The Unraveling of Raven (The Unraveled Trilogy Book 1) Read online

Dinner was a typical banquet affair, but instead of dancing, they rolled out gambling tables. “I thought there would be dancing at an event like this.”

  He smiles. “No. I found, if we offer gambling with all the proceeds going to the charity, more money is donated than just writing a check.”

  I never really thought of it that way. “How much money can you expect to take in tonight?”

  I can see the wheels in his head spinning. “The charity will probably take in three million dollars, after expenses. That will help many families, not just with the initial surgery, but also, with the aftercare. Caring for someone who has had brain surgery takes a lot of time and money. Most of these families are living pay check to pay check.” Wow, this man is nothing like I thought he would be.

  “Let’s gamble a little and see if you’re my lucky charm, sweetheart.”

  We walk up to the blackjack table and Jax hands me some chips to play with. “I don’t gamble and I don’t want to lose your money.”

  He smirks. “You're not losing my money, you’re donating it. Besides, it’s easy. Just try to get to twenty-one without going over.”

  I try a few hands, but it doesn’t hold my interest; it seems too much like work. What I do find interesting is the roulette table. There are many different ways to bet, and it’s all up to the wheel. Turns out, I’m better at it then I thought. After an hour of gambling, I decide to cash in my winnings. I hand the cashier my chips and she gives me a check for $100,000.00. “Excuse me, but there is some kind of mistake here. This is too much money.”

  Jax laughs and informs me I was playing with $10,000 dollar chips! I’m glad I didn’t know, otherwise, I wouldn’t have bet anything. I sign the check and put it in the donation box. I see Jax watching me with a very strange look, but he says nothing.

  As we head back to the limo, Jax stops and takes me in his arms, he pulls my chin up, and stares into my eyes. There it is—my toes are doing that curl thing again! “Raven, I had a wonderful evening, and I don’t want it to end, will you come home with me?”

  “Okay,” I whisper. I can’t believe I just said okay without a single thought. Even though I’m nervous, I feel so safe with him, which is something I never have experienced before.

  WE PULL UP TO a building across from Central Park. As he steps out of the car, he takes my hand and informs me that he lives here. We walk through the lobby and get on his private elevator. We enter the penthouse and I’m struck with the most incredible view of the park. “You live here by yourself?”

  He looks at me like I’m nuts. “I have a housekeeper, but other than that, yes, just me.”

  Taking in everything surrounding me, I’m stunned. “This place is huge! Do you ever get lost in here?”

  He strokes his chin and gifts me with that crooked smirk. “Let me give you a quick tour. There is a guest room, office, gym, and then there is a rooftop garden area with a hot tub.”

  I can’t believe he lives here. “Jax, this place is amazing and the views are spectacular. Does your place take up the entire floor?”

  He shakes his head. “No, there is another penthouse that mirrors mine. My driver, Max, lives in the other one.”

  Oh. My. God. His driver lives in a penthouse! “Wait, your driver lives in a penthouse?”

  He laughs. “Max is much more than just my driver. He does my security and he’s my best friend. He has to be—I trust him with my life and the lives of my family.” He smiles at me. “Come, sit down, Raven, I want to know more about you.

  “You’re so beautiful and not just tonight. When you stumbled into my world, you threw it off kilter.” He leans in slowly, his soft lips brushing against mine. The sparks are flying to all my nerve endings and then, I look into his eyes—yep, there’s that toe thing again.

  He’s tender, yet firm; our tongues doing a slow dance. He runs his cheek against mine and the and the scruff of his beard softly grazes my cheek. “Raven, please tell me you feel that too… that I’m not imagining it.”

  I hum, “Yes, Jax, just what it is, I have no clue.”

  He slowly puts little flutter kisses up and down my neck, and then, he reaches in and nibbles on my ear lobe. Oh sweet, Jesus! His teeth gently pull on my ear. Oh my God, his lips are so soft. He swipes his tongue over my bottom lip and I shiver. He takes my hand and kisses the inside of my wrist. Damn, when he does that, it's like a jolt between my legs. How could that one spot be so damn sensitive? This man is way out of my league! He’s rich, beautiful, and, I’m sure, a player; he seems used to getting what he wants—when he wants it. I need to stop this before I get to the point of no return. “Jax, I need to go.”

