Jax cocked his head to one side and spread a lopsided grin on his face. Could he tell what she was thinking?
Cade ignored his lascivious stare and walked into the bathroom, where she started his bath. Bent over the bathtub, Cade could feel him watching her every move. She waited until the tub was full before turning around, and when she did, Jax was mere inches away from her. Everything he could have said was present in his eyes. He wanted her. She wanted him. Why fight fate?
Jax thumbed the stretchy fabric of her body-con dress, which she had picked specially for the night. She was a rock star's girlfriend. She could try and look the part, to a certain extent. His fingers walked along the curves of her waist, and up to the side of her breasts. He skimmed over her collarbones, and followed his touch with nips on her skin. Fire burned within her. She tilted her head back and welcomed more of his kisses along the length of her neck and under the sensitive skin of her jaw.
His hands made their way to the back of her dress, and ever so painstakingly slowly, he unzipped and peeled the black dress off her. The callus on his fingers caused her stomach muscles to tremble. Jax knelt before her, pulling her dress down over her thighs. He looked up to her with embers of desire burning in his eyes before he drew an invisible line from under her rib cage, circled around her navel and all the way down the edge of her lace panties with his lips. He kissed the arc of her waist and hip while he tugged at the delicate lace and ripped it off her body.
Cade threaded her fingers through his thick hair and tugged. And when he lifted one leg over his shoulder so his mouth could gain better access to her most sensitive parts, she held onto his shoulders for balance. Her fingers dug into his skin while his tongue pierced into her. Stars exploded in the darkness of her shuttered eyes as she came apart. Cade panted and trembled.
Before he stood again, Jax took off her shoes and set them aside. He guided her into the tub, waiting for her protests, which did not come. The water sloshed over the lip of the tub when he joined her. Cade didn't wait for him to reach out to her. She came to him, hovered first over him, and then brought herself down and let him fill her.
This time she kept her eyes open, watching the intensity on his face when she moved her hips, pulling back and pushing forward. Jax covered her splayed hands over his chest. When he felt her pulsate around him, his lips found hers, and he didn't stop kissing Cade until he too couldn't resist letting go.
They didn't move afterwards. Jax brushed her hair from her shoulders, let it fall on her back and dip in the bath water. The warmth of her breath tickled the skin of his throat.
In bed, when the first rays of the rising sun shone through the windows, and after another mind-numbing lovemaking, Cade spoke in a soft, muted voice, "Remember the last time we were at my apartment?"
He nodded. "Yeah." How could he forget the first time they shared a singeing night of passion?
She looked up to him. "Remember what you asked me?"
Jax could and would never forget. He straightened, brought her to a sitting up position too, and made her face him. He wanted to see honesty in her eyes. He wanted to make sure that whatever she was about to say-if he wasn't mistaken-wouldn't come with regret afterwards. "Of course I do."
He waited. Cade lowered her eyes, raised their joined hands and then looked at him again. "Let's do it. Let's get married."
For so long, he had searched for real happiness, from other people, through various vices, through music. The only one who had given him that was when Harley was born. And now, with Cade.
"I would love nothing more."
She snuggled back down under the covers, with her head on his chest. "But you have to promise me one thing, Jax."
"Anything, Cadence, anything." Could she hear the rapid speed of his heart?
"Promise me that you'll sing to me every night, even when you're away and we aren't in the same bed. Promise me that?"
"I promise," he breathed out, "I love you, Cadence."
"I love you, Jackson."
And even though the rest of the world was stirring outside of their bedroom, Jax held her close and lulled her to sleep with a song.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
A blue and white Fender guitar was strategically placed between Jax's jean-clad thighs. The sleeves of his white t-shirt were rolled to reveal the musculature on both arms. He sat on the edge of an unmade bed, looking to his right.