Connor snickered. “Oh you did, did you?” If Jaxx hadn’t been right there, he would most likely have charged at the silly little twat.

“You don’t have to worry,” he spat bitterly. “She hasn’t chosen me over you. But I didn’t expect that she would, and I didn’t ask her to. I just wanted her to know. By all means stand there looking smug, but let’s not forget that once this big passion you’ve got between you has fizzled out you’ll drop her like a bad habit. It’s what you do. Something I’d never do to her.”

Connor wanted to growl that it wasn’t like that, that he cared for her. But the ponce was right in a way, wasn’t he? Nothing changed the fact that when the out-of-control need had been satiated he would finish it between them. The situation was still the same whether he was doing it coldly or not. He understood that the ponce wanted him to feel like this, wanted to show Jaxx that Connor wasn’t going to deny it so she wouldn’t be fooled. One more push – that was all Connor needed and he’d be on the ponce no matter what Jaxx said.

“And who knows, maybe me and Jaxxon and will have that passion as well. It’s not always something you know at first glance.”

As the ponce’s words sank in, a frown surfaced on Connor’s face and he glanced at Jaxx. If the ponce wasn’t sure there would be any fire between them, they couldn’t have slept together, could they?

Jaxxon shrugged as he arched a brow enquiringly. “You’re the one who said it, not me.”

She was right, Connor recalled. And he understood exactly why she hadn’t corrected him. Jaxx didn’t explain herself to people, and she especially wouldn’t have to someone who had acted the way Connor had. Besides, he wouldn’t have believed her anyway, he’d have thought she was just trying to placate him or protect the ponce. He returned his eyes to the ponce and it was as though he was looking at him for the first time. He didn’t see a rival or a threat anymore. He saw a pretty boy who hadn’t even been able to bag Jaxx before Connor was in the picture. A deluded hopeful, he decided. “You could never handle Jaxx.”

Bruno ignored him and looked at Jaxxon instead. “You know where I’ll be when he does to you what he always does to women. Whether you want me as a mate or more, I’ll be there.”

A little touched by the sincerity in Bruno’s voice and full of a newfound respect for him for standing up to the red bull beside her, she smiled. “Thanks Bruno.”

“Thanks Bruno?” echoed Connor as the ponce left. She would honestly go running to him?

Jaxx arched a brow and a hip. “What? You thought that once we were done I was going to lay on the sofa in my pajamas blasting ‘All By Myself’ and cry my aching heart out?” A laugh from behind her stole her attention. “You must be…?”

“Dane,” he said, giggling. “I’m a mate of Connor’s.”

“Jaxxon,” she returned.

“Nice to finally meet you.” He thought she was even more stunning in person.

Shaking his head to rid himself of thoughts of Jaxx going running to the ponce to experiment on whether or not there was anything between them, Connor held her slightly away from him to establish better eye contact. “Why didn’t you tell me she came to see you?”

She didn’t need to ask who he meant. “How do you know about that?”

“My wife told me,” explained Dane. “Anita often confides in Niki. She’s actually been staying at my house.”

“My condolences.”

“It’s to keep an eye on her,” said Connor. “She likes to play games and she’s obviously playing them now. What did she say to you?”

Sighing, Jaxxon flopped onto the sofa. Bronty didn’t look too pleased by that. “She said she’s pregnant with your baby.”

“The bitch!”

“I thought it might be something like that,” muttered Dane. He knew there was no way that it was true that she was pregnant. Anita would have been shouting it from the rooftops if it was.

Connor perched himself on the edge of the coffee table, facing Jaxx. He held her hands. “Babe, listen, Anita was planning to try to get pregnant but when I found out I got shot of her so whatever she says -”

“Oh I didn’t believe her,” laughed Jaxxon.

“You didn’t?”

“You honestly thought I’d fall for it? Thanks a lot.”

“Well she is an Oscar Award Winning actress.”

“And she does have that innocent butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-my-mouth smile perfected,” grumbled Dane as he relaxed into one of the plush chairs.

Jaxxon snorted. “Just because someone has an innocent smile doesn’t make them innocent. I know that better than most people.”

Connor started at that. Was it possible that Jaxx had finally seen through Leah? Come to think of it, Jaxx hadn’t mentioned her and he hadn’t seen her at the apartment. It could be that she had stayed behind in the flat the sisters had rented together, unable to be happy for Jaxx. Or maybe they had fallen out at some point. “So you’re alright?” Connor couldn’t believe that she wasn’t ranting and raving about him bringing a crazy person into her life.

