Wrecked (Dirty Air 3)

“I want to test a theory.” Jax parts the ropes for me to enter.

“Oh, do tell.”

“How many seconds until you surrender?”

“Fifteen.” I plaster on a fake nervous smile.

He offers me a cocky grin. “Five.”

I shrug. “Game on.”

“When you’re slamming your hand against the floor begging for this to be over, remember not to deny me again.”

“You make it sound like I denied your offer for sex rather than self-defense classes.” Last week when he asked, I politely declined, telling him I didn’t need them. I guess Jax still holds a grudge about it.

Zack yells from across the gym, counting down from three. The moment he shouts go, Jax makes a clever move I didn’t see coming.

He swings his foot out, knocking me on my back. Zack laughs while Vera yells at me to get up and show him how girls run the world. My legs remain planted on either side of his thick frame, giving me a good vantage point.

r /> Jax’s body sits on top of mine as he pretends to choke me with a smile. He’s sure to take a majority of his weight off me which works to my benefit. “You look pretty with my hands around your throat.”

A rush of laughter escapes me. “You’re sick.”

“But you like me anyway.” He plants a soft kiss on my cheek before sitting and applying a little more pressure to my neck.

He hesitates when I shoot him a smirk similar to his. I use his stance against him, with my legs wrapping around his waist as I press my right arm on the inside of his left elbow and my left arm on his right shoulder blade. I push my foot into his hip bone before turning my body. Both my legs move out from under his before pressing his head into the mat.

My legs grip his trapped arms between them before I grab his wrist and make the sound of a bone breaking. “You were saying?”

Vera hoots while Zack claps.

Jax mouth parts as he stares up at me. “That was hot as fuck.”

I push his wrist a little more, not wanting to hurt him. He slaps his hand against the mat.

I stand before offering him my hand. “I denied your request because I already took self-defense classes. If you’d quit your moping after I said no, I would’ve told you.”

He grabs onto my palm and lifts himself up, barely hiding his smile. “I like you more and more by the day. You might be my dream girl, Gonzalez.”

The warmth radiating throughout my body at his words tells me how much I want that to be true.

I’m going to be Jax’s date to the benefit gala raising money for foster children. The event is to support a foundation he donates lots of money to every year in honor of his father. That means walking a red carpet while clinging to Jax’s arm, coming out officially as a couple.

To put it lightly, I’m freaking the fuck out.

I pace my makeshift bedroom, my heels clicking against the hardwood as I walk back and forth. A wave of nausea rolls through me as I think of my name being splashed across tabloids and social media accounts.

A knock on my door has my spine straightening. I take a few deep breaths before opening. Jax leans against the door frame, looking attractive in his tux. The shiny material glistens and grips to his form in the best ways.

“I thought we should talk before tonight.” He enters my room without an invitation. Not that he needs one, seeing as he comes to visit me daily now.

“About?” I move toward the dresser, fumbling with my clutch.

“It’s not too late to back out of this before it turns into something we can’t control.”

“It is too late for that. We definitely can’t control this,” I grumble to myself.

“It’s not. I don’t want you to regret having your name connected to mine. We can show up separately and no one would know the difference.” He walks up behind me, heating my back. His sincere eyes looking at me through the mirror tug at my heart.