“Don’t!” He rasped, pulling her tighter against his body.“Do not think of it, push that thought from your mind.”
“But…”
“Alessia,” he warned before biting lightly at the bit offlesh peeking out from her loose collar, immensely pleased at her startled jumpbeneath him. “Listen to me and do what I say,” he rasped deeply in her ear.
He waited for her to nod in acknowledgment.
“Soon, I will replace any memory you ever had with thatbastard. When you think of him, I want you to replace that thought with me.Picture yourself in my arms, my bed, imagine hearing my voice only. Soon therewill be no memories of anyone else touching you but me.”
Nodding, she hugged his arm tightly around her waist.
Unable to stop himself, he kissed that the soft flesh henipped at earlier, feeling her shivering response. “Go to sleep.”
~*~
There was nothing like the feeling of waking up in Jax'sarms. At some point in the night, he moved for comfort, but he made sure topull her along with him, keeping her close. Even when she carefully scooteddown the bed and tiptoed to the bathroom, she was aware of him waking. Shecould feel the weight of his watchful gaze on her back as she silently moved.When she came back, Alessia got a good look at the man beneath the covers. Hislong, toned body was like a work of art tangled in the covers. The suddenoverwhelming urge to whimper like a needy child was unexplainable. She wantedhim to sit up and see how much she needed him, to pull her to him and hold herclose as if she was yet another poor kitten in the house craving his affection.Crawling onto the bed, Alessia watched with lowered eyes as Jax pulled thecovers back on her side consideration, helping her back into her spot. Settlingback into the warmth of her spot, Alessia waited.
Nothing happened. There was no movement behind her at all.Fighting the flare of disappointment, Alessia tried to force herself to go tosleep. She could feel his hands radiating heat inches away, but she could alsofeel the cold space between them. Seconds ticked by like hours and sheregretted ever even getting up. She wanted his touch dammit. She wanted thefeel of his heavy bicep across her body, shielding her while keeping herclothes.
“Tell me what you want.” Her chest tightened the sound ofhis penetrating voice in the darkness.
Breathing deeply, she stared at the wood wall directly aheadof her as she debated herself inwardly. “I want you to hold me again,” she saidweekly. “Please.”
She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep the moanedthat threatened to release as his heavy arm snaked around her waist. Content,she focused on the overwhelming feeling of his large body enveloping hers.Expanding out, his strong pectoral muscles pressed against her back as he breathedevenly before contracting again. The heavy weight of his muscled arm around herfelt like a shield to a suit of armor. Nothing could get past the bulgingstrength of his biceps or the thick unmovable bar his forearm made around herstomach. She could stay like this forever if he let her.
“I can feel you thinking,” he grumbled against the back ofher neck. The hot air dancing over her exposed skin along with the slight brushof his short beard made her nipples tighten.
Controlling her breathing, she prayed he could not feel therapid pace of her heart. “I was just thinking of the festival in town tonight,”she lied.
"Mmm," the speculation in his deep reply wasevident. "Well, don't get your hopes too high. It's going to be cold,crowded, and let me reiterate cold as fuck."
Alessia laughed. “So needless to say, you are not as excitedas I am, is that what you’re telling me?”
Making another deep growling sound as an answer, he pulledher closer and nuzzled into the crook of her neck. Alessia let out a small gaspas she felt the soft hairs from his beard glide across the sensitive spot onher neck. Her whole body was heating up. The pressure of his strong thighsagainst the back of her legs sent pulsating waves of sensual heat directly toher core.
"I'm not, not excited," he grumbled casually inher ear as if this was still just a regular conversation amongst friends. Didhe know what he was doing to her?! "And," he continued. "I'mlooking forward to seeing you excited."
Dear God, his statement was so sweet but she could barelyform a response. If she wasn't careful, he was going to see how"excited" she was at this very moment. Was she the only one affectedby this? Acute pain shot through her chest at the thought. For the past week,Alessia was certain something was building between them. Jax had even told her,or at least insinuated, that was what he wanted, and he wanted her to feelcomfortable with him. Didn't he? So how in hell was he able to speak socasually in this position right now?!
Annoyed and feeling spiteful, Alessia pushed her hipsbackwards across the discrete space that separated his hips from hers. Themoment the soft crease of her ass pushed against the bulge in his pants, thedormant electricity between them crackled to life.
Jax’s whole body stiffened in reaction before abruptlypulling away. “I’m going to get dressed and bring in more wood for the fire,”he said, his voice tight.
Hiding her smile in the pillow, Alessia waited until thebathroom door shut firmly behind him before she let out a small laugh. It wasgood to know she wasn’t the only one feeling what was forming between them.Thinking again about the hard bulge she felt, she let out another giggle.
~*~
“Oh, my goodness, I’m so excited,” she squealed, jumping outof the truck. “I had no idea it would be this crowded.”
They were parked near the end of town by the gas station onthe main street. From where they were, she could see down the street to wherethe crowd was. On either side of the street were lit up stalls lining thestreet while hundreds of people milled in the streets eating and talking, someeven dancing to the music playing from the various speaker stands.
Locking the truck with the beep, Jax walked around the trucktowards her and walked alongside of her. “Yeah, it’s a combined festival forabout three coastal towns: Gaulding, Tarki, and Antor Falls.”
Getting closer towards the crowd and the thrumming music,she walked closer to Jax as they prepared to push through the people. The warmgrip of his fingers lacing through her gloved hand shocked her but she made nooutward show of it, she simply smiled up at him. Letting him guide her throughthe crowd, Alessia couldn’t help but notice the way he pulled her close andoccasionally shielding her from, particularly boisterous people. Getting to theend of the festival, where it was less crowded, they decided to work their waybackward.
Sipping some of her apple cider Jax bought, Alessia’s bootscrunched on the sand that had been put down on the icy shoveled streets. “Ikind of feel like the Stay Puff marshmallow man with all of these layers on,”she mumbled.
Before they could even leave, Jax made her put on an extrasweater on top of the one she already had on, including her big jacket. Herarms felt so puffy she could barely move them.
