Chapter 8

Teyara Moon

I reached beneath the pillow to retrieve my synthetic wig.

Marching over to the vanity mirror, I focused on finishing my appearance. After massaging a fresh layer of moisturizer into my skin—since the previous application had completely dried out in the chill—I surveyed the selection of clothes his mother had graciously provided to find a suitable outfit.

I paused, analyzing my reflection in the glass.

I absolutely loathed the idea of sleeping in a heavy wig, but there was a lingering risk that his mother might drop by later in the night.

To eliminate the threat, I walked over to the bedroom door, turned the lock, and let out a long sigh of relief.

I safely tucked the wig back under the pillow, thoroughly satisfied with my precaution.

Right on cue, the bathroom door clicked open, and Jax stepped out into the room.

Under normal circumstances—and by normal, I meant six years ago—the sight of him would have completely stolen the air from my lungs.

Droplets of water clung to his hair, tracking down the sharp definition of his abs and disappearing lower. His damp strands were beautifully disheveled as he ran a careless hand through them, a low-slung towel anchored at his waist leaving his upper torso entirely bare.

But now?

All I offered was a sharp, dismissive hiss as I turned my back to him.

“Still radiating pure fury, I see,” he remarked, his tone dripping with mischief.

I let out a sharp snort, climbed onto the mattress, and pulled the heavy duvet over my shoulders.

Despite my best intentions, my gaze involuntarily drifted back toward his silhouette in the mirror.

He was right on the verge of dropping his towel.

I ripped my eyes away instantly, squeezing my eyelids shut as my respiration spiked.

“Appreciating the view isn't a crime, you know,” his voice chimed, instantly shattering my trance.

I desperately wanted to fire back with a devastating counter, but I chose to punish him with another hiss instead—only this time, I made sure it was incredibly loud.

A few minutes later, the mattress shifted as he slid into the bed.

I practically bolted upright at the sheer proximity, glaring daggers at him.

Spotting a collection of spare pillows stacked near the wardrobe, I scrambled across the bed, grabbed them, and constructed an absolute fortress between us.

A low chuckle escaped him at the display.

Ignoring him, I lay back down to rest.

“How incredibly mature,” he muttered dryly.

I merely yanked the blanket over my head as the downpour outside intensified, rattling the glass.

Suddenly, Jax’s phone began to vibrate on the nightstand.

I paid absolutely no attention to the muffled audio of his conversation until his voice dropped to a low, suggestive register.

“So, what exactly are you wearing right now?”

I physically gagged under the duvet, realizing exactly what kind of call he was taking.

I threw the blanket off my face, propping myself up on my elbows to glare at him in disbelief.

He casually tossed a wicked wink in my direction, causing me to snort in pure disgust.

“The weather is freezing,” he argued defensively, covering the microphone for a fraction of a second. “Cut me some slack.”

“You are an absolute pig,” I muttered, flashing him a certain finger before trying to settle back into my pillows.

“Come on, babe, you know you're driving me insane over here,” his husky voice continued into the receiver.

The gourmet dinner from earlier was seriously threatening to make a reappearance in my throat.

“Just the sheer lace?” he added smoothly.

Breathe, Teyara. Just keep breathing, I chanted internally, treating it like a survival mantra.

“Damn, I wish I was with you right now, I would fuck you so hard on the counter” his low, raspy murmur echoed through the quiet room, officially colliding with my anger or rather jealousy.

I kicked the blankets off entirely.

Before he could even register the movement, I lunged across the pillow barrier and snatched the phone clean out of his hand.

“Hey,” I barked into the line, suddenly realizing I didn't even possess the woman's name. “Look, I don't know who you are, and frankly, I don't care. The two of you can continue this pathetic phone routine all night, but the baseline reality is this: you are all the way over there, and I am currently wrapped in his sheets. So, who do you honestly think is going to end up fucking him tonight?”

My voice dripped with deliberate, mocking provocation.

A sharp, high-pitched shriek erupted from the speaker as she screamed his name in pure shock.

I ended the call instantly, carelessly tossing the device back onto his chest.

Wrapping myself back up in my blankets, I rolled over, praying for a few hours of undisturbed peace.

“You really shouldn't have interfered like that,” a deep murmur sounded directly against my ear.

I hadn't even realized he had closed the distance between us until his breath hit my skin.

I swallowed hard, my eyes snapping wide open as I realized he was hovering right behind me.

“You know what? I am perfectly content sleeping on the hardwood floor,” I stated, thoroughly irritated.

I grabbed my pillow, preparing to vacate the mattress, but his hand shot out, clamping around my wrist to halt my escape.

“Teyara…”

“Sandra,” I corrected, my tone dropping to sub-zero temperatures.

“You just informed her that you were here to fuck me,” he whispered, his gaze anchoring to mine. “And do you have any inkling of what I need right now?”

I inhaled a sharp, ragged breath.

“You are well aware I only said that lie to force the two of you to terminate that trashy conversation.”

