I took a second to crack my knuckles, and Andrew looked at me totally repulsed.
“Gross... will you grab me a soda out of the cooler?” he asked.
“Sure.”
Ameren had set a cooler with an assortment of drinks next to my chair earlier. I reached down and opened the lid, grabbing myself a water as well as his soda.
“Thanks.” Andrew took the can from my hand and set it on the table by a new stack of books.
I swallowed a fast gulp of water before he slid another book in my direction. With a fresh Sharpie in my hand, I glanced at the Post-it note, and my heart hiccupped.
Jax.
My eyes snapped up and landed on a familiar, gorgeous, green gaze. I dropped my marker, and I swear to God, an actual fucking squeal lodged itself in my throat, and if it wasn’t for the room full of people, I probably would have knocked the table over and tackled him. Speechless, I stared up at him. He was poured into a gray cotton t-shirt, his skin newly sun-kissed. I bet he smelled like soap and sand and coconuts. Jax’s biceps flexed as he rubbed the back of his neck, his lip curling up at the corner.
My skin pebbled as he spoke. “You okay?”
I raised my hand to my chest, thinking this might somehow slow my pulse. I shook my head, my throat thickening. “No…” I laughed, or maybe it was more like a choked sob. Andrew handed me a tissue and I swatted it away. Did he know about this?
Reading my mind, he held up his hands. “I had nothing to do with him showing up here, but I did see him outside when I left for the coffee shop.”
Jax had been here this whole time. I had to remind myself later, when I wasn’t so ecstatic, to yell at Andrew for letting Jax wait in line. I stood, my legs like Jell-O as I rounded the table, desperate to be in his orbit. The room full of people disappeared as Jax’s arms engulfed me. He was warm, his muscles caging me in, and fuck my life, I might’ve cried a little into his t-shirt. He cupped my face, his thumbs skating across my cheeks, and kissed my forehead. The public display of affection shot straight to my heart.
“What are you doing here?” I asked through a watery laugh but kissed him before he could answer.
Jax dipped his head, parting his lips, and the room erupted with hoots and whistles. Jax smiled and ducked his head into my shoulder. I looked out at the crowd, my cheeks heating as everyone stared at us while they clapped.
Jax lifted his head, a sheepish look on his face. “I had to see you…”
“I can’t believe you’re here,” I said my fingers clinging to the cotton of his t-shirt.
“I bought the ticket yesterday… hope it’s okay I’m—”
I pressed another fast kiss to his lips, earning us another round of applause.
“I don’t think I can sneak out of here,” I said, and he chuckled.
“I don’t suppose you could… that’s alright. Finish up, I can look through all these books while I wait.”
“Screw that... you’re sitting with me. You just got here.” I laced my fingers through his. “I’m not letting you go until I have to board another plane.”
Jax flipped on the light and the hotel room door clicked shut behind me. Exhausted, all I wanted to do was take a shower and indulge in my boyfriend. The signing had run later than it was supposed to, but that was kind of Jax’s fault. Everyone who came up to the table had something to say about our kiss. How cute we were, and how long had we been together? As uncomfortable as I’d been earlier, with Jax by my side, I could be myself. It had been a different experience, and I wished I could get Bartley to pay for Jax to come with me instead of Andrew. When I’d suggested it earlier, Andrew just laughed.
“Wow…” he said, taking in the large suite, he set down the duffel we’d picked up from the concierge after Jax had canceled his reservation. “This is the nicest place I’ll ever sleep.”
Behind him, I set my chin on his shoulder, my arms draping around his waist. “Who said anything about sleeping.”
His laugh was grumbled and warm as he turned in my arms. “I guess sleep is overrated.”
“Mm-hmm.”
He leaned in and tasted my mouth with soft lips. I tucked my fingers under the waistline of his jeans, the swell of his ass hot under my touch as I pulled him against me. He bit my lip, both of us hard and trapped under denim and zippers.
“We should shower,” I whispered.
“You don’t want to get room service first?”
“Not unless you do?” My stomach was tangled in glorious knots having him this close. “Sex first... food later. It’s the natural order of things, if you ask me.”
Jax lifted me at the waist, and I clutched my legs around his hips. “I’m not gonna argue,” he said as he walked us toward the bathroom.
When we walked in, the light automatically came on. The room was covered in bright white marble, almost too bright if it wasn’t for the black countertop. I hadn’t had a chance to clean-up before I’d left for the signing, and all my stuff was spread out in a messy disarray.
“This is bigger than my kitchen back in Bell River,” he said and set me down on my feet.
The shower was huge, with two heads on either side.
“When I’m ridiculously rich we can have a bathroom like this,” I said.
“You don’t have to be rich… I’ll build it for you.”
“For us.”
Jax smiled and lifted his shirt over his head. Under the shock of white light his tan skin stood out, each ridge of abs defined. He reached into the shower and turned on both faucets, testing the water with his hand until steam billowed around him. The last time I’d seen Jax I’d been angry, but he was here, and it was impossible that we’d gone through all of this in such a short time. There’d never been anyone else for me. It’s always been Jaxon. It was clear to me now. I was done pushing away the people I loved.
I wet my lips as he moved toward me, each step a spike in my already-ragged pulse. He kissed me before lifting my shirt over my head. His fingertips ran down the center of my chest, his eyes cast down, watching as goosebumps lifted under his touch. I raised his chin and took his lips with a hungry kiss. His tongue danced with mine as we unbuttoned and unzipped each other. We discarded our clothes until we were skin to skin, the hot water and steam enveloping us as we stepped into the shower. Jax backed me into the wall, his skin damp as I licked the line of his jaw. Every touch I’d give him would add up to the miles we’d had between us, every taste he’d take of me, for the hours we’d been apart. I owed him that. My lips stinging from his five-o’clock shadow, I reveled in the burn of him. He gasped as I grazed the crown of his cock with my thumb. With slippery hands, I jacked us both. Jax wrapped his fingers in my hair, his mouth open as water dripped over his lips. And when I couldn’t take it anymore, I kissed him, sucking on his bottom lip until he groaned.
Panting, Jax grasped my wrist. “Wanna come inside you.”
“What?” I asked, wanting that more than anything.
“I got tested, I’m good.”
He laid soft kisses on my chin, my cheek.
“When?”
“Last week… When you told me you’d gotten tested, before everything blew up, I’d planned on it anyway.” He stroked my cock in his hand. “I don’t want nothing between us anymore.”