Wild Zone (Rough Riders Hockey 4)

The name took him off guard. Jax hadn’t heard anyone scream Bentley in so long, he experienced a complete disconnect of past and present, reality and memory.

By the time he reached Ty, the true movie star was back up on his horse and local cops were physically holding fences in place against the surging crowd.

The commotion freaked Jax’s horse. The stallion pranced in circles, rearing. Great drama for the fans, might make for some stellar photographs too, even kept a steady adrenaline drip to Jax’s blood, but it also wore him the hell out. This horse was higher strung than a wannabe starlet at the Academy Awards.

“I love you, Bentley,” came from women in the crowd.

“We miss you,” shrieked someone from a different direction.

“When are you making another movie?” another woman screamed.

Ty turned his horse in a circle, waving to the crowd. “Time to get back to work.”

He and Jax cantered along the fence line together to continued, but fading, screams.

Ty’s shit-eating grin didn’t sit right with Jax. “Still think she doesn’t know you, Chamberlin?”

He didn’t answer. He didn’t know what to think anymore. Everything he thought he’d come to believe over the last twelve hours was tangled in his head.

They slowed to a trot as they neared the edges of the filming area.

“I’m not telling you not to see her, bro,” Ty said. “And she may very well be as sweet as you think. But we both know how these women operate, and you’ve taken enough hits for the team. I’d like you to see what’s coming for a change.”

“Ty,” Russ yelled. “What did I tell you about sneaking out to meet your girlfriends? You’re looking at the ceiling of your room the rest of the night, boy.”

“Aw, Dad…” Ty slumped his shoulders in a perfect imitation of a scolded child and walked his horse forward. “I didn’t plan it. She was just…there. I didn’t even kiss her.”

The rest of their exchange dimmed as Jax’s mind drifted to Lexi. To everything that had passed between them. But he couldn’t make any solid truth out of anything.

And even if she was still at the hotel, even if she would see him again tonight, Jax doubted anything would help him see what was coming with this woman. She seemed to prefer keeping him in the dark.

Chapter 12

Jax stared out the side window of the Lincoln from the backseat on his return to Spencer’s. The driver was probably in his midseventies, courteous and quiet. Which worked great for Jax. Because he needed to think.

He looked down at his phone and read the message Lexi had finally sent around five p.m.

LEXI: Sorry it took me so long to answer. The meeting went long—you know how women can talk—I went shopping after, picked up a surprise for you and then fell asleep when I should have been working. Thank you for leaving your jacket. I napped in it—naked of course. Can’t stop thinking about you. Can’t wait to hear about your exciting day. I’ll be waiting.

At the end of the message, she gave him her cell number, one he could actually see on his phone, and said she’d removed the secretive application that had hidden it from view.

“Shit,” he whispered and dropped his head back against the seat.

There were half a dozen sweet comments in that one message. And now every damn one was tainted by the revelation of just how instantly recognizable he still was. He had to either confront the issue head-on or drop it and let things play out, and he couldn’t decide which.

He hadn’t told Ty about the message. Had been looking for an opportunity to get Russ alone, but when he’d found himself standing at the cooler with the man, chatting about the loss of the Bond contract, Jax hadn’t been able to bring Lexi up.

He pocketed his phone and looked out the window again. The sun was setting. Jax was exhausted. His muscles ached. His ass was killing him. Sex would be an interesting proposition, though he’d make it work if…

If what?

“This is ridiculous.”

He rested his elbow on the edge of the window and his forehead in his hand. He made small circles on his temples. Twenty-four hours ago, he hadn’t even been interested in fucking anyone. Twelve hours ago, he was perfectly fine with a simple one-night stand. Now he was considering not sleeping with a woman who’d kept him hard all day because of the possibility she knew who he was?

“I’m insane.”

He pressed his fingers to his eyes. He was just tired. Stressed. Still reeling over what Veronica had done. Hell, hard to put it behind him when everyone kept bringing it up. What difference did it make if Lexi wanted something from him, anyway? She was great. It wouldn’t kill him to introduce her to someone or help her out in some other way.