Chapter 15
Elizabeth was nervous, and while it wasn't a feeling that was necessarily new to her, this time it was different. She'd dug herself into a hole and was now attempting to claw her way out, which could easily backfire seeing as she was putting a lot of faith in Jason to comply without any complications.
And she knew him well enough to know there would be plenty of complications.
"You look lovely as always," Jax purred, stepping up behind Elizabeth as she waited impatiently for the elevator in the lobby of the MetroCourt Hotel.
"Thank you, Jasper," she replied, ignoring the way the businessman looked her up and down, though that was the response she was going for.
She smiled at herself in the reflection of the elevator doors before they parted, appreciating what would have been dress number three, had Jason allowed her to make it that far. It was the one that would have brought him to his knees, as well as Johnny, and Jax had confirmed that fact.
"Need an escort to the restaurant?" he asked, stepping in beside her and holding out his arm.
"If you were on your way up," she replied, sliding her arm through his as he punched the button.
She found herself smiling at her reflection in the doors again, her eyes sweeping over the bust of her strapless navy dress, knowing that while the material perfectly covered her breasts, from the right angle; say if she leaned forward just a little bit, they would be displayed in full force. Smoothing a hand over her hip, she smirked at how nicely the material clung to her hips and flowed out loosely, cutting off just below her knee, the slit on either side allowing her thighs to peek out as she walked.
She would have stomped on Jax's foot had he not been looking at her just the way she wanted him too.
"I assume you're meeting Jason and Johnny," he said, looking at her from the corner of his eye.
"Of course," she replied, hoping that his comment meant the men had actually shown up, and neither were as upset with her as they had a right to be.
"Enjoy your dinner," he murmured, as the doors parted and he escorted her off the elevator. He leaned over to press a kiss to her cheek and winked at her. "Don't let such a good dress go to waste."
"Have a good night, Jasper," she replied, blushing at his compliment, like she always did even when they made her feel silly.
It really was a shame that he wanted more from her than she was willing to give. He was an amazing man in all aspects of his life, but she wasn't ready to settle down, especially for Jasper Jax, who only wanted a trophy wife. He appreciated her dreams of art enough, but saw it as nothing more than a hobby, and that had been what really broke their relationship. Not to mention he couldn't handle Jason and Johnny's role in her life and often called her overdramatic when she got upset about it.
She needed someone who didn't think she was silly and overdramatic or at least accepted that those were her qualities and never threw it in her face.
Sighing, she made her way down the stairs that led to the restaurant, her stomach tightening with nerves, like they had weeks ago when Johnny had returned. She was stepping into unknown territory, where not one person was against her, but possibly three. Only Elizabeth could manage to piss off each of the people in her life in just one day.
Lulu wouldn't be an easy fix. She had thrown her relationship with Johnny into the blonde's face, knowing that he had failed to let his fiancé in on their history, just because Elizabeth was desperate to hurt her. And even though it had felt good, really, really good, she knew it was wrong, and she hated herself for caring about that stupid girl. She imagined the woman had gone straight to Johnny with tear-filled eyes, attacking him for his lies, and while that briefly made Elizabeth feel good, she still felt guilty, and it just wasn't fair.
Johnny had been the jerk among all of this, and Lulu was his puppet just helping things right along. They deserved to crash and burn, or at least skid along painfully for a while.
She frowned when she looked around the restaurant and didn't see either of them in sight. Lulu was usually easy to spot, always dressed in something bright and summery that nearly caused Elizabeth to hurl every time she saw her.
The sacrifices she made for her friends.
Maybe Johnny was more upset than she imagined, or worse, he hadn't been able to talk Lulu down, resulting in some God awful fight, and well…That wouldn't necessarily be so bad.
Johnny would forgive her. She'd done worse things to him. He would just seethe and whine, make an asshole wise crack or two and get over it. It wasn't like he didn't deserve a little bit of drama after that awful Jason Quartermaine comment he'd made. If hurting Lulu was the only way to get back at him, then so be it. She was not going to feel bad, not even a little bit.
"May I help you, Ms. Webber?"
"Uh, yes," she said, tipping her head in direction of the hostess. She often forgot that much of the staff knew who she was, mostly because she tried not to think about it or she'd start wondering just what exactly they knew about her. "Do you know if Jason Mor-" She stopped when she saw Jason taking a seat at the bar with Johnny, a half-filled glass of whiskey in his hand. "Actually, I see them now. Thank you."
She took a deep breath and started down the steps that led into the restaurant, watching as Johnny waved to the bartender and made some comment that caused Jason to roll his eyes. Ritchie had almost come through for her. She didn't see Lulu, which was either a good or bad thing considering how she looked at it. At least, the man wouldn't expect sex the next time they were alone.
