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[ B L A I R E ' S P O V ]

It's been two days since Jax said those nine bone-chilling words to me and it still gives me shivers every time I think about it. I don't know what's going on with him. But I really don't like the way he's looking at me. Most of the time, he looks at me like he wants to fuck me but two nights ago... it's different. I don't know how to explain it.

I don't think I want to. Because it scared the shit out of me.

Nobody has ever looked at me that way before. Sometimes I think Ben has before, but every time I try to assess it, his expression changes and he puts on another face. Maybe I'm thinking too much about it. After all, Ben and I are just friends with benefits. It's supposed to be easy. No strings attached. No feelings involved. Ben and I agreed on that.

So I must be imagining things.

"It's a fake."

Those three words momentarily detached me from my thoughts and I quickly gather myself together. "What?"

"It's a fake," the pawnbroker says again, handing me back the ring I just gave him five minutes ago.

I stare at the ring in my hands, unsure of what to do. This was the ring I had stolen from Jack Wright's house-how the fuck could it be fake? "I don't understand."

The pawn broker's eyes bore into mine. "I don't know how else to say it girl but the diamond ain't real. It's practically worthless. I can't give you anything for this."

I feel as if someone gripped my heart in its hands, squeezing tightly, giving me a panic attack. "How about the necklace?"

"That I can give you something for. The necklace and the other ring."

He nods slowly, grabbing his calculator and places it on the glass table, punching in numbers with his finger. "This rate is good, yes?"

I look at the numbers and groan slightly. It's something-but definitely not much. I can't go to Mr. Forman like this. Ben's already done some research for me. He won't work for a discount. And I also don't want to be seen as charity. If I'm going to hire him, I need more money.

"This is the best you can give me?" I say, frowning.

The pawnbroker nods, a bored expression worn on his face. "Yes, girl. Take it or leave it."

Well, shit.

"Fine. I'll take it," I say and the pawnbroker smiles.

He grabs the money from the cashier and starts to count them. My eyes widen at the thick wad of hundred dollar bills. I haven't had that much money in a long time.

"Here you go," he places the wad of cash in an envelope and hands it over to me. I take it and slide it into my bag.

A sense of restlessness washes over me as I exit the pawn shop. I'm about ten grand short, which means it's back to thievery again. No scratch that, I'm more than ten grand short. I need extra money now that I've been thinking about getting a small apartment for Eden and I after I get him back. And rent costs money.

I can't stay in Baxton's house forever. I'll have to move out eventually. And after this whole bodyguard thing with Jax is over when he goes back to Boston after the summer, I'm going to need more money than ever. Even with my paycheck coming in at the end of the month, it's not going to be enough. I need more. Fast.

The question now remains: where can I get it?

I can't go back to Wright's house; ever since that officer almost busted me for stealing, that house now looks more like a high security prison than an elite mansion. They now have security guards posted at the gate at all times and the security cameras have doubled. I know, I checked. So any house within that neighborhood is off limits. I'm going to have go scour for other places.

I shove that thought at the back of my mind, hoping to get to it later. Now that I'm Jax's bodyguard, my schedule is practically packed with escorting him to interviews, photoshoots and petty events and also the intense training I need from Hunter if I want to take my job seriously. And I do. God, I do. But I've barely started this job and I'm already feeling restless as fuck.

I don't know how I'm able to pull this off. I don't know why Baxton puts so much trust in me.

I'm pretty damn sure a dog could protect Jax better than me.

But whatever. If Baxton believes I can do it, then I'm not going to prove him otherwise. He has been good to me. Really good to me. And I want to help him out as much as I can. And if protecting his son is the way to go, then I'll do it.

So I'll just have to suck it up and endure the next three months with Jackson Deneris.

Even if by doing so, I shall lose all of my sanity.

☸☸☸☸☸☸

Jax has absolutely nothing to do-hah, what's new?-so we decide to head to the gym to start my training. Hunter is going to meet us there later, since he has got a few things to settle first, so Jax and I get a head start first.

I'm wearing a light blue tank top but it does almost nothing to cover up the neon pink sports bra I'm having. Let's just say Jax has not stop staring at my chest ever since we left the house. I don't even bother telling him off. It's practically useless. That and also I've grown accustomed to him checking me out-most of them time intentionally.

It doesn't really matter. I'm ashamed to say that I'm a hypocrite too. Every time when he's not looking, my eyes shamelessly dance over his broad shoulders, muscular arms, all the way to his chest. I don't get much of a view of his body because he rarely does walk around without a shirt, unfortunately, but when it's a rare moment and he does, it's a mighty fine sight.

I don't think I've ever drooled over a guy before. Jax is a first.

If Ben knows about this, I'll never hear the end of it.

Right on cue, my phone beeps and I check to see who it is. Of course. Ben.

What are you doing right now? He asks.

I shoot him an answer. I'm busy.

A minute later, it rings again. Hopefully with me?

I snort. Nice try. But I'm really busy. I can't come over, sorry.

