Take Me Read online

  TAKE ME

  by

  Locklyn Marx

  (Includes FOOL ME TWICE, CAN’T TAKE THE HEAT, and HEAT OF THE MOMENT)

  Copyright 2012, Locklyn Marx, all rights reserved

  FOOL ME TWICE

  by

  Locklyn Marx

  Copyright 2012, Locklyn Marx, all rights reserved.

  FOOL ME TWICE

  by

  Locklyn Marx

  Copyright 2012, Locklyn Marx, all rights reserved.

  Chapter One

  Jaxon Hale was not the type of man you would expect to see at a baby shower. At six-foot-two and two hundred pounds of lean, hard muscle, he stood out among the pastel balloons and stork-themed gift table like a bull in a china shop.

  But it was his sister Katie’s baby shower, and since Jaxon hardly ever made the trip from Los Angeles back to Connecticut to see his family, he figured he’d better show up and be supportive.

  “Having fun?” Katie asked, walking across her backyard to where Jaxon was standing in the fading June sunlight.

  “Who decided co-ed baby showers were a good idea?” he drawled. Jaxon had been born in Concord, Connecticut, in an uptight, WASP-y area filled with McMansions and organic supermarkets. But after an adolescence marred with fist fights and suspensions, he’d been sent to a boarding school down south, the kind of institution that was supposed to teach troubled young boys how to become good Southern gentlemen.

  But all Jaxon had picked up at Wentworth Academy was a penchant for breaking hearts and a tendency to sound like he’d been born and raised in Alabama.

  “Co-ed baby showers were thought up by women who decided men were going to have to share in their torture,” Katie’s husband Adam said as he joined them. He was holding a big wicker basket with a shiny yellow bow stuck to the front. He held it up and squinted at it, as if trying to decipher a particularly hard riddle. “I’m not exactly sure what this is.”

  “It’s a diaper tree,” Katie said, taking the present from him and setting it down on the picnic table. She sounded delighted. “Who’s it from?”

  “Anna brought it,” Adam said. “And what the hell is a diaper tree?”

  “It’s just a cute way of arranging cloth diapers,” Katie said, taking a sip of her lemonade.

  “I thought we had agreed to use disposable diapers,” Adam said, sounding slightly panicked.

  “Anna Webb?” Jaxon asked, stopping with his beer bottle halfway to his lips.

  “Anna Webb brought that?”

  “Do you really have to drink at a baby shower?” Katie asked. “I mean, is it really necessary?” She shook her head at her older brother, then brushed a strand of dirty blonde hair out of her face.

  “Anna Webb?” Jaxon asked again.

  Katie nodded.

  Unfuckingbelievable.

  Jaxon quickly drained the rest of his beer and prepared to make his exit. He didn’t care if his little sister was the guest of honor, or if he was staying at Katie’s house while he was in Connecticut. If Anna Webb was here, there was no way in hell he was sticking around. He’d drive around the block until she left if he had to.

  Anna was Katie’s best friend – or at least, she had been when they were kids.

  Growing up, Anna had been like an annoying little sister to Jaxon, joining Katie in all manner of normal sibling hijnks. When he was nine and Anna and Katie were eight, they’d hidden a frog in his bed. He’d gotten them back two years later when he’d moved the ladder away from their tree house, leaving them stranded up there for a couple of hours.

  Anna had been nothing more than a nuisance to him back then, his kid sister’s best friend. When Jaxon went away to boarding school at fifteen, he hadn’t given Anna’s long blonde hair and lanky body a second thought.

  But the summer after his senior year, when he’d come home to Connecticut for one last visit before heading off to college, Anna had been all grown up. Her long hair was now lush and full, tumbling down her back in soft luscious curves. She’d grown into her legs, and her little cupid bow mouth and full lips were enough to make Jaxon fall in love with her at first sight.

  Well. As much as Jaxon Hale could fall in love. Up until Anna, Jaxon had been positive he was immune to any kind of romantic feelings. At eighteen, he’d already caused more girls than he could count to cry themselves to sleep after being kissed and discarded, just a blip on his radar as he moved on to the next hot thing.

