Desperately, I open the door again and reach.
Jax!
No answer.
But as the seconds pass, the second heartbeat in my chest grows stronger. The presence in my mind gets louder.
A branch snaps somewhere in the forest. I whirl on my heel. A moment later, Jax emerges from behind the bushes.
The moment his eyes land on me, his steps halt.
I’m immobilized, too.
Is this really him?
I’m not sure I can trust my senses. My surroundings. My reality.
But before I know it, Jax charges at me. My feet move of their own accord.
I grab his arms, my eyes roaming his leathers, looking for injury. He holds me by the shoulders, doing the same.
“Are you hurt?” he asks me just as I ask, “Are you okay?”
He nods. I nod too.
The deep exhale of relief is shared.
Jax rests his forehead against mine, hands still on my shoulders. “Phoenix…”
My voice is small when I say, “I couldn’t find you. I woke up and you were gone.”
“I’m here,” he says and pulls me into a tight hug.
I wrap my hands around him, savoring the feeling of him against me once more. The safety of him. But it’s not enough.
A whole storm rages inside me as I pull away and look up at him. Jax’s eyes are dark as the night. With a thumb, he brushes the line of my jaw. It sends a shiver down my spine.
Under my palm, I feel his heart racing in his chest.
I also feel it in my chest, right over my own heart.
The closeness is intoxicating.
I want more.
That’s why I don’t pull away when he slides his hand to cup the back of my head. I angle my head to bring us face-to-face.
We’re so close his breath skitters over my lips, making me tremble.
A breathy, needy sound escapes me. That’s all it takes to snap Jax out of it. He pulls me closer and our lips meet.
I’m hit with lightning at the contact. I surrender to him completely.
Jax’s lips are hungry, his whole body is. So am I.
I wrap my arms around his neck. His hands slide down my back, waist, and hips. He cups my ass in his palms and lifts me.Immediately, I wrap my legs around his waist and moan into his mouth.
In response, he grabs my thighs harder and groans.
