Chapter 2

Mia 

“I say we find some way to convince her.” Jaxon finally talked and his deep voice did naughty things to her insides. Some sort of enchanting accent laced each word. 

“I want her. She’s perfect.”

Mia shouldn’t have, but she risked a glance his way. Her umbrella cast a shadow on his face. The shade gave a paranormal effect to those exotic green eyes as they glowed a little in the darkness. Their gazes met and she couldn’t tell how long we’d been staring at the other.

Rhett cleared his throat. “It looks like you’re doing a good job of convincing her.”

Jaxon's lips curved into a wicked grin. “What’s your name?”

“If I tell you, will you leave?”

“That’s not fair."

“Why not?” She asked.

“I damn sure don’t want to leave after sitting here next to you.”

It was her turn to laugh. “Do you both carry around a big book with really bad lines? No wait. Are you both the two guys that actually wrote the book? Am I sitting next to famous people?”

“We’re famous, but not for books.” Jaxon took my own book out of my hand, closed it, and lay the thick volume on the other side of him. “You see your phone over there?”

Mia picked it up. “You mean this one, the one I’ll be using to call the cops in a few seconds?”

“Yes.” He had the nerve to lick his lips. “That phone is just one of the many things my parents make executive orders over.”

She considered that. “So your parents own Star Tech?”

“No.” He shook his head. “They own the company that owns Star Tech. You probably never heard of them, but their—”

“Fulcrum Corporation?” She leaned her head to the side.

His confidant expression faltered for a minute and then returned back as if he’d just adjusted a mask on his face. “So you’ve heard of Fulcrum?”

“Yes, I think I’m going to practice Corporate Law after I graduate. Learning the top business guys in the world is something I’m interested in, sort of a hobby.”

“Sounds boring.” Rhett snapped a picture of Jaxon and her.

She wagged her finger at him. “I didn’t give you permission to take that picture of me.”

“Ignore him,” Jaxon said. “So you’re the type that never knows what you are going to do?"

“I have several things that I’m going to do right now.” Mia glared at him. “It may involve kidnapping. Let’s hope your rich mommy and daddy don’t mind you two missing.”

Jaxon leaned in closer. “I wouldn’t mind being lost in you."

Heat entered her center, but she ignored it. Her body had always attracted many men, ones just like him, rich, bratty guys that thought they ruled the world and could walk over a poor girl like her. Messing with one always gave her a bad taste in her mouth so she stayed away.

“Lost in me? Really?” She rolled her eyes. “Does that even work with women?”

“Trust me. It works.” He frowned. The expression still couldn’t make him less gorgeous. I hated him for it.

“Are they drunk when you say it?” She asked. “And if you say something like, yes, drunk off of my awesomeness, then I’m going to vomit. There’s only so much male bravado I can take, and with the both of you my body’s flooding with it."

Rhett snapped another image and winked. “Talking like that just makes us crazier for you, baby."

“And this is where I move on guys.” Mia gathered her books into her bag, knowing that either she had to leave or this situation wouldn’t improve.

Besides, what type of idiot tries to study on South Beach? She figured she could people-watch in one of the top spots in the city while getting some significant reading done.

Not possible. Apparently, no one studies on South Beach. They do everything else here of course, but not studying.

“Wait. We can go.” Jaxon got up and helped her pack. “You don’t have to leave.”

“No. I probably won’t get any reading done, anyway. You two were just the motivation I needed to escape.”

“I feel bad.” Jaxon seized the bag from her and filled it up. “Let us take you to dinner tonight. I promise we’ll leave now, just say yes to dinner.”

Mia scrunched up her face in confusion. “Now you both want to have dinner with me?”

They nodded in unison.

“Why?” She asked.

“Why not?” Rhett took another image.

“What happened to your dire photo shoot?”

“It’s less dire,” Jaxon said.

“What’s going on guys?” She glanced at Jaxon and then at Rhett. “Something’s happening and I don’t think I should be a part of it. If you remember, I tend to keep weapons around for when the male species aggravates me.”

