Jaxson (River Pack Wolves 1)(29)

“Oh, did he now?” Jaxson hadn’t backed off an inch. In fact, he was edging even closer, gazing down into her eyes with a soft expression that was stabbing her in the chest again. “Well, Trent is a slimy womanizing beta that I wouldn’t allow near any female. No way am I letting him steal you away.”

Her mouth fell open. “Well, I have to work somewhere. Some of us don’t have successful businesses rolling in celebrity money, you know!”

“You’re working here. For me.” He was so close now, he was practically, but not quite, touching her in three different places: his hands lingering near her balled up fists; his breath mingling with hers; and his broad, muscular body nearly making contact with her chest, which was heaving with the emotion ripping through it.

“Jaxson,” she said, her voice pained. “I know our kiss didn’t mean anything to you, but I can’t—”

He cut her off with his lips crashing down on her. It was fast and hungry and stole her breath… but it was over in an instant. His hands locked on her wrists and pulled her body against his. His lips weren’t touching hers any longer, but he was close enough to exchange heated breaths. Her heart hammered her chest, soaring with something like hope, but still horribly uncertain. Afraid to believe it was real.

“Terra means nothing to me,” he whispered. “Terra. Thea. Morrigan. None of them will ever mean anything to me. You, on the other hand… how about I show you just how much I want you to stay?” He cupped her cheeks in his large, strong hands and gently kissed her lips, once, twice, a half dozen times. But what he was really doing was turning her around so her bottom was pressed against the hard edge of the desk.

“I think this is about where we left off,” he whispered. Then he skimmed his hands down her body, touching her and lighting her on fire as he went, until he reached her hips—which he hoisted up on the desk, forcing her legs apart with his body. “And this is where I planned to go next.”

“Jaxson,” she protested, but her body was responding to him already. Growing hot and wet, begging for his touch. “Everyone’s just outside.”

“I told Jace to take them to the safehouse.” He kissed her quickly and leaned back to pull off his bloody and ruined shirt.

She couldn’t help sucking in a breath. The full expanse of his muscled chest was on display for her, begging her to touch him. She slid her fingertips along the words tattooed across his chest—omni tempore—but she had no idea what they meant. Something about time? And he had another tattoo, a wolf on his shoulder. But her attention was quickly drawn to the blood-smeared part of his arm.

She gently touched the ridge of pinkish skin, a fresh scar, then looked into his eyes. “Please tell me you’ve magically healed from whatever this was.”

“I’ve magically healed from the bullet wound.” He pressed her hand flat against his shoulder, on top of the scar, then dragged her hand across his chest, holding her fingers flat against his skin. She could feel him rumbling pleasure at her touch deep inside his chest. Then he drew her hand down. Her eyes went wide as he pressed her palm against his rock-hard erection. “But I’m going to need your help with this.”

Breath escaped her. She moved her hand against his cock. It strained against the fabric of his dress pants.

He groaned and snatched her hand away. “On second thought, that will have to wait.” He slid her further onto the desk, hiking up her skirt and spreading her legs wide. Then he ran a hand up her body to her hair, pulling it gently to tip her head back and expose her neck. He nipped kisses from her collarbone to her jaw, causing heat to gush between her legs. Then he devoured her lips with his kiss, plunging into her mouth and making demands of it.

She was open to him, completely, wholly. She wanted nothing more than for him to take her right now, but he was slowly, luxuriously plundering her mouth with his tongue while his hands skimmed her breasts, teasing and squeezing by turns. It was getting hard to breathe.

Were they doing this? Were they really doing this? She didn’t know if it made any sense, or if Jaxson meant what he said—that he would never want the women he should be taking for a mate—but he hadn’t lied to her yet. And even if this moment was all they would ever have, she wasn’t going to say no. Not when this could be part of her life—he could be part of her life—even for a short time before it all came crashing down in heartbreak.

He finally pulled free of the long, breathless exploration of her mouth. His eyes were blazing blue fire, and his hands were on her hips, pulling her closer to the edge of the desk. His raging hard-on pressed against her inner thigh. So close… and yet not close enough. Not for what she really wanted.