Jesse lifted her face to the sky and savored the sun on her face. Breathing in deep to appreciate the salty, fresh scent of the ocean which she barely ever got to see unless it was the background of her computer screen. Taking a sip of the cocktail the men had gotten for her before accepting a volleyball challenge, Jesse gave a sigh. Feeling much more relaxed than she had in a very long time.
Shouts and laughter drew her attention and she saw Jax laughingly helping one of the men, who had challenged him and his brother, to his feet.
She felt her heart rate pick up as she watched his sweat-slickened muscles tighten and ripple. The tattoo reaching from the back of his shoulder to his chest, above his heart made her fingers twitch in need to caress it. Devon joined him and slapped the guy on the back. Standing next to each other Jesse could make out the small differences between the two men.
Devon was built a bit smaller than his brother, his muscles not as defined. Jax had a bit more of a tan, giving away the fact that he spent most of his time outdoors. He also had a more lazy, carefree demeanor than Devon’s stern, serious one.
They were both sexy as hell though.
“Another one?” The bartender of the cocktail bar asked.
Jesse looked at her glass and was surprised to see that she was done. Though that always seemed to happen to her. At times she would swear that someone else was helping her along.
“No, thank you.” She said and slid the empty glass towards him.
“You sure? I could always whip you up something special.” He said leaning his elbows and grinning at her. His eyes dipped to her breasts before looking up into her eyes again.
Jesse blinked in surprise.
Was he . . . flirting with her?
“Uh, no thank you.” She said and leaned away from the bar.
“Alright. So, what’re you doing here today? Taking a day off from work?”
“Something like that,” Jesse answered uncomfortably, sneaking a glance toward Jax and Devon from the corner of her eye. She had forgotten how to handle these kinds of situations.
“That’s awesome. Sometimes I feel like I’m on a permanent vacation when I work here. Everything is always chilled. Know what I mean?” He asked, rolling her glass between his palms.
“I can imagine.”
“I also have a lot of free time.” He said giving her a hooded, suggestive look that took a moment to register. When it did, Jesse shot up straight a frown pulling her brows together. Before she could say anything, however, a scent that had her mouth-watering surrounded her as someone stepped up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist. His hand cupped her stomach possessively.
“I suggest you tell someone else of that free time of yours. She’s taken.” Jax said in a low growl that had the bartender backing away with his hands up in the air.
“Hey, no problem man. Sorry.”
Jesse watched him turn and walk to the other side of the little beach bar where two younger girls sat giggling.
“I could’ve handled him.” She said, leaning her head back to look up at Jax who grinned down at her.
“Sorry, Baby.” He said and dropped a kiss onto her lips. Unable to resist the lure of their softness any longer.
“Everything okay here?” Devon asked as he joined them with a frown on his face.
“Everything’s fine,” Jesse said, barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes.
“Good,” Devon said, cupping her face and leaning down to kiss her. She blinked up at him as he pulled away, unable to hide her surprise.
Luke had always told her that showing affection, whether in public or in private, was a sign o weakness. He had never touched her in any way unless he could get something out of it or he really had to. If Jesse had ever even tried something like giving him a kiss on the cheek he would freak out completely and scold her.
“We should get you out of the sun. Your cheeks are burnt.” Devon said staring down at her face wondering what was going through that pretty little head of hers to put that haunted look there in her eyes again. He knew that it was going to take a hell of a lot of work from their side to convince her to tell them all her secrets.
Not that he minded.
In the end, it will defiantly be worth it.
“How about going to grab a bite? I’m starving.” Jax said squeezing Jesse’s waist slightly before letting her go. “You hungry, baby?”
“A little.” She admitted.
“Great! We can go to that little Italian place around the corner. That alright with you two?”
She and Devon nodded. Jax took her hand to help her down the tall chair so that she wouldn’t fall when she jumped off. He dropped her hand long enough to slip his shirt back on but quickly grabbed it again. He tightened his grip when she tried to pull away and pulled her along, leaving Devon to follow behind them with the bag that contained all their other clothes.
As they hit the surprisingly busy sidewalk, Jax pulled her closer to him and slid his arm around her shoulder. Devon stepped up next to her, grabbing her small hand in his very large one. Both of them glared at anyone who looked at them funny or glared when they saw a man checking her out.
