Michelle Douglas - The Rebel Returns

When would she learn to think before acting? Every time she put herself out there, she’d been rejected, first by her ex and then by her very own mother. People couldn’t love her as is. They always wanted her to be more outgoing, more compliant, more something. There was always an area where she fell short in their eyes. She didn’t even know what Jax found lacking in her and she wasn’t about to stick around to ask.

She sucked down the bruising ache in her chest. It wasn’t as though she still carried a torch for him. The kiss had been nothing more than a passing fancy, not something serious.

Swallowing hard, she levelled her shoulders and met his gaze. “I have some stuff to do. You can go ahead without me. I’ll call and make sure your blackjack table is ready.” It was then that she realized she didn’t have her phone. “I must have left my phone back at the bungalow.”

Jax turned as though to walk with her.

She held up her hand to stop him. “Just go into the casino. I’ll get it.”

He looked as though he was going to argue but then thought better of it. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Go ahead into the casino. You should be all set up at the same table as earlier.”

“Cleo, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you—”

She waved away his platitude. “I’m fine. It was a mistake kissing you all those years ago and it was a mistake tonight.”

His mouth opened but she didn’t wait around to hear anything he had to say. She strode away, completely mortified by the way she’d thrown herself at him. What in the world had gotten into her? She’d like to blame it on a full moon, but there was none. This mortifying disaster was all her fault.

When she arrived at Jax’s bungalow, she realized her pass card was with the phone locked inside. She expelled a sigh. Just what she needed now was to tell him that she had forgotten not only her phone but the hotel pass card, as well. Could she look any more incompetent this evening?

The sound of footsteps had her taking a calming breath. A shadow fell over her. She turned, expecting to find Jax, but instead a tall, muscular man dressed in a dark suit stood before her. The stranger was built like a linebacker and under different circumstances this might have intrigued her, but tonight she didn’t want to be bothered.

Her gaze rose to his face. She was caught off guard by his dark, menacing eyes. “I’m sorry but this is a restricted area. Are you a guest of the hotel?”

The man’s tanned face creased with an intimidating frown. “I’m looking for someone. A Jax Monroe.”

She had no idea who this man was or who had pointed him in this direction, but the first rule about being a casino host was abiding by their client’s wishes. And Jax had no wish for anyone to find him here.

“I can’t help you. Did you try at the front desk?” She knew that they wouldn’t release guest information, but she hoped this man didn’t know that and would go away. “Maybe they can give you some information.”

“Just tell me where I can find him.”

An uneasy feeling inched down her spine. Was this the man Jax was avoiding? If so, she fully understood why Jax wouldn’t want anything to do with him. Her mouth grew dry. The guy looked as though he could bench-press a car. And the menacing look in his eyes gave her the creeps.

Something definitely wasn’t right here. Her palms grew moist. Standing alone with this man was not a good idea. It was time to get moving.

“I really need to be going. I have people waiting for me.” She started walking, but instead of taking the private path back to the casino, she veered toward the pool, hoping there might still be some stragglers hanging out.

“Don’t walk away from me. This is important. Just tell me where to find him and there won’t be any trouble.”

She didn’t need to hear any more. She walked faster. The man easily kept pace.

The hairs on the back of her neck lifted. When she reached the pool area, luckily some young people were still milling about. Not that they were paying her any attention. Still, whatever this man meant by his threat, he wouldn’t be foolish enough to try something with so many witnesses... Would he?

She got as far as the first line of lounge chairs when his meaty fingers reached out and clamped around her upper arm, halting her progress. She jerked her arm, but his grip was like a vice. Her heart jumped, lodging in her throat.

He pulled her to him. Her back pressed to his chest and he wrapped his hand over her mouth. “I want you to give Jax a message—”

Cleo bit down on the man’s finger.

A curse thundered in her ears. He yanked his hand away. Never taking her eyes off him, she backed up. He lunged for her. In the ensuing struggle, her foot got caught in a lounge chair. She lost her balance and fell backward, hitting the concrete.

CHAPTER SIX

“OPEN YOUR EYES.”

Jax stared down at Cleo’s pale, lifeless form on a stretcher in the back of an ambulance. His chest tightened as he said a silent prayer to the big guy upstairs. She just had to be all right. She had to be.

His thumb stroked the soft skin of her limp hand. He had no idea what had happened. When he’d heard there was a commotion out by the pool and Cleo hadn’t returned, he’d gone looking for her. He never expected to find Cleo in a crumpled heap on the ground.

There hadn’t been time to stop and ask questions. All he could think about was her opening her beautiful green eyes again. But one thing he knew in that moment was that the girl who’d given him a peck all those years ago still meant the world to him. He reached into his pocket. His fingers traced over the pocket watch—his good-luck charm. He was about to pull it out and press it into her limp hand when he noticed her fingers move.

“Jax? Where am I?”

Cleo’s voice was weak but clear. He’d never heard anything so wonderful in his whole life. He longed to pull her into his arms and hold her close.

“You fell, but don’t worry, you’re going to be fine now.” She tried to sit up, but the straps on the gurney held her down. “Not so fast, they still have to check you out. You got quite a bump on your head.”

She glanced over, noticing the paramedic reading off her stats to the hospital.

“My leg hurts and I can’t move it.”

“They immobilized it. Looks like you banged it up pretty good.”

She closed her eyes and he worried that she had slipped into unconsciousness, but she quickly opened them again. “I’m sorry to be such a bother.”

He held her hand between both of his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You could never be a bother. Right now all you have to do is concentrate on getting better.”

He wanted to ask her what happened, but now wasn’t the time to get into it. Still, Cleo wasn’t a clumsy person. When you lived on a ranch, you learned to be fast on your toes. So what exactly had happened to her?

He was still holding her hand as they backed up to the emergency room entrance. Her fingers were cold as she kept a firm grip on him. When he tried to pull away, she wouldn’t let go.

“It’s okay. They’ll take good care of you.” He stared straight into her eyes, noting the worry reflected in them. He lifted her hand and pressed his lips to her delicate skin. “You’re safe now. I promise.”

“Will...will you stay?”

“You bet. They couldn’t drag me out of here if they tried.”

“Thank you.”

The fact that she wanted him with her, that he was able to provide some sort of comfort, stirred a strange sensation in his chest. It wasn’t the protective feeling of a big brother watching over a little sister. No, this was something different—something much deeper. Much more powerful.