  But that summer, fifteen years ago, he’d immediately set his sights on Anna, vowing to make her his. She’d made him work for it, refusing his advances even when he’d pulled out all his usual moves, moves that had been foolproof for years.

  Jaxon was puzzled at first, the way men who are extremely good-looking can be when they’re not getting what they want. But he refused to give up, and when he’d finally broken her down (the turning point involved a cat that had been hit by a van in front of her house– Jaxon had loaded the animal into his car and taken it to the vet, and when he’d come home, Anna had softened a bit, and from there, he’d been able to rely on his usual charms), they began spending nearly every moment together.

  There’d been long sunny days filled with sweet ice cream cones, sticky glasses of lemonade, and walks down by the creek. But all good things had to come to an end, and that long-ago summer had been no different. Jaxon was off to college at UCLA, where his father had somehow convinced (read: paid) someone in admissions to overlook Jaxon’s spotty record and mediocre grades. California was a thousand miles away, which would have been daunting for any relationship, but was almost insurmountable when you were only eighteen.

  On the Labor Day before he was set to leave for Los Angeles, he’d swallowed his pride, kissed Anna, and asked her to come with him. Jaxon’s jaw set now as he remembered that night. The way Anna had twisted her hands in her lap as they’d talked while sitting in the front seat of his beat-up old Dodge Neon, her voice cracking, her eyes filling with tears. She loved him, she said, but she had to say in Connecticut and finish high school.

  There were high schools in California, he’d told her, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. Good ones. Boarding schools, charter schools, private schools… they could talk to her parents together, come up with a plan that would work.

  But she’d shaken her head. She was set to be valedictorian, she’d already scheduled her AP classes, her debate team was counting on her, she couldn’t leave her parents, she needed to graduate with her class.

  Jaxon had said it was okay, then kissed her softly and told her that of course they’d stay together, that there were planes, trains, automobiles – whatever it took, they’d make it work.

  But his pride had gotten the best of him, and he’d been young and stupid. That night, they’d had plans to go to the fireworks by the creek. He was going to pick her up after supper. But he’d stood her up, left her waiting for him at home while he went drinking with his buddies. He hadn’t spoken to her since.

  “Yes, Anna Webb,” Katie said. “You remember her, don’t you, Jaxon?”

  “I thought she lived in London.”

  “She does,” Katie said. “She does something in international finance at some big firm. But she’s back now, she came to visit her parents for a week. And when she found out I was having my shower, she – ” Katie broke off, her eyes focusing on something over Jaxon’s shoulder.

  “Anna!” she cried, then rushed over to meet her friend.

  Before Jaxon could stop himself, he turned around. Damn. Anna Webb had gone from little Anna Webb to teenage Anna Webb to hot woman Anna Webb. She still had those gorgeous long legs, which she was showing off in a pair of denim cut-offs. Her blond hair cascaded over her shoulders, and a tight baby blue tank top showed off every curve of her chest.

  Jaxon f
elt himself harden in his jeans. God damn. Well, it was too late now. He couldn’t get out of here without creating a scene.

  They were walking toward him, Anna and Katie, the distance between him and Anna shrinking by the second.

  “You remember my brother, Jaxon,” Katie said.

  “Of course,” Anna said, and gave him a smile. “Nice to see you again.”

  “Nice to see you, too,” Jaxon said. He grabbed another beer from the cooler by his feet and popped the top.

  From the other side of the yard, an older woman’s voice called, “Time to play pin the tail on the baby!”

  “Oh, God,” Katie said, her face contorting into panic. “I told my mom no shower games!” She rushed off to deal with the impending crisis.

  As soon as Katie was gone, Anna turned to Jaxon and glared. “Drinking at a baby shower? Real classy, even for you, Jaxon.”

