When he was sixteen years old, Jagger Black laid eyes on the girl who was his. At a cemetery. During her motherโs funeral.
For years, their lives cross, they feel the pull of their connection, but then they go their separate ways.
But when Jagger sees that girl chasing someone down the street, he doesnโt think twice before he wades right in. And when he gets a full-on dose of the woman sheโs become, he knows he finally has to decide if heโs all in or if itโs time to cut her loose.
Sheโs ready to be cut loose.
But Jagger is all in.
Chaos
Can be read as a standalone
Contemporary Romance
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Ashley brings a new story in her Chaos series. WILD WIND is out tomorrow, but you can read a sneak peek right now, below!
โOkay,โ he crossed his arms and leaned a shoulder against her window, โyou tell me. Howโs this gonna go down?โ
โFirst, Iโm not a big fan of being called babe.โ
โNoted.โ
He said it.
He didnโt mean it.
She was totally a babe and he hoped she would soon be his babe.
So that was sticking.
She could find that out later.
But for now, they needed to move this along.
โSecond, it actually doesnโt matter if you call me babe or not. The window where we could have been something to each other has closed. Iโve moved on. You need to move on.โ
โWhat are you, twenty-four? Twenty-five?โ
โTwenty-five, who cares?โ
Whoa.
โYouโre only twenty-five and you made all of that?โ He jerked his head to the window to indicate the store beyond.
โJagger!โ she snapped. โFocus.โ
He grinned. โBabe.โ
โOh my God,โ she said quietly, her stare hinting at being a glare. โAre you really this annoying?โ
โJust to say, youโre only twenty-five, Iโm twenty-seven, there are no windows that are closed for us. Unless you havenโt stanned for a boy band. I think for any cool chick like you, at your age, your window is closed for that.โ
โYou can be cute,โ she was still talking quietly, but her tone was completely different, โbut youโre still too late.โ
He was talking quietly too, when he asked, โToo late for what?โ
โMe.โ
Shit.
โYou married?โ he asked.
She shook her head.
โEngaged?โ he went on.
โJaggerโโ
โAre you taken, Archie?โ
She held his eyes.
Hers were black.
She had mixed blood, that was obvious, and everything she got out of however that fusion came about was perfection.
Including her deep-set eyes that dipped down at the inner corners.
But she didnโt answer his question.
Which was an answer to his question.
So he kept going.
โI wanna know whatโs happening with your family. And I wanna know why you got a bunch of kids hanging at your store. And I wanna know about these Harris brothers, and how much trouble theyโre causing you, but mostly Mal. I also wanna take you out to dinner. I wanna see a picture of your mom because Iโve wondered what she looked like, considering how pretty you are, since the minute I set eyes on you. I want you to meet my dad who isnโt my real dad and I wanna share a drink and a game of pool with you in my MCโs compound. I wanna be your friend, Archie. I wanna take this where we should have taken it years ago. But to be clear, I also want more. Iโm attracted to you. I wanna know how you taste and what you feel like and the noises youโll make when I turn you on. Thatโs where Iโm at right now and I want you to be there with me.โ
He took a breath and she didnโt utter a word.
Which was good.
Because he wasnโt done.
โSo last, you gotta know, I refuse to accept that our window is closed. If you believe in God or fate or destiny or karma or whatever, I was there for you the day you needed me the most. And I may have fucked up along the way, but Iโm standing right here telling you, unless shit goes south in a way neither of us can turn that tide, Iโll always be there for you.โ
When he was done with that, she turned her head away.
It was a sharp movement, and the way it was, was concerning.
โArchie, baby,โ he called.
She turned back to him and said, โShe was the best mom in the world, Jagger. She wasโฆshe wasโฆI am everything I am today because of her and she died when I was fourteen. But boys with their moms, thatโs another thing. And her being gone fucked my brother up. Fubar. Huge. And Dad was okay with it for a while. And then he got fed up with it. And now shit is dark, Jagger. And she would hate that. Sheโd really fucking hate it. And I have no idea what to do about it.โ
For his part, he really fucking hated hearing the emotion tremble in her words and not be close to her, at least, holding her, better.
โCan I come to you?โ he requested.
She visibly tensed.
Then she jerked her head up and down.
He went to her.
And carefully, he pulled her in his arms.
She didnโt commit to it, just rested her hands on his waist.
Though she did twist her neck and put the side of her head to his chest.
He breathed her in and tucked her as close as he could without being gross and pervy in doing it.
She didnโt say anything, and he didnโt have anything to say.