.You can't go from an elite like me to… someone like that.What could you possibly see in him?What life do you think you're going to build with him?He'll fuck you and leave you faster than you can blink.I'm the best thing that's happened to you; don't be stubborn.”
Something in me snapped clean in two.
“The best thing?You tore me apart and had the nerve to put a ring—my ring—on her finger.You lost me and there's no coming back from that.”
He opened his mouth.
“No,” I cut in.“You don’t get to speak.”
His expression darkened, but I didn’t stop.
“You don’t love me.You love control.You love having me orbit your life while you do whatever the hell you want.After all the grief and lies, you still can't see that you destroyed what we had.I'll be at this wedding simply as a courtesy to my grandma, but that's all.I’m done being your backup plan.Done with you.Keep watching me from across the room, keep looking at the woman you lost.You want proof that I've moved on?Watch this.”
And, with that, I stormed away from him.
Every step I took was absolute, my heels striking against marble with purpose.My eyes blazed as I cut through the crowd with ease.It was as if they knew I was the storm—and with the way I was feeling right now, they'd be right.If Chase wants a show, then he'll get a show.
My eyes locked on Jaxon, finding him sprawled in the chair with his focus on his phone.Jaxon must've heard me coming because he slowly looked up.It was like watching him in slow motion with the way his eyes widened at my bullish approach.
“What's wr—”
He barely had time to utter the words.I stepped between his legs, our eyes burned as one, realizing that I was about to cross a line neither of us could come back from.
But my actions were fueled by rage, and there was no reasoning with that beast.
So I did the unspeakable.
I wrapped an arm around his neck and smashed my lips to his.
I kissed him with a fierce intensity that I didn't even know I possessed.His shoulders tensed and his hands held my waist.His shock lasted all of two seconds before he was kissing me back.
His lips moved tentatively at first, testing the waters, before urgency dragged us down.He kissed me without restraint, moving his lips fervently against mine as if he couldn't get enough, as if he was breathing for the first time.I pressed my body into his, losing all rhyme and reason to what drove me over here in the first place.
I gasped when his fingers dug into my waist, an opportunity he used to deepen the kiss.Tongues tangled like two swords in battle.Maybe that's what this was—a battle both of us were willing to win, no matter the cost.The universe must’ve been against me, becauseof coursethis man was a sensational kisser with his soft lips and wicked tongue.
Heat flared inside me at the sound of his groan.I tugged him closer until there were no gaps between us.Why was he so good at this?His hand moved up to cup the back of my neck, taking control of the kiss even though I was the one towering over him.His tongue moved so fast, so slick, so hot.God, this man was unbelievable.This was all for show, and it was still one of the best kisses of my life.
You hate him.
You hate him.
You hate—
He bit down hard on my bottom lip and tugged.His lips muffled my moan, but one tug of my waist told me he heard it.I didn't want to stop.Low, sensitive parts of me began to tighten and throb.I released the death grip I had on his hair and let my hands slide down his neck.He shivered so deliciously when my nails scratched against the base of his neck.
I slid my hand down his chest, skimming over his hard muscles beneath the buttoned shirt.My palm pressed against his chest, and I could feel the erratic beat of his heart.The feeling of wanting to climb him like a tree wasn’t a good sign.Neither was the aching need between my thighs.
Icouldn'twant Jaxon Cage.
The words would've been grounding, but my traitorous body didn't give in.How could it?He'd taken control of every fiber of my being with one kiss—the kiss I started.In an effort to take back control, I bit down on his lip and tugged.It should have given him pause, but this wasn't just any man.This was Jaxon Cage.
