“Jax. Can you stay here?” he asks me again.
She glares at me, but how do I say no to him? Then I would have to explain why I don’t trust myself to be alone all night with his daughter. Except that we won’t be alone. Matthias is here. Thank fuck!
“Of course I will,” I say, because what choice do I have? Besides, I don’t want her here alone any more than he does.
“Fine,” she snarls but then smiles sweetly at her father. “Thank you, Papi.”
He wraps her in a hug. “I’ll check outside before I leave. Jax will look after you until the morning and then we’re going to discuss your living arrangements.”
“But—” she starts but then closes her mouth again. She can wrap him around her finger about most things, but when it comes to her and Matthias’ safety, he will stand his ground.
“Goodnight,mija.”
I walk him into the hallway. “Thank you for this,” he says.
“Any time, amigo.”
“I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He gives me a quick hug and another wave of guilt slams into me. “You’re the only man I would trust to protect her like I would.”
Fuck!
“I would do anything for you and your family. You know that,” I say.
“Because we’re your family too, right?” He frowns at me.
“Yeah,” I nod because that’s true. No matter what happened between Lucia and me, they are my family.
After Alejandro has gone, Lucia hands me some spare blankets and a pillow. “The couch isn’t all that comfortable actually. You can take my bed if you’d prefer?” she offers and I almost choke on my breath.
“I won’t be in it, Jax,” she says with a roll of her eyes. “I could sleep with Matthias.”
“The couch will do fine,” I tell her. The thought of sleeping in her bed, surrounded by her smell and her warmth while I wonder at what she might do in it when she’s alone, or even worse when she’s not, is too much.
“Fine,” she snaps and turns on her heel but before she reaches the hallway she turns to me. “Thank you,” she whispers and I hear a crack in her voice that makes me walk over to her. And against all of my better judgement, I wrap her in my arms.
“It’s okay, Luce,” I breathe against her hair. “I’m always here for you. Nothing will ever change that.”
She nods against my chest. “I know, Jax.”
My cock twitches at the way she says my name and the feeling of her soft body in my arms. I could pick her up and carry her to bed right now. I could bury myself inside her until both of us felt better. But that would make me an even bigger asshole than I already am.
So instead I kiss the top of her head and let her go. “Night, Luce.”
“Night, Jax.”
Ilie on Lucia’s sofa, listening to the soft ticking of a clock somewhere. I’m so tired but I can’t sleep. I keep picturing her lying in bed. Alone. Half-naked? Is she still upset? What if she needs me?
She doesn’t!
But what if I need her? What if the throbbing in my cock can only be fixed by burying myself in her hot, tight cunt and making her whimper my name as her walls squeeze me tighter? The memory of her soft skin, the way she squirmed when I kissed her all over, the way she looked up at me when I made her come, the taste of her sweet pussy—I can’t get any of it out of my head. I will my cock to stop twitching. I can’t even give myself any relief because the idea of her or Matthias walking in here and catching me jerking off is unthinkable. So I close my eyes and try to think of anything but her.
The sound of high pitched shrieking pierces my ears followed by a tiny human ball of energy jumping on my head.
“Matthias,” Lucia warns him. “Please be careful.”
“Jax,” the kid shouts, unable to contain his excitement. “You had a sleepover.”
I blink in the sunlight. I must have fallen asleep after all.