Deep red lighting illuminates the understated furnishing of the hotel bar. Dark, polished wood gleams in the low glow. Jaxson sweeps his eyes over the room. He pulls nervously at the hem of his plum button down, the colour complimenting his dark skin. The room has a soft ambiance with slow jazz playing over the speakers. The soft chimes of sparkling glasses tinkle in the background. Couples are dotted around the room at small round tables, leaning in close and enjoying the intimate atmosphere. A blonde woman sits alone at the bar. Jaxson smooths a hand over his short-cropped hair in a nervous tick. He feels his palms sweat when he clenches his fists.
Jaxson takes a deep breath and makes his way over to the bar, sitting on a stool two away from the woman. He signals the bartender and orders a whiskey neat and a glass of ice water. From the corner of his eye, he takes in the woman. She has long hair, straight and sweeping over her left shoulder. Her dress has a deep neckline, clinging to and showing the subtle curves of her body. A slit in the skirt bares a glimpse of her crossed legs, muscular and tempting with so much still hidden. The duck egg blue of the dress reminds Jaxson of a clear morning sky, hair shining like the sun rising over the horizon. He swallows against the sudden dryness in his throat as the bartender places his drinks in front of him. He thanks him quietly as he pays and tips, then returns to his quiet solitude. Jaxson sips his whiskey, savouring the burst of flavour across his tongue. The sharpness of the drink wakes up his senses and clears his mind.
Another sip and another sidelong glance. The woman is looking back at him this time, appraising him over the rim of a glass of white wine. Jaxson feels his cheeks flush and he sharply averts his gaze back to his drink. A single bead of sweat rolls down the back of his neck, past the collar of his shirt to trickle down his spine. He shivers at the ticklish sensation not noticing the woman move until she's sitting next to him, offering her hand.
"Jasmine," she introduces herself, hand held out confidently. Her voice lilts pleasantly, high-pitched but not grating.
Jaxson clears his throat as he meets her eyes, the shade of them startlingly close to the blue of her dress. "Jaxson," he says, taking her hand in a firm grip. Jasmine smiles down at him, barely an inch taller but taking great satisfaction in looking down at him.
"Lovely name," she says with a pointed squeeze of her hand. "It suits you."
Warmth floods Jaxson's body at the compliment and he knows his cheeks are deeply flushed. He breaks eye contact and looks down at the hand she'd clasped so confidently. He gestures towards her and meets her gaze. "That's a beautiful dress."
Jasmine smiles and thanks him softly, both sweet and sultry as she holds his eyes through her lashes. "What brings you here?" she asks.
"Work," Jaxson says. "I usually work from home but I live outside of the city. Sometimes I'm required to make an appearance in the office to prove that I'm still alive. You?"
"I travel a lot and I just happened to be here today." She takes a sip of her wine and Jaxson's eyes are drawn to her tongue as it chases a droplet caught on her plush bottom lip. Jasmine smirks at his attention, revealing a flash of brilliant, white teeth for Jaxson to admire. He takes another drink to wet his dry mouth. Images of her sat astride him, smirking down at him as she takes her pleasure floods his mind. He pictures her baring that perfect smile at him before she leans forward and bites down. The pleasant warmth running through his veins sparks into a suffocating heat. Another bead of sweat trails down his spine and he drinks again.
"You- uh," he starts and stutters nervously. Clears his throat and tries again. "You're awfully dressed up to be drinking alone in a hotel bar." Jaxson tries to sound confident, inviting, but he's worried that he only sounds out of his depth.
Thankfully, Jasmine laughs, voice like windchimes in a gentle breeze. "Let's just say I was hopeful that someone handsome would come along." She raises her eyebrows at him with a slight tilt of her head and a smile. "Was my effort in vain?"
Jaxson's ears burn. "No. It wasn't."
"Then things are looking up." Jasmine rests her glass on the bar, left hand gently caressing the stem as her right reaches out to settle on Jaxson's knee. He jumps, just slightly, her touch sparking an electric current beneath his skin. The way she smiles at him sets his pulse racing. Confidence grips Jaxson and he turns in his chair, angling his body towards hers and covering her hand with his left.
"For me, too."
Jasmine's eyes dance playfully over Jaxson's face. They sparkle with delight and anticipation. She leans in with a soft smile and asks, "What are you doing
here
."
Jaxson shivers and his core trembles. He shifts on his stool, barely resisting the urge to squirm. He swallows heavily. "I wanted company."
Jasmine smiles, shark-like, very obviously satisfied with Jaxson's answer.
"What a coincidence," she says. "Me too."
They finish their drinks quickly, both eager, though Jasmine is significantly more suave about it. They stand and leave the bar together, her hand on the small of Jaxson's back.
"Your place or mine?" Jasmine asks, stooping just slightly to murmur in Jaxson's ear. Goosebumps prickle his neck where her breath brushes him and a tremor runs through him at the intimacy of the moment.
"Mine?" he asks, looking up at her through his lashes, acting innocent. Jasmine smiles indulgently at him.
"Sounds perfect."
Jasmine walks them to the elevators, her hand a steady pressure on his back and letting Jaxson know that she's in control. It's intoxicating. Addicting. For a split second he thinks that he could get used to the feeling, but he shakes himself out of it. This is just for one night, and he's determined to make the most of it.
The air in the elevator tingles with anticipation and Jasmine caresses Jaxson's skin through his shirt with her thumb, sending sparks shooting up his spine. The elevator doors open, and she pushes him forward. Jaxson makes a low, helpless noise in the back of his throat and leads them to his hotel room door, slightly dazed. He fumbles his keycard out of his pocket and opens the door under Jasmine's scrutinous gaze.
Jaxson steps into the room, Jasmine a warm presence at his back. He lets the door fall closed behind them, shrouding them in darkness. The light of the moon streams in through the window where Jaxson left the curtains open, casting the room in a pale, otherworldly glow. Jaxson's stomach churns as anxiety kicks in.
"There's..." he trails off. Clears his throat. Starts again. "There's something I have to tell you first."
Jasmine drapes her arms over his shoulders from behind, hands smoothing a hot path over Jaxson's chest. "What is it?" she murmurs in his ear as she presses her body against him. He pulls out of her loose embrace and sits on the edge of the bed, hands twisting nervously in his lap. Jasmine follows him over and sits next to him, sensing the shift in his mood.
"I- uh." Jaxson starts and stops anxiously, and Jasmine lays a hand over his to settle them. He takes a deep breath and looks up to meet her eyes. "I'm transgender."
Jasmine nods once, absorbing the information calmly. "Okay."
"Okay?"
She smiles and sets her palm on the bed behind him, leaning forward to put her mouth to his ear. "I want you to fuck me," she breathes, soft lips brushing his face in the barest hint of a kiss. "Can you do that?" Jaxson nods, lightheaded. "Then okay."