Serena felt a mix of relief and confusion as Jaxon retreated. She opened her eyes, slightly embarrassed by her reaction. "Sorry, I didn't mean to give that impression. I just thought..."Jaxon interrupted her with a soft laugh. "You thought I was going to kiss you just like that?""Well, I mean, it seemed like you were leaning in that direction," Serena stammered.Jaxon shook his head, a playful smile on his lips. "You really are something else, Serena." He returned to his seat by the desk, leaving Serena to gather her composure.She took a deep breath and tried to change the topic. "So what are you going to be doing with your time in Rhode Island apart from building webs?"Jaxon leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "I'd definitely be building webs mostly. There are some business matters I need to attend to here." He saw her raise her eyebrows and continued, "yes, I invest in other things with my web money. And, well, what I'd be doing when I'm not doing all that. I think we'l
Her body was craving for him to be faster, but she knew how these men could be, they would tease you and play around. That was Jaxon's typical behavior, so she didn't have to be surprised he would be an expert here.Jaxon stepped back and dropped the blouse on the settee. His footsteps were light as he moved to stand in front of her. Her eyes were closed, it was quite amusing how she could just mellow anytime he was this close to her, but for some reason, even though he knew he had kissed her before and maybe almost fucked her in the car, he still respected her and withheld from just engaging her in such activity.He was going to ask her if he could kiss her because god, he badly wanted to. Yet, he didn't see her as someone he could treat just anyhow. He could see she wanted it too, but to what extent. Serena was unpredictable. He inhaled and braced himself up for her reaction."Can I kiss you?" He said quietly, so softly, if not that the night seemed to be working in their accord, sh
Jaxon got off from the bed at once and she sat up on the bed. She looked around for the nearest piece of clothing she could find. The sheets on the bed were already scattered.Jaxon was already pulling up his cargo pants to his waist and she was just there in her underwear. "Serena!" Hadley called her name a little too loudly again while knocking on the door."Hold on, I'm coming," Serena replied as she pulled out one of Hadley's robes from the closet and threw it around her body. She took one glance at Jaxon who had his hoodie half way down his torso, then she unlocked the door."What took you so long were you…" Hadley kept mute immediately when she recognized the other presence in her room. "Oh," her eyes widened in realization, "I didn't know he was coming, you didn't tell me anything, I could have…""It's fine Hadley, he just stepped in for a moment, he's not staying the night." Serena assured her.Hadley shook her head as she entered the room and shut the door behind her, "my ba
Serena lay on her bed, her mind swirling with thoughts after Jaxon's unexpected visit. Hadley's knowing smile didn't help her unease. She propped herself up on her elbows and looked at her best friend."Nothing is going on, Hadley," Serena replied, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.Hadley arched an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "Serena, you can't expect me to believe that. The chemistry between you two is undeniable. What happened when I was gone?"Serena hesitated for a moment, contemplating how much to reveal. She trusted Hadley with her life, but some things were just too complicated to explain. "We talked, caught up on things, and... it's complicated, okay?"Hadley didn't press further, realizing that Serena needed time to sort through her feelings. "Alright, I won't push. But just remember, I'm here for you, no matter what."Serena managed a grateful smile. "Thanks, Hadley. I appreciate it."As the night wore on, Serena and Hadley continued to chat, sharing stories abo
Serena ended up wearing the black corset dress and white shirt Hadley had suggested. She paired it with black platforms and a small white clutch.She let her hair down and wore a cute minimalist jewelry set. "You look stunning!" Hadley clapped her hands excitedly."Thank you," Serena smiled. She loved the look, even though it was a bit extra, but she didn't mind being a fashionista sometimes.When she exited her building, she saw Jaxon leaning against his car. He looked up from his phone at the sound of her footsteps.A small smile appeared on his face and Serena rolled her eyes. "You're…really, really beautiful," he said. "Are you sure you're not taking me on a date or something or is there somewhere else you're going afterwards.""If you're going to compliment me, do it right." Serena chuckled."Naa, I give you flowers, you look amazing.""Yeah, I let Hadley do her thing," said Serena with a shrug."She's not just a chef but a stylist too? Man, you have the world's best best frien
A wave of silence remained between her and Jaxon as they were the only ones left at the table. She paused for a second and looked at him in disbelief and amazement. How had she not seen this coming?She finally opened her mouth to say something "Jaxon, I can't believe this! You got me a job? Just like that?" Serena's voice was filled with both joy and astonishment.Jaxon smiled, his brown eyes warm with satisfaction. "It's really nothing, Serena. You deserve this opportunity, and I wanted to help you out. You've been through a lot, and I thought this could be a fresh start for you."Tears welled up in Serena's eyes again, but this time they were tears of happiness. She reached out and hugged Jaxon tightly. "Thank you, thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me."Jaxon hugged her back, his embrace reassuring. "You don't have to thank me, Serena. Just make sure that you give it your all at Skymount . I have a feeling you'll excel there."Serena pulled back from the hu