He had, however, gotten Jason into a suit, which Elizabeth couldn't help but appreciate. The way the material fit snugly over his shoulders, the sleek lines showing him off in a way that any woman would admire. She'd place her entire bank account on the fact that nearly every woman in the restaurant had noticed him at some point.
Though he would never understand it, Jason had the perfect build and just the right kind of swagger for a suit. They always seemed tailored to fit him just right without having to be adjusted in any way. Most of the times, they would walk into a store, Elizabeth would pick up a suit, and it would just fit him. She would tell him it was a sign he should wear them more, and he would roll his eyes, muttering how jeans were more comfortable.
Yes, the suit would definitely make this night easier on her.
Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she adjusted the top of her dress one last time as she began to stride towards the two men, her head held high and every ounce of confidence she had inside of her on the line.
As if sensing she was there, Jason's head suddenly tipped in her direction and his eyes widened as he looked her over. He lowered his drink to the bar, turning around so that he was facing her. Elizabeth's confidence shook just a bit, but she shoved her nerves aside, putting on a wry smile as she stepped up to the bar, sliding her arm over the back of his stool.
"Hey there," she murmured huskily, stepping between his legs and grabbing him by the front of his white buttoned-down shirt as she pulled his mouth to hers.
The second their lips met, Jason stiffened, and she sucked in a shaky breath, but thankfully she managed to take control. She raked her fingers through the back of his hair, her other hand fisted in his shirt as she nipped gently at his lower lip, forcing it to part so she could slip her tongue inside.
He still smelled like leather and soap, but yet the familiarity of it seemed to cease. It was like she closer to it, inside of it, and even enthralled by it, and she wondered why she never realized it was this good until now. Any nerves were now replaced by a fire, one that she couldn't replace, and she tried reminding herself of how long it had been since she'd let a man take her to bed. That had to be the only explanation.
She lost all sense of time and control; forgetting they were in the middle of a restaurant, that Johnny was sitting beside her, and that it wasn't supposed to last this long, but she couldn't think of anything else except the heat from his mouth and how his tongue felt as it slid around hers. She was vaguely aware of his hand on the small of her back while the other cupped her cheek, his thumb stroking her skin.
When they finally parted, it felt like slow motion as if neither of them wanted to be the one to end it, and she missed the touch of his lips immediately. She was panting softly, her hand still twisted in his shirt. Her lashes parted to find him looking at her, and she knew the desire reflected in his dark, cerulean eyes only mirrored her own.
Yes, there would surely be complications.
"I mean, what the hell am I supposed to do, Jason?" Johnny asked, holding a hand to his chest as they stood on the terrace of the MetroCourt restaurant. "I apologized and tried to explain why Elizabeth would say such a thing-"
"I assume you told Lulu it was because it was the truth," he interrupted, stirring his whiskey around with his finger and wiping his hand off on his suit jacket.
Had Elizabeth seen him do such a thing to an overpriced designer suit, she'd have reamed him for weeks, but thankfully she wasn't around yet, leaving him free to dislike his attire as much as he wanted. Even after popping several buttons, the collar was still overly stiff against his neck and the jacket was causing him to sweat so much that he had to keep pressing a napkin to his forehead.
After Ritchie called, pitching some fit about how Elizabeth was upset and demanding that Jason take her out for a night on the town to make it up to her, he felt obligated. Even though it had been unknowingly, he had hurt her, and he'd rather she make the demands for an apology than for him to have to scramble around and try to do it on his own.
That was why he had put on the suit.
That was why he had come to this overpriced shithole.
That was why he had decided to drink profusely so he could enjoy himself.
Only to find out, after running into Johnny, that it was a set up of sorts. Lulu had refused to come, saying she had a headache, which Jason knew translated into her being completely livid with her fiancé. He still didn't understand why O'Brien had come, though he had a feeling it was just to confront Elizabeth about what she'd done.
"You're not even listening," Johnny whined, finishing off his drink and heading for the doors that lead into the restaurant.
"You fucked up," Jason said, following after him. "You should have let Lulu in on your history with Elizabeth before bringing her to town. And regardless of whether or not you regret what happened, it did, and you have to deal with it."
"Did she have to make it sound like I lied?" he asked, stopping in the middle of the restaurant and glaring at him.
He arched an eyebrow at his friend and shook his head. "You did lie, and it wasn't the most tactful way to get her point across, but you pissed Elizabeth off. You know how she is."
"That's no excuse," O'Brien muttered, turning away and heading for the bar.
Jason followed after him, unsure as to why, but knew he had to coddle his friend or else things would get really ugly. Johnny was like a child, and when he was told something he didn't like, he shut down completely.