“It’s just dinner.” Jaxon’s gaze lowered to her cleavage, which told her that he hoped she would be on the menu.

She stared up at Rhett. The same expression of lust was plastered all over his face, except his attention lay between her legs. 

She closed her thighs and breathed. Being ogled by men annoyed her. Being ogled by hot rich European brothers. . .well. . .fine it turned her on.

“And what will we be doing after dinner?” She asked. “How do I know you two aren’t crazy?”

“Do we look crazy?” Jaxon countered. She turned to Rhett because if she stared at Jaxon longer than necessary, she would be saying yes to a lot more than dinner. 

Already she was stupidly reconsidering leaving the beach and remaining there with them. “Rhett, what’s your plan for me after dinner?”

“I’m not sure. Whatever serial killers do, I guess.” Rhett shrugged his shoulders.

“Not funny.”

Rhett chuckled. “We can do whatever you’d like or if you find you can’t deal with either of us anymore, then we’ll take you home. No problem at all.”

She shook her head. “If I go, then I’m meeting you there. I won’t be picked up by two guys I don’t know.”

“But you’ll let two strangers buy you dinner?” Jaxon smiled.

“Yes.” Mia rose and tried to pretend that she didn’t catch their gazes stray to her hips and behind.

Her skin tingled with awareness. “Interrupting me while studying a boring topic is one thing. Inviting me to the most expensive restaurant in Miami is another thing. I’ll meet you there at eight tonight. Deli is the name by the way.”

“You’re name?” Jaxon quirked his brown eyebrows.

“No. Mia is my name. Deli is the name of the restaurant that we’ll meet at tonight.”

Jaxon's jaw line twitched as if he was holding in laughter. “Okay. Any other instructions, Mia?”

“Wear pink.” She took her now heavy bag from him.

"I like my men in pink.”

“Very funny.” Rhett put that camera to his eye to take another picture.

She displayed her finger right as he snapped. “And another thing, you never told me why you two were famous.”

“I did.” Jaxon nodded.

“No you didn’t. You said your parents own Fulcrum which is pretty impressive, but that’s your parents. What do you two do?”

Jaxon tilted her way, he was close. So near that she could feel the gentle whisper of his breath against her skin. His cologne embraced and touched her like she was sure the man could.

"We’re in the business of lust.”

I stepped back. “Well, too bad I’m already taken care of in that department.”

“Boyfriend?”

“No, but I have friends.”

He licked his lips again. She was really starting to detest the way his tongue’s movements snared up her attention to the point that she couldn't look away.

“I feel really bad for these friends, Mia.”

“Why is that?” She asked.

“They’ll be nothing once you and I become friends.”

Her brain wasn’t intrigued, but her body reacted with warmth. It seemed that her flesh was willing to forgive Rhett and Jaxon’s bad lines just for the chance to see if they were all talk or not.

“Have a nice day, Jaxon.” She slung her bag over her shoulder and turned away. “Nice meeting you, Rhett.” 

Twenty feet into her defiant and hopefully sexy walk, she realized that she left her plastic smoothie cup, blanket, and rented umbrella back there with them. She glanced over my shoulder.

There they stood among my things, rock hard and pulsing with desire.

How the hell did I not start touching herself when they first came up to her? Oh yeah, she knew. They opened their mouths like men do and said stupid things.

She decided not to go back to them and just head to the car. The blanket had been a four dollar deal at Goodwill, the bottle just one of many she filled with breakfast smoothies. As far as the umbrella, there’d already been a five-dollar charge for if she wanted to leave the thing there and not return it to the beach rental’s office.

A nine-dollar loss was not worth going back into the lions’ den.

And they were lions, bad pick-up lines or not. They were the kings of their pack, rich, sexy, and utterly over-confidant. She was sure the photography line worked on many women, hoping to just get a few seconds in their presence. Maybe the guys shared the women or something. She could sit for hours thinking about the sensual things

these two did to spend their days.

They’re odd, but hey, who was she to judge? Either way, they won’t be sharing her, but they definitely will be splitting her bill.