“I’m not too worried about it.” Jax shrugs. “Still sounds pretty far off in the distance to me. Besides, the wind is picking up just right to not only fly this kite, but for me to potentially catch a glimpse of what you’re wearing under that little sundress—which is tempting the fuck out of me, by the way.” He bites his bottom lip and scrunches his face as if he’s in pain.
Rolling my eyes at his theatrics, I shove his shoulder before clapping my hands together. “Alright, let’s do this if we’re going to do it before we get soaked.”
Jax waggles his brows suggestively. “Oh, I plan to get you soaked, alright.”
“I’m going to kill you.”
“Nah, you love me too much to hurt me.”
“Is that so? Then why do you call me Thorn? Thought it was because I’m such a pain in your side.”
He reaches into the back of his truck to grab the kite. Once he’s unpackaged it, he avoids eye contact with me at first. But when his smoldering gaze locks with mine, I feel the warmth of it throughout my core. “I don’t call you Thorn because you’re a pain. I call you that because thorns symbolize so many different things, and you’re nearly every one in my eyes: sin and redemption, pain and protection, hardship and resilience, strength and unique beauty. I figured you knew by now that you’re my everything, Tae, but if not, I’ll do my best to show you each day from here on out.”
I’m breathless as his words sink in. Boneless as his love seeps through me. Hopeless when it comes to ever loving anything or anyone as much as I love him.
“Jax—” I start but he cuts me off when he drops the kite to the ground and lifts me up, my legs wrapping around his waist just before he presses my back into the cab of his truck. His lips are on me seconds later. This kiss is fiery desperation. Our bodies mold together in the most divine way. When his hips grind intome, I feel his belt buckle imprinting my bare thigh and I want nothing more than for him to brand me—to mark me as his permanently.
Thunder rolls again, this time not so far in the distance, just before the skies open up and heavy rain comes pouring down. But we don’t stop kissing, nothing could distract me or make me hesitate.
I need him right now.
It’s only as I think this that he breaks our kiss, and I whimper at the loss, causing him to let out a low chuckle.
Jax throws his head back, and as the rain soaks his face and hair, I’m mesmerized at the sight of his throat working as he continues to laugh. And when he lowers his chin, shaking his hair out of his eyes, so he can make eye contact with me again, I don’t think I’ve ever seen something so captivating—sotempting.
Instead of begging him with my words to finally make me his, I show him what I want with my body as I dig my fingers into his shoulders and slowly grind my hips against his in circles. I watch with fascination as his eyes change from twinkling in playful delight to growing heavy with devious desire. Throwing my head back against his truck, I arch my back so my breasts rise and brush his chest. The damp material rubs against my hardened nipples, and I’m aching for him to touch me—claimme—where I want him to most.
“You might actually kill me if you keep doing what you’re doing with your hips, baby,” he gruffs out.
“In that case, maybe I do want to kill you,” I retort, continuing to rock my hips against his.
“Fuck it. It’s not like we’re going to fly a kite in this weather anyways.”
Unsure of what he means by that, my confusion quickly dissipates when Jax steps back, still holding me with my legs wrapped around his waist, and begins walking toward his house.
“Put me down, J. I’m too heavy and I can walk perfectly fine.”
“Tae, be so for real right now. You’re pint sized compared to me.” Nodding across the lawn he says, “No one is home. My parents left this morningwith Walker for one of her dance competitions in New York. I’ve got the place to myself for the entire weekend.” A slow, seductive smirk spread across his face, leaving my chest heaving at the sight.
This is it. It’s finally happening—that’s why he said fuck it.
Before I can think any further, he says, “Now hold on tight. I’m not sure if you know this but you’re super wet.” He tries for all of two seconds to hold back his laughter.
“I hope you’re laughing at how pathetic of a line that was. I’m honestly reconsidering letting you take me upstairs to have your wicked way with me,” I deadpan.
He stops walking and stares at me intently. “Tell me what you want, Thorn. Remember, you’re in control here. Always.”
“I need you to stop wasting time talking and get me upstairs to your bedroom. I’m sure about this, Jackson. I’m ready—I’vebeenready and you know that. Are you sure this is what you want?” I question him, though I regret it when his eyes narrow on me.
“Am I sure that I want to be the guy privileged enough to have all of your firsts? Yeah, I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
With that, he begins moving again toward the house, this time with a quicker pace than before.
“Someone’s in a hurry. Thought you were going to take your time with me,” I taunt as he nearly slips trying to take the steps two at a time.
“Trust me, I plan to take my time with you.” Digging his fingers into the undersides of my thighs, he carries me the rest of the way up to his bedroom, and with every step my breath becomes more shuttered. My heart is pounding so hard in my chest, I fear he’ll hear it and think I’m having second thoughts.
He opens his bedroom door and swiftly kicks it shut before walking over to his king size bed covered in plush, navy bedding. To my surprise, Jax doesn’t set me on the comforter like I thought he would; instead he sets me on my feet before him, taking a step back and staring at me.
