Scandalous Series - Book cover

Scandalous Series

K. Dillon

Chapter 3

“Quiet!” I groaned, the clatter of pots and pans from downstairs echoing in my ears.

I rolled over, and a wave of pain crashed into my head.

“Damn,” I muttered. I was still in the same jeans and top from last night. I let my feet hit the floor and started to head downstairs to give whoever was making all that noise a piece of my mind. But then the smell of food hit me, and my stomach growled.

“Morning, sunshine.” Leon’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Gross! Put a shirt on.” He was bare-chested, and I rolled my eyes at him. I plopped down on a breakfast stool, and Leon handed me a cup of coffee, which I gratefully accepted.

“Here.” He set a plate stacked with pancakes in front of me.

“Thanks.” I blinked. “Did you stay here last night?”

“Yep.” He pointed to the couch in the other room.

“Pancakes!” Elena squealed as she walked into the kitchen.

Where did she come from?

I sipped my coffee and watched as Leon stared at her. She grinned at him as she took a seat next to me.

“Is that my shirt?” Leon asked.

“Maybe,” Elena replied, snagging a pancake from the stack in front of us.

“Why are you wearing my shirt?” He crossed his arms over his chest.

Elena looked at him, and I could have sworn she blushed a little, but she quickly recovered.

“My dress was uncomfortable to sleep in.” She shrugged.

“So my sister didn’t have anything you could borrow?” He raised an eyebrow.

Elena stood and poured herself some coffee. “Your shirt was the first thing I saw.” She tried to sidestep him awkwardly.

These two are so strange.

“Where did you sleep last night, El?” I asked, finishing off my pancake.

“Next to you, dummy.” She laughed.

“What? I didn’t even notice you.” I furrowed my brows, which only made my head hurt more.

“Yeah, I was under the blanket.” She smiled, taking a sip of her coffee.

Leon clearing his throat caught our attention, and we turned to look at him.

“I don’t know what Jackson Stone was doing with you last night, Hale, but I need to know what the hell is going on?”

“He just showed up. I don’t even know him,” I defended myself.

“Who?” Elena looked confused.

“No one,” I replied.

“Someone she needs to stay away from,” Leon added. “Haley, I told you he’s bad news.”

“I don’t actually know what’s happening—did I miss something?” Elena looked genuinely concerned.

“No, I… Just give us a minute.” I gave her a reassuring look, and she nodded and started to leave.

“Hold on,” Leon said.

Elena stopped and turned around.

“You want to tell me what that phone call was about?” He gestured for her to sit back down.

Elena pressed her lips together and stomped back to her seat.

“What’s this about Aaron calling you frigid?” He glanced at me.

“Nothing, Leon, God!” I grimaced.

“Well, if he’s hurt you, I need to know,” Leon insisted. “Did he try something with you?” he growled.

“No, he didn’t. Okay? We just broke up. That’s all you need to know.” I cringed and shuddered. This was the last thing I wanted to be talking about with my brother.

“You.” He turned his glare on El, who gulped. “What do you know about this guy?”

“Leon, I told you we broke up. God, why can’t you just leave it alone!” I yelled. I slammed my cup down and ran upstairs to my bedroom. I was done with this conversation.

How dare he ask Elena about that mess when I’d already told him what I wanted to? I never asked him about his stupid sex life.

I took a quick shower, changed into my pajamas, and jumped into bed. After a few minutes, I heard a soft knock at my door.

“Go away.” I said flatly. But Leon opened the door and walked in anyway.

“Sorry, Haley bear,” he whispered. “I shouldn’t have pushed—I know it’s none of my business. I just hate it when someone hurts you, you know that.” I felt the bed dip as he sat down next to me.

“I know.” My voice was shaky. I peeked out from under the blanket and saw Leon’s worried face. “I’m okay, Lee, I’ll be fine. Aaron is a fucking jerk, and I dodged a bullet.” I sat up. “Can we please leave it at that?”

Leon stretched out on the bed and propped himself up on his elbows. “Okay,” he said. “I won’t push you anymore, but you better hope I never run into that bastard.”

