Toweling off his face and chest, he walked closer to her, his dark green eyes mesmerizing. “I told you once before, I always know when you’re in a room with me, Pippy.”
Shivering as the smoky huskiness of his voice seemed to wrap around her body in a caress, she didn’t bother to scold him over calling her Pippy. Backing away and putting some much needed distance between them so she could find her wits again, she searched for something to say.
“You need some music in here or something. Do they play a specific song you choose when you’re announced at fights, like they do at real matches? You know, like a fight song or something?”
Shaking his head slowly, his eyes tracked her movements as she inched backward. “I might fight underground, but these are real matches, Piper. There’s one tomorrow night. Come, and you can see for yourself. And no, I don’t have a song.”
She gulped when he stalked forward a few feet, feeling like his prey, she pulled out her phone and fumbled with it before she got her music list pulled up. “We should pick one for you. There are some great ones.”
Ignoring the look he was giving her, she started scrolling through her playlist, freezing when her thumb touched a certain song, and the music filled the air. Oh fuck. Resisting the urge to close her eyes and blush, she forced herself to look at Jax. He was standing still, looking like he halted mid step, not moving a muscle.
Shit. She couldn’t change the song like she wanted to, or he’d know it was a big deal, and the last thing she wanted was for him to think it meant anything to her. Neither one of them said a word as the first few lines of Alway
s by Bon Jovi played.
“You have our song downloaded? You still listen to it?” he asked, gold beginning to appear around his pupils.
“I don’t have it downloaded because it was our song,” she scoffed, unable to look him in the eye as she lied. “I only have it because I like it. It’s a good song. Everyone likes Bon Jovi. Duh.”
“It is a good song,” he acknowledged, and relief flew through her at his words. Relief that was quickly cut off as he began moving in close again. “But I think that’s only part of it.”
She tried to back up more but was brought up short by the wall. Planting her hands on either side of her hips, she dug her fingers into the wood, ignoring possible splinters. “I think you’re delusional, and only seeing what you want to see. Not everything I do revolves around you,” she said, trying to make her voice hard and banish the breathlessness.
She wasn’t at all successful.
Jax planted a hand next to her head and leaned in, so close she felt his breath wafting across her lips. “Maybe not everything, but some of it does. Admit it, Piper. You still think about me. You still remember me. In your life.” His eyes dropped to her lips for a moment before he looked into hers again. “In your bed. Just admit it already.”
Body strung so tight she thought she’d crumble at any moment, Piper decided she was going to be truthful. More than that, she was going to own it. She could do that, and still keep her heart out of the game. It didn’t have to mean anything. It wouldn’t mean anything.
Decision made, she lunged up, capturing his lips with hers. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she held still, just caressing his lips. His body was frozen against hers, and he was barely even breathing. And then with a sudden, swift move, he pulled her flush to his body and kissed her back.
The urge to let him dominate was strong, but Piper was stronger. Taking the lead, she sucked his bottom lip into her mouth before biting down on it and pulling back. Finally releasing it, she pushed her pelvis into the hardness she could feel taking shape, and he groaned as his arms tightened around her. Crushing his mouth to hers, he sucked her tongue into his mouth, biting down on her tongue ring, then releasing it to explore the rest of her mouth.
It felt like they were in a race to devour each other, and Piper moaned, tangling her tongue with his. It had been so long since she felt like this, so long since her blood sang with desire and her body ignited as it was doing right now. She moved her hands into his hair, the short strands silky against her fingers, as she rubbed her body against his.
The hardness tenting the front of Jax’s jogging pants was poking into her stomach, and she needed to feel it, needed to get her hands on it. Trailing her hands down, she slid her fingers down his hard chest, breath catching at the feel of those hard muscles underneath her fingertips. Moving lower, she traced his six pack, lingering over the ridges there, before continuing her descent.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Jax said, chest heaving for air as he pulled his mouth from hers. Alarmed that he was going to pull away, she snaked her arms around and grabbed his ass, swooning inside over the tight muscles in her grip.
“Why are you stopping?” she panted.
“Aren’t we moving a little fast? A day ago you were telling me to leave and not come back. Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Are you really trying to talk me out of this?” she asked, arching her eyebrow. “Whatever else that may have happened between us in the past, or even yesterday, needs to stay there. Right now, at this moment in time, I want you, Jax. More than I’ve wanted anyone in a very long time. And I know you want me, too. Are you really going to tell me no?”
Searching her face, his green eyes were bright, a circle of swirling gold around his pupils. Dipping his gaze to her lips, he looked back up, and the heat from that look nearly singed her where she stood.
“No. I’m not telling you no. I just want to make sure you’re okay with this.”
“It’s sex, Jax. It’s not marriage.”
Eyes narrowing, his green eyes burned into her. “We’ll see about that,” he muttered right before he slammed his lips to hers.
Instantly forgetting what he said in the deluge of passion raining down on her, Piper moaned, kissing him back with equal intensity. Jax wasn’t wasting time, and his hand almost immediately delved under her shirt, slowly climbing higher. Impatient with the slow pace, she pushed her hips into his, rubbing against the hardness in his pants.
But he refused to let up his slow pace. Finally, finally, reaching her breast, he cupped it over her bra, squeezing firmly before his thumb brushed her nipple. He froze then, not kissing her or moving a muscle, and she smiled as he pulled back to look into her eyes.
“Is that what I think it is?” he asked, voice gravelly.