That's a shame. I cleaned my room for you. And Belle's out with my parents. Netflix and chill?

Ew, I hate that term Netflix and chill. I tell him. You could just say you want to have sex with me.

Okay, fine. Do you want to have sex with me right now, Blaire?

Sorry, Benny-boy. Your dick will have to wait a little longer. I'm probably gonna be busy the entire week.

I hate you.

No, you love me. :)

I wait for his reply, my phone lightly tapping on my leg. He doesn't text me back, so I just shrug and slip my phone back into my bag and thrust it into the locker. I'm alone in the woman's room and I'm in front of the mirror, tying my hair into a slick ponytail when I hear Jax's voice from outside.

"You in there, darling?" He calls out.

"Yeah. In a minute!"

He doesn't wait a minute. He just barges in.

"Dude, what the fuck?" I turn to him and my eyes widen. "You can't just barge in here like you own the place! This is the ladies room!"

"And I'm a ladies man." He winks at me. "And also, very fucking impatient. You were in here for too long."

"Too long?" I utter in disbelief. "I was in here for five minutes!"

"That's five minutes too long. " He rolls his eyes. "Are you ready or what? Can we go outside? Please?"

"Fine, asshole," I grab my towel and bottle, then stalk past him just to get him even more mad. Because that's what I live for-getting Jax Deneris all riled up as fuck. I hope he's looking at my ass in these pants too because it looks gorgeous.

"I told you it ain't going to be easy training with me," he says as-a-matter-of-factly.

"I didn't even consider this training," I gesture. "We haven't even started yet. That is just a pathetic excuse for your personality."

"Well, you don't exactly have a nice personality either." he snorts, placing his hand on his hips. "Run."

"What?"

"I said run," he says like it's no big deal. "Ten rounds. Around the gym. Now."

My eyes trail the huge space in front of me. I gulp, a lump forming in my throat.

You have got to be kidding me.

here was a reason why I failed gym class in high school..

"I thought you were going to teach me how to fight," I say. "What good would it do for me if I'm too exhausted to do anything after running?"

"Then deal the fuck with it," he growls. "We need to build up your stamina. Clearly you don't work out that much."

I look down at my body. Is is that obvious?

"Look," Jax sighs, scratching his head, "if you want to protect me, you gotta do this. Everything I'm telling you to do will benefit you. Okay, Blaire? So if I tell you to run, you run. You need to get over yourself and do it. You think this is gonna be easy? Other people take years to complete their bodyguard training courses. You need to be on parr with them. So if you want this, you gotta work hard for it."

I swallow in his words, nodding. He's right. I just need to suck it up and do it.

"Alright," I say, feeling even more determined than ever.

"Good." He nods. "Ten rounds. Go."

Before he spits out the last word, I'm already off.

And I don't stop running.

☸☸☸☸☸☸

Half an hour and eight buckets of sweat later, I'm still going strong. Or at least that is what I keep telling myself. I've gotten down all the basics of fighting, and now I'm unto grappling and holds. I didn't even know there were so many techniques to fighting. I always thought that it was just beating the shit out of someone. But no.

It's actually not that simple.

It's been an hour since we started the actual training and I lost count of the number of times I've already hit the ground. I brace myself for impact yet again as Jax moves with swiftly, his eyes narrowed and focus, as he grabs a hold of my leg and throw me to the ground. I wince in pain but I try not to show it. It gets better every time I go down, but it still hurts.

When I'm on the floor, I struggle to free myself from Jax's grasp. He has one of my legs wedged between mine.

"Now, when you get your opponent in this position, the best thing to do is massage the achilles tendon..." Jax's voice trails off as he presses two fingers on my skin, and I cry out from the unbearable pain that comes along with it.

"Fuck!" I swear. I grit my teeth and press my face against the floor, my eyes drifting open and close. "Shit that fucking hurts!"

"Good!" He huffs. "It's a great tactic in case someone tries to attack you. Or me."

"Let go, please!" I yelp. Jax smirks, then does what I say and I cradle my leg in my arms like some kind of baby.

"Shit," I curse. "Training is harder than I thought it would be."

"Hunter's techniques might be a little bit less extreme than mine." He holds out his hand so that I can take it. My fingers slip into his and I'm momentarily overwhelmed by the fact that our skin our touching. His eyes flicker to mine, a foreign expression passing his face, but it's gone in a second. I get up from the floor and pat myself on my thighs. "His are mostly self-defense. He doesn't hit unless it's necessary. My techniques are more... brutal. I don't stop hitting until that person is down."

"You're crazy," I breathe.

"Maybe." He shrugs. "But it's the only lifestyle I've ever known. "

I freeze, assessing his words. It sounded as if he had been fighting his whole life, even outside of the ring. I wonder if there's a story behind that.

He clears his throat, wiping his sweat with the back of his hand. "You okay?"

"Fine." I nod. "Dying, but fine."

He lets out a soft chuckle. "Darling, we barely even begun. That's just the basics."

"Seriously?" I groan.

"You still got a long way to go, Blaire," he tells me.