I smacked him on the arm, and he grinned at me.

“So, shall we talk about Jackson?” Leon’s face turned serious.

“He said his name was Jax,” I retorted.

Leon’s face darkened, and I immediately regretted my words.

“He’s not a good guy, Haley. He’s trouble.” He sighed.

I stayed quiet, thinking that was all Leon had to say, but then he spoke again. “I met him in London about three years ago. I was there shooting a campaign. He asked me to take photos of some of his properties. His family is filthy fucking rich,” he said with a sneer.

“We became good friends, but then I—” Leon stopped and hesitated. “I… started dating his sister.”

“What?” I was taken aback.

“Things went south between me and her, and he’s been different ever since.” Leon ran his fingers through his hair. “He’s back in town because his dad’s on his deathbed and the family business is about to fall into Jackson’s lap.”

“Wow,” I murmured.

“He’s getting close to you as a way to get back at me, Hale.” Leon’s big hazel eyes bore into mine.

I sighed, knowing I had to come clean.

“He offered me a job.” I winced.

Leon sat up straight, his brows furrowing.

“He said he needed an accountant for the family business.” I was taken aback by how quiet Leon was as he listened. “He even went to my workplace, got them to give me a raise, and then offered me even more money.”

“Did you take the job?” he asked, his teeth clenched.

“No!” I shot back. “Of course not.”

“Good. Haley, you need to understand that this guy is dangerous. You can’t trust him.”

“Why don’t you just talk to him about his sister?” I suggested. “Tell him what happened.”

“It’s too late for that,” he sighed. “Promise me you’ll stay away from him.”

I looked into his pleading eyes and, for some strange reason, a mantra kept echoing in my mind.

There are two sides to every story.

There are two sides to every story.

There are two sides to every story.

I pushed it aside—I owed my loyalty to my brother. I couldn’t betray him when he was looking at me with such worry in his eyes. “Okay, I promise,” I muttered.

Leon visibly relaxed, ruffling my hair. “You’re a good kid, Hale.”

“I’m not a kid anymore,” I protested. “How are things with Fiona?” I asked, changing the subject.

“Great!” He nodded enthusiastically. “I’m seeing her tonight.”

“Cool.” I gave him a thumbs up.

Leon got up and headed for the door.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go get my shirt. These abs are too hot for public display.” He grinned, dodging a cushion I tossed at him.

Once he was gone, I slumped back onto my bed and pulled the blanket over my head.

So Leon had dated Jax’s sister. I wondered what had happened between them. I was sure Leon could understand, at least to some degree, why Jax was angry with him: Leon felt the same way about Aaron.

I didn’t want to pry any further. Leon had seemed hesitant to share what he had, and now that we’d cleared the air—sort of—my only task was to avoid Jax. All six-foot-three of him.

That should be a piece of cake. Right?

***

“I’m totally getting a boob job,” Regina announced in the office kitchen, perched on the counter with her chest thrust out.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I stirred sugar into my coffee and grabbed a cookie from the jar.

“Meeting’s about to start,” Alistair, the head of HR, announced as I headed out.

“As you all know, this weekend is the biggest conference of the year. It’s our chance to promote our company and check out the competition. Since it’s in Buffalo, I’ve booked rooms for everyone.”

Steven looked around proudly, then his gaze landed on me. “Uh, Haley, would you mind sharing a room with Miss Mathews? It would really help us out.”

I have to share a room with Regina!

“Did you not book enough rooms?” I asked.

“I did, but they double-booked one of the rooms, so you two will have to share.”

Oh, God! Why me? No. No. No

“Okay,” I heard myself say.

When I glanced at Regina, she was busy admiring her neon pink nails.

I made the mistake of looking at Aaron next. He winked at me, a smug expression on his face. I nearly gagged. Nearly. Part of me wanted to call in sick and skip the whole thing, but another part of me was excited to see what was out there. I just wished Aaron and Regina weren’t going.

Ugh!

