“A couple of weeks.”
He stiffens under my touch. “Shit. That’s not long.”
It feels like a lifetime. “I packed my stuff when he went to work and stashed it at Riley’s, and then after many bottles of wine, I booked myself a cabin to sort of get away from everything. And here I am. Figured it would be good to get away. Clear my head.”
“And now you’re stuck in a blizzard with a stranger.”
I pull myself out of his strong arms and look up at him. I probably look like a right mess. “Not a stranger, an emergency friend.” This makes him smile, then he reaches out and tucks an errant piece of her behind my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.
“Can I ask you something?” Jax says after a moment, his tone shifting back to serious. “Last night, when you kissed me … was it because you wanted to get back at him?”
The question catches me off-guard. I open my mouth to answer, then close it again. Because it’s a good question. One I haven’t really let myself examine.
“I don’t know,” I admit finally. “Maybe partly. I was drunk and hurt, and you were being so nice to me. And you’re ...” I gesture vaguely at all of him. “You.”
“Me?” he repeats, amused.
“You know what I mean. You’re attractive and kind, and you listen when I talk. You didn’t immediately dismiss my feelings or try to fix me. You just ... sat with me. Let me be sad and angry and drunk without making me feel bad about it.”
“That’s what emergency friends do, Sloane.”
This makes me smile. “Friends, huh?”
“Among other things ...” Huh. “If you want …” His eyes flick down to my lips.
Oh, my, is he suggesting? My heart does that stupid flipping thing again. “What does that mean?”
His eyes lock on mine, intense and honest. “I’m not going to pretend I’m not attracted to you. Because I am.Very much so.But I also know you just got out of something serious and painful. And maybe I’m the last thing you need, or maybe I’m exactly what you need to get over your ex.”
I stare at him for a couple of moments. “Are you saying like a rebound?”
“I’m saying ...” He leans forward slightly, and I can smell that woodsmoke and pine scent that’s distinctly him. “… I’m saying we’re stuck here together for at least another day, probably two. And we can either spend that time being awkward, denying we are attracted to each other, or we can just be honest about what we want. No pressure. No expectations. Just fun.”
My mouth falls open. That wasn’t at all how I thought this conversation would go. I should be scared. Should be running for the hills, metaphorically speaking, since actual running is impossible with all this snow. But instead, I feel something like relief.
“Fun?” I repeat. I do deserve some fun. And to be fair, Jax looks like a lot of fun. I hear Riley’s voice in my head. ‘Ride his hose.’ “What does fun mean?” I ask, biting my bottom lip, nervously.
“Oh, so many things.” Jax smirks wolfishly.
7
JAX
The way Sloane is looking at me right now, like she wants to devour me and is terrified of it at the same time, will be my undoing.
“What does fun mean?” she asks, biting that bottom lip, and I want to lean over and bite it for her.
“Oh, so many things,” I tell her, letting my voice drop to that low register I know affects her. I’ve seen the way she responds when I use it. The way her pupils dilate. The way her breathing changes. She’s sitting on the couch, those dark eyes wide, cheeks flushed, and I can see her pulse jumping in her throat. She wants this. Wants me. And fuck, I want her so badly I can barely think straight. But I need to ensure she understands what I’m offering.
“Look, Sloane,” I start, shifting on the couch to face her fully. Our knees touch again. “You just got out of a nine-year relationship with a guy who made you feel like you weren’t enough. Who blamed you for his own shitty choices.” She nods, not looking away from me. “And I’m guessing sex with him was ...” I pause, watching her face. “Predictable? Safe? Probably more about him than you?” Her cheeks redden further, and that’s all the answer I need. “So, here’s what I’m thinking,” Icontinue, leaning in closer, close enough that I can see the flecks of chocolate in her obsidian eyes. “We’re stuck here. Storm’s not letting up. We’re attracted to each other ...” This makes her smile. “And you deserve to feel good. To be worshipped. To remember what it’s like when someone actually gives a damn about your pleasure.”
Her breath hitches. “Jax ...”
“No strings,” I say firmly. “No expectations. No pressure. Just two adults who want each other, stuck in a cabin, with nothing but time.” I reach out and trace my finger along her jaw, and watch her eyes flutter. “I’ll show you exactly how beautiful you are. How much you deserve. And when the roads clear and we go our separate ways, you’ll leave here knowing exactly what you’re worth.”
“That’s ...” She swallows hard. “That’s a pretty good sales pitch.”
I grin. “I haven’t even gotten to the good part yet.”
