Wanting more from her, Jax's body felt like a magnet drawingcloser to her on the sofa. Dropping his hand down from the sofa's back, he letit boldly find her waist. Jax could feel the small startled jump ripple throughher as the heat from her soft flesh seared gloriously through his hand.
“And if you do start to feel uncomfortable, you will tellme, right?”
The soft noise of agreement as she nodded again felt like agateway drug. He just wanted more now. He wanted to hear all the other littlefeminine noises she could make. Tightening his hand at her waist, he let itride up the gentle slope of her hot flesh, ignoring the arcs of electricity,the intimate gesture was sending through his veins.
Edging on the line of no return, he forced himself tocontinue as he leaned even closer. Her bent legs that had been used as a shieldslowly unfolded and laid across his lap, giving him full access. With bothhands, Jax pulled Alessia closer until she was face-to-face with him. Brushingsome of the hair from her face, Jax restrained himself from leaning in to pullat her bottom lip she continued to torture with his own teeth.
"I want you to understand that from this momentforward, I won't hesitate," his blood sang as he watched her breath catchat his words. "And I won't pull away unless you make it clear to me youwant me to stop, okay?”
His own breathing increased when she nodded, putting bothhands on his shoulders. “Yes, Jax.”
Watching her, Jax watched her eyes drop from his eyes to hismouth. He would let her take the lead. He would let her set the speed, hedroned the instructions in his head, praying that his body would listen.Watching her lips part, she gave him another wide-eyed stare filled withsensual curiosity that was surely going to be the end of him.
A desperate mewling cut through the air.
Both of them looked down to see Whiskers staring at them.His front two paws were braced against Jax’s jeans. Blinking a few more timeshe opened his mouth to let out an even louder demand.
"Have you, by chance, fed the little one?" Hecarefully asked.
Shaking her head, Alessia gave him a sheepish smile. “Iguess I should probably do that.”
Sliding her arms from around his shoulders, Jax suppressed agroan of disappointment. “Yes, that will probably be best before the little guypasses out from starvation.”
Reluctantly, Jax let go of her as she detangled herself fromhim to stand. Watching her scoop up the irate kitten, Jax watched her walk intothe kitchen to prepare the food. Although her back was toward him, he didn’tmiss the smile on her face.
~*~
It had been an hour since they both laid down for the night,and Jax was still awake. Staring at the ceiling of the loft above him, he justlaid there listening to the subtle occasional groans from the cabin as thewinter wind howled outside. On the opposite wall from his bed, Jax stared pasthis chest out the window. Since the cabin was dark, save for the small glowfrom the heater's grate, he could see the snow-covered trees outside perfectly.The moon was bright and reflected off the heavy white snow clinging to the branchesand blanketing the ground, brightening the winter night.
Shifting on the bed, Jax propped his head up with one bentarm behind his head. Not for the first time since laying down, his thoughtsreturned to earlier that night. After their "talk," both of themsilently skirted the topic for the remainder of the evening. Jax wanted Alessiato feel comfortable to feel safe around him, above all, he wanted her trust.And if that meant holding back on every instinct that shouted for him to pullher into his arms, so be it.
His eyes had been closed only for a few minutes when heheard the creak above him. Turning in the bed, he waited until he heard thesound again, this time followed by movement on the ladder near the end of hisbed. Softly, bare feet padded carefully down the wooden rails until the shadowyfigure stood by his bed. With her long hair down and loose, drifting around herwaist, Alessia was dressed in her oversized pajamas; Jax had to mentally checkto be sure this wasn't one of his dreams. He knew she couldn't see his face inthe darkness, so Jax just remained silent, curious where this would go. Forwhat felt like minutes, she stood there shifting on her feet, and though hecouldn't see the details of her face either in the dark, he could see her handsnervously fidgeting with the fabric of her flannel pants.
Finally, she whispered. “Jax.”
The call was so soft, if he hadn’t been awake, he doubted ifhe would have even heard it.
Shifting in the bed, he sat up. “What’s wrong?”
He could tell without even seeing her face clearly that hissudden movement startled her.
“Well… it’s just that I-I’m cold and…”
Shit, he didn't even think about the fact that the snow wascurrently piling up right now on the tin roof a few feet above her head.Pulling back his own covers with a swoosh, he swung his legs out of bed."Fuck, baby, I'm sorry, let me…
“No!” Both of her hands reached out and pressed at hisshoulders. Closer now, they could both make out each other’s faces in the deepshadows. “No, I didn’t want you to get up… I wanted…to…”
Her knees were touching his in this position, reminding himhow close she was. He wanted to reach out and cup her curving hips, to pull herclose and bury his face in her breasts.
“I want to sleep with you tonight,” she blurted loudly intothe quiet air.
A piercing silence went off his ears.
“What did you say?”
“Oh God,” she whispered in a groan, her hands immediatelypulling away from his shoulders. “I feel really stupid.”
Feeling her begin to step back, Jax’s hand shot up to herwaist and held her firmly in place. “Clarify,” he growled in demand.
