His Jaguar Tattoo

Nerves of Steel

The sound of the door squealing open was followed by Ajax's voice. Drew led him into the kitchen and watched as his employee's eyes instantly flickered to the table of women.

"Are you hungry?" Elle asked their guest while springing up from the table.

"Ah, no. I ate before I came," Ajax replied. "But thanks." His gaze shifted back to Zuri, who he politely nodded at.

It had been weeks since they'd seen each other. Two weeks, to be exact. And it hadn't been the sweetest of parting moments either. He'd come to visit her after the incident with her father, and she'd basically kicked him out of her life. Yet here he was, back in her life.

"Hey," she greeted softly, still feeling guilty about how she'd last spoken to him.

"I heard you got blown up?" he asked.

A smile stretched across her face. "Yeah, that was it, though. Nothing major."

"Right." He chuckled. "I'm glad to see you're still alive."

"Thanks. Me, too."

Drew cleared his throat. "I took Ajax off the task force to personally be here with you. Tomorrow I'll be gone most of the day and I don't want you to be here alone."

"Well, I'll still be here," Elle pitched. "But you don't want to rely on me to protect you."

"I've got the protection part down," Ajax assured her with a grin.

"And I've got the rest. Sounds like a plan."

"Right," Drew muttered. "Ajax, you will be staying in the guest room across the hall from Elle's. Grab your bags and I'll show you where it is."

Nodding, the said person followed Zuri's captor back out of the kitchen. Their voices went with their stomps up the stairs. Elle whipped around to face Zuri with an enormous grin on her face.

"He's hot!" she half whispered, half yelled.

"Which one?" Zuri asked.

She laughed. "The blondie, of course. And that name? Ajax? It doesn't get much more hotter than that."

Zuri's stomach knotted in repulsion at the idea of Elle crushing on Ajax. As his friend, she couldn't help but think he was too good for Elle. Even though Zuri hardly knew either of them.

"I can see you two have something going on," Elle continued, "but you're halfway to marriage, honey. I, on the other hand, am not."

"There's nothing going on between us. I promise. We're just friends."

Her right eyebrow shot up. "So you wouldn't mind if he and I got to know each other a little better?"

He might not even like you, Zuri growled to herself. Whatever. None of my business. They are both free, independent people.

"Do whatever you want," Zuri replied.

"Hmm." Elle thought about it for a minute before shrugging. "Okay. I'll see what I can do."

Only then did Zuri realize that if Elle was shacking up with Ajax, her plan to unite she and Drew would definitely not work. Then again, how did she ever plan to unite them in the first place? Drew was hardly home to begin with, and, when he was, he made it clear he didn't want Elle around. Her shoulders sagged in defeat.

So much for being a matchmaker.

Drew and Ajax returned to the kitchen a second later. Elle's gaze bounced between the men, lingering on the latter. Meanwhile, Zuri stared down at her half-eaten plate and tried to settle her stomach. Drew was sinking into his chair beside her when she suddenly hopped up. Her eyes briefly lifted to his before skittering away.

"Aren't you going to finish dinner?" he asked.

"I lost my appetite." She tried to shrug it off, failing miserably, and carried her plate to the trash to scrape off the remnants.

Their eyes tracked her every move. After she rinsed the plate off and disposed of it in the dishwasher, she started for the stairs. Someone started to follow her, but Drew's voice broke the silence.

"I'll go," he said. "You stay down here to get acquainted with Elle."

Drew didn't catch up with Zuri until she was in her room. He shut the door and crossed the room to the window where she stood. His hands molded to her shoulders as he leaned against her.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently.

Pulling away, Zuri forced herself to be brave and look into his eyes. The obsidian gems were filled with questions and concern. She crossed her arms over her chest and took a deep breath while trying to decide where to start.

"I want to know why you're acting like this," she told him. "Like you actually care about me. Is it because I almost died? Do you feel guilty? What is it?"

His jaw tightened, insulted. He was always so easily insulted. "Like I actually care about you?" He blew out a sharp breath. "Zuri...I do care about you. I didn't think you'd make me spell it out. After all that I've done for you—"

"But I never know with you! You forced me into this, remember? I can't tell when you're being nice because you want me to do what you want or because you're actually just being nice. You're a rock. You rarely give off any emotion, so when you do, it psychs me out."

"A rock?" he demanded, unimpressed.

"Yes, a rock. You're a big freaking stone. All six feet of your tall behind."

"I'm not a stone when you get to know me."

"Well, maybe if you'd tell me more about yourself, I would know better." She grimaced. Did she really want to go there? Oh well. Too late.

"I'll tell you more about myself."

"Really?" She didn't buy it. "Then tell me about your job."

Groaning, he raked his fingers through his hair and turned away. "Why that? Why do you always want to know that?"

"Because you refuse to tell me! That just makes me want to know more."

"Is there anything else you'd like to ask? Aside from my job?"

Zuri pressed her back to the window and considered it. "Actually, yes. I want to know why you took me."

"What do you mean?"

"I know that you wanted a wife or whatever, but you didn't even know me. This could have been a total nightmare if I had been more stubborn or dramatic or...petty."

He snorted. "They don't come much more stubborn than you, sweetheart. Besides, I would have made it work regardless. I never wanted a companion or someone to get to know me. I just needed someone to run the house, give me children, and make me look good."

"Looks like you still picked the wrong one then."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because I suck at running that giant mansion, I'm not giving you children, and as far as making you look good...I don't even want to go there."

His legs brought him back to where she was. He stood so close yet without touching. "The mansion was fine. You will give me children. And" —his fingers gripped her chin— "you did well in front of my men and my family."

"Give you children," she muttered, knocking his hand away. She tried to move around him, but he caged her against the window. "I'm not a baby maker. And how do you think you're going to impregnate me? You can't just demand one of my eggs to miraculously become fertilized. It doesn't work that way."

He laughed and said, "I know perfectly well how babies are made."

"Good. Then you should know I'm not pumping any out any time soon."

"Who says?"

"I say. Are you going to force yourself upon me?"

"Zuri," he hissed.

"I didn't think so. See? No baby making over here." She clasped her fingers together. "Now, on the other hand, I do know a female who wants to have babies. Her name is Elle, and you two actually have some history—"

"Stop. Shhh. Stop talking."

"But—"

His index finger pressed against her lips to still them. "If you bring her into this ever again, I will chain you to that bed until you conceive a child for me."

Instead of being horrified, the idea actually made her laugh. Zuri rolled her eyes. "I would like to see that happen. What're you gonna do? Seduce me?"

A growl rumbled through his body. Before she could catch her breath, Drew had picked her up and thrown her over his shoulder. She squealed from surprise. The next moment she was being tossed onto the bed like a ragdoll. Her eyes widened as he trapped her on the mattress between his legs.

"Do not underestimate my power of persuasion," he murmured, eyes boring into hers. "You will regret it."

"Mhmm. You can't seduce me. The whole world might beg you to impregnate them, but not me. Nu-uh. Not this girl. I've got nerves of steel."

"We'll see about that."