“Shh, be here with me, babe. Don’t worry about them,” he says into my ear.
“They could come in. They could see us,” I nervously whisper back.
“Trust me.” When I don’t respond, he continues, “I can reach the door from here. If they try to come in, I’ll hold it closed. Be. With. Me.” The last sentence is whispered so longingly, I almost forget everything else around me. All of a sudden having the use of my hands sounds like a much better idea.
“I want to touch you,” I gasp at his relentless rhythm.
He reaches up and begins to unwind the leather around my wrists. “I swear to God, if you go into your head and try to hold back, I’ll keep you here all night.”
“That’s not much of a threat,” I murmur, as my finally free hands run through his hair.
“Behave,” he whispers threateningly into my ear.
The sad part is, the only reason we’re doing this here and now is because he knows Jaxon is at practice and won’t be home for another couple of hours. As much as I’ve tried to be patient with him, I’m getting tired of lying low. I push the thoughts back and teach myself to be in this moment with him like he commanded.
His hand grips one of my thighs and he pulls it up, hitching the leg around his waist. I stand on the tiptoe of my opposite leg and lean all of my weight into him. He picks up a relentless pounding pace that makes me forget to breathe. My back digs into the shelves behind me, but it’s all a distant feeling with him in front of me. He’s already so familiar with my body that he knows how to push me over the threshold and how to make me teeter along the edge. He reaches between our bodies and his finger circles exactly where I need it.
With my toe-curling, shooting release, I bite into his shoulder to muffle my cries. Surprisingly, he bites down into mine as well to dampen his own sounds of pleasure a few minutes later. Slowly we pull apart, panting heavily. I wish I could turn the light on in here. Jace’s post-sex face is the most glorious sight to see, especially when he’s staring right at me, letting me know he feels everything I am in that moment. I love knowing I’m not alone.
I feel him bend down and then a little tap on my foot indicates for me to lift it. Leisurely, he drags my panties back up my legs and secures them onto my hips. I stifle a chuckle as he tries to pull my skirt down lower and swears when he realizes my shirt isn’t long enough now to cover my stomach. I feel him inche my skirt back up until it touches the edge of my shirt.
“You’re killing me,” he rasps into my ear.
“Well, maybe now you’ll think about me all night,” I tease quietly.
“That was already a fucking guarantee, babe,” he grumbles.
“I hope I don’t drop anything. Imagine if someone saw...”
I laugh as he growls. “That’s it.” I feel the leather of his belt as he grabs my wrists. “You’re staying here.”
“Jace, Jace!” I try to laugh quietly. “I’m kidding!”
I feel his hands touch the sides of my face and he speaks directly to me. I imagine his glacial blue eyes, even though I can’t see them. “I know I’m a terrible boyfriend right now, but you’re still mine.”
“Just let me tell him,” I whisper.
“Hell no. I need to do it. I just can’t ever catch the bastard long enough to have a conversation with him. I’m either spending the night with you, or he’s off God-knows-where with Em.” I nod my head and I know he feels it between his hands.
“Soon, I promise.” He kisses me lightly and re-buttons his pants as I readjust my shirt. We both step up to the door and listen quietly for voices. “I haven’t heard them for at least ten minutes. I think we’re good,” he whispers.
I turn and kiss him one more time before we’re forced to play this silly game in front of everyone again. Gradually, I push the pantry door open, hoping it’s not a creaky door. Jace holds on to my hips as I step out of the dark room. Instantly, I see Em and Quinn sitting at the dining room table, with their chins in their hands and huge shit-eating grins poised directly at us. Jace’s hands fly off my hips and I sigh in frustration.
“Damn...” Quinn laughs.
“I bet that was awesome,” Em adds. “Jax and I will have to try that one. Did you guys do it on the washing machine?” she boldly asks.
My head slightly shakes and Jace says, “I was just talking to her in there.” The guilt drips off of each of his words.
“Riiight, just like you were ‘talking’ to her over winter break in the back of the Camaro, and just like you were ‘talking’ to her when you snuck in her bedroom,” Em says defiantly. Shit. I didn’t tell Jace that they knew. His eyes bug out and he takes a step backward, almost as if he wants to go hide himself in the pantry until we leave.
“Jace, she’s our friend. Newsflash, we’re girls and we talk,” Em says, before he has the chance to get upset.
“Fuck, Em. Let me talk to Jax before you open your mouth,” he pleads.
“Well, seeing as I’ve known about this for awhile now, I think your secret is safe with me. For now.”
Jace nods his head, saying, “Stop dragging him off to your secret lair so I can actually have some time to explain everything.” He drags his hands through his hair in frustration.
“Fine, why don’t you talk to him tomorrow? Everyone’s going to the beach for Mason’s birthday,” she explains.
His face contorts and he says, “I don’t like Mason.”
“Since when? You used to hang out with him all the time.” Em is a freaking bulldog when she’s on a mission. There’s no stopping her either. Although in this case where she’s trying to push Jace to talk to his brother, I’ll let her bully on.
“Since Audrey danced with him at the club, remember?” Quinn pipes in.
“They know about that too?” his voice rises and he quickly looks at me.
“Don’t we have a movie to see?” I ask, trying to change the subject.
With a deep groan and a few labored breaths, Jace says, “Shit. Fine, I’ll be there tomorrow night.”
“Awesome!” Em claps her hands in victory and reaches for her purse. “Okay, now that it’s settled, let’s head out.”
I file in behind them. As we make our way for the front door, Quinn exclaims, “Dang girl, your wrists are red!”
“It’s fine,” I mumble and rub circles around them.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Jace whipping back around from his earlier retreat down the hallway. “Go on ahead, she’ll catch up with you in a second,” he says to Em and Quinn. When they walk out the door whispering to one another, he reaches for my hands. Tenderly, he kisses the reddened skin that rings my wrists. “I’m not gonna lie, it’s pretty damn hot that you have to walk around with this all night, but I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
“You’ll really talk to Jaxon tomorrow night?” I ask, because I’m not concerned about my wrists. He nods his head in response, continuing his soft kisses. “And you didn’t hurt me. I trust you.” I hope he understands the double meaning behind my words.
He kisses me and wishes me a good night as I open the door. Before I can get two feet down the outer hallway, he calls out, “Don’t forget, no bending over! That skirt is too fucking short.”
I laugh at his possessive nature and give a little twirl that causes my navy-striped skirt to billow out, showing way more thigh than I would want anyone besides him to see.
- Fourteen -
AUDREY -
The bar is slow this afternoon so I offer to finish the shift alone if Em wants to go hang out with Jax before he has practice tonight. Not even ten minutes after I suggest it, Jax comes strolling in the door with a wide grin on his face.