Extreme devotion, p.2
Extreme Devotion, page 2
“You got it, love.” Please. And that sweet little catch in her voice. Maybe she did want him holding her.
Instantly, she retorted, “And don’t call me love.”
Jex grimaced. Or maybe not. He upped his run to a sprint, anxious to get a read on the situation with Pearl.
He saw her as soon as he rounded the fence. She had her arms folded tightly across her chest. Her entire body was tense and closed off. Even a concerned frown couldn’t mar that lovely face that he adored. Why couldn’t she fall into his arms after he flirted with death? Most women would’ve responded that way. Not his vivacious and irresistible Pearl, unfortunately.
The crowd saw him. They exploded. The barriers couldn’t keep them back as they rushed to him, wanting to slap his back, shake his muddy hand, see his scratched-up knees and elbows, and relive the stunt over and over again—which was easy to do, as that was exactly what the large screens were replaying.
Pearl was pushed farther and farther away from him. He wanted to shove everyone out of his way, holler her name in desperation until she finally saw that he wasn’t teasing or joking, that he loved her and wanted only her.
He clamped down his desires—he was afraid they’d never be reciprocated anyway—and concentrated on the brunette gushing over how brave he was. Brave? His brother Gunner, the ex-Navy SEAL who rescued children from slavery, protected innocent people, and took out drug dealers, was brave. Jex was just a crazy adrenaline junkie who got paid lots of money to show off. He wasn’t even brave enough to kiss the woman of his dreams.
The crowd finally started thinning after hours of gushing over him, and he spotted Pearl over a petite redhead’s curly hair. Pearl’s face looked … resigned, almost sad. Her teal eyes met his, and she searched his gaze for a minute before shaking her head slightly and turning to talk to one of the camera guys.
That wasn’t the look of a woman who thought her man was brave. That was the look of a woman who didn’t want a crazy man. Dang.
Chapter Two
Pearl Davenport-Jacobsen grabbed a few pieces of sushi—a rainbow roll, she thought—off the platter on the granite kitchen counter. The floor-to-ceiling windows of the open living area showcased the beach beyond but she was so upset she couldn’t focus on the gorgeous view. She hurried through the massive rental house and up the stairs to her room. Jex’s stunt had been over since early afternoon, but his fans, as usual, had surrounded him, gushing over him for hours. Jex’s events were always advertised on their social media sites, and the past couple of years had drawn increasingly larger local crowds hoping to meet and greet the celebrity. Jex never disappointed them, especially the ladies.
She, the cameramen, the safety crew, and Jex had ridden back to the rental house on Hanalei Bay in miserable silence. The drive lasted over an hour, and even the youngest camera guy, Brent, who seemed oblivious most of the time, sensed the tension between her and Jex. Jex kept giving her concerned glances, but she didn’t know what to say. She’d let down her guard before his event and told him she’d think about changing her last name, and she’d almost let herself kiss those lips she dreamt about.
Jex risked his life more often than most people checked their Instagram account. Most of the time she thought she dealt pretty well with watching the man she loved almost die, watching women fawn over him, and teasing with him for the crowd. She yearned for his smile, his teasing words, and a simple touch of his hand, but today it was all too much. She was tired. Maybe it was time to move on. Jex paid her an insane amount of money to manage his finances and investments, his schedule and events, keep everything behind the scenes flowing well, and flirt with him for the crowds and cameras. She’d always been attracted to him and thought he was a chill and amazing guy, but over the last six years, they’d become close friends. For the past year, they’d innocently began each show with flirtatious banter. The cameras had picked up on it, and his fans loved it.
Pearl usually loved teasing with Jex, and she knew she loved him. But today had left her horrified. She vividly remembered every angle on the big screens, from his helmet cam to the drones following him, showing him almost go off that thousand-foot drop. Twice.
