He doesn’t offer false condolences, he simply nods.
“I miss her though. Even though my parents are amazing, she’ll always be my mom too. You know?”
“I get it. It’s nice that you still think of her fondly.” He smiles at me and I’m struck by how much Jax looks like him.
The sound of footsteps behind us makes Blue sit up and wag his tail. I spin around to see Jax storming toward us with a murderous look on his face.
“What the fuck?” he snarls at Harvey when he reaches us. “I thought I told you to stay the hell away from her?”
Harvey stands and opens his mouth to speak but I jump up and stand between them. “It’s my fault, Jax. Harvey and Blue were already here when I came and I asked him not to leave.”
“I’ll go,” Harvey mumbles.
“There’s no need. She’s leaving.” He takes hold of my arm. Harvey looks down at his son’s hand gripping me tightly and a strange look, like regret mixed with anger, flashes across his face.
“Don’t you dare fucking look at me like that,” Jax growls. “I am not you, old man.”
“I never…” Harvey shakes his head.
“Let’s go.” Jax grumbles as he leads me back to the house.
“I’m sorry,” I mouth to Harvey as we walk away.
He gives a slight shake of his head and a faint smile but I feel guilty for making things worse between the two of them.
We are back inside the house before Jax speaks to me again. “Can you ever just do as you’re fucking told?” he snaps as he runs a hand through his thick hair.
“I was only talking to him,” I protest.
“I told you to stay the hell away from him,” he glares at me. “It was the one thing I asked you to do.”
I fold my arms across my chest. “Well maybe if you told me why I had to do that, I would have.”
He narrows his eyes at me. “I shouldn’t have to explain myself, Lucia. If I tell you to do something—”
“I’m just supposed to obey you without question, is that it?” I interrupt him.
“Yes.”
I close my eyes. There’s no reasoning with him when he’s in alpha asshole mode so I try a different tactic. “Is he dangerous?”
For some reason that makes him laugh and he shakes his head. “Not anymore.”
“But he used to be?”
“Lucia! I don’t want to talk about it,” he barks at me and I take a step back from him. I have spent the last four years doing my best to push every button this man has. I’ve thrown up on him and in his car, called him names, teased him relentlessly, but I’ve never been the recipient of his anger like this before.
“Okay. I guess we’re done then,” I turn around and walk away but I have barely taken two steps before he pulls me back to him, spinning me around until I’m facing him again.
“We’re done?” he growls, glaring at me with such fire and fury that it makes my legs tremble, but not in a bad way.
I swallow hard before I answer, momentarily unable to speak. But before I can utter a word, his lips crash onto mine and he kisses me so fiercely that I struggle for breath. His hands fist in my hair as he grips me tighter, pushing his tongue into my mouth and devouring me like a starving predator who has finally caught its prey. I wrap my arms around his neck as he lifts me and walks us toward the huge wooden table before sitting me on it. His lips don’t leave mine as he pushes my thighs apart and settles himself between them. The unmistakable sound of him unfastening his belt and zipper makes wet heat pool in my core. I should push him away. Anybody could walk in on us here, but I am powerless to resist him. Then his hands are on me again, one on my hips while the other slides up my inner thighs until he reaches my panties and tugs them to one side.
He lets me up for air as he drives his cock into me and I gasp loudly. I’m not quite ready as he stretches me wide open.
“Jax,” I whimper as I cling to his neck.
He kisses me again, pressing me tight to his body as he fucks me on the table. There is none of his usual finesse, this is simply about raw, primal fucking. He is claiming me and I love it. I love him. Every facet of him. My fingernails claw at his back as I fight to pull him deeper. My walls squeeze around him as I try to take more. He shifts my hips so I’m leaning back slightly and the new angle ensures that he hits that perfect spot deep inside me.