CHAPTER 4: First Public Date
1087 Words
Jax…
“Smile like you mean it, Eden. They’re watching.”
I kept my voice low as we stepped into the crowded campus café, my hand firm on her lower back. The place was packed with students grabbing late lunches between classes. Heads turned. Whispers started immediately. Perfect. That was the point.
Eden tensed under my touch but forced a small smile.
“This feels weird,” she whispered back.
“Good. Get used to it.” I guided her to a table near the window, pulling out her chair first. Possessiveness surged through me as I sat across from her. She looked good today. Simple sweater that hugged her curves, hair down. Mine for the next few months, at least in public. The thought sent a dark thrill through my chest.
The contract was real now. Tutoring four times a week. Public dates. No feelings. Easy. Except touching her in the locker room last night had f*ck*d with my head more than I wanted to admit.
She tasted like sin and vulnerability, and I wanted more. But I couldn’t afford more. I was using her to save my self. Suspension loomed if my grades didn’t improve. One more screw-up and Coach would bench me for good. Draft dreams gone. I’d turn into my fathe. washed up, angry, nothing left.
I couldn’t let that happen. Even if it meant dragging this good girl into my mess.
“What do you want?” I asked, nodding at the menu.
She scanned it quickly. “Just a coffee. Black.”
“No girl. You’re eating.” I flagged the waitress. “Two turkey sandwiches, fries, and two black coffees. Add a slice of that chocolate cake too.”
Eden’s eyes widened. “Jax, you don’t have to…”
“I do.” My tone left no room for argument. I leaned forward, elbows on the table, staring at her. “People need to see me taking care of my girl. That’s the image. Stable. In control.”
Her cheeks flushed. She glanced around at the other tables. A group of girls from the hockey crowd were staring hard. Riley’s friends too. Good. Let them talk.
The waitress left and I reached across the table, taking her hand. My thumb stroked her knuckles. Her skin was soft. Warm. That same spark from the locker room hit me again. I held on tighter than necessary, possessiveness flaring when a guy at the next table let his eyes linger on her too long.
“Eyes off,” I muttered under my breath, glaring until he looked away.
Eden noticed. “You don’t have to do that. It’s just fake.”
“Doesn’t matter. While we’re doing this, no one else looks at you like that.”
The words came out rougher than I intended. Internal conflict twisted in my gut.
“She’s a tool, Callahan. Grades. Eligibility. That’s it.”
But my hand didn’t let go. I liked how small hers felt in mine. Liked the way she didn’t pull away even though her eyes showed hesitation.
She bit her lip. “This is moving fast. Yesterday I caught my boyfriend with my best friend. Today I’m sitting here with you like everything’s normal.”
“It’s not normal. That’s why it works.” I squeezed her hand. “Your ex is a piece of sh*t. Let him see you with someone who doesn’t treat you like an afterthought.”
The food arrived. I pushed the sandwich toward her. “Eat.”
She picked at it, but took a bite. I watched her mouth, remembering how it felt against mine last night. I shifted in my seat, trying to ignore the heat building. This was supposed to be simple. Use the top student to pass classes. Use the fake relationship to look like I had my self together. But sitting here with her, claiming her in public, felt too real. Too good.
I was using her. The guilt stared at me. She was still raw from the betrayal, people-pleasing instincts probably screaming at her to make this work for everyone. And here I was, pushing her into the spotlight for my own gain. If she knew how close I was to the edge,how badly I needed this, she might run. But I couldn’t let her. Not yet.
“Tell me about your classes,” I said, changing the subject. “What makes you the top student everyone talks about?”
She relaxed a little as she talked about her schedule, the scholarship pressure, how she helped other athletes sometimes. Her voice was soft but steady. I listened, really listened, while my thumb kept stroking her hand. Every few minutes I scanned the room, making sure people saw us. Saw me touching her. Claiming her.
A couple of my teammates walked in. Tristan raised an eyebrow at us but smirked. I nodded at him, pulling Eden’s hand up to peck her knuckles. Possessiveness burned hotter. She was mine in this moment. Fake or not, no one else got to have her attention.
“You’re staring,” she said quietly.
“Can’t help it.” My voice dropped. “You look good when you’re not crying.”
Her cheeks turned pink again. That reaction did something to me. I wanted to pull her across the table, kiss her until she forgot Riley existed. But we were in public. Image first.
We finished eating. I paid, of course, and stood up, offering my hand. She took it. As we walked out, I kept her close to my side, arm around her waist. Heads turned. Phones came out. By tonight the whole campus would know Jax Callahan had a new girl.
Outside the café, I stopped and turned her toward me. My hand cupped her jaw, thumb brushing her bottom lip. The spark was there again, stronger. I wanted to push her against the wall and taste her right here. But I held back, barely.
“This is working,” I said, voice rough. “Keep it up and we both get what we need.”
Eden looked up at me, eyes searching. Hesitation still there, mixed with something else. Curiosity. Heat. It made my internal conflict worse.
“She’s not yours to keep. Stop wanting more.”
Before I could say anything else, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, frowned at the screen, then showed me.
It was another text from Riley.
The words made my blood boil all over again.
- Writer