Serena's excitement over her new job at Skymount Media was contagious. Hadley couldn't have been happier for her best friend. She spent the night conversing with Mrs Wright. Mrs Wright was so understanding and timely with her response, and she still managed to be very professional and keep boundaries.Serena was going to be one of the editors at Skymount, while she could work at home when her workload wasn't much, she was to report to the office at least three times a week.She got familiar with the company and prepared a few essays Mrs Wright advised her to make ready. Serena found some of them challenging but she remained calm, did her research and put her best into all of them. Hadley was also very supportive in her own hilarious way. She would bring up one of her high school medals and say things like, "employee of the month goes to Serena Cress!" Then she'd clap and beat the table like a drum.Serena would just shake her head and continue with her work. The next morning was a S
The HR manager, Ms. Crawford, guided Serena through the onboarding process with professionalism and warmth. Serena filled out the necessary forms, received her employee badge, and was introduced to her immediate team members.Her team consisted of three other editors: Mark, Sarah, and David. They all greeted her warmly, making Serena feel like she was already part of the Skymount family. Mark, the senior editor, took her under his wing and gave her an overview of their ongoing projects.The first day was filled with information overload as Serena learned about Skymount's values, culture, and expectations. She attended orientation sessions, met with her manager, and familiarized herself with the company's software tools.When she got back home, she fell on her bed exhausted. She had texted Hadley and she was going to be working late since the other chef at the restaurant wasn't around.She undressed and did her skincare routine for the night, before having dinner. She rested and soon d
Serena managed to get through the event without feeling intimidated. Jaxon made sure he didn't leave her side for too long. He introduced her to his parents as his girlfriend, he was so proud of it.They had received her warmly, contrary to what she had expected. She was surprised to see his brother, he was calm, handsome and soft spoken. She had imagined him to be a viscous, stubborn, shorter man.He smiled at her when she put her hand forward for a handshake. It wasn't the best of smiles, but for someone who was in some sort of rivalry with his brother who happened to be her boyfriend, he gave her a warm reception.Jaxon's father was just as she imagined, like the clips from the news, he was funny, but he still had that wall around him, like he was a small god and unapproachable. He had complimented her dress and told her he'd heard of her wonders and he was happy to see her.His mother on the hand was the sweetest soul, she hugged her and was surprised to hear the college she gradu
He had seen her on the dress before but it didn't look as elegant as this, he wiped his face with a handkerchief to be sure he wasn't getting teary. She had curled her hair into magnificent waves that dropped to her shoulders.Her shoulders gleamed under the bright chandelier that hung on the ceilings of the stairs. She flashed her radiant smile at him, his heart melted again. She was wearing the emerald green version of the blue heart necklace which was paired with complementary earrings.It seemed like she was taking forever to come down the stairs. He resisted the urge to meet her where she was and lift her in his arms down the stairs.It felt like prom night again, but with someone he actually loved. She finally met him at the foot of the stairs and placed her manicured hands on his jacket and straightened the collar. They heard a gentle cough from behind and separated. Uncle Jeff came from the living room and handed her her coat. “I expect that you won't catch a cold with him,
“I'd like for us to have an official date, not just reconciling in the middle of a launch like this, it's so busy around here, but first I'd like to invite you to my inauguration party this weekend” Jaxon leaned in to whisper to Serena.Serena's eyes darted from left to right and she looked up at him. She didn't expect him to say that. “Inauguration party?” “Yes, you know, corporate stuff, I'm sorry it's going to be a lot bigger than this and all of that formal shit, but I'll be by your side. I want you by my side.”“I…I don't know, I'd love to…but,” she began but he hushed her before she made any excuse.“I'm desperate right now to be honest and I can go on my knees for you not to refuse me. Did I forget to tell you or has Hadley told you?”“Told me what?” Serena asked confused.Jaxon’s mood shifted to a more solemn one, “I heard you found out who your…real mum is.” Serena nodded and kept on paying attention to him, the information wasn't something to bother her again. “And she happ
