13
“You sure about this, Kitten?”
Poppy stared up at Jax, a man as strong and brave as he was sweet. Oh, she didn’t dare call him that. No, no. A man like the one currently laying between her splayed thighs would most likely balk at being calledsweet.
Big.
Bad.
Scary.
Thatwas the persona Jax wanted everyone to see. But just now, while he’d been sharing the heartbreaking story of his mom and his horrible childhood while knowing Declan had the kind of mom Jax deserved...
Poppy had finally seen him for who he truly was.
Yes, Jax was a warrior. A natural born protector. But the man who’d just pressed his whiskered lips to the side of her neck was so much more.
“I’m sure.” She ground her hips against his to reiterate that fact.
Poppy moaned from the tantalizing friction his soft, wet kisses created near the dip at the bottom of her throat. Her lower belly tingled, her inner muscles clinching with anticipation.
Bringing a hand near the place he’d just kissed, Jax’s big, strong, sensual hands lightly tracing the delicate line of her collar bone. Lifting his head, he brought his lips to hers again, this time taking things slow.
Torturously, wonderfully slow.
A shiver ran the length of her spine, and goosebumps covered her skin as he moved that hand lower, his fingertips languidly following the bottom swells of her breast.
First one and then the other.
With a man like him, she’d expected things between them to go hard and fast. Much like they had the night before, at his apartment.
But Jax wasn’t going fast, and the only hard thing she felt—besides his impressive muscles—was the rock-solid bulge pressing against her aching core.
“You’re overdressed,” he rumbled, his hand playfully lifting the hem of her shirt.
Feeling emboldened by the sensual moment, Poppy licked her lips in a purposefully teasing manner. “Yeah? Well, what do you plan to do about that?”
Jax froze, his dark gaze accompanied by an arched brow when he looked down at her. Without a word, he pushed himself to his knees and then slid to his ass. In the very next second, he was pulling her up and onto his lap so that she was straddling him.
And then he yanked that shirt right off her head.
Bringing his hands to her chest, he carefully pulled the white lace of her delicate bra down below one of her breasts, exposing it fully. A low growl vibrated from somewhere deep inside him as he leaned in and took her sensitive swell between his lips.
Poppy gasped, her head flying back as he feasted. With her arms wrapped around his neck, she lifted one of her hands and raked her fingers through his dark, almost black hair.
Fist filled with the silken strands, she held on tight as his tongue taunted and teased her rock hard nipple.
“Jax.” His name escaped with a soft gasp as he began giving the other breast the same glorious attention.
Jax’s only response was a low, satisfied moan that sent a rush of arousal straight to her core.
Needing to feel more of his skin on hers, Poppy reached behind her back and expertly released the tiny metal clasps. With his mouth still on her, Jax brought his hands to her shoulders, gently guiding the thin straps down her arms. Pulling his mouth free, he removed the bra completely.
She thought he’d dive right back in, picking up where he left off. But he didn’t. Instead, Jax sat there, holding her close while his gaze became almost captivated.
“Jesus, Kitten.” He filled both of his hands with the twin globes. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”
Poppy’s heart stuttered from the declaration. No man had ever looked at her like that before. No man had ever treated her as if she were a treasure to behold. No one except…