CHAPTER 84: CHAPTER 84 TRYING ANOTHER DESSERT

Caroline’s POV

"Honestly,Eleanor, this dress might be too much," I said.The black dress was super tight on me. The neckline was low enough to show off, but still looked classy.

Eleanor looked up while fixing her heels. She had that sneaky look in her brown eyes. "Too much what? You’re hot, you’re single, and you’re going out with friends. Own it, Carrie."

I checked my side view in the mirror. "Come on, you know what I mean. Jax is clearly into me. I’m not some clueless girl who can’t see that."

"Girl, you’re smoking hot," Eleanor cut in with a big smile.

"But I’ve got this thing with Draven to figure out," I said, trying to ignore her comment. "I don’t want to give Jax the wrong idea."

Eleanor stood behind me. She fixed my gold necklace. I saw us both in the mirror.

"So what? Draven’s been fooling around with Ella. He even slept with her. You’re just hanging out with a hot guy who likes you. You’re getting to know him. Since when is that against pack rules?"

I sighed. "Okay, fine."

"Hey Elle, how’d you get Nate to say yes to tonight?" I asked. She was busy putting on mascara.

"Easy. I told him I was going out with the girls," Eleanor said. She kept looking at herself in the mirror.

"Did you tell him about the guys?" I raised my eyebrow at her.

"Just a small detail, Carrie!" Eleanor turned to me. Her face got serious. "Don’t forget how he’s been hanging with Draven lately. And I haven’t forgotten about that wolf-girl throwing herself at him at the dinner."

"Elle, you’re crazy," I laughed. I put on some pink lip gloss.

"It’s no big deal. We’re just having fun with friends." She checked her phone. "Ruby just messaged. She’s at the restaurant with everyone."

We finished getting ready and left my place. The taxi was waiting outside.

We got to Golden Petal. Kyle and Ava were just getting out of their car.

"Damn! The guys won’t know what hit them! We all look hot!" Kyle grinned. Her blue dress matched her eyes perfectly.

"Super hot!" Eleanor nodded. "Let’s go in. Ruby says they’re already here."

The restaurant was fancy. It had crystal lights and nice tables with gray and white cloths. The chairs had pretty black and white patterns. The food smelled amazing - steak, herbs, and desserts. Rory was practically drooling.

The waitress took us to our table. The guys stood up when they saw us, all smiles. I spotted Jax right away. He was tall and handsome in dark jeans and a button-down shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders. His warm brown eyes lit up when he spotted me.

"Caroline, you get prettier every time I see you," Jax said with his nice smile. He pulled out my chair.

"Thanks, Jax. You look good too," I smiled back. My heart beat faster when he got close. I could feel how warm he was.

"I dressed up for you!" His eyes crinkled when he smiled. It was getting harder not to like that smile.

Jax was sweet and fun. We talked about the restaurant and karaoke plans. They’d already ordered drinks. The guys picked a really good wine,a merlot that made me feel warm inside.

Dinner was great. I was glad I said yes to Jax and his friends. The night was chill and fun,just what I needed. They were cool people and told funny stories. You could tell they’d been friends forever.

"Hey Carrie, are you and Draven serious?" Jax asked while we ate. He tried to sound casual but his eyes were intense.

"It’s complicated, Jax." I took another sip of wine to buy time.

"But is it a complicated that’s worth the effort, or a complicated that maybe you’re not willing to uncomplicate?" he persisted, leaning slightly closer across the table.

I could feel Rory shifting uncomfortably within me. She didn’t like discussing our situation with another male, even one as charming as Jax.

"I still don’t know," I admitted honestly. "I’m really in love with him, but it seems like something always happens..."

"You know, Carrie, I think you’re very beautiful, and I won’t deny that I’m very interested in you." Jax’s voice dropped lower, more intimate. "I understand that you’re kind of confused right now, but couldn’t you let things flow between us? I mean, just allow us to get to know each other better, you know?" Jax was direct, and despite my mental preparation, the intensity of his gaze caught me off guard.

"He’s bold, I’ll give him that," Rory commented.

"Jax, you’re very kind, we get along well, and you seem like an amazing guy, but my life is kind of complicated right now." I met his gaze steadily. "I won’t give you false hope. I don’t know where this thing with Draven is going."

"Alright. But can we be friends? Have lunch sometimes, go out for drinks? Those things that friends do. I promise I won’t get any wrong ideas." His lips curled into a playful smile. "And I confess, it’s really fun to annoy Draven and his pack members."

"Yes, Jax, we can be friends." I couldn’t help returning his smile.

"Well then, as a friend, you can always call me when you need to teach Draven a lesson. Or when you need to make him jealous." He said, smiling as he brought the wine glass to his lips. I couldn’t help but laugh; he really did enjoy the provocations.

"So, ladies, dessert?" Paul asked enthusiastically after dinner, his eyes never leaving Kyle, who was clearly enjoying the attention despite she had Luke.

"Always, Paul!" Kyle replied with equal enthusiasm.

They had been engaged in what seemed to be a very interesting conversation during dinner.Luke would be furious if he saw this.Or maybe not,considering what Eleanor told me about their "arrangement."

"How about trying a different dessert, Caroline? Chocolate cake is good, but why not try something else?"Jax said with a playful smirk.

"Not a bad idea. What do you suggest?"I played along. The light flirting was kinda fun.

"Can I surprise you?"

"Of course!" I smiled, feeling more relaxed than I had in weeks.

When the desserts arrived, I was enchanted by what was placed in front of me; it was beautiful and looked delicious.

"What is this? I’m not an expert in French cuisine," I explained to Jax.

"It’s called tarte aux pommes. It’s a classic French pastry, a shortcrust pastry with apples, sugar, and vanilla, always served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I think you’ll like it." Jax winked at me, his charm undeniable.

I put a piece of the tart with some ice cream in my mouth, and it was so good that I closed my eyes to savor it. It was sweet and refreshing, with an impressively subtle apple tartness. The apples were golden, almost melting they were so soft, perfectly complementing the crust, and the ice cream was the final touch that made this dessert perfect. When I opened my eyes again, Jax was staring at me intently, his eyes darkening as they followed the movement of my tongue across my bottom lip.

"Amazing! It’s incredible and delicious, Jax!" I said, putting another piece in my mouth, suddenly very aware of his gaze.

"See? Trying new things is good, it gives you new perspectives. And it can be surprising." He smiled at me seductively. "The apple is considered the forbidden fruit, Carrie, but it’s delicious, isn’t it?" Jax spoke with clear double meaning.

After dinner, Paul’s uncle came to our table to greet us.

"Nephew, finally you guys decided to surround yourselves with beautiful women instead of hanging out with just your little group of guys."

"We have high standards, Uncle," Paul smirked, his arm around Kyle’s chair.

"Ladies, you brightened up my place today. Stop by anytime. Don’t let these guys hold you back," Paul’s uncle waved goodbye.

"Time to hit karaoke and show what we got!" Paul said excitedly.

"This is gonna be so fun!" Ruby was practically bouncing. Wesley scooted closer, watching her with a smile.

We were about to head out when my phone buzzed. Draven. I stared at his name for a second, then hit ignore and stuffed it back in my purse.

Tonight was my night with friends. For once, what I wanted came first.