Jesse’s heart tightened painfully in her chest.
Never in her life had anyone ever protected her the way they did. No one ever looked out for her they way did. In fact, no one ever treated her the way they did. Like she was something precious.
It confused her.
Scared her.
They were crawling their way through her defenses and she didn’t know how to stop them. They knew exactly what to do to make her hesitate in pushing them away. Instead, she wanted to pull them closer. Hold them to her so that she wouldn’t feel so alone anymore. So that she can continue feeling beautiful and . . . like she was actually someone interesting. Someone who could make them happy.
A part of her, the part that still listened to the lingering whispers of Luke’s criticism, scoffed. She was still the same boring, plain person she always had been. There was nothing different about her. There never will be.
“Stop it.” Jax said jerking her away from her thoughts.
“What?” She asked tilting her head back to look him in the eye.
“Thinking of whatever it is you’re thinking about.”
Jesse frowned.
“I can think whatever I want to.” She informed him, dropping her head down again to watch where they were going.
“Not if makes you upset.”
Jesse just snorted and shook her head.
Men! Think they can control everything about a woman.
Jax pulled the door of the Italian-styled deli open and led her inside with a hand on her lower back. All eyes turned to them and Jesse suddenly more self-conscious than she had all day. She straightened her spine and lifted her chin slightly, unwilling to let doubts that rose in the back of her mind ruin the really good day she was having.
Jax dropped a kiss on her neck, onto the fading love bite, and whispered “Good girl,” softly into her ear making her shiver.
“Table for three?” A young waitress asked with a wide smile as she walked up to them.
“Yes, in a booth,” Devon said stepping in front of Jesse.
“Absolutely, right this way please.” She said and led them to a booth in the very corner of the restaurant, slightly out of sight from the rest of the people there. “This fine?”
“Perfect,” Devon said and slid into the booth.
Jesse turned to slide in after him and caught the eye of their waitress who grinned and wiggled her eyebrows in an exaggerated way making Jesse’s lips twitch as she fought not to smile. The girl kind of reminded Jesse of Sasha. Not just because her eyes, which were the same color as her friends’, shone with similar mischievous glint but because Sasha would have done the exact same thing if she had been there.
“Welcome to Italian Oven, my name is Lucy and I’ll be your waitress.” She said, laying down the menus as soon as Jax settled down next to her. His arm rested on her leg while Devon wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Would you perhaps like to order something to drink before ordering lunch?”
“Two beers and . . .?” Jax said looking down at Jesse.
“A soda will be fine. Thank you.”
Lucy nodded and turned away to get their drinks.
Silence reigned over the table as Jax distracted himself by playing with the skin of her leg and Devon pulled her hair out of its bun to run his fingers through it.
“Amazing.” She heard him whisper softly.
“What?”
“How much hair you hide in that horrible bun you always wear,” Devon said glancing down at her before looking at the silken golden strands tangled in his fingers.
“And how soft your skin is,” Jax answered as well with a wide grin that had his dimples pop out.
Jesse scowled at them and pushed them away from her, ignoring their frowns as they were forced to relinquish their hold on her. Picking up the menu in front of her, she looked over it for something to drink. The twins followed her lead after a while.
A minute later a smiling Lucy returned with the drinks. She poured it and set it down in front of them. After she took their order for lunch, she left but not before giving Jesse an encouraging wink.
Jax slid closer to her once again and grinned naughtily, ignoring her scowl.
“It’s useless trying to fight me, Baby. I usually always get what I want.” He said cheekily.
“Not this time. I want my space.” She said firmly even though she already felt her body leaning towards him. Seeking his warmth.
“But if I give you space . . . I won’t be able to do this.” He said in a whisper as he leaned down to her. His breath feathering on her neck just before his lips settled on her skin, weakening her. Her traitorous body softened, relaxing against him, wanting again what he and Devon had done to her earlier.
Jax made a sound of approval while Devon moved back closer to her. His fingers once again found their way into her hair.
“Do you guys do this often?” Jesse asked breathlessly before she lost all her wits.
“What?” Devon asked.
“This whole . . . tag team thing.”
