Jax placed his heated palms on my waist, and I rolled my hips with lazy thrusts, drawing out each second, until his teeth were at my lips, growling for me to move faster. I pushed his knees back with my hands, earning another inch inside him. I pulled out and he dropped his eyes, watching as I slammed back into him.
The room filled with the scent of him, and I was captivated by the sight of him underneath me, taut muscles flexed and strung out as he beared down on my dick.
“Wild… I…” he stammered as I stroked my fingers down his shaft. “Fuck, yes… like that…”
He thrust into my hand as I pushed into him, each of us racing after our own heart beats. He came with my name on his lips, his climax taking me with him as I swore through my release. Jax sucked in a breath as I pulled out, and I fell on top of him, out of breath, sticky and covered with sweat. We lay like that, my cheek against the damp skin of his shoulder, his hand in my hair, his finger twisted around my curls as his breath steadied beneath me.
“I think you have what it takes to be a power bottom,” I said and he laughed.
Lifting my head, I was greeted with an easy smile.
“Was that okay for you?” I asked.
“Judging by the size of the mess you’re lying in, I’d say I enjoyed myself.”
“That’s kind of hot… I feel proud.”
His chuckle rumbled in his chest. “I love how humble you are.”
“And I love you,” I said, and Jax brought his hands to my face, kissing me with soft and tender lips. “I don’t want to move… But we should probably get in the shower.”
When I didn’t budge, Jax pressed a quick kiss to my lips and smacked my ass. “Tell you what… If you get up now, I’ll call in sick on Monday.”
“Really?”
“I want another day with you,” he said, and I could see my smile mirrored in his eyes.
We’d arrived ten minutes late at the small creperie June wanted to try, and according to Gwen, still rocking the post-coital glow. Starving, I’d ordered enough food for all four of us, and was grateful Jax helped me finish the majority of it.
Jax had just popped a strawberry in his mouth when Gwen said, “June never gave me many details about how y’all met. You were his tutor, right?”
“For chemistry, our sophomore and junior year,” I said.
“Come on, Wilder…” June took a sip of her mimosa. “You know you crushed on him longer than that… First semester of your freshman year is what you told me, if I remember correctly.”
Jax met my gaze. “You never told me that.”
Fucking June.
Grinning, she raised her eyebrows. “He didn’t know?”
I picked up a blueberry and threw it at her. “I hate you.”
Gwen’s face was lit with a wide smile. “Wait… wait… wait,” she said, waving her hands. “I want the whole story.”
“Imagine if you will... a little baby Wilder sitting in a library—”
Laughing, I kicked June under the chair. “I can tell my own story. I am the writer, after all.”
Jax gave me my favorite crooked smile. “You saw me in the library?”
“I did,” I said, my face heating. “It was my first semester at Eastchester. I saw you at the reference desk.” I shrugged. “You’re kind of hard to miss.”
“Aw…” Gwen beamed. “I can feel the swoon all the way over here.”
June pointed her fork at Jax. “He used to go to your games.”
“I am not above murdering you in public,” I said, but my tone lacked any real ire.
“You did?” he asked.
“Only a few,” I lied.
“So how did you end up tutoring him?” Gwen asked.
“We shared a chemistry class,” Jax said, his eyes still on mine. “He was always answering all the teacher’s questions.”
“Of course, he was.” June smirked, and I rolled my eyes.
Gwen leaned her elbows on the table. “Were you questioning your sexuality back then? Or did you know you were gay?”
“You don’t have to answer that,” I said.
I glared at Gwen and her eyes widened. “Shit. Sorry I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s okay.” Jax took my hand in his. “I knew I was gay, but I’d never acted on it. I was messed up over it… if I’m being honest, but being around Wild made it easier sometimes.”
“How?” I asked and ignored the prying eyes of my friends.
“You were confident all the time, and I admired that. I looked up to you,” he said. “It wasn’t always easy though… you were so damn cute… I think I almost failed that first chemistry class because I couldn’t concentrate with you sitting next to me.”
“The first class?” I asked. “That was sophomore year… we didn’t hook up until junior year.”
He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I know.”
Shocked, I stared at him. “I wish I would have known.”
“What was the tipping point?” June asked.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” he said.
“What made you finally give in to your feelings for Wilder?”
“It got too hard… fighting it all the time,” he said. “We fell asleep studying one night, and when I woke up his head was on my chest.”
“You ran your fingers through my hair,” I said, the memory as vivid as it had always been.
“You guys are killing me right now.” June stared at her girlfriend who looked like she was about to cry. “Look… she’s crying.”
“It’s so sweet, though,” Gwen said, wiping at her cheeks. “Look how far y’all have come.”
“All thanks to me,” June said, patting herself on the shoulder. “Anytime y’all wanna thank me, I’m here for it.”
“Thank you,” Jax said in earnest, and I squeezed his hand under the table.
“Sorry about that,” I whispered to Jax as Gwen asked June something about work.
“I don’t mind it,” he said as his phone vibrated on the table.
He turned it over and his brother’s name flashed across the screen. He rejected the call, but before he could set it down, his phone vibrated again.
“It’s Ethan,” he said, a crease forming between his brow.
“Answer it. It might be important.”
The call went to voicemail before he had a chance to answer it. Jax pressed his finger against the screen, lifted his phone to his ear, and his face paled.
“What’s wrong?” June asked and I shook my head.
After several long seconds, he lowered his phone. Refusing to meet my eyes, he said, “I have to go.”
“Go where?” I asked but he didn’t answer. “Jax… go where?”
“Home.”
He stood abruptly, and in his panic, dropped my hand.
“To Marietta?” I asked.
“No… Bell River.”
JAX
“Jaxon,” Wild said my name and it cut through the noise in my head as I stormed out of the restaurant. He grabbed my wrist, his eyes wide and worried. “What the fuck’s happening right now?”