Chapter 73 - 0073: You Shameless Pervert

Chapter 73: Chapter 0073: You Shameless Pervert

Elena’s Point Of View

The way he said it... soft, absolute, and impossibly sure, sent a deep shiver straight down my spine. His eyes flicked to me, dragging over my face slow and heavy, like a matchstick scraping against the rough edge of a box, leaving sparks in its wake. I forgot, for a moment, to breathe, caught somewhere between fear and a feeling I refused to name.

There was something in the way he looked at me that made the silence between us feel dangerous, as though one wrong word might set the whole car ablaze.

He pulled the car over onto the quiet shoulder of a private estate road, throwing it into park. Without a word, he reached into the backseat and pulled out a small first-aid kit he must have grabbed from the shop... cotton wool, antiseptic ointment, and surgical tape.

His movements were quick and practiced, as though he’d done this a hundred times before, for a hundred other wounds I knew nothing about. I found myself wondering, absurdly, whose blood had stained his hands before mine, and what kind of life required a man to keep bandages within such easy reach.

He unbuckled his seatbelt and turned fully toward me. His large, calloused fingers were unbelievably gentle as he tipped my chin up. I winced as he dabbed the cool antiseptic against the bleeding gash on my forehead, his dark eyes locked onto mine with a fierce, quiet intensity as he quickly and efficiently dressed the wound.

There was something unsettling about the tenderness in his hands, a contradiction I couldn’t quite reconcile with the man I thought I knew. The silence between us felt heavier than any words could have been, thick with things neither of us dared to say.

I studied the sharp line of his jaw, the furrow of concentration between his brows, and wondered how many other sides of him existed beneath the one he showed the world.

"Who knew the annoying, arrogant Jaxx could actually have a soft side to him?" I teased weakly, playfully rolling my eyes at him to hide the sudden hammering of my pulse.

"Don’t take it to heart, Bambina," he replied smoothly, his thumb lingering against my jaw, gently brushing a stray, damp strand of hair away from my eye. The rain outside slammed into the windshield in relentless, furious waves, as if trying to drown the world one drop at a time, while the wipers screeched back and forth in vain. "You owe me big time now. And I don’t forget my debts."

I scoffed, leaning my head back against the leather seat, a faint smirk playing on my lips despite the pain. "You’ll always remain an arsehole, Jaxx."

The corner of his mouth curved into something dark, dangerous, and sinfully intoxicating. He leaned in close, his lips inches from my ear, his deep voice dropping into a lethal, vibrating whisper.

"You keep calling me that, Bambina... are you really that desperate for me to fuck you in the ass? Because I’ll definitely make it come true."

Heat flooded my cheeks, and I hated how my body betrayed me with a shiver that had nothing to do with the cold. His dark, wicked smirk lingered in the warm air between us long after he pulled back and shifted the car into drive. The engine let out a low, predatory growl as he cut through the blinding downpour, steering the vehicle down a secluded, winding route that led straight to the exclusive, high-security district.

I watched the city blur past the window, my heart still racing from words I refused to admit had any effect on me at all. Every mile that passed felt like a small surrender, though to what exactly, I couldn’t say.

Ten minutes later, the car descended a private concrete ramp into the sleek, underground garage of the Vespers Club. The dim, golden ambient lights of the underground sanctuary washed over the polished hood as Jaxx brought the car to a smooth halt in his reserved, secluded bay.

He killed the engine. Silence settled into the cabin, broken only by the quiet hum of the underground ventilation and the heavy, rhythmic beat of our breathing. For a moment, neither of us moved, the weight of the night pressing down on both of us in the stillness.

I stole a glance at his profile, sharp and shadowed in the low light, and wondered how someone capable of such cruelty could also hold a person like they were something worth protecting. It was a contradiction that unsettled me more than anything else that had happened that night.

Before I could even reach for the door handle, Jaxx unbuckled his seatbelt, stepped out into the cool air of the garage, and walked around to my side of the car. He pulled the passenger door open, the faint scent of luxury leather and rain lingering around him.

Without a word, he leaned down, slid his large, warm hands under my thighs and back, and lifted me effortlessly out of the leather seat.

"Jaxx, wait..." I gasped, my good arm instinctively wrapping around his neck for balance as he kicked the car door shut with his heel.

He didn’t listen. He held me securely against his broad chest, his long, confident strides carrying us straight toward the hidden, private VIP elevator tucked away in the back of the garage. He pressed the top button with his knuckle, and the steel doors slid open instantly to reveal a lavish, mirror-lined interior.

As the elevator ascended in quiet, seamless speed, I could feel the steady hammer of his heart against my cheek, his dark eyes staring down at my bruised face with a quiet, fierce intensity. I wondered, briefly, what he saw when he looked at me like that... whether it was pity, or something else entirely, something I wasn’t ready to name.

The reflection in the mirrored walls multiplied us endlessly, a hundred versions of this strange, fragile moment trapped in glass, each one asking the same unspoken question I couldn’t bring myself to voice.

Ding.

The doors parted directly into his private penthouse suite upstairs. The sprawling space was dimly lit, draped in dark velvets, warm woods, and floor-to-ceiling glass overlooking the storm-swept city below. Everything about it spoke of wealth accumulated quietly, deliberately, without the need for announcement.

