Simply Irresistible

Chapter 19

The sun was slanting much lower in the sky out Jax’s bedroom window when Maddie opened her eyes and blinked into focus a well-defined, muscular chest. Tipping her head back, she met a pair of warm golden eyes that were looking pretty damn alert for a man who should have nothing left in the tank.

“I fell asleep,” she said in surprise.

“Just for a little while.” He was playing with a strand of her hair, wrapping the curl around and around his finger. “You okay?”

She knew why he asked. He’d seen her face that exact moment he’d pushed inside of her, the single sole heartbeat when her world had slammed to a halt on its axis.

Fear.

Not that he’d hurt her, never that. No, this fear hadn’t been physical. Instead, she was afraid of the emotions he had awakened in her. Of what she could feel for him if she let herself.

Jax was on his side, holding her snugged up against him, one hand propping up his head, the other stroking her under the blanket he must have pulled up over them.

“I’m more than okay,” she said.

“Then what was the look?”

Trust him to ask bluntly, to put it all out there. She dropped her gaze from his and stared at his throat. “It was good, so very, very good.”

“And this surprises you?”

“No. It scares me.” She met his gaze. “You’ve made sure to touch me, to try to put me at ease, as often as possible, and yet you’ve never asked me about it. About my past. My relationships.”

“I figured you’d tell me when you were ready.”

And she finally was. “I dated a guy that… well, he wasn’t good for me.”

Something flickered in his eyes. Something hard. But when he spoke, his voice was as calm and gentle as his hand still whispering over her. “Figured that.”

“Until I met you, I’d talked myself into believing all guys were assholes.” She chewed on her lower lip, closing her eyes when he lifted his hand to stroke the hair from her forehead, brushing his fingers across her scar.

“Maddie, look at me.”

She opened her eyes and found his eyes warm and waiting. “We can all be assholes. I want five minutes alone with your ex to prove it, and I want that badly, but I’d never hurt you. Never.”

“Only five minutes?” she asked, trying to lighten the mood.

He wasn’t feeling playful. “Violence should never happen in a relationship.”

She listened to the vehemence in his voice and took strength from it. “Alex was quiet. Controlled. And when he got pissed, he got more quiet and more controlled, until he wasn’t either of those things.” She drew a deep, shuddery breath, remembering how awful it’d been. “The first time he hit me, he seemed so horrified. I can’t even explain to myself how I forgave him. He was so sorry and promised it’d never happen again. Then it did. It was…” She swallowed hard, knowing this all played into her fears, how she had no idea what people were really capable of, and how frightening that was. “It escalated, and I left. But I still hate that it happened more than once.” She shut her eyes and admitted her secret shame. “It’s humiliating that I didn’t see him for what he was. That I’d be with a guy like that-”

“You got out,” he said quietly, firmly. “You managed a difficult situation, and you got out. That’s all that matters now. You have nothing to be ashamed of.” He waited until she met his gaze again and softly repeated it. “Nothing.”

She nodded, and he kissed her softly. “You’re one of the bravest women I know.”

That made her laugh.

“You are.”

Looking deep into his eyes, her amusement faded, replaced by awe. He meant it. And suddenly, she didn’t have to fake the strength. The bravado. It was real. “Did you build this house?”

“Yes. And time for a subject change, I take it.”

She smiled at him. “You’re a smart man. And I think the house is beautiful.”

“You haven’t seen much of it.”

“That’s because you practically shoved me straight to your bed.” She looked around at his large bedroom, sparsely filled with big pieces of dark oak furniture that were both masculine and inviting. His sheets were earth tones and luxurious. There were a couple of towels tossed onto a chair in a corner and running shoes lying beneath it. A forgotten pair of jeans was discarded on the floor.

Izzy was snoozing on top of them.

The room was clean but not necessarily neat. Good to know he wasn’t a perfect superhero. “I like your furniture.”

“I built that, too.”

“So you’re multitalented.”

He smiled wickedly, making her laugh.

“And full of secrets,” she added.

His smile faded some. “Yes.”

She felt her heart catch at the way he looked at her as he ran the pad of a finger over her lower lip. “You going to share them?” she asked.

He just rolled her over the top of him and ran his hands down her body. “Yes. Secret number one. I’m not finished with you.”

“You’re right,” she said, feeling him hard beneath her. “One of us definitely isn’t finished.”

With a grin, he pulled her thigh over his hips so that she straddled him, opening her to his touch. “Only one of us?” he murmured and stroked her with his thumb.

It came away drenched.

“Okay, as it turns out, I might not be finished with you, either.”

“Feel free to take your time.”

She set her hands on his pecs and stared down at him, feeling shockingly at ease given how naked she was. His hands were everywhere on her body, rough and strong and gentle all at the same time. Then he produced another condom and guided her down on him.

It was a deliciously tight fit, and her hands clung to his biceps as she rocked. This wrenched a hungry groan from him, but he gripped her hips. “Slow this time,” he demanded, lazily stroking her where they were joined, making her crazy. “Real slow, Maddie.”

And he meant it. For torturously long minutes, he languidly stroked, teased, and drew her nearly out of her mind, until she was panting out his name like a mantra, desperate for release. When he finally moved, it was in fluid, rhythmic motions that had her crying out, arching into him, clinging to him as if he was her own personal life support. He was everything.

Simple and terrifying as that.

Eventually they staggered into the kitchen for provisions. Jax made grilled cheese and soup, and then they somehow ended up naked on his big leather couch in the living room. Maddie was currently lying there, gasping for breath, thinking that at this rate, they’d kill each other by Christmas. Damp with perspiration, she shifted, and the friction of her moist skin on the soft leather made a sound that had her going utterly still in horror. Then she became a flurry of motion trying to recreate the sound so Jax would know it was the couch and that she hadn’t-

They both clapped their hands to their noses at the same time as the odor hit them, hard and merciless.

“Christ,” Jax said, sitting straight up.

“It wasn’t me, it wasn’t!” Maddie shook her head wildly. “It was my skin against the leather, and-” She broke off because Jax was doubled over, gasping for breath. God. He was dying, he was-

Laughing his butt off, she realized. “It wasn’t me,” she repeated, beginning to feel insulted.

Jax managed to regain control of himself and then turned to the dog lying at their feet. “Iz, we’ve been over this-not in front of guests. You have to go out?”

The dog leapt to her feet and barked joyously, and-

Let out an audible fart.

Grinning, Jax got up to open the door for her.

“You knew it wasn’t me,” Maddie accused when he came back, crossing her arms over her chest.

Still grinning, he sank back down and hauled her into his lap. Pressing his face into her hair, he kissed her behind her ear.

Her sweet spot, and he knew it. “Let me make it up to you,” he said with a low, masculine laugh.

She lifted her chin softly. “I can’t think of anything good enough.”

“I can.” His eyes were lit with the challenge. “And it’s going to be good, Maddie. Very good.”

Not going to cave, she told herself, holding her body rigid. Not going to-

Taking her earlobe gently between his teeth, he tugged lightly. An answering tug occurred between her legs. Cause and effect…

She caved like a cheap suitcase.