Serena loved her experience in Florida, the person she had stayed with was the most hospitable person ever. She showed her around herself, she made sure she always had something to eat. She even waited for her at the airport during her arrival in Florida.She took her to the most exciting places, met new sane people. She fell in love with the most mundane things and she had a lot of fun.It was quite sad that everything had to come to an end but she was excited for what was coming. Hadley was going to launch her restaurant in the coming week so she left Florida during the weekend.Uncle Jeff and Aunt Mabel were so happy to see her. They had celebrated New Year without her. She immediately went to Hadley's house to see her, her brother and mum had come to Rhode Island for the launch too.Serena remembered when she used to crush on Hadley's brother. Hadley had been so against it, that they almost fought. He had more tattoos now and Serena already heard he had a girlfriend, so there was
“Serena, Hadley is here!” Mabel called Serena from the front door. Serena screamed with joy like she'd been for her since forever. She wore her indoor slippers and ran down the stairs.“Oh my God, Hadley,” she hugged her until they both fell on their knees and were lying on the floor of the front door. Mabel looked at the hilarious sight, it felt good to see them like this again. It was like they were sixteen and about to resume high school again.“Come on girls, you're making fools of yourselves in front of the neighbors.”“Hey, the neighbors,” Hadley jumped to her feet and gave Serena a helping hand, “is Gavin still around?” She grinned.Serena tapped he arm lightly, “all you know how to do is ask after your men, you wouldn't ask how I'm doing before you move into your men.” She joked.Serena carried Hadley's small travel bag inside the house. Hadley came behind her and shut the door. She took off her shoes at the small passageway just before she entered the living room. Mabel gave
Jaxon wondered why she demanded to meet him in person. She'd been trying to contact him for days and the assistant he assigned to her had been bugging him.He finally decided to spare some time for her. He arranged a meeting with her at a cafe close to his office. He made sure it was during busy hours when people would be around in case she wanted to try something funny.She had the effrontery to be late, he kept on checking his wristwatch for the time. He ordered coffee and sipped it bit by bit as he watched the people walking into the cafe through his shades.A few people still managed to recognize him, some of them pointed at him discreetly. It was amusing how he had turned from nobody to somebody and everyone wanted to identify with him. He didn't like having bodyguards around him, so he still had to deal with pushing some people off by himself.Anybody would rush at him, for business proposals, for food, money, assistance. He didn't know how to explain to them that he wasn't a wa
Serena chose to ignore her presence and sat down beside her Uncle who was seated alone at the breadth of the rectangular table. Aunt Mabel sat opposite her, next to him while Amora sat beside her sister. They were having fried turkey with rice and salad. Serena allowed Aunt Mabel to dish her food and she began eating. She expected them to say something about why this woman was with them. They didn't say anything until they finished eating.The normal tradition was to watch sitcoms together anytime they had a meal at the dinning room. Aunt Mabel would be the first to sit in the sitting room, Serena would join her while Uncle Jeff would come in last.Aunt Mabel always slept halfway into movies, Serena and Jeff would binge watch movies together until Uncle Jeff was tired he'd take her aunt into the room while she either continued watching more shows or she'd retired to her room.That was when they ate together, but on other nights when she had her meal in her room, she'd just watch stu
Serena began speaking after the waiter left. She had given the restaurant a four star review for both of them.“I know my place, Jaxon. Our worlds are totally different and you have a lot going on. I should be the least of your worries. Whatever you have going on with your brother, you should resolve it. Family is more important, focus on that. You might regret it so much if you lose any of them. It can happen at anytime, any minute, so please, take care of yourself. I'll always remain grateful to you for getting my uncle out and giving us our house back, but you see, it makes us even more indebted to you. I don't think any further affiliation with you would be good.”Jaxon sighed, “I'm not asking you for anything. It's just..”“My uncle still has to work for your company to make sure everything is returned, doesn't he?” Serena asked him, he sighed, they both knew the answer.“It's not like he's working for the replacement of the funds, I'll figure it out, but it's not like you're s
She wore a teardrop pearl necklace that sitted well on her chest suiting the V-neck blouse she'd chosen to wear her black mini skirt with. It was nothing grand, she reminded herself.She had picked the venue and made sure to come twenty minutes late. She walked into the cafe and didn't have to look around too much to find him. He was punctual, all these things he was doing to repent.He had shades on, but she could tell him apart even if there were several men wearing the same suit he wore. He looked nice in a suit. She laughed in her head, he still became the corporate guy he dreaded so much - because of her, she was reminded by another of her thoughts. Shut Up- she told it back.Lemons - he had started using that bath wash again or he intentionally used it to remind her of the first time she met him. She maintained her stoic expression. He wasn't exactly smiling at her as well, but he looked good, seductive as always in whatever he wore. He would be the center of attraction in his