He either ignores my tone or is completely oblivious to it, because he straightens to his full height and asks in a worried voice, "Did I hurt you tonight? Does anything hurt right now?"
He looks over my body for any signs of pain or discomfort and, finding none, he zeroes in on my neck. And when he wraps a big palm around my throat, I'm shocked I don't pass out right there in the shower from the tsunami of arousal that rolls over my body at even the lightest, non-sexual touch.
"I wasn't too rough?" he murmurs, pressing a gentle kiss to my neck. "Your throat is okay?"
The only thing I can manage is a head shake. "I'm fine," I manage to say.
I see him relax the tiniest bit. When his shoulders loosen, I'm reminded that he just spent a few minutes massaging my muscles. No one has ever given a shit about aftercare before, but of course for Jax, it's automatic. He probably didn't even notice what he was doing.
I spin and reach for the body wash, squeezing a big dollop of it into my palm before I turn around and start washing Jax the same way he just did for me. I start on his upper body, pushing up on my toes so I can reach his neck and shoulders. And when I come close to his face in the process, he dips down to kiss me.
I kiss him back for a moment, eventually pulling away with weak knees and a flush on my cheeks. I start washing his arms, his chest, his abs, looking everywhere but in his eyes, which are staring down at me.
"Does that feel weird?" I manage to ask him, taking a curious peek at his content expression.
He rests his hands on my hips. "Not even a little," he admits. "It feels like I should've been doing it this whole time."
I can't help the smile that stretches across my face. "Well, in the beginning it was illegal, and then afterwards, it would've been cheating. So it's probably a good thing we waited until now."
He chuckles at that. "I'll admit I only recently started thinking about kissing you. Obviously I thought of you as a kid when we were in school, and then when you were with Steve you looked happy." He pauses, a frown appearing on his face. "For a while, at least. That's why I never said anything. But you look much happier now."
I smile at that. "I am. A lot of that has to do with you, honestly."
He presses another kiss to my lips. "I only ever want to make you happy, baby girl."
I can only stare at him in disbelief for a moment, then shake my head. "You're too much of a white knight for your own good, Jax. I still have no idea how you don't have women lining the mats trying to seduce you."
He grins down at me. "What makes you think I don't?"
I shake my head, this time with a smile. But then something occurs to me and it slips from my face.
I know we’re teasing, but it’s also true. He could have anyone he wants. There are plenty of older, hotter women who could give Jax everything he needs, why would he want me?
I continue to wash him without meeting his eyes. “I mean, of course you do. Any of them would be lucky to have you.”
Before I even realize he’s caught onto my self-conscious train of thought, he's turning and pressing me into the shower wall, his big hands cupping my cheeks as he stares down at me with the most intense look on his face.
"I need you to listen to me, Hailey. I meant what I said. I don't know what this is, but it's important to me.Youare important to me. Whatever you want us to be, is what we’ll be. But you are, and have been, the only woman on my mind. The only woman I want. You hear me?”
I can't do anything other than stare up at him with wide eyes and give a breathless nod. "Okay," I breathe. "I—I hear you. I don't want anyone else either. Just you. Just this."
He looks over my face for a moment, searching for my truth, and when he finds it, he nods and bends down to kiss me.
I press up on my toes again, desperate to get closer to him. His tongue swipes at my mouth, and I open eagerly. I can't get enough of him. His hands still cup my face, so all I can do is claw at his chest and abs.
"Jax," I whimper, my blood rushing hot with desire. Even though he was inside me not long ago, and even though I'm still sore from his size and rough treatment, I already want him again.
He ignores my desperate pleas, lazily stroking his tongue against mine and taking his time kissing me, so I take matters into my own hands.
I let my hand slide down until I'm gripping his hard-again shaft in my hand.
"Hailey," he groans against my lips, his hips bucking forward into my hand. "I thought you said you were sore."
I continue stroking him, tightening my grip and increasing my pace. "I didn't say I didn't want you again. I do. Right now." I press closer and kiss him again. "Please fuck me," I whisper against his lips, my tone pleading.
The sound of my begging seems to break his restraint. He groans and reaches under my thighs to quickly and easily hoist me up against the shower wall. My legs automatically wrap around his waist and my arms around his shoulders.
"I don't know if you know this, but you could beg me to do anything and I would do it. You've always had that power over me." He connects our lips again, the intensity of this kiss already ratcheting up to another level. "All you have to do is say my name with a please at the end of it."