It felt less like a home and more like a fortress built to keep the world, and perhaps people, at a careful distance. I couldn’t help but wonder how many nights he’d spent alone in a place so vast, so beautifully empty.

He carried me across the plush area rug and gently set my feet down near the center of the expansive living room, keeping his hands anchored on my hips until he was sure my trembling legs wouldn’t buckle beneath me.

"Wait here," he commanded softly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

He turned and disappeared down a wide hallway toward the master suite. I stood there, wrapped tightly in his heavy cashmere coat, my good hand resting over my aching ribs as I took in the sheer grandeur of his sanctuary. The city lights blurred through the rain-streaked windows, and for a moment, I let myself forget the chaos of the night, if only to marvel at how far removed this world was from mine.

Every surface gleamed with a kind of cold perfection, and yet standing there, shivering and battered, I felt strangely more real than I had in years. Perhaps it was the pain, or perhaps it was simply him, but something about that moment cracked open a part of me I usually kept carefully sealed.

Ten minutes later, Jaxx walked back into the living room. He had discarded his ruined white shirt, now wearing a simple, dark fitted tee that clung to his broad chest and biceps.

"I drew a bath for you," he said, closing the distance between us.

Before I could process his words, his arms swooped down once again, scooping me up into his chest.

"Ah! Jaxx!" I shrieked, my voice echoing off the high ceilings as my good arm flailed against his shoulder. "Stop lifting me around like a sack of potatoes! I have legs, I can walk!"

A low, rumbling chuckle vibrated against his chest. "You can barely stand without shivering, Bambina. Stop complaining and let me do the work."

He carried me into the massive, marble-tiled master bathroom. The room was bathed in soft, amber light, steam rising lazily from a freestanding, oversized stone tub. The warmth hit me before we even crossed the threshold, promising a comfort I hadn’t realized I craved until that exact moment. For a fleeting second, I let myself imagine what it might feel like to belong somewhere so warm, so safe, without questioning the cost of it.

He gently set me down on my feet near the edge of the steaming water. The rich, suffocatingly sweet aroma of vanilla and soothing jasmine filled the room, instantly wrapping around my senses like a warm blanket.

Jaxx crossed his arms over his chest, leaning his hip casually against the marble vanity. His dark eyes dragged slowly down my body, a dangerous, playful spark dancing in his gaze.

"Should I stay and help you wash?" he purred, his voice dripping with flirty, teasing arrogance. "Just to make sure you don’t drown, of course."

My face flushed hot instantly. "Get out!" I screamed, using my good hand to shove hard against his solid chest, pushing him toward the doorway. "Get lost, you shameless pervert!"

Jaxx let out a deep, wicked laugh, stepping backward into the hallway without putting up a fight. He caught the bathroom door before it slammed shut, leaning his head in with a devious smirk.

"I’ll be waiting right outside for you, Bambina," he chuckled, winking smoothly before shutting the door behind him.

I let out a shaky breath, listening to his footsteps fade down the corridor. Only then did I allow myself to sink against the counter, my legs finally giving in to the exhaustion I’d been fighting all night. The adrenaline that had carried me through the crash, the rain, and everything after finally drained away, leaving me hollow and trembling in its wake.

For the first time since the accident, I let a few silent tears slip free, unwitnessed and unjudged in the privacy of the steam-filled room.

Once I was alone in the quiet warmth of the bathroom, I unbuttoned the thick cashmere coat and let it slide off my shoulders onto the bench. I looked down at my navy dress - it was torn at the hem, caked in dark mud, and ruined beyond repair. I carefully unzipped it, letting the ruined fabric pool at my feet, stripping away the drenched layers until I was completely free.

I stepped over the stone ledge and lowered my bruised, aching body into the hot bath.

"Ahhh..." A soft, involuntary moan escaped my lips as the scalding water enveloped my skin.

The heat hit my shivering muscles like liquid gold. The intoxicating scent of vanilla and soothing jasmine seeped into my lungs, easing the brutal tension coiled tight in my chest. I rested my head back against the edge of the tub, letting the water wash away the cold mud, the blood, and the lingering nightmare of the accident.

For the first time all night, my throbbing body felt like it was finally calming down, and with it came a wave of emotion I hadn’t expected... relief, mixed with something dangerously close to gratitude toward the very man who infuriated me most. I closed my eyes and let the quiet swallow me whole, if only for a few stolen minutes, allowing myself, just this once, to stop fighting the current of whatever this night had become.

After spending long, blissful minutes soaking in the scented water, I pulled myself out of the tub. I reached for the massive, plush black towel hanging over the heated rack nearby and wrapped it tightly around my body, tucking it securely over my chest.

I unlocked the bathroom door and stepped out into the dimly lit master bedroom, drying a wet strand of hair with the edge of the fabric.

Jaxx was leaning against the doorframe at the end of the room, holding two glasses of amber liquid. The moment his eyes landed on me, he froze, and something unreadable flickered across his features before he could mask it.

His gaze dropped slowly, taking in the black plush towel clinging to my curves, highlighting my damp shoulders and bare legs. His eyes darkened, a low, appreciative whistle escaping his lips.

"Damn," Jaxx murmured, his voice dropping into a thick, low rascal growl. "Who knew my towel would look so good on you?"