  His jaw is tight, and he’s fisting his hands. He seems shocked I need to leave. “You want to leave now? Is something wrong? Did I offend you?”

  I’m trying not to let the tears fall, “It’s not you, Jax, I just…I really need to go.”

  He locks his eyes on mine. “Okay, let me ring Max.” As he gets up to leave, I can see the confusion on his face.

  Heck, even I’m confused “Jax, I can take a cab, it's no big deal.”

  Okay, now, he looks pissed off. “Sweetheart, there is no way I would dream of you ever taking a cab home, and if I offended you in any way, I’m truly sorry.” He leads me to the elevator.

  I can’t lose it here. I take a deep breath, “It’s not you, Jax,” I whisper as we head down the elevator in silence. I really don’t know what to say to him. When we get downstairs, Max is waiting for us. We get right into the car and take off.

  The ride to my place is long and quiet. I need to stop this now before it goes too far. We pull up and I jump out so fast, it only gives him time to watch me. “I’m sorry, Jax.” And with that, I’m gone.

  AS WE DRIVE AWAY from Raven’s place, Max glances at me in the rearview mirror. “Jax, you okay?”

  I stare out the window. “Fuck if I know? This girl keeps running away from me.”

  “Do you want me to run a check on her?” he asks. Usually, I would have Max run a check, but for some reason, I want to find out about her like a normal guy would.

  “No, Max, not just yet. I’m not ready for that.” I’m not ready to go home yet, either. “Please drive around the park for a while, mate, I need some time to think. I just don’t get why this girl keeps running away from me. I never have this problem.” Max glances in the rear view mirror at me again, “Spit it out, Max, I see the fucking bloody looks you’re giving. I know you have something to say.”

  He’s laughs. “Well, Jax, you can be a tad intimidating, don’t you think?”

  If he weren’t my best friend, I would probably wipe that smirk off of his face right now. “You know, Max, eight years and you’re still cheeky as hell. I’m trying not to bulldoze her, but it’s very hard.” He laughs at me again. I’m glad my love life, or lack thereof, is amusing to him.

  “Jax, you operate at a hundred miles an hour and that can be too much for most people.”

  I hate when he’s right. “That’s just it, Max, she’s not ‘most people’, she’s different.”

  He looks at me like he’s had some great revelation. “Well, Jax, maybe that is the answer.”

  What the fuck? Is he Dr. Phil now? “Oh bloody hell, Max! What the fuck are you trying to say?” He doesn’t usually give advice on relationships so this should be interesting.

  “She is different. So your usual bulldozer approach to life will not work on her. Slow it down, mate and see how she reacts.”

  The rest of the ride is in silence. Damn if I know how to slow down.

  WHEN I GET UPSTAIRS, Marco is waiting for me. “How was the ball, princess?” I burst into tears and throw myself on the couch.

  “Oh no, baby girl, what happened?”

  I let the tears fall. “It’s me, I’m such a mess. He was so perfect. We had a wonderful night, then he took me back to his place and I felt like putty in his arms.”

  Marco pulls me into his arms as I wipe my tears on his shirt. “So, why the tear
s? Did you panic and run again?” he asks. I nod. I can’t even say the words out loud, because then it makes it real. “Honey, give him a chance, just tell him you need to go slow. He’s probably never had anyone say no. I mean, look at him. Have you googled him yet?”

  I’ve never googled a date, why would I start now? “No, why would I do that?”

  He’s growling at me now! What is it with the men in my life and all their growling? “In today's world, you almost have to. Do you know anything about him other than what he’s told you?” he asks. I shake my head. “Okay, now you’re making me worried. You’re usually more level headed than this, Raven, What the fuck is going on in your head?”