When she’d realized he wasn’t stopping fast enough on the bike, she’d screamed, sure that her life would be over when his ended. Then he kicked off the bike and used that momentum to stay in the safe zone. But that wasn’t enough for Jex Steele; the adrenaline junkie did a flip in the air to show off and then slipped toward the other edge of nothingness. Watching him scramble for some kind of handhold as his body almost plunged over the edge had taken years off her life.
Gone. He would’ve just been gone. She didn’t even know how they would’ve recovered his body. How would she have consoled his mom and his sister, Lottie? How would she have gone on with life without Jex and his teasing, irresistible smile?
No amount of money would be worth losing him. And as much as she loved spending day after day with him, the generous paychecks were starting to feel like hazard pay, but with his life on the line instead of hers.
Today was far from his worst near-death experience, but each one was harder for her to watch. She knew how desperately she loved him, and she also knew that even if the playboy crazy man truly did care for her and would settle down with only one woman, it was inevitable that one day a stunt would go wrong and she would have to watch him die. She imagined if she finally gave in and kissed him, she’d only be more in love and more committed to him.
Slamming into the spacious suite that overlooked the tan sand and rolling waves of Hanalei Bay, she clicked around the hardwood floor in her heels. She was anxious and upset but also tired, so tired. Ripping her heels off, she slid out of her skirt and quickly unbuttoned her blouse.
A loud knock came at her door.
“What?” she hollered. All decorum had gone out the window.
“Love?” Jex’s deep, irresistible voice called. “You ready for shaved ice?”
Shaved ice? Shaved ice? He’d almost killed himself today, and he was holding her to her silly comment about going for shaved ice? She realized she was overreacting as he almost killed himself most days, but the cumulative damage of watching it over and over again was wearing on her, and she couldn’t remain casual and detached much longer.
She rushed to the door and flung it open. “Are you insane?” she yelled at him.
Jex’s beautifully stubbled jaw dropped open, and his deep brown eyes with those gorgeous long lashes were so wide they looked like saucers.
“What?” she flung at him.
Jex’s eyes darted up and down the length of her body; then he gestured to her. “Uhhh ….” He shoved a hand through his hair, squeezed his eyes shut then grunted again. “Uhhh ….”
Pearl looked down at herself and let out a squeak of surprise. She slammed the door in his face. Even though he couldn’t see her anymore, she wrapped her open shirt around her bare abdomen, humiliated. Her bra and panties were more covering than most bikinis, but still … What in the world had she just done? She was so unsettled and mad at him that she hadn’t even stopped to realize she was undressed.
Oh, my, goodness.
She rushed to the closet, hung up her polka-dot shirt, yanked out a white sundress, and pulled it over her head. Then she stormed back to the door and flung it open.
Jex was still standing there, looking shell-shocked. “H-hey,” he murmured.
If Pearl had been in a better frame of mind, she might have thought it was adorable to see the ever-charming, ever-teasing Jex Steele flabbergasted. How many hundreds of women had shown up at his events in bikinis much skimpier than her underwear and thrown themselves at him? He would simply tease with the women and act like the display of skin was no big deal. Pearl had every indicator that did she affect him and that he loved her like she loved him—not that either of those truths would change him or his lifestyle.
Guilt rushed in. She didn’t want to change Jex, but she didn’t know that she could let herself commit completely to him and one day watch him die.
She folded her arms across her chest and acted like she hadn’t just opened the door in her underwear. “Yes?” she asked haughtily.
“Wow, Pearl.” He pushed a hand through his wavy hair. “You sure know how to greet the man who adores you.” He winked.
Pearl narrowed her eyes at him, not ready to tease yet. “What do you need, Mr. Steele?”
He chuckled. “Shaved ice with my girl.”
She wasn’t his girl, but he gave her that irresistible grin that always got her. The sculpted lines of his manly, handsome face softened, and his dark eyes drew her in. Pearl stared him down, wanting to say changing her last name for shaved ice had been a joke. He knew that, but she inwardly wanted that change of name, that commitment to him. He was also fun for her to tease with, most of the time.