“Tag team thing?” Jax asked with a chuckle, pulling up to be able to look her in the face.
Jesse shrugged, embarrassed.
“I don’t know what else to call it but you know what I mean.”
“It’s called sharing and no. We don’t do it often.” Devon answered her.
“Why not?”
“Let's just say that not everyone is comfortable in having a serious relationship with two guys.” This time it was Jax who answered her. His hand once again was on her leg.
“Then why not just have separate relationships? Wouldn’t that just be easier for you?” Jesse asked with a frown, confused.
“Easier but impossible.”
“You see, Dev and I share a connection. Like most twins.”
“And because of that connection, we can’t help but share feelings for the same girl.”
“So, when the one falls in love or lust, the other one often follows quickly behind.”
“So, you share . . . emotions?”
“That’s right.”
“And often we can even feel the same sensations that the other one is feeling.”
“Really?” Jesse asked, intrigued by the idea.
“Really,” Jax said with a grin.
They fell silent to let Jesse digest what they had just told her. They wanted her comfortable with the idea of them sharing her. The rest they would ease her into slowly.
Very slowly.
Jax jumped in surprise when Jesse settled her hand on the top of his thigh. Her fingers kneaded rhythmically into his flesh, arousing him. When he at her face and saw something that made his heart flip.
Her eyes were soft with mischievousness and a small smile curved her soft lips.
Looking over to his brother, he found him still entranced by the strands of her hair. Jesse snuck a peak at him from the corner of her eye and looked back up at Jax who pulled both his brows up. Silently daring her to go on.
She lifted her one brow in answer and slowly slid her hand up until she cupped him in her hand through his pants. Causing him to tense up ever-so-slightly next to her.
“How did I end up in your place anyways, Mr. Monroe?” Jesse asked Devon as a way to distract him from what she was doing to his brother.
“Jax convinced your friend to let us drop you off at home but when we couldn’t find your house keys we decided to just take you to my place. And I told you to call me Devon or at least Dev.” He told her with a fierce frown which she ignored.
Sasha. She should’ve known her friend was behind this. It was definitely something she would do.
Jax cleared his throat and shifted in his chair, the confines of his pants getting more and more uncomfortable as he grew more aroused. Suddenly Jesse’s fingers were on his flesh, instead of his pants, making him jump and moan softly under his breath as pleasure spiked through him. The sound was drowned out by the conversational noise in the deli.
Devon stilled next to her.
“Jesse?” He said and she could hear the question in his voice.
“Yes, Mr. Monroe?” She said innocently. Biting the inside of her cheek as she tried not to smile.
“What are you doing?” He asked and shifted, much like Jax was doing on her other side.
“What do you think?” She asked, leaning in to breathe the question against his lips. Watching in fascination as his pupils dilated and his eyes burn brighter.
“This is not a game you want to play.” He warned her through clenched teeth, trying to ignore the feeling he was getting from his brother of her hand pumping up and down, playing with the slit of his head.
“But it’s such a nice game.” She told him with a grin that felt rusty.
Devon stared down at her, wanting to remember her as she was there at that moment. The shine in her eyes and the first smile he had ever seen on her face.
Both he and Jax pulled in a quick breath when she sped up her movements, bringing them closer and closer to completion. He grabbed the edge of the table with both hands and squeezed as breathed slowly in and out, trying to control the pleasure that was quickly building. Jax, however, fisted one of his hands in his hair and jerked her face to him.
“Kiss him,” Devon demanded in a strangled voice when they just stared at each other. Jesse felt goosebumps erupt on her arms at the command.
Slowly she leaned in closer to Jax, loving how his eyes were half shut in pleasure. She watched his reaction as she placed her lips softly against his. Happiness spread through her when he sighed as if it was the best thing in the world.
Her eyes drifted shut and she pressed closer to him, deepening the kiss. Wanting more of him. Of both of them.
What felt like hours later she leaned back to get air and caught Lucy heading their way with their lunch.
“We’ll have to finish this later.” She said and moved away from them, her hands and feet crossed primly as she smiled at a grinning Lucy.
She cackled inside. Loving the rush of feminine power rushing through her veins.
This could actually be fun, she decided with a hidden grin.