The corner of his mouth twitched as he shook his head and walked away.

Laughing, Tootse got up, gathered her things, sent me a wink and left, leaving Jett and me to ourselves.

When I turned to gauge Jett’s mood, I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. His face was blank of emotion.

“So, catch that football game?” I asked, trying to fill the silence in the room. I hated awkward silences. “Yeah, me either,” I continued. “Interesting fact, did you know the Superdome is one of the biggest enclosed arenas in the world? Yeah, weird, huh? It’s like the ninth wonder of the world, right in our backyard.”

“Eighth,” Jett said as he came closer.

“Eighth?”

“Yes, it would be the eighth wonder of the world, if that was the case.” He inched even closer.

“No, it would be the ninth. The eighth is sitting in your pants right now.” I shrugged my shoulders and gave him a cheesy smile as I tried to refrain from spouting off a “yuck-yuck” kind of laugh.

His hand found the small of my back and pulled me to him. The smell coming off him was intoxicating as I got lost in his presence, something I found so easily to do.

“Your lips are a little loose today, little one.”

“Yeah, well, when you deny me your dick, I start to go crazy. Please impale me so I no longer lose my mind. Your dick is my only cure,” I said as I held on to the lapels of his jacket.

“You’re never going to get what you want when you ask like that.”

His lips ran the length of my jaw, setting my nerves on fire as my toes curled from his five o’clock shadow brushing against my soft cheek.

“Uhh, what?” I asked, forgetting what I was trying to say.

“I need to talk to you.” His lips found mine and he gently nipped on them before turning to the other side of my jaw to work his magic.

“Um, talking…what. Ooo, yeah. Is that your tongue?”

Jett pulled away and looked me in the eyes. “It seems like someone is going to put up a fight tonight in the Bourbon Room. You’ve been rather talkative.”

Breathing heavily from his attack on my nerves and the way he pulled away so fast, I said, “I thought we were supposed to talk? I’m so confused. Why aren’t you kissing me anymore? More kisses.” I puckered my lips and started kissing the air.

A small smile crossed his face as he gave in and pressed his lips against mine. I could not get enough of this Jett, of the affectionate and passionate one. Don’t get me wrong, I lived to see the dominant, protective Jett but I could not help but crave his gentle touch as well.

Pulling away again, he pulled me into him and wrapped his arms around my body so I was buried into his shoulder. I felt the tension in his back as I held on to him, drawing concern from me.

“What’s wrong?”

Exhaling, he kissed the side of my head and said, “Do you remember Diego from the other night?”

“Yes, is everything okay with him?” I was nervous that whoever the devil man that Jett was talking about the other night might have gotten to Diego. Not that the old man had much of a chance. Diego was grade A man meat with muscles that didn’t end for days. Although, old man could have hired someone but then again, Diego would be the guy I would hire to take someone out so I didn’t see how he could possibly…

“Goldie,” Jett said, interrupting my thoughts. “Please pay attention.”

“Sorry.”

“Like I was saying, you’re going to have to go over there starting tomorrow.”

“Wait, what?” I asked pulling away. I missed a big part of that conversation.

“Are you paying attention now?” he asked, growing frustrated with me.

“Yes.”

“Diego needs some help with his kink club. He needs someone to help him with some paintings around the club and I knew you would be perfect to help him. It does mean that you’re going to have to put your Jett Girl duties on hold and stay there.”

“What?!” I shot off him, exposing a tit because the dress I was wearing had no forgiveness. I covered up quickly and put my hands on my hips. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Goldie, this is not up for negotiation.”

“To hell it isn’t! You can’t tell me what to do. I make my own decisions,” I said defiantly as I held up my chin and turned to sit on a chair. I crossed my arms over my chest and turned away from him. Yup, I looked like a two-year-old throwing a tantrum.

I could feel the agitation flowing off Jett as he walked toward me, trying to stay calm. I had to give him credit for reining in his feelings. I did a good job of pushing him over the edge and right now was no exception.

Placing both hands on my thighs and squatting down to look at me, he said, “I know you do but I need you to do this. I need you to help him out.”

“Just tell me what this is really about. Just say it, you don’t want me here anymore.”

God, I sounded so whiny.

“You know that’s not true so don’t go accusing me of such lies.”

“Then what is this about?”

“It’s about helping someone out for me and…” He trailed off as he grabbed the back of his neck and tried to phrase his next sentence to his liking.

“Just fucking say it.” I threw my hands up in frustration. “I can handle whatever you’re going to say, I’m not a child.”

“You sure are acting like one,” Jett said quickly.

“Oh, is that how it’s going to be? Well, you’re a giant dick.”

Groaning, he ran his hands over his face and said, “Can we please have a conversation without getting into a stupid fight?”

“Sure. All you have to do is not be a chauvinistic ass who thinks he can control everyone.”

“Jesus!” Jett threw his hands in the air as he stood. “I’m just trying to fucking protect you. Can you let me do that?”

I opened my mouth to shoot back at him but I could visibly see the frustration and pain he was going through so for once, I shut my mouth and walked over to him. His back was toward me so I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my cheek against his back.

“I’m sorry. I was just thrown off by the fact that you want me to leave.”

“I don’t want you to leave,” he said while turning around in my arms. “I want to keep you with me at all times, next to me, holding me, whispering in my ear and mouthing off to me.” I laughed as he continued, “But I need you to do this, not just for Diego but for me. Things are starting to get serious and even though I need you, I need to protect you because if something ever happened to you, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.”

“What does that mean?”

He took a deep breath and said, “It means, I need to make it look like we’re no longer in each other’s lives.”

“Are you serious?” I asked as tears started to form in my eyes.

Kissing each eyelid, he said, “Please don’t cry, little one. I don’t want to do this but I don’t have a choice in the matter. Please just do this for me, for us.”

“For how long?” I asked as I thought about how all of this came out of nowhere.

“Until I get everything settled. It’s my number one priority. And it’s not like you’re going to be alone, I talked to Diego and you’ll have a good time painting and being the amazing artist you are. The time will go by quickly.”

“No, it won’t because I won’t have you.”

“I will still come to see you. I will try to be there almost every night. There is a back door to the club that will hide my entrance. No one will know. I just need to make it seem like you’re not a Jett Girl anymore.”

“So you’re firing me.”

“No, little one. You’re just taking a break until I figure everything out.” He tilted my chin up and placed a kiss on my lips. “This is all my fault because I couldn’t stay away, because I couldn’t deny myself these lips and this body.” His hands ran up the length of my sides. “I fucked everything up.”

“You really did,” I said with a chuckle, making him smile.

“I’m sorry.”

“You owe me.” I played with his tie.