“Dang you,” she muttered. “You know I can’t resist JoJo’s.” They’d stayed in Kauai a couple of years ago and discovered JoJo’s, not far from this gorgeous rental house. She’d become addicted to the fluffy ice with exotic, tropical flavors and the macadamia nut ice cream at the bottom.
Jex grinned and held out his hand. “That’s what I’m banking on.”
Pearl put her hand in his. You’d think by now she’d be used to the warmth and thrills that rushed through her, but no. It was always a rush, and like a druggie, she wanted her next hit from Jex touching her. She was weak for this man, and half the time she just let herself be putty in his hands. The other half of the time, she hated herself for not quitting and finding a normal life with a man who would work eight to five, mow the lawn on Thursday, and give her lots of fat babies. But even fat babies couldn’t tempt her away from Jex Steele and his exhilarating touch and addictive smiles.
They walked out of the house and through the tourist town to the shaved ice place. It was busy, but they only got some stares. No one approached them.
Pearl ordered mango and pineapple. Jex ordered the root beer float.
“Root beer float?” Pearl teased him. “You can get root beer anywhere. Only in the tropics can you get mango and pineapple that taste like heaven.”
Jex smiled with his usual flirtatious hint, but his eyes were serious. “I’d rather taste your heavenly lips.”
“They call it the stairway to heaven because it’s so hard to get there,” she threw back at him.
Jex laughed. “Luckily, I’m an extreme athlete and stairs are a piece of cake for me.”
“We’ll see.” She raised a challenging eyebrow, heat flushing through her body. It was March but still warm in Kauai. That was why she was so hot.
“Pearl,” the shaved ice guy called, and they sauntered over to claim their treat.
“Thank you.” Pearl took the delicacy, which was almost as big as her head, and plunged a bite of the fluffy mango-and-pineapple-flavored ice in her mouth. She moaned softly. “Heaven.”
Jex smiled, holding his treat and watching her. He eased in closer and murmured, “I promise my lips taste better.”
Pearl’s stomach took flight. She could bet he was right, but instead of admitting it, she said tartly, “I’m sure many, many women have lied to you about that.”
Jex chuckled. “You’re the only woman I want tasting my heavenly lips.”
Pearl shoved down the desire that rose in her, rolled her eyes, and strode away from him. Finding a quiet picnic table to sit at, she focused on her shaved ice, but her heart wasn’t in it. Of course she wanted a taste of his lips. She also wanted some reassurance that he wouldn’t plunge off the next cliff and that she truly was the only woman for him. There were so many lobbing themselves at him, but he didn’t seem affected by anyone but her, and she loved that. The list of things she loved about Jex was lengthy. The only drawback was his risky career.
They ate a few bites in silence; then Jex shoved his spoon into his shaved ice, stared unnervingly at her, and said, “You’re mad at me.”
Pearl swallowed her bite, the sweet ice suddenly tasting bitter. Mad? Confused, terrified, and desperately in love, sure, but mad wasn’t in the mix of emotions right now. Instead of getting into how deeply she loved him, she admitted, “I’m scared, Jex. I can’t watch you die.”
He didn’t make any promises, simply stared at her for a few seconds, then said, “I’m sorry, love. I got … distracted on that ride. I was thinking about shaved ice with you.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, I am.”
He actually looked serious, which surprised Pearl. Jex was patient and laid-back, but serious about life or anyone in it? Rarely. “So now I’m a risk factor for you,” she said.
“Ah, don’t put it that way. I think if you’d just give me that kiss for good luck before each stunt and change your last name to Steele, all would be well.” He winked.
Pearl melted, but then she stiffened. “I’m not just another of your women, Jex.”
“I never said you were. You’re special, Pearl. And if you’ve noticed, I haven’t dated another woman in the past six months.”
Of course she’d noticed. She and Jex were together nonstop. When he used to take women on dates, she’d be a mess the entire time, jealous and stewing over why she couldn’t simply say yes to his flirtatious offers and why he would want to date anyone else.