"You sure you don't have any where to go right now?"

He glares at me. "Nice try, but you aren't escaping this."

Dammit. But it was worth a shot.

"You can do it, Blaire," he murmurs.

"I find it really ironic that the person whom I'm supposed to be protecting is teaching me how to protect him." I snort and he chuckles again. God, I love his laugh. It makes me feel all warm and stuff inside.

"This arrangement has never been not weird." he gestures between us. "Till today I still find it hard to believe that you're my bodyguard."

"Well, believe it, Jackson," I hold up my fist and pretend to dance around him like I'm ready for a fight. "Come on. Teach me the good stuff. I want to learn how to punch someone to death."

He grins, but shakes his head. "Not yet, darling. That shit is going to take a while and you're not ready for it. Besides, you're a bodyguard. Not a UFC fighter. You don't actually need that kind of training. Only the basics."

"Uh, basic is so boring." I roll my eyes. "Okay, Jackson. What's next?"

"Takedowns and groundwork," Jax says. "You ready?"

"I'm about to pass out any minute but please, continue."

He rolls his eyes, but doesn't actually listen to me and gets to work.

"So when your opponent is coming at you and he's at a close distance, " Jax starts off. "Walk towards me, Blaire-yeah, just like that. As I was saying-when he's nearby and he's about to attack, you have the opportunity to grab his waist-" He presses his chest close to mine and secures both of his thick arms on my waist. "And then do this." He swings me around and tackles me to the ground. It's not a soft blow; I feel it pain vibrate throughout my entire body.

"I hate my job," I sigh against the floor. Jax's arms are still around me, his face inches away from mine. He smiles, a little crookedly, but there's nothing cocky about it.

"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Did I hurt you?"

"I think my spine is broken."

He stiffens. "Please tell me you're joking."

I pat him on the shoulder and laugh. "Calm down. I am. But that fucking hurt though."

He frowns, then leans forward, his hand cupping my cheek. I'm so taken aback by the sudden gesture that I'm pretty sure I stopped breathing. My eyes meet with his and I feel the intensity through his gaze. I gulp, a lump forming in my throat, as he parts his lips and murmurs.

"That's not funny," he says. "If you're hurt, you got to tell me, okay?"

"I thought you like hurting people."

"Not you." He shakes his head ever so slowly. "Never you."

There's something about his words, something that's so sacred, like he's never told them to anyone but me. He looks at me, a little bit frightened, but it's clouded by another emotion that I can't quite decipher. His hand is still on my cheek, trailing softly over my skin, like he's shocked that he's doing this but he's too scared to stop it.

I take this opportunity to study Jax's face-from his startling suck-me-in blue eyes, to his high cheekbones, then to his full lips. What I would give to touch those lips, just once. My heart flutters at just the thought of it. I hate that he's making me want to kiss him, touch him, do all sorts of things to him. I want to feel his breath on my breasts, and his mouth traveling to forbidden places. I want to feel him inside me, unraveling me slowly from the inside out.

But Jax is completely off limits. I've been telling myself that since day one.

Stupid, stupid brain. Always wanting doing things you're not supposed to be doing.

He clenches his jaw, then looks away quickly. Then, he's off me in an instant and I feel the absence of his body against mine.

"Here." He gives me a hand and I take it, getting up. I almost lose my balance-perhaps it was because of that moment Jax and I just shared on the mats just now-and he catches me in his huge arms, cocooning me. "Hey."

"Hey," I breathe, my voice going an octave higher.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

"I told you that you can't stop this," Jax murmurs. He takes one of my hands and places them on his chest, the place above his heart. "You feel what you're doing to me, darling? You feel it? And my heart's not the only anatomy in my body that really wants the fuck out of you."

I gulp, my eyes lowering, until I see the bulge in his pants. He looks at my shocked expression and chuckles. "Don't worry, darling. I know you're not ready for me yet." He tells me, arms tightening around my waist. "But when you are, I assure you, I'm not going to disappoint. I'm going to be the best you've ever had. I'll have you screaming my name over and over until you forget your other lovers-Ben included."

"I don't want you." I shake my head.

"Yes. Yes you do. Your body does not lie," He strokes the side of my body with the back of his hand. "You want me, Blaire. And when you finally realize that, when you let yourself want me... we're going to happen. Whether you want it or not. We're going to be phenomenal."

☸☸☸☸☸☸

A/N: I AM PHENOMENAL (PHENOMENAL, PHENOMENAL)

If you don't know that song, you don't know music. HAHHA. Just kidding. But seriously. Eminem is GOD.

I hope you liked this chapter! Leave a comment down below to tell me what do you guys think! JAIRE romance is brewing, isn't it? That sexual tension tho.

I'm halfway through with my exams (only a week and a half left!) Then, you know what that means! I can finally WRITE MORE. Which means more updates. You have no idea how much I crave the freedom right now. I feel so enslaved.

See you all next Friday, my Dia-Hards! Meanwhile, Keep Calm and Love Jax!

Love, Claudia.