  “Sorry I offended your delicate sensibilities, Princess,” he said, and grinned. It was the name he’d called her all those years ago, back when they’d been kids. It had started the first night she’d refused to sleep with him. They’d been making out in the sand at Mill’s Beach, after dark. Her parents thought she was with Katie, his parents couldn’t give a shit where he was. His hands had snaked up her shirt, lingering over the soft smooth skin of her lower back. She’d pushed his hands away, and he’d been sexually frustrated and feeling rejected. So he’d sat up and said, “That’s okay, Princess.”

  She’d hated it then, and from the look on her face, she hated it now.

  “Screw you,” Anna said, fire flashing in her dark blue eyes.

  “I see you’re still holding onto a grudge from ten years ago, Princess,” he said and took another pull off his beer. “That’s not so nice.”

  For a second, he thought maybe she was going to hit him. But Anna was way too controlled for that. Instead, she just glared at him again and then turned on her heel.

  “Good bye, Jaxon,” she said.

  But Jaxon wasn’t about to let her walk away. Not again. He reached out and pulled her toward him, right there at the party, right there in front of everyone.

  ***

  “What the hell are you doing?” Anna exclaimed as Jaxon crushed her against his chest. She felt her breasts flatten against the hard muscles of his pecs, and heat rushed through her body. Why the hell had she worn such a flimsy tank top? Because you knew he would be here. And because you wanted to look sexy for him.

  “Princess,” Jaxon said, his eyes smoky and his voice husky. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  He was so close that his lips grazed against her ear as he spoke, and his breath brushed against her skin. Desire burned through her body, from the tips of her fingers down to her toes. Even now, even after all these years, she could still remember exactly what it felt like to kiss him.

  Anna pushed him away, hard, then turned and started stomping across the grass toward the house. She wasn’t about to start getting all crazy, not over stupid Jaxon Hale.

  The man was bad news, always had been. So what if he was an amazing kisser? So what if she’d spent the last thirteen years wondering what it would have been like to make love to him, what would have happened if she’d decided not to play by the rules for once and taken off with him to Lost Angeles? Would they have ended up together?

  Probably not. With that sexy Southern accent that made him sound dangerous and sweet at the same time, and the glint in his eye that always made it seem as if he was picturing you naked, Jaxon definitely wasn’t the commitment type. Anna knew she’d made the right decision all those years ago, even if her body was trying to tell her different.

  The kitchen of Katie’s house was empty, with everyone outside enjoying the party. Anna’s face felt flushed and hot, and she poured herself a glass of water. Stop, she told herself as she took a sip. He was trouble before, and he’s trouble now.

  She felt his hands on her before she was able to slow her heart. He turned her around, his blue eyes burning as he met her gaze.

  “Jaxon,” she started, ready to lay into him. But he silenced and startled her with a passionate kiss. His lips were warm and surprisingly soft. His tongue slid into her mouth, not asking permission. Anna’s pulse quickened as her body surrendered to the kiss.

  Suddenly she was on fire, her nerve endings burning from head to toe. A low, simmering need settled in between her legs, and it was all she could do not to beg him to take her right then and there.

  But then Jaxon broke off the kiss and gave her a mischievous grin. “Just like I remembered,” he declared. He tapped a finger on her nose, gave her another maddening grin and then walked out of the kitchen.

  Anna stood there, gazing after him, her heart pounding as anger welled up inside of her. Just like he remembered! What an asshole! She took in a deep breath, hating herself for letting him get to her like that. After all this time, he still stirred something inside of her, something that had been dormant for a long time.

  She wished she’d never come. But now that she was here, she was determined not to let him chase her away. She would return to the party and do her best to support Katie. But this time, she would make sure to stay far away from Jaxon Hale.

  Chapter Two

  Jaxon walked back into the yard, his cock rock hard against the fly of his jeans.

  Anna had tasted just as he’d remembered — like peaches and cream and warm summer nights. But she’d rejected him once before and he wasn’t going to let her crush him again.

  He’d kissed her just now because he’d needed to prove to himself that he could walk away from her, that he could leave her the way she had left him all those years ago.