How to respond now? She was special to him. It meant so much to her, but she was scared to commit to him, fall even deeper in love, and then inevitably watch him die. He was too nuts to not die sooner or later.
Several young women squealed and rushed up to their table. “Jex!”
The blonde with a low-cut dress cried out, “We’ve been waiting all night, hoping you’d really come to JoJo’s.”
Jex gave his signature grin and stood. He shook their hands, not allowing them to hug him like they so obviously wanted, and signed their scraps of paper.
“Hang with us, Jex, please,” the brunette begged.
“Sorry, girls, I’m on a date.”
The redhead glared at Pearl. “You ask her to kiss you every day, and she always turns you down. I’d kiss you right now.”
Jex grinned, but Pearl could see how tight it was. Her repeated rejection hurt him. She didn’t want to hurt him, but could she share her love with him and risk losing everything? Sadly, she was already there. If he died tomorrow, she’d lose everything that truly mattered to her.
“Sorry. There’s only one woman I want to kiss,” Jex told them. He stared deeply into Pearl’s eyes. The moment went slow and sticky, and neither one of them noticed when the girls gave disgusted grunts and then withdrew. Pearl thought he might lean in and kiss her then and there, but he simply stared at her and finally said, “Will there ever be a day that I get that kiss for good luck?”
Pearl swallowed. “I don’t know, Jex. What about a day when you don’t catch a root by your fingertips and go over that edge?”
Jex arched an eyebrow, pushed out a breath, and nodded. “That’ll be a rough day for my mama and Lottie. Will it be a rough day for you?”
She glared at him, wanting to pound on his chest and demand to know why he’d keep risking his life every day when he knew how it would hurt so many if he died. There were plenty of high-risk adventures and tricks that weren’t so … risky. Last year, they’d spent several weeks at a wakeboarding adventure center in Florida. Every day was safe and fun. Every evening was spent together teasing and flirting. That had been heavenly.
They studied each other, him awaiting her answer, her not sure how to give her heart to him.
His phone rang and then chirped, “Lottie Steele, best sister ever.”
Pearl smiled. “You’d better take that.”
Jex’s gaze never left hers. “Lottie would happily wait if she thought you might answer my question.”
The phone fell silent as they stared at each other. Then it started ringing again.
“Please, Pearl,” he whispered.
“I don’t know what answer to give,” she finally admitted.
His dark eyes dimmed, and he nodded jerkily. The phone fell quiet again, and awkwardness descended on their table.
“Why do you take such extreme risks if you know how much it will hurt us when you die?”
His eyes lit up. “You just admitted it will hurt you when I die.”
“You’re such a jerk,” she shot at him. “Why risk dying?”
He shrugged. “It’s just what I do.”
“You think you’re invincible.” She raised a challenging eyebrow at him.
“No. I know I could easily die.” His eyes got a faraway look in them. “When I almost went off the edge today, I remember thinking I’d never get to taste those sweet lips of yours.”
The heat of desire and the churning of despair battled within her. “Maybe if you didn’t try to kill yourself every day, I might give you a taste of my lips.”
“You want me to quit?”
Pearl closed her eyes. “No,” she said miserably. She could never ask that of him, and she adored Jex for all that he was. The nine-to-five guy in the suburbs wasn’t really her guy. Jex was.
“What do you want, Pearl?” Jex asked. His voice was warm and there was a promise there, as if he’d give her anything she asked for.
Pearl opened her eyes, staring into his deep brown gaze. She wanted Jex, even if she could only be with him for one day before he was gone forever. She wanted to tell him the truth and kiss the night away, but instead she said quietly, “I don’t know.”
His eyes reflected hurt and confusion, and his phone started ringing again. She knew from experience that Lottie would not stop calling.
“Answer Lottie,” she said. This conversation had gotten much too serious. They’d never even kissed, for heaven’s sake; she was his business manager and best friend, not his girlfriend. No matter how she yearned to be. They needed to go back to their teasing and not broach serious subjects that neither of them could navigate.
