And to make matters worse, my dick is hard as a rock. My brain is screaming at me to wrap my fist around it, to rub my hand over my length as I imagine that it's not my hand that's gripping it. Instead, it's actually a pair of rosy pink lips wrapped around it. And as they slide up and down my length, I brush away a few golden strands that have fallen to the front, until finally I just collect it all in my hand so I can hold firm and start fucking forward—
With an angry growl, I turn the hot water all the way off. I amnotjerking off to the thought of my best friend's little sister, who is currently sleeping in my bed on the other side of the wall. Almost immediately, the shower transforms into an icy rainfall—one that, if not immediately, but eventually takes me from a panting bundle of live wires to an annoyed and frozen raisin. Irritating as fuck, but it worked.
I don't bother drying myself off, I just wrap a towel around my waist and yank the bathroom door open. Without chancing even a single look at Hailey—the last thing I need right now is a hard-on that I have zero shot of hiding under a towel—I walk over to my suitcase and pick out a pair of boxers to sleep in. I debate grabbing a shirt too, but then I think,fuck it, she hates sleeping in pants, and I hate sleeping in shirts.
It isn't until I've straightened up from my suitcase that I accidentally catch a glimpse of Hailey, where she's curled up against the headboard. It doesn't seem like she's even looked my way, that's how riveted she is by the phone in her hand. And if it wasn't for the pink flush running from the tip of her nose to her ears, I would even believe that she's not affected by me. But between that and the intensity with which she's tryingnotto look at me, I can tell she's just as flustered at the sight of my half-naked body.
Thank God. I guess I'm not the only one suddenly thrown off by this situation.
I brush my teeth and finish getting ready for bed, and then I walk around the room, turning all the lights off. When I finally pull back the covers on the bed, Hailey's already snuggled deep under the comforter.
Neither of us says anything. We don't even look at our phones, we just lie quietly on opposite ends, trying to calm our breathing and ignore the tension that's very clearly lingering in the air.
Hailey's soft voice sounds in the quiet. "Goodnight, Jax."
Andfuck, my name on her lips.
"Goodnight, Hailey," I manage to choke out.
Despite the long day, I know I'm getting no sleep tonight.
16
HAILEY
When I wake up it's still dark outside, clearly the middle of the night. I'm confused about what woke me until I feel an arm tighten around my waist.
My brow furrows in confusion at the foreign sensation. While I’ve never been huge on physical affection, I’ve always craved the feeling of being held when I sleep, wanting to feel loved and protected in my most vulnerable space.
I haven’t felt that way in a very long time.
Right now, I feel warm, and safe, and so comfortable I almost drift back to sleep. But then the grip tightens again, pulling me farther backwards into a hard chest.
And a very obvious erection.
I smother the whimper that automatically tries to sound at the feel of Jax pressed against me. I can't stop myself from circling my hips once, just to feel it.
And choke on my groan when I realize how big it is.
I peek over my shoulder to see Jax's face buried in my neck. He looks peaceful—nothing like how he looked when we went to bed a few hours ago. Then he looked stressed and uneasy. He couldn't have been farther from me on the bed when we lay down. If what happened at the gym last week was any indication, he’s been trying really hard not to crowd me or make me feel uncomfortable.
What he doesn’t seem to understand is that he makes me feel the opposite of uncomfortable. He makes me feel safe.Wanted.
I know him. I know his expressions and his mannerisms and his moods. I know when he feels guilty.
I know when he's being protective.
And last night, he was trying to protect me from himself. Helikedseeing me in a towel, soaking wet and standing before him. Grateful for his T-shirt. He likedme.
But in the same way that he's been pushing me away the past few weeks, he also erected those walls between us last night. For some reason, he doesn't want to act on this heat that’s building between us. Whether it's because of Remy, or Steve, or the fact that our friendship started when I was a lot younger than him, he's been stopping himself from letting go.
And I'm tired of it.
This attraction between us isn't something we can just ignore. Nor do I want to. Over the past few weeks, it's only grown, starting with our friendship that has always been rock-solid, and then blossoming with the gradual physical attraction between two people who never let themselves look at the other in this way before. I never allowed myself to want him again after my schoolgirl crush.
But now… he wants me too.
I see it in his eyes, in the way he appreciates my newfound style and growing confidence. In the way his breath catches when we're too close together.