  Marco grabs the iPad and googles ‘Jaxson Phillips.’ It doesn’t take long. Holy crap there are thousands of hits! There are tons of articles about his company; some good and some not so good. A lot of hits are about the different charities he is involved with. But what is most surprising is when I pull up images for him, he’s always alone. If he is such a player ,why are there no images of him with a girl? Could I have possibly been so wrong about him? Maybe my impression of him was way off base, and he’s not a player. Marco clicks on a link—oh my word, it’s from tonight . . . and—it’s s me! Is that why he kept apologizing?

  Marco looks over to me and then starts reading, “Who is the mystery woman that was seen with New York’s most eligible bachelor, Jaxson James Phillips, tonight at Chelsea Pier? Could this mean he’s finally off the market?”

  “I don’t want to know anymore, please shut it down.”

  He shuts it off. “I think you need to talk to him. He can’t read your mind, and the way he was looking at you, I don’t think he wants this to end.”

  I can’t listen to this anymore. “I’ve had enough, I’m going to bed. Do not wake me up early.” I head to my room, leaving Marco to himself.

  As I get into bed, I replay the night’s events. I think about how hard it must be to always have people, watching your every move. Always having to filter what you say would be a big problem for me. It always amazes me how people get so wrapped up in the lives of celebrities. I have a lot to do to manage my own life, let alone wonder what some celebrity is doing or with whom they are doing it. As I try to fall asleep, all I see are the bluest eyes and how sad they looked tonight.

  I

  T’S SUNDAY MORNING, I just want to snuggle in bed for a while, but I hear music playing. The music stops and starts again. Where is that coming from? I look at the dresser and see the phone that Jax sent, lighting up and I realize the music is coming from there. “Hello?” I can’t believe he’s calling, especially after last night.

  “Good morning, did you sleep well?”

  How could he even think that I would sleep well after last night? “Not really, how about you?”

  He sighs. “No, I think we need to talk. Can we go for breakfast, Raven?”

  This guy just doesn’t give up. “Even after I ran, you still want to see me?”

  “Yes, I need to understand why you did, and what I can do to stop you from constantly running away from me. You’re giving me a complex, sweetheart.”

  Maybe I’m a challenge for him? “That’s a tall order, Jax.”

  He laughs. “I believe I’m up for the challenge. Can you be ready in an hour? It’s a beautiful fall day, and I would like to enjoy it with you.”

  How could I say no to that? “Okay, Jax.”

  I HEAD OUTSIDE, AND there’s Jax. He’s wearing worn jeans, a button down Oxford shirt, with a polo tied around his neck. He has on aviators and is leaning against the most beautiful sports car I have ever seen. He tells me it’s a 1957 Jaguar XK-SS; a replica of Steve McQueen’s car. It just takes my breath away. “I hope that look is for me and not just the car.”

  I can’t help but laugh. “I guess you’ll never know.” I allow him to open the door for me and I get in. Within a minute, he’s in the driver’s seat and we’re off.

  We pull up to a little café on the East Side that I have never been to. We enter the quaint café and Jax orders our coffee and pastries. We then grab a table by the window, so we can be alone.

  “Raven, I thought we were having a good time last night getting to know each other, but then you ran…again.”

  He doesn’t demand an answer, but I know he is not leaving without one. “Jax, I’m a simple, second grade teacher. I have no worldly experience, and quite honestly, my sexual experience has been very little and very bad. You make me feel things I’ve never felt before and that scares me.” There, I said it as honestly as I could. I’m sure he’ll be taking me home now.

  “First, sweetheart, let me say, there is nothing simple about you. You don’t get to choose what I can or can’t handle, only I do. If I didn’t want to be with you, then I wouldn’t. I feel things with you I’ve never felt before and I like it; I want more. You said ‘your sexual experience is very little and was very bad’, is that something you feel you can share with me? I can’t fix something if I don’t know what it is.”

  What do I say? “I need time, Jax, I barely know you.”

  He seems content with my answer. “If time is what you need, then you’ve got it. I’m not prepared to walk away so don’t expect me to,” he states. I cock my head, trying to figure him out. His eyes seem to hone in on me tugging my ear (a nervous habit of mine). “Did you expect me to walk away?” he continues.

  I laugh, “Quite frankly, Jax, yes. I mean, you can have your pick of anyone.”

  He smirks again. “Raven, maybe I finally found my someone, but how would I know if you keep running?”

