Merely a second after her last word was said a tingly feeling spread down Jaxxon’s spine and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Someone was staring, and staring hard. There was nothing about it that felt threatening, it was just intense. She resisted the urge to look; if she’d managed to land herself an extremely intense admirer then she didn’t want to give him any encouragement.
Just as Jaxxon was about to drag Anna away, her attention was snagged by the loud snickering of a dark-skinned, busty woman who was shrugging her way through the crowd. Jaxxon recognised her to be a chat-show host.
“Well if it isn’t Crystal Marsden.” Isla’s smile was deceivingly friendly.
Crystal halted in her stride and glared at the actress. “Don’t bother, I don’t have time for backstabbing overactors, or” – she looked at Jonathan – “failing producers, or” – she switched her attention to Anna – “little -”
“Hey,” snapped Jaxxon. “Not a word about her.”
Crystal inhaled sharply, a look of surprise on her face. “I’m supposed to bow down to the face of Allure, am I?”
“I don’t care whether you bow, clap or flip me off. But you leave Anna be.”
Scrutinsing Jaxxon with her eyes, Crystal placed her hands on her hips. “You know what they say – you can pamper a poodle, but it will still be a dog.”
Jaxxon was pretty sure she had never heard anyone say that before. As backward insults went, that one was crap, but whatever. “If that’s the best you’ve got in your locker your imagination can’t be up to much.”
“Face of Allure you might be, but remember this: you’ll always be a product of the failed social system.”
Jaxxon pinned the much-too-talkative snotty cow with a glare that she knew had to be shimmering with all the exasperation she was feeling. She guessed it was the same look that Richie, Ollie and Tony claimed put people in a thrall because the snob seemed mesmerised. Good, at least she would definitely be listening. “Here’s something for you to remember; you might have been born into money, but you came out of a vagina the same as everyone else. Popping out of one that’s rich doesn’t make you anything but lucky, or susceptible to being stuck up your own arse. Whichever.” With that, Jaxxon pulled Anna further into the crowd. Again her spine tingled and the skin of her back was almost burning. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could resist swerving around to see who the hell was staring.
“Bloody women,” grumbled Bruno as he very abruptly appeared at their side. “No offense,” he added quickly.
“What’s up?” asked Jaxxon.
“My ex.”
“She didn’t come,” guessed Anna, her voice sympathy itself.
“Oh she’s here alright. With someone else.” Anna gasped. Jaxxon winced. “They’re looking really cozy.”
“Maybe you should talk to her,” said Anna. “It might just be for show – you know, like Ollie wanted you and Jaxxon to play up to the rumors.”
“I thought of that, but after talking to her I learnt that it’s no so innocent at all.”
“Boyfriend?” guessed Anna.
“Fiancée.”
Again Anna gasped as Jaxxon winced. Jaxxon knew from experience that finding out someone you cared about actually cared for someone else…it was like being gutted.
“You can’t let her see she’s got to you like this,” insisted Anna. “Her or him.”
“I agree,” he said.
Anna spoke in a conspiratorial whisper. “You should find yourself a beautiful girl in here and flirt outrageously with her right under your ex’s nose. Show her she’s not the center of your world.”
“I was thinking exactly the same thing.” He cast a glance at Jaxxon, his expression a plea.
Jaxxon understood immediately. “You want to use me to make her jealous?”
“I just don’t think it’s fair to use someone who doesn’t know that I don’t really have any intention of acting on what -”
“I get it, I get it.” Jaxxon sighed. “Well I am pretty bored…”
Instantly Bruno threw an arm around her, but it was an embrace full of gratitude. Jaxxon managed to refrain from wincing at the physical contact. “So, I’m thinking that we basically just keep murmuring in each other’s ears and laugh now and then at absolutely nothing…?”
Anna giggled. “You two look so cute.”
The first thing Connor had felt on spotting her was shock. It was not at all an easy thing to shock someone who had seen the unexpected so many times in his life. It had just never occurred to him to even wonder if Jaxx would be at the event. He’d have to get used to the fact that she was now part of the celebrity world. A world that had him gritting his teeth and rolling his eyes a lot of the time.
It was an instinctive reaction to want to go to her, but he’d resisted – taking a moment to drink her in as she talked with that pain-in-the-arse actress and producer. Gorgeous. Entrancing. In that dress and with her hair gathered up, tendrils dangling around her shoulders, she had almost every bloke admiring her. Not that she noticed. So she still didn’t see how attractive she was. Still didn’t realise what she did to people. In Connor’s opinion, with her unique appearance and her incredible inner strength, there was no one to equal her.
Mine.
The thought came from nowhere and everywhere. He shrugged it away, wondering what was wrong with him. He wanted her, yeah, but only in the physical sense. In which case he had to ask himself how he could honestly have thought that he could have met up with her as a mate and expected not to want a little more. He didn’t have an answer. Apparently his brain was a bit scrambled tonight.
Just as he had been about to approach her, a bloke had appeared who was now touching and whispering to her. A feeling so black and unfamiliar that he didn’t at first recognise it travelled through his veins like wildfire – jealousy. He tried to shake off that odd feeling but couldn’t. At that moment he didn’t know what he wanted to do more; yell at her or f**k her within an inch of her life. He supposed that his anger over the situation was hypocritical considering that he hadn’t come alone either, but this intense feeling of possessiveness had driven out all rational thought.
Almost as if she had felt Connor’s gaze boring into her, Jaxx turned her head. The second her eyes met his, a raging need slammed into him with the force of a freight train. What passed between them as their eyes locked was a frighteningly fierce and primitive need. He felt stripped bare under that powerful, smoldering glare, but he didn’t try to hide anything; not even his feelings of possessiveness or jealousy. He doubted that he could have anyway, it was all too potent.