The breathtakingly beautiful girl standing in front of her was Jax's ex-girlfriend.
Lola grabbed the bar, glanced at the wine, and against her better judgment downed it in one go. Her confidence was fading, and she needed to find it again.
"There you are!" Melissa cheered with a bright smile when she came up to the bar.
Lola looked past all the strange faces in the crowd and tried to find Jax. He was over by one of the pillars. As though he sensed her looking for him, Jax turned his head, and their eyes locked. Lola was silently begging him to come over, hoping he would see the plea in her eyes. Jax's lips pulled up in a smile until his eyes wandered over the others standing by the bar.
He saw Lavina and Ash. Melissa was oblivious to why the tension was rising.
Jax didn't bother to excuse himself to his company and instead walked quickly through the masses and hurried to Lola.
Lavina turned her head, seeing Jax approaching. She stepped away from the bar and reached out her hand. Jax moved past Lavina's greeting and walked up to Lola.
He towered over her, grabbed her wine glass, and put it on the bar as he whispered, "I'm so sorry."
They locked eyes for a moment, and the guilt he felt was clear on his face. Lola gave him a reassuring smile and cupped his cheek. She leaned in and pressed a kiss on his lips.
"It's okay," she said and wiped the gloss off his lips.
Lola was just happy that he was here now.
They turned together. Ash stepped aside and grabbed Melissa's hand. He pulled her close, earning him a side eye from Lavina as she prepared herself to meet Jax.
"She's been very nice," Lola said as they looked at Lavina.
Lavina reached out her arms, and she and Jax shared a hug.
"It's good to see you, Lavina," Jax said, his eyes lingering on her face.
"You too." She smiled.
Lavina looked past Jax, and her eyes sparkled when she saw Lola.
"You picked a good one," she said to Lola. She turned back to Jax and raised a brow. "And so did you."
Lola shone from the nice comments and leaned her head against Jax's shoulder, only to feel him stiff and tense under her touch.
"I'll leave you guys to it. It was nice meeting all of you, but I have to mingle now," she said and put her glass down.
Lavina took some steps before turning halfway with a narrowed gaze.
"I meant to ask you, does she feel it?" she asked. Her neatly brushed eyebrows furrowed together as she pouted.
Jax's hand tightened around Lola's waist.
Jax didn't answer, so Lavina asked further. "The bond, Jax... does she feel the bond?"
"She feels enough," he said gruffly.
Lavina shrugged a shoulder softly and smiled. Lola stood confusedly and watched the exchange. Even Ash shook his head in disbelief as he watched Lavina walk off.
"That girl, man," Ash groaned.
"What was all that about?" Melissa asked, her arm hooked in Ash's.
"That was Jax's ex-girlfriend," Lola explained.
Melissa's lips rounded, and she stared at Lavina's back. They noticed Lavina's head turning every few minutes as she looked over to see if they were still there.
Lola sighed and held onto Jax when her legs started to feel like jelly. The wine was kicking in. At least her confidence started to creep back up. She looked down at the dress, kicking her heel out to watch it shimmer.
Lola smiled. She raised her head and straightened her back. She wouldn't let herself be intimidated by anyone, and Lavina didn't seem all that bad.
Jax was still tense, so Lola gently grazed her fingers over the side of his face and forced his eyes to meet hers.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Jax's eyes were darting around the ballroom. His fingers rose from her waist and slid over her naked back.
"Look around. What do you see?" he asked. He leaned down, and his lips graced Lola's neck, causing goosebumps to grow on her body.
"People," Lola answered and tried to withhold the moan that was building in her throat.
"What are they doing?" he asked and pressed a wet kiss on her neck.
"Talking..." she rasped out and drew a breath. "They're talking to each other," she continued.
"Look at the men. Focus on them," he instructed.
Jax's fingers slid under the side of her dress and moved down. He grabbed the lace string on her underwear and tugged. His tongue slid over her neck as he tasted her.
Lola looked around, trying her best to focus. She met a few gazes from men. Some winked, and others held their drinks up and cheered toward her. Some were just staring at her like she was a piece of meat they wanted to sink their teeth into.
"They're looking," she said and averted her gaze.
