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"Jax--"

He tookinch of hi over tender nerves kept y He remembered me well, knew just how to keep me revved and needy

"I missed you, Gia," he whispered into the kiss "Did you ache for me, too?"

When I didn’t reply, he brushed the wet tendrils of my hair away from my face and searched for the answer

My sex rippled along his length His eyes closed and his lips parted, his body tightening "Not yet I’ and I didn’t care I just wanted him to come I wanted itthis" He reached behind hiht arm up and overme into a smooth, easy thrust "Ummperfect It’s always been perfect"

I wanted to tease hiame as coolly as he was, but I couldn’t

"Stop thinking and feel, baby," heon the corner of ood That’s all I want To ht his lips and let him

NICO EYED ME as I slid onto a bar stool at Rossi’s after closing and I knew he saw my makeupless state, which betrayed the shower I’d taken just a half hour before He had been cleaning up the bar, but he stopped and pulled out a beer, popping off the top before sliding the bottle over to ot how much I like Jax," he said conversationally

I nodded I liked Jax, too Thing was, I didn’t knohich Jax was the real one

"You two going to work it out?"

"No, it’s temporary But this time, I know the rules"

"Maybe I don’t like hi pull "He’s in love with you, you know"

"He’s in lust," I countered drily, picking at the label on the bottle "And that’s okay, I can live with that It’s the other stuff--the way he talks to me sometimes, as if there’s more, and the head trip I’m on about why he left and came back--that’s hard for me to deal with"

"My offer to knock soht be easier and more effective to knock sense into ainst ot plenty of sense You knohat you’re doing You just wish you weren’t doing it He obviously doesn’t have a clue or else he wouldn’t risk letting you get away He’ll never find better"

"Ah, God, don’t get sappy onI felt weepy and erinned "Fine Get off your ass and help et the hell out of here"

With a sigh, I slid off the bar stool "Shit I should’ve stuck with sappy instead"

AN INSISTENT POUNDING on Nico’s door wokeI rolled off the couch with a curse, stu out whoever it was

When I blinked wearily through the peephole, however, I saw beloved faces

Pulling off the security chain and turning the dead bolt, I opened the door to roused

"Yeah What the fuck?" Nico wandered in fro to his hips Brother or not, I could still appreciate what a good-looking man he was "You knohat tiet up"

Angelo followed Denise in, holding her hand in his "You put Gianna on the couch? Seriously?"

"I offered her the bed" Nico crossed his arms "She wouldn’t take it"

"Don’t blame her," Vincent said "If that bed could talk, it’d have its own reality show"

"Don’t be jealous," Nico returned "I’m sure your bed will see so, you’re still a Rossi"

"What are you doing here?" I interjected I was really happy to see theht back norht before in Jax’s bed I was back to feeling like Gianna Rossi--and not absolutely sure I was the writhing, asms in a matter of hours It was as if I were two different people

And you’refor you to get dressed so we can grab sotails that framed her pale face She’dher look like so"

"So with you people," Nicoelse"

"It’s nine o’clock," Vincent pointed out

Nico shot me a look and drawled, "As I said"

BY NOON, WE’D eaten and hit the basketball court at Nico’s apartaotten a partial scholarship to UNLV forI knew from my brothers

I had just cleared a three-pointer and aving off the usual good-natured taunts and ribbing when I caught sight of Jax walking up I stopped right where I was, ad T-shirt He wore shades and twirled his keys around his finger When Nico bounced the ball to hirin

"Hey," he said, co his lips to my flushed forehead

"You found us" A hot rush of pleasure surged through me He’d pickedNico’s place had taken initiative and effort

"I ainst lasses made it impossible to read him I took the ball and backed up so I could breathe

"Rutledge," Angelo greeted hi

"Kick back, killer," Denise aded over froelo’s wife"

Jax shook her hand "A pleasure"

"I’ve heard a lot about you," she said "None of it good I hope you prove the guys wrong"

Jax glanced at me with raised brows

"Oh, she doesn’t talk about you at all," Denise qualified, s in

Vincent and Angelo both reluctantly shook hands with Jax, then Vincent said, "Are we playing or what?"

"I’d like to ju h his hair "Take my spot on Gianna’s tea visitors"

"Pussy," Angeloyour ass"

"We were going easy on you," Vincent answered, catching the ball when I tossed it his way "So ouldn’t have to hear you bitch"