***

The short flight to Buffalo felt like an eternity. I hopped into a cab alone, eager to escape my annoying coworkers. Aaron kept complaining about his dry snack, Regina wouldn’t shut up about eyelash extensions, and Alistair kept starting pointless debates. I was grateful for the brief respite from them.

I rushed to the hotel reception desk as soon as I entered the lobby, hoping to check in before the others arrived. “Hi, there should be a reservation for Haley Waitson,” I told the receptionist, waiting for him to look up. He typed something into his computer, then looked up.

“Ah, yes.” He glanced at his screen. “Penthouse suite.” He winked.

“Really!” I exclaimed, surprised. “Are you sure?”

He checked his computer again. “Yes, it says right here. You’ll love it, it’s the best room in the hotel.”

I couldn’t stop grinning. If I was staying in a penthouse suite, I wouldn’t even have to see Regina. Sharing a room suddenly didn’t seem so bad.

I whistled as I walked into the suite, taking in the luxurious surroundings.

“I’ll be right outside if you need anything,” the bellboy said. “Your luggage should be up shortly.”

“Thank you!” I told him. “Thank you indeed,” I murmured to myself as I admired the stunning city view from the floor-to-ceiling windows. I was in awe as I explored the suite. This place was incredible!

After settling into the room with the most breathtaking view, I raided the minibar and then took a long, relaxing shower in the massive power shower that was larger than my entire bedroom. Once I was clean and refreshed, I slipped into a snug navy blue dress and nude pumps. I dried my thick hair, letting it fall in soft waves down my back.

Feeling confident that I looked my best, I headed down to the lobby. I had a full day of presentations and conferences to attend, followed by dinner and drinks later in the evening.

As I stepped out of the elevator into the lobby, I felt all eyes on me. I walked, feeling a bit self-conscious, towards my work group. Alistair handed me a name badge, which I accepted with a smile.

“You look stunning, Haley,” he complimented.

I knew his comment was innocent—Alistair was the most openly gay man I knew—but I appreciated his compliment nonetheless. What I didn’t appreciate, however, was the lecherous look Aaron was giving me, his gaze traveling down my bare legs. Ignoring him, I headed towards the conference rooms. That’s when I spotted Regina chatting with two men.

“Have you seen the room yet?” I asked as I approached her.

“Yes. It’s hardly a room.” She rolled her eyes.

“I think it’s gorgeous,” I gushed, earning another eye roll from her.

“You clearly have no taste. I took the bed on the right, by the way, next to the window,” she announced.

I had to think about what she said. I didn’t remember seeing two beds in any of the rooms.

“The view from the first floor is hardly impressive. They might as well have put a bed in the lobby.” She grimaced.

“First floor?” I asked, puzzled. She was on the first floor. I didn’t mention the penthouse suite, and I felt a pang of guilt. But soon, the presentations and speeches took over my attention.

At dinner, I sat between Steven and Alistair, discussing what we had learned today and how we could improve our company’s performance. Some of our group were planning to hit a club later, but I couldn’t think of anything worse than going out with them. I declined one of the girl’s invitations to join them and watched them leave as I finished my glass of red wine.

I stood up, ready to head back to the penthouse suite. Just thinking about it made butterflies flutter in my stomach. I couldn’t wait to get into my pajamas, pour myself another glass of wine, and watch a movie on the massive plasma TV.

After saying goodnight to the rest of the group, I started to head back to the suite. I walked through the quiet corridor towards the elevator, but I gasped as someone grabbed my arm.

My body went cold when I turned to see Aaron. He kept moving closer and I was genuinely scared of him in that moment.

“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“I’ve been waiting all fucking day to get you alone, Haley,” he said, his eyes heavy-lidded.

My heart pounded in my chest and every instinct told me to run.

“Leave me alone,” I managed to say, backing away from him.

“Come on, Haley, you know I was just messing with you earlier. You know I was just kidding, right? I mean, who would give you up.” He closed the gap between us. His finger traced up my leg. “Give this up.”

“Get. Off. Me,” I said. “I swear I’ll scream.”

“You will scream, because this time, Haley, I’m going to fuck you so hard.”