“I don't particularly care about your defence. All that matters is the statement you made. So, execute the assignment.”

He aggressively yanked the duvet off my frame.

“What is your absolute problem!” I yelled, snapping to my feet on the mattress.

“My problem is that I was engaging in a private conversation with my girlfriend, and you terminated it by claiming you were going to fuck me. So, play the part.”

I desperately wanted to physically erase the arrogant smirk that bloomed across his face after he delivered those words.

“I don't know how many different ways I need to explain this to you, Jax, but I want absolutely nothing to do with you. I require sleep, so leave me the hell alone.”

He folded his bare arms across his chest, tossing his own blankets aside.

“Fine then. I'll simply resume my conversation with my girlfriend.”

He raised his phone with an explicit, threatening gesture.

“Yeah, best of luck with that,” I scoffed, far too exhausted to engage in another verbal wrestling match.

He confidently dialed her number, waiting for the connection to bridge.

“I'm going to switch on the speakerphone, just so you can appreciate the audio…” he smirked.

I rolled my eyes, dragging a corner of the blanket over my ears to muffle the upcoming sound.

“Go to hell, Jax! I hope you enjoy whatever pussy hole you're wrapped up in tonight. Do not ever dial my number again!”

Her high-pitched voice shrieked through the speaker before the line went completely dead.

I tossed the blanket down, staring at his stunned expression.

“Don't you dare say a single word,” he warned darkly.

I arched my back, completely losing control as I laughed my absolute head off at his embarrassment.

“Like I stated… best of luck with that,” I choked out between waves of amusement.

“Goodnight, Jax,” I added in a mocking, sing-song cadence.

“Goodnight, Teyara,” he responded quietly.

The weight of my true name rolling off his tongue sent a sudden, unwelcome tingle racing across my skin as I finally drifted into a deep, uninterrupted slumber.

The Following Day

The brilliant morning sun flooded through the expansive windows, pulling me from sleep.

I attempted to sit up, but my movement was instantly restricted by a heavy weight anchored around my midsection.

To be precise, an arm.

Our pillow fortress had been entirely demolished during the night. Jax had migrated across the boundary to hold me close, and truth be told, the embrace wasn't uncomfortable.

We had slept deeply in that exact position.

I fought a brief internal battle against the urge to admire his features—the exact same face I had adored for years, and the exact same man who had shattered my world.

Shifting away, I removed his arm with a gentle tug, causing him to stir.

I reached over to the nightstand, grabbing the synthetic wig and setting it down.

“I am heading into the shower, and you should follow suit. I need to vacate this property as quickly as possible,” I announced, my voice devoid of any warmth.

It came out clipped, strong, and thoroughly professional.

He offered a sleepy, compliant nod from the pillows.

Thirty minutes later, we were fully prepared to depart.

Properly dressed and collected, we navigated the grand staircase together, finding his parents already seated at the mahogany dining table.

“Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell,” I greeted warmly, and they instantly returned the sentiment with bright smiles.

“Morning, Mom. Morning, Dad,” Jax chimed in.

“Aren't the two of you remaining for the breakfast service?” his father questioned.

“It's not logistically possible, Dad. Sandra has an incredibly tight schedule to maintain this morning.”

The disappointment on their faces was so profound it made me wish I could actually rewrite the day's itinerary.

“But we will absolutely arrange a return visit very soon,” Jax supplemented quickly to ease the tension.

“Very well, darling. I am going to hold you to that vow,” his mother added.

I smiled, stepping toward her chair as she rose to offer me a gentle, maternal embrace.

“The two of you possess such identical spirits,” she whispered softly.

The observation sent a pang of warmth straight to my heart, and I offered a small, appreciative smile.

“We'll be taking our leave now,” I announced, turning to exit the estate with Jax right behind me.

“Well, that sequence didn't conclude in an absolute catastrophe,” he remarked as we walked toward the driveway.

“I am simply ecstatic that the acting has concluded. I don't have to look at your face for the rest of the day,” I replied, flashing a completely artificial smile as I marched ahead of him toward the luxury vehicle.

The car glided to a halt directly in front of my apartment complex.

I immediately stepped out onto the pavement, clutching my handbag without granting him a parting glance.

Suddenly, my smartphone slipped from my grasp, tumbling onto the passenger leather seat.

As I reached back into the cabin to retrieve the device, the screen illuminated with an incoming notification.

Jax’s sharp gaze instantly locked onto the text display, his features darkening considerably.

“What exactly is the meaning of this?” he demanded, his voice dropping to a dangerously cold register.

Reluctantly, I snatched my phone back, scanning the text block that had just arrived.

I miss you intensely, Teyara. Just visit me one last time. I'm in need, I desperately need to fuck you again.

— Adrian

A slow, triumphant smile spread across my lips.

I tilted my head slightly to the side, meeting his furious gaze with absolute composure.

“It appears I have a highly seductive contract offer on the table.”

I clicked my tongue playfully, turned on my heel, and ran into my building.