CH 1
Venus sat at her canvas trying to express herself with paint. There were so many thoughts running around her head. She had to get them out. Love of grammar or not she knew Simon could never satisfy her. How could Jax think Simon was man enough for her? How could Jax fall for Chloe? Some Goddess of love she was. If she were really Venus she would be able to catch the man of her dreams. Her thoughts were interrupted by the knock on the door.
V got up and answered the door. Her paint-speckled sweatshirt matched her paint-speckled hair. "Just perfect." She said as she looked through her peephole and saw Jax. "Of course he would come to see me when I was dressed like this." V contemplated trying to make a quick change. However, with Jax already standing impatiently at the door she realized she must answer it regardless of her state of attire.
She opened the door with a shy smile. Although Jax was one of the few people with whom she felt comfortable fully sharing her art, still it was not an aspect of her life that she shared freely. Especially not the painting she was working on now. "Hi, sorry I was painting."
Jax gave her a smile that made V melt. "May I see?" He asked walking quickly towards her canvass.
V looked disheartened. "No it isn’t ready yet. I just started." She tried to sound firm and unyielding. Ultimately she knew she would share anything with him if he would ask with that gleam in his gorgeous green eyes. She prayed he wouldn’t push to see it, she didn’t know how she could explain it to him if he saw it.
Sensing that V wasn’t ready to share this piece and unwilling to go against her wishes for the second time in forty eight hours he backs away from the canvass and takes a seat on the couch.
"Can I get you something? Water, Tea?" Or would you rather have me in almost nothing? She added the last thought silently. As she did the color rose in her cheek. She couldn’t believe she had thought that.
Jax looked perplexed. He knew V could be shy times but how could a beverage choice make her that red? Still it amused him. "Water would be great, however that is not why I am here." He said with a sexy grin that let V know he had been thinking and now had a plan.
The look in his eye made her nervous. She never knew what he was planing. When he had that look in his eye he could either be ready to crash her on an atoll, use her as an anti in a high stakes game of poker, or simply be planing some sort of take over. She handed him the glass of water and sat nervously on the edge of the couch next to him. "Why are you here?"
"I was wondering if you would be interested in having dinner with me tonight?" He asked softly.
V knew this proposal was too good to be true. Therefore, trying hard not to get her hopes up, she asked, "Have dinner with you? You and who else?"
"Well, Venus, I thought that would be obvious. Chloe and of course Simon. He had such a wonderful time with you last time. He wants to see more of you. I was hoping you would feel more comfortable among friends."
V tried to hide the bitterness in her laugh. "I don’t need a chaperone." She said trying to sound anyway but the way she felt.
"V it would be fun for all of us to get out. If you and Simon want time alone, however, Chloe and I could leave early. That would give you time to get to know one another more privately." He said trying to sound encouraging. Jax was not trying to encourage her to jump into bed with Simon. For some inexplicable reason the thought made him ill, however, he wanted V to get out and enjoy life.
V asked herself how Jax could be so dense. Sure he wanted her happy but how could he miss the one thing that would make her heart soar? She had to think of a way out without revealing her feelings. "I am afraid I can’t do that. I already have plans for tonight." She didn’t but he hoped Jax couldn’t tell she was lying.
"With Simon?" Jax asked with a hopeful smile. "Well then, with whom?" He asked when she shook her head.
V thought quickly. Who could she spend the evening with? Felicia was in Oyster Bay and even if she got home she would want to spend time with Mac and the girls. Ned had plans. Who else could she see? She was still fumbling for an answer when she heard the voice coming out of her bedroom.
"She will be out with me, baby brother." Jerry said in a booming voice as he entered the living room from V’s bedroom.