“Why are you fussing?”

“You put the phone down on me.”

“And I’ll probably do it again.”

Dane laughed. “You should’ve seen his face. I thought he was gonna smash his phone.”

Connor ignored him. “What did you say to her?”

“I congratulated her on her ‘fictional pregnancy’ and then slammed the door in her face.”

A huge smirk filled with pride and amusement spread on Connor’s face. That’s my girl. Before he could say anything else a knock sounded at the door. Jaxxon rose to open it but he tugged her back down. “You’re totally naked under that.”

“As the day I was born,” she verified, smiling.

“So you’re not going to the door. I’ll see who it is.”

Not liking his harsh tone, she snatched her hands from his and rose to her feet. “I know you don’t think I’m going to stand for your crap. Either sit or, I swear, I’ll take off the robe.”

“Please Connor, I beg you, don’t back down,” joked Dane.

Connor didn’t find it so funny. While he was busy glaring at Dane, Jaxx was looking through the peephole.

As much as she felt like enough people had glimpsed her almost naked today, she wasn’t going to ignore Anna. She nearly knocked Jaxxon over as she scuttled in looking all fretful.

After assessing Jaxxon from head to toe, Anna raised a brow. “You been having a tumble with Connor?”

“I wish,” grunted Connor. It was tormenting him that her naked body was so close yet so far. All he would have to do was loosen that tie on her robe…

Anna blushed. “Hi. Didn’t see you there.” She turned back to Jaxxon. “I’ve phoned you like a gazillion times but you didn’t answer. When you didn’t phone me back I thought I’d check on you.”

Jaxxon suspected that Anna had also intended on sharing more information about her and Warren and was gasping to reveal it. But, obviously, she wasn’t going to do it with Connor and Dane there – neither of whom made any move as if to leave. “How was the carvery?”

“Gorgeous. Warren’s waiting for me in the car.”

“She’s seeing Warren?” Dane asked Connor.

“Who’s he?” asked Anna. Before anyone else could speak, there was another knock at the door. Anna let Warren in.

Connor sniggered. “Maybe we should just invite the neighbours in as well so they can see you naked.”

“Sorry,” said Warren, though he wasn’t if this was winding Connor up. “I saw your car in the car park and figured you were with Jaxxon so I came up to say hi.”

“Hi,” returned Connor then made a gesture for him to leave. He couldn’t wait much longer to whip that robe from her body.

Warren laughed. “Alright then. Jaxxon, nice seeing you again, even if it was brief. Dane, want a lift home? Something tells me Connor isn’t leaving just yet.”

Once they were finally alone, Connor pulled her to him and scrutinised her face. “You sure you’re alright?” He certainly wouldn’t be if the situation had been reversed.

“I’m insulted that you think I’d be shaken by some pathetic cow’s lies.”

That comment got him thinking about another pathetic cow. “Have you heard much from Leah since you moved in here?”

She stiffened. Faking indifference she replied, “Why do you ask?”

“It’s just that you haven’t mentioned her at all. You two had a falling out?”

Jaxxon left his embrace and, purely out of the need to fidget, went to the kitchen to boil the kettle. “I haven’t seen or heard anything from her since the day she left care.”

That had him frowning. He would never have imagined Leah actually leaving Jaxx behind. “At least you had Roland.”

She sighed. “He left a couple of months after you.”

The truth hit him like a blow to the gut: all this time Jaxx had been alone.

“Want one?” She gestured to the coffee tin. He shook his head. “I would’ve thought you might have heard from Leah,” she said casually as she prepared a cup of coffee she had no intention of drinking.

His frown deepened. “Why would I have heard from her?”

“Just before she left she mentioned you’d told her to find you when she got out of care.”

He was just about to pounce on that comment when two things registered that unsettled him. She wasn’t looking at him and hadn’t since he had first mentioned Leah. Also, although her face was blank she had swallowed heavily twice now; a movement that, coming from Jaxx, hinted at pain. He suddenly had a very bad feeling. “Jaxx, what else did she say?”

A long pause. “Enough.”

“Define ‘enough’.”

“Oh don’t make me say it, Connor,” she said as she leant back against the counter, coffee in hand. “It makes me sick just thinking about it.”