“Get off!” I screamed, but he held onto my arms, his lips nearing my neck. I could smell the strong scent of alcohol on his breath. “Please, Aaron!” I cried, tears streaming down my face.

“Fuck, you’re so hot, Haley, why did I ever let you go?” His hand fumbled with the strap on my shoulder, but just as he pulled it down, he was yanked away from me.

Either I was in shock and hallucinating, or Jax was here and he had Aaron in a chokehold. I wiped the tears from my eyes to clear my vision, and sure enough, what I was seeing was real.

Jax was here and he was furious. Aaron struggled for breath, turning purple as Jax glared at him. I felt my knees wobble and shake with fear.

“How dare you touch her, you fucking peasant,” Jax spat.

“You’ll kill him,” I sobbed.

“He’s already dead,” Jax replied, his gaze never leaving Aaron.

Aaron’s eyes widened in fear at those words.

I rushed forward and tugged at Jax’s arm.

He looked at me, his dark eyes intense. He released Aaron, who collapsed to the floor, gasping for air. Jax’s gaze fell to the strap of my dress that had slipped down my arm—my breast was almost exposed. Jax gently lifted the strap back into place, his gaze never leaving mine.

Then I heard a growl rumble deep in his throat. He turned around and punched Aaron in the face.

I covered my eyes and couldn’t help but cry out. I hated violence. Aaron probably deserved what was happening, but I didn’t want to witness it.

“Stop,” I cried.

Jax turned to face me, his fist paused mid-swing. “Fuck,” he muttered as he stood up and walked towards me. “Come here.” He opened his arms and without hesitation, I ran into them.

Even though I was still sniffling, I could smell his musky scent. “What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

“I was invited.” I could hear the smirk in his voice.

“You shouldn’t be here,” I sobbed.

“Shh.” He held me tight and I couldn’t deny how safe I felt.

“He’s dangerous.”

The memory of Leon’s words sliced through me like a knife and I stepped out of his arms, backing away. Jax watched me as I shook my head in disbelief. I stepped into the elevator and held up my hand. “Don’t follow me,” I ordered, my voice firm.

Jax held his head high, a stubborn look on his face, but he didn’t budge as the elevator doors slid shut.

Once I was back in my suite, I collapsed onto the plush couch, tears streaming down my face. How could Aaron have done that? What would have happened if Jax hadn’t shown up? And why the hell was Jax even here?

He wasn’t going to back down. I knew Jax had a bone to pick with Leon, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was also genuinely concerned for me. If he was purely out for revenge, he would have let Aaron do as he pleased. That would have hurt Leon more than anything else.

After scrubbing away the events of the past hour in the shower, I slipped into my pajamas and pulled my hair up into a messy bun.

A wave of guilt washed over me for leaving Jax in the lurch. I at least owed him a thank you.

With a sigh, I flicked on the TV, hoping to distract myself.

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when I woke up on the couch, a soft blanket draped over me that I didn’t remember pulling up. I heard a noise from the other room.

“Regina?” I called out softly. Had she finally figured out this was our room?

I picked up a wooden ornament, holding it like a weapon, and crept toward the other bedroom. My jaw dropped when I saw Jax striding toward me, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.

I couldn’t help but drink in the sight of his chiseled, half-naked body, and then I noticed him smirking at me.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

My throat felt dry and my mind went blank. “What the hell are you doing here?” I finally managed to ask.

Jax licked his lips and stopped just inches away from me. “This is my room.” He pulled off his towel and I quickly spun around.

“No, this can’t be your room. This is my room.”

“Yours is down the hall,” he shot back.

“But Steven booked this one.”

Jax burst out laughing, the sound making my stomach flip. “You think that conniving old man booked this room for you?”

I turned back around, relieved to see Jax now wearing basketball shorts, though he was still shirtless. I tried not to stare at his muscular torso. “He didn’t book this room?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

Jax ran the towel through his damp hair, smirking again, and moved closer to me. I wrapped my arms around myself, pretending to be cold, but in reality, I was trying not to stare at his rock-hard abs. His next words, however, stirred up a whole different set of emotions.

“This is my suite, Haley. I had you moved up here.”

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