  And, physical reactions non-withstanding, he’d been able to do it. Now he could move on.

  “Hey,” Katie said, looking up from where she was pouring a glass of fruit punch.

  “What were you doing in the house?” She gave him a suspicious look and then handed him the glass of the fruity drink.

  “Nothing.” Jaxon took the glass and had a sip. “Ugh. Disgusting.”

  From the corner of his eye, he saw Anna come walking out of the house, her smooth and silky hair swinging behind her. He remembered what it felt like to run his hands through those long gorgeous locks, letting the strands slip through his fingers as he kissed her.

  He turned away and back to Katie, desperate for a distraction. “Can I help you with anything?” he asked.

  “You can, actually,” Katie said. “You can go start the grill.” Her green eyes surveyed his face. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Besides the fact that I’m at a baby shower? Yes, I’m fine.”

  “Okay,” she said. “Because if you want to leave, you can.”

  “Why would I want to leave?”

  Katie bit her lip, looking nervous. “I know you and Anna have a history.”

  “Katie,” he said, and rolled his eyes. “We were children.”

  “I know, but –”

  “I’m fine,” he insisted. “Now where’s the lighter?”

  She pointed over to the picnic table, where the lighter was sitting on top of a stack of paper plates, napkins, and utensils.

  Jaxon busied himself starting up the grill, then spent the next half hour grilling hamburgers and barbeque chicken for the guests. He served the meat onto their plates, watching as they then moved over to the buffet table and loaded up on an assortment of salads and chips.

  “So what’s good?” a voice purred in his ear.

  Anna.

  But it wasn’t. It was another guest, one of Katie’s friends from work whose name had slipped Jaxon’s mind.

  “Depends on what you’re in the mood for,” Jaxon said, trying to appreciate the woman’s warm smile and the high curve of her backside in the short shorts she was wearing.

  “I guess some beef,” she said flirtatiously.

  It was a corny line, but Jaxon smiled. He was about to ask the brunette what her name was, when his eyes fell on Anna sitt
ing over by the pool.

  She stood up from her lounge chair and Jaxon watched as her long bronze legs unfolded from under her. She reached up and slowly pulled off her baby blue tank top, revealing a scarlet-colored bikini top with tiny little strings that set off her rich golden hair. The guy sitting next to her –- some asshole neighbor of Katie’s named Todd —said something, and Anna threw her head back and laughed.

  Jaxon’s heart caught in his throat. Anna looked so free, so beautiful. It had taken every ounce of his self-control for him to walk away from her in the kitchen, to stop from stripping her and devouring every inch of her naked body. But now he was tapping into reserves he didn’t know he had to prevent himself from marching over there and punching that guy Todd square in the mouth.

  He watched as Anna unbuttoned the button on her shorts and slid them down over her hips, revealing scarlet bikini bottoms. Her body had filled out, turning the gangly limbs of a teenager into the soft and voluptuous curves of a woman.

  “Hello?” the brunette in front of him said, holding her paper plate out. Her mouth was arranged in a pout. “Are you going to give me a burger or what?”

  “Yeah,” he said, suddenly annoyed. He plopped the burger onto her plate, still watching as Anna laughed again at something the guy next to her said.

  A real Steve Carell, that Todd. What an asshole.

  “Thanks,” the brunette said.

  “You’re welcome.”

  Anna looked up from the pool and met his gaze across the yard. Damn. She’d caught him looking. She narrowed her eyes at him, giving him a look that could have made a terrorist shudder.

  Well. Two could play this game.

  “You want to have lunch together, sweetheart?” he asked the brunette. “I was just about to take a break from grill duty.” He handed the spatula off to an unsuspecting Adam who was standing nearby.

  Then Jaxon fixed himself a plate of hamburgers and potato salad and guided the brunette right on over to the pool.

  ***

  The girl Jaxon had brought over to the pool was a complete and total bimbo. That was apparent just from looking at her. Everything about her was fake – fake nails, fake hair extensions, even fake acrylic nails. Jaxon was so predictable.