  I lock eyes with him. “Oh.”

  “Yeah, oh,” he whispers.

  WE HEAD TO THE car and Jax informs me that we are going apple picking. I’ve never done that before and I’m excited to try something new, so . . . off we go. It’s such a beautiful day. He puts on some music and it’s one of my favorite bands, Snow Patrol.

  “We seem to have similar taste in music. Jax, I’m going to ask you some questions, for every one that you answer, I will let you ask me a question.”

  His eyes light up. “So let me get this straight, Raven. I can ask you any question and you’ll answer it?”

  I laugh, “Nice try, Jax.” I’ll start with an easy one. “What’s your favorite movie?”

  He strokes his chin and it’s sexy as hell. “Alright, but, Raven, no laughing.”

  Oh boy, that’s going to be hard. “Okay, fess up, Jax, favorite movie?”

  He’s got a serious look on his face. “If you tell another living soul, I will deny it . . . When Harry met Sally.”

  “Oh.”

  He seems surprised. “That’s it, just oh?”

  Not at all what I thought he would say. “Well, it wasn’t what I was expecting, that’s for sure. Why is that your favorite movie?”

  He seems lost in thought. “It’s the struggle of friendship and how important it is to a relationship.”

  Hmm. “I never thought of it that way.”

  He cocks his head. “What’s your favorite movie?”

  I know he’s going to laugh. “Don’t laugh.”

  “You didn’t laugh at mine, sweetheart, why would I laugh at yours?”

  Here goes nothing. “Okay, Die Hard.” He looks over at me and gets hysterical.

  “Really, Jax? You promised not to laugh.”

  “I’m sorry, but clearly you have to see the irony that my favorite is a ‘chick flick’ and yours is a ‘macho dick flick’.” Well, when he put it like that, I guess I can see the humor in it.

  “Why is Die Hard your favorite movie?”

  I can’t believe this is not everyone’s favorite movie. “Well, it’s the story of survival, how one man relies on himself to save so many. He is simple, but very brave, and let’s face it—the good guy wins.”

  I think he gets it. “Okay, sweetheart, enough on movies, what’s your favorite food?”

  This one is easy. “I love pizza, really good pizza, not the kind that
comes frozen in a box.”

  I look over to him and he’s thinking. I can tell when he is deep in thought, he strokes his chin. “I would have to say mine is sushi. Not only does it taste wonderful, the presentation is like a piece of art that is made just for me.” He pats his chest. Wow, I never thought of it as art but I guess it could be. “iPhone or Droid?”

  Another easy one. “I’m an Apple girl, they work great and they keep it simple. You?”

  He’s like a little boy talking about his toys. “I like Droid phones. They have better apps, but Apple computers, so I guess both.”

  SHE IS SITTING THERE, seemingly deep in thought, tugging at that fucking ear. I need to keep this conversation going so she doesn’t try and pull a runner. But if she keeps doing that, I’m going to get crazy hard. “What other types of music do you like?”

  She laughs and I love the sound of it. “If you listened to what’s on my iPod you would probably be in shock. I like to sing so I have a lot of stuff I can sing along with, but only when no one is around!”

  “I would love to hear you sing, and I think you would sound beautiful.” I smile.

  NO ONE HAS HEARD me sing except Marco, when he came home early one day. “Ha, I’m tone deaf, so only when I’m home cleaning or driving alone.” I bet he has an extensive music collection. “What type of music do you listen to, Jax?”

  “I really like many different types; it just depends on my mood and where I am at that moment. My top band is Snow Patrol, most people are aware of their famous songs, ‘Chasing Cars’ and ‘Run’ however, I like a lot of their older stuff; it’s the lyrics that grab you. They are the ultimate story tellers.

  “Okay, Raven, we’re here, out you go, sweetheart. We’ll take turns climbing up the ladder to pick the apples. Why are you looking at me like I have three heads?”

  I freeze. “I’m afraid of heights. No way can I climb up a ladder!”

  He’s thinking while stroking his chin; it’s such a turn on when he does that. “Raven, you can’t let fear rule you or fear wins. Why are you afraid?”