Obsessed: Part 3

"You and Brooke plotted against Mark and me." I point my index finger at him. "The two of you deserve one another. I just have one question."

He tilts his chin up. "What's that?" he asks in a whispered tone.

"Why did you break the rule? Why did you fuck me?" I seethe.

"You said you loved me, Ivy." He picks up the flash drive and balances it on his palm. "I know that you meant it."

"So what if I did?" I snap back. "I was in love with who I thought you were not the real you."

"You're mistaken, beautiful." He pulls himself to his feet in one fluid motion. I push my body back into the chair. I want to keep as much physical distance as I can between Jax and me.

"I'm not." I fumble for my purse. I know I placed it next to the chair when I sat down and now I can't find it. I just want to get out of here.

"I haven't made love to anyone since I saw you at the gala that night." His voice whispers across the back of my neck and I jolt myself back into an upright position. He's there, hovering over me. I can smell his skin. He's so close.

"Why are you lying?" I try to retreat into the chair but the soft leather resists. "I saw you in bed with Brooke. I saw it."

He leans back against the desk giving me a slight reprieve from his imposing presence. "I was in bed with Brooke. Nothing happened."

"No. You're lying. You think I'm an idiot. You've always thought I was naïve." I scowl.

"You're, by far, the most amazing woman I've ever met." His voice lowers. "I knew it the instant I saw you at the gala. I would do anything for you."

I stand. "You're so delusional."

"How so?" He mirrors my stance and towers above me.

"You and Brooke worked together to manipulate Mark and me. It's all there on the flash drive, yet you continue to deny it." I chuckle," the proof is right there, Jax."

"Indeed it is, Ivy." He opens his hand and holds the flash drive at my eye level. "If you would watch the entire thing, you'd understand."

"I understand everything I need to understand." I grab the flash drive and toss it back on his desk. I try to push past him so I can leave but his body is blocking my pathway to the door.

"That's obviously not true." He lowers his head until his lips are hovering mere inches from mine.

"It's true." I pull back. I can't think straight when he's this close to me. I'm beginning to doubt my own resolve.

His index finger traces a faint line across my chin. "I fell in love with you at the gala. My life changed that night."

I shake my head partly to disengage from his heated touch and partly to clear my thoughts. "You've been manipulating me since we met at Brighton's gallery opening. It's all been so you could take control of Mark's company."

"That's your perception, beautiful." He takes one step closer. "I'm only guilty of wanting you and my father's company."

"Do you really think this will work?" I throw my hands in the air in sheer frustration. He honestly believes that he can seduce me into forgetting what I saw on the video.

He grabs my wrist in one fell swoop. "What do you mean?"

I try to pull it free from his grasp but he's not relenting at all. "Let go of me." I glare at him.

"Not yet," he whispers as he pulls my arm to his lips. I flinch as I feel him run his lips across my skin.

I shiver from the touch. "Stop it." I jerk my arm again and this time he effortlessly lets it drop from his clutch. "You can't seduce me. You can't convince me that you're not the manipulative jack ass that I know you are."

He arches his brow and his expression darkens. "Oh, I'll convince you, beautiful."

"Give up, Jax." I scowl. "You won. You get your father's company and you got to fuck Mark's ex. Way to go." My words are dripping sarcasm and I don't care.

He swallows hard before he speaks in a pained whisper, "You think I'm a monster, don't you?"