Jax's breath fanned her neck as he kissed up her jaw. His lips hovered by her ear, and he tugged the string harder, causing a yelp to press out between her lips.
"At you," he growled.
Lola grabbed his face and turned it toward her.
"And I am looking only at you," she whispered with a promise in her eyes.
Jax's lips slammed down on hers. His tongue entered her mouth in a passionate kiss that set her body on fire, and uncountable urges soared through her veins.
It was a kiss to ensure that every man in the chateau knew exactly who Lola belonged to.
Ash cleared his throat and looked amused as they pulled back from each other.
"Let's keep it PG, shall we?" he said.
Lola regained her composure. She took a few deep breaths and swallowed to ease the dryness in her throat. The one thing she couldn't fix was the wetness between her legs, and she wondered if she and Jax could sneak off and take care of that.
"Uhm..." she started but was cut off.
"Jax Blackwood and his beautiful wife."
Another older man came up to them and introduced himself as Mr. Arnold. The younger man next to him was his son.
The son scanned Lola up and down. His eyes lingered a little too long around her cleavage.
"I don't think we've met," Jax said and reached out his hand. "Jax Blackwood."
Mr. Arnold's son grabbed his hand, his jaw immediately tensed and his eyes narrowed in pain. "Sebastian Arnold," he seethed and fought to pull his hand back.
Sebastian was Jax's age, but it was clear that Sebastian was a socialite and thought everyone who wasn't was beneath him. Jax wasn't like that. He showed everyone the same amount of respect they showed him.
"Any advice you have for my son will be greatly appreciated," Mr. Arnold said in his whiskey-sharp tone.
"Yes, well, I can recommend that being cautious as to where one looks is a great way to stay in business," Jax said and pulled Lola to his side.
Mr. Arnold laughed, thinking it was a joke, Sebastian, however, heard the underlying message and took a step back. He didn't look at Lola again.
"I'm gonna visit the ladies' room. I'll be right back," Lola said and smiled at Jax.
"I'll go with you," Melissa said and pulled away from Ash's grip.
She giggled as she grabbed Lola's hand, and they walked out into the foyer again on a mission to find a toilet.
"You're smitten," Lola said.
Melissa shrugged her shoulders.
"You say it like it's a bad thing," she mused.
"Being smitten isn't a bad thing. It's whom you're smitten with that raises my alerts," Lola said, wiggling her brows.
They laughed and tried different doors, hoping one would lead to a bathroom. A woman came out fixing her hair, and they saw the lamp in the room. They walked over to the door and looked inside. It was a bathroom-a lush, very extravagant bathroom. The countertop was white stone, and the sink was pure gold. They rushed inside and locked the door.
Lola felt she could stay there forever, away from all the people.
"So... his ex," Melissa said, dragging the words as a means to start the conversation.
Lola nodded. "Yup, but I don't see why Ash said all those things. She actually seemed very nice and sweet," Lola said. She took out the gloss from her shimmery clutch and reapplied a thin layer.
"I'm surprised you would say that," Melissa said.
She watched Lola's reflection with a wondering gaze.
"Why?" Lola asked.
Melissa scoffed. "Because you don't trust. It's an important trait in a lawyer but a vital one for you. Don't start trusting now, Lola, you're not in a position where you have the luxury to be wrong,"
Lola turned and put her gloss down. She chewed on her lip and nodded slowly.
"Right," Lola said.
Melissa smiled. She grabbed Lola's shoulders and turned on her heels.
"Prepared for another round?" Lola laughed and nodded.
"Sure. I'm just gonna pee, and I'll be right out. You go ahead and flirt with Ash."
Melissa spun on her heels and winked. "You know I will."
She left, and Lola shook her head and locked the door. She would need to keep an eye on those two. If there was one person she didn't trust right now, it was Ash.
Lola lifted her dress, her fingers graced her skin, and her underwear was soaking wet from Jax's earlier tease. The sound of the lock turning and the handle being twisted caused her eyes to stare in panic at the door. She dropped the dress and drew a breath. The door opened up, and a woman stuck her head in.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! Doesn't seem like the door locks properly. Don't worry, I'll stand guard outside until you're done," she promised sweetly.
The door closed, and Lola clutched her chest.