"You're both just alike," Jason muttered, sliding into a seat at the bar and taking another sip of his whiskey.
"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, lifting his hand and waving it to the bartender, who was at the other end.
"You both want things so bad that you're willing to do whatever it takes, but neither of you wants to be the bad person in it all," he replied, knowing that was why Elizabeth wanted to make up with Johnny and Lulu. Sure, she wanted their relationship to be over, but didn't want to knowingly be the cause that ended it.
And sometimes Jason wondered if Johnny would have still found a way to leave town after what happened with Elizabeth. In that fleeting moment, O'Brien may have wanted her, but Jason knew him, and once Johnny cleared his head, he would have freaked out. He was used to unattached women that he could take to bed at night and dump in the morning, and that would have never happened with Elizabeth.
"She hates Lulu, so she thinks she can run her off," he hissed, shifting in his seat. "I don't understand why you aren't upset by all of this."
"What?" he asked, swirling his drink around in his hand.
"Look, I'm just saying if I was you-"
"You're not."
"Exactly, but if I was and my girlfriend was all jealous over my best friend's fiancé-"
"She's your best friend too," he cut in, rolling his eyes and slumping over the bar.
Thankfully the bartender came over, making Johnny focus on something more interesting, like alcohol. His friend needed to realize that he was anything but jealous.
Jason was getting tired of being in between the two of them and their antics when the situation was clearly black and white. Johnny was marrying Lulu, and yes, Elizabeth was jealous, but she couldn't change that. He didn't love her the way she wanted him to, and Jason was starting to wonder if she even wanted O'Brien to love her, or if this wasn't some manipulated territorial issue.
It had always been the three of them and when it wasn't, it was Elizabeth and Johnny, and now, Elizabeth and Jason, and he just didn't understand why she couldn't be content with that. It was just how things were, how they were supposed to be, and how they had forced them to be.
Unfortunately, like it or not, one day it was going to be more than just the three of them. Jason didn't mind Lulu. She was nice and she made Johnny happy, even if she was a little overbearing. Elizabeth's choice in men could leave something to be desired for, but he knew that she'd never really settle down with someone unless he had Johnny and Jason's approval, so he didn't worry much about her. And as for himself, he was fine all by his lonesome. He had his routines, his friend, and a career that kept him busy enough.
Women, as proved by Elizabeth, only complicated things.
"Thanks," Jason muttered, taking a fresh drink from the bartender as he checked the clock above the bar.
It wasn't like Elizabeth to be on time, but it wasn't like her to be nearly forty-five minutes late either. Sighing, he shot a look at O'Brien who was still pouting, and then glanced over his shoulder to see Elizabeth heading in their direction. Her face filled with shock as their eyes met, but she quickly covered it up with a grin and slid her hand over her hip as she made her way over to the bar.
He couldn't help it as his eyes traveled from her face to her tiny waist, where the material cinched in, showing off her perfect hour glass figure. The dress flowed out from her waist, and he nearly missed the slits at the sides, displaying her creamy toned thighs. He figured she wouldn't mind the looks – seeing as a dress like that required such – and he allowed himself to take in her legs in all their glory, all the way down to the sexy stilettos that wrapped around her feet.
They were the kind of shoes that made men groan.
Her arm slid over the back of his stool, her hand splaying out between his shoulder blades to finger the collar of his shirt as she stepped between his legs. Her voice was low and husky, a tone he'd never heard from her before as she murmured hello, and fisted her hand in his shirt, jerking him forward and crushing her mouth over his.
He bucked briefly, mostly because he was caught off guard, but then her teeth raked over his lips, teasing him and tugging his mouth open. Her tongue swiped over where she'd bit him, before finding its way into her mouth, and suddenly it was like nothing else existed.
His hand was against the small of her back, pressing her hips as close to his as he could get them, and she raked her fingers through the ends of his hair, letting him know that it was okay. He felt the need to touch, to just feel her skin, and he lifted his hand to her face, cupping her velvety skin in his palm, wondering if there was anything softer than this.
She tasted sweet, just like one would imagine, and he knew that one taste, one swirl of their tongues would never be enough – was there even such a thing? She smelled like fruit, the scent of vanilla and strawberries wrapped around him, consuming him completely, and he couldn't believe he had never noticed it until now.
He told himself this wasn't happening, that this was some kind of fluke, and that Elizabeth wasn't in his arms, and that their lives and history and time, all things of great importance no longer mattered. He wanted to hang on as long as she would allow, but it felt over from the second it began, and whether she pulled away or he did, he would never know. Her hand was still gripping his shirt as her soft lashes parted and her hazy eyes found his.
Yeah, so much for things being black and white.