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His gentle tone smoothed her agitation. “I’m not even sure how I’ll sleep tonight. Every time I close my eyes I see that ape man. You have to promise to be careful. He isn’t a nice guy. He totally gave me the creeps.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“You promise?”
“I do. I brought us here, didn’t I? He won’t know where to find us.”
She lay back against the bed and closed her eyes, willing away the image of that man. Jax’s warm fingers touched the bare skin of her calf, snapping her eyes open. What was he doing? Then she realized he was removing her sock. How could such a mundane task feel so amazing?
Dropping the sock, his fingers continued to work their magic, kneading and pressing on the sole of her foot. One by one her muscles relaxed and she turned to putty in his hands. The most amazing sensations coursed through her body. If he could do this massaging just one foot, she couldn’t even imagine what other tricks he had up his sleeve.
“This will help you relax.” His voice was soft and soothing.
She hadn’t realized that she’d moaned out loud until he said, “I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”
“What can I say? I’m a sucker for a foot massage.”
“Scoot back on the bed.”
She did as he said, wondering what he was up to next. He grabbed a couple of pillows and propped up her injured leg. Then he sat down and put her other foot in his lap. The pad of his thumb rubbed up and down over the arch of her foot. She watched him as he used both hands to stretch her foot and then run both thumbs in circular patterns.
“Close your eyes,” he said, still working his magic fingers.
She was in the midst of ecstasy and didn’t want it to stop so she complied. Tomorrow she would stand her ground—yes, tomorrow. Tonight she would let him feel as though he were taking care of her... Just so long as his fingers kept moving.
Time slipped by and, at last, he stopped. She was lost somewhere between floating on a fluffy cloud and half-asleep. He got up and turned off the light.
“Don’t go.” She reached out to grab his hand. “Not yet.”
“Cleo...”
All she knew was that she was in a happy place and she didn’t want it to end. Her body felt like mush. The darkness made her feel safe from his scrutinizing s
tare. She felt as though she could say anything to him. And in a sleepy haze she decided to throw caution to the wind.
“Why don’t you find me attractive?”
She heard a swift intake of his breath. Then an awkward silence hung there.
The edge of the bed dipped as he sat down. The back of his hand glided over her cheek. “Who says I don’t find you attractive?”
“When we kissed earlier, you pulled away. You didn’t like it.”
His voice was soft. “Did you ever think that I liked it too much?”
“Then kiss me now.” He groaned but she wasn’t giving up. “I’ve kissed you twice. You owe me.”
Again there was an elongated silence. It had to be the medication because she’d never asked a man to kiss her. And it was so much easier to blame it on the painkillers than to admit how very much she wanted him. She’d never desired a man as she did Jax.
Then without warning he leaned over. His lips were just a breath away from hers. “Cleo, you don’t know what you’re asking of me.”
“Yes, I do. I want you to kiss me. I want to know what it’s like to be desired by Jax Monroe. Hope Springs’s bad boy. Now a Wall Street tycoon. Kiss me, Jax. Please.”
With a moan, his mouth pressed to hers. His kiss was hungry and needy. And her heart swelled. Somewhere in the haze of her mind there was a warning voice, but it was garbled and she didn’t feel like heeding to caution. Here in the dark there was just the two of them.
His lips moved hungrily over hers like a starved man. And she met him kiss for kiss. Her fingers worked their way over his muscular shoulders to his neck and then her nails raked through his short hair.
The kiss went on and on and she never wanted it to end. She just floated along in the moment, enjoying having Jax so close. Because come the stark morning sun, she’d come to her senses. A relationship wasn’t in the cards for her. But a fleeting moment of ecstasy was too tempting to pass up. Tomorrow would come all too quickly.
