“Good, because I only have a couple of zip ties left and Ididn’t want to have to use them all as I tried to convince you to stay.”
Chapter 13
“Hey, you shaved,” the surprise in her voice normally would’veearned her a glare, but Jax couldn’t justly give one because her surprise waswell-placed.
Stepping up into the truck, Jax leaned over and checked hisfreshly trimmed beard in the rearview mirror. "Yeah, I had to," hegrumbled, running a hand over the light brown stubble one last time beforesitting straighter. "The people in town already think I'm crazy, I don’tneed to go looking like a complete mountain man.”
Alessia laughed. “So, this is your going out into town look?A trimmed beard and your hair pulled back into your signature man bun?” Shewaved towards his hair. “Meaning, your hair being down is only for the privacyof your cabin?”
“The cabin and you, gorgeous, don’t forget that,” he wiggledhis eyebrows towards her suggestively as he pulled the truck down the narrowpath in the trees.
Jax could see the rise of her cheeks as she suddenly turnedaway. She was smiling in embarrassment. Good.
“Well, I like your hair either way, but I really like itdown,” she confessed softly, still not looking at him.
The urge to snatch off the rubber band holding his hair backwas ludicrous but tempting. Pulling out onto the highway, Jax wanted to saysomething else smart or witty, but nothing came to mind.
“Just so you know, I was sorely tempted to sneak Whiskers inmy coat as we were leaving,” she admitted, turning her face into the bright rayof sunlight shining through the passenger window.
Jax forced himself to focus on the road and not at herhighlighted face. “Oh, I know you were. I heard you baby-talking him on our wayout.”
"You should have seen those big eyes, though," hecould hear the pout in her voice. "They were just looking up at me; Ithought I was going to die."
Jax shook his head, that cat was going to be so spoiled, hethought. “He will be fine in the bathroom until we come back.”
“I know,” she said. “I’m excited to go back into townthough, I never really had an opportunity before just to really take my timeand look around. I wonder if the library will let me check out their books?”
Leaning on his windowsill, he gave her a long pointed look."It's an ass library, don't get your hopes up. It's literally funded bydonations and stocked from the lost and found pile from the touristseason."
“Ooh, so does that mean smutty romance novels and books fromthe fifties with not-so-subtle sexist and racist undertones?”
“If you mean American Standard literature, then yes indeed.If that’s what you’re into prepare to be blown away.”
Her laughter was as rich as honey, drawing him closer,compelling his body to action. This girl was killing him. Last night somethingnew between them emerged. Something intimate and undefined, something Jaxwanted a lot more of and hated himself because of it. When she confessed thatshe didn't want to go, Jax stopped himself from letting out a huge breath ofrelief. Instead, he simply joked and admitted he too wanted her to stay. Hecaught sight of the moisture in her eyes as she gave him a large smile inreturn. When her arms slid around his shoulders, Jax had frozen in his seat.The embrace was given in innocence, he was aware of that, but his mind and bodycouldn't take it as such. In that moment, with her soft body pressed into his,everything he had been suppressing inside of him broke free of its restraints.
God how he wanted her. Images of her bare legs and thighshaunted his every dream since the night he brought her back to the cabin.Watching her embarrassed face turned from his as he sat eye level with herplain cotton panties was a cruel brand of torture, he found himself too happyto inflict on himself. Fuck, he wanted her. He wanted Alessia's touch, hersmiles, and her laughter. Jax wanted her beneath him moaning and writhing forhim as he dedicated every cell in his body to her pleasure. The revelation ofthat didn’t please him. Alessia needed a friend, a confidant, a man she couldtrust. Not an asshole who stared up at the loft where she slept in broodingsilence or a man who jerked his dick in the shower each night at the memory ofher naked body.
Gripping the wheel tighter, Jax adjusted himself straighterin his seat. Weeks ago, he stood on the beach and made an agreement with herthat she could trust him, that she could be safe with him. Nothing has changed.He would ignore the unnamed emotion between them and forced himself to turn ablind eye to her curious stares. Somewhere along the way, he had come to carefor Alessia, her overconfident decisions, and her sense of humor. Everything abouther made his day brighter, and he didn't want to lose that.
~*~
From the moment they stepped through the foggy glass doorsof the grocery store, all eyes centered on them. The store wasn't very big atall; there looked to be about twelve aisles in total. The linoleum floors werean aged yellow with pea-green flecks speckled across the floor. Long metalbeige shelves dominated the space, filling the store from one wall to theother. Although, despite the cramped feeling they gave, the shelves were ratherbare. Alessia could clearly see the empty space behind the small stack ofcereal boxes and the big blank spaces on either side. It was as if the storehad just survived an apocalyptic raid by scavenging citizens and was now tryingto sell whatever was left behind.
“Try not to be overwhelmed,” Jax murmured to her under hisbreath as he led the way down the aisle.
Biting the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing,Alessia hurried after him and away from the cashier’s curious stare.
"Hey, where's the pet aisle? I want to see what…"She began to ask, but Jax cut her off.
“Petshelf,” Jax corrected.
Stopping, she tilted her head in question. “Shelf?”
Crooking his finger to follow him, they walked past the backwall of freezers and turned down an aisle. Stopping, Jax waved his hand stifflyin front of him.
“Here is the petshelf,” he announced.
Blinking, Alessia just stared at the two barren shelves. Onefor dogs and one for cats. Slowly, she turned and looked back up to Jax. Theglimmer of amusement in his eyes betrayed the stoic face he was trying tomaintain.
