Chapter Two

∞∞∞

Jaxon:

I swear to fuck I’m as nervous as a teenage girl getting ready for prom. That doesn’t make me sound very manly and the guys would really bust my balls if they knew that but Ruby’s going to be here tonight. That thought has me so wired I can’t sit still and I can see Bishop, Wolf and Savage staring at me like I’ve lost my mind.

I could tell them it’s not my mind, it’s my heart. All I’ve been able to think about for the last two days is Ruby. Her shy nature that I think hides a fiery personality that’s dying to break free with the right man. Her stunning scarlet hair, her emerald eyes, the light golden skin with just a dusting on freckles on a perfect little nose. She’s fucking everything I’ve been dreaming about for thirty years.

I couldn’t resist the pull to learn more about her yesterday and I studied her application. I’m not sure what I was hoping to find but I desperately wanted to know every single little detail. What makes her happy, what makes her sad, what has her so scared. I’m pretty sure I know that last one and I have a feeling when I finally get her to tell me, it will take every bit of self-control not to find the bastard and kill him where he stands. But that’s not what she needs. I need to be what she needs and right now I’m flying blind.

The file was just a basic life story. One thing that surprised me is she’s a little older than me. Four years to be exact. Not a big deal to me. I noted her address. She lives in a nice section of town. Foxden, Illinois isn’t that big but it’s not a town either. It’s a mid-size city and it has a good and a bad section. It also has middle of the road which is where I live. It doesn’t bother me that she makes more money than me either. I don’t feel the need to compete with my woman. None of that stuff matters to me. Just that sweet, soft, shy woman who’s trying to crawl out of whatever hole she’s been hiding in.

While I’m dreaming of my little fiery-haired temptress she’s scuttling in the door dressed in the second-worst outfit I’ve ever seen. She’s really got a knack for finding crappy clothes. I smile brightly and wave at her. Her green eyes widen and I swear she flushes pink. That makes my day. I had hoped she’d start responding to me at some point. This is much sooner than I expected and bodes well for my mission.

The long, black sweatshirt catches on the handle of a machine as she moves towards me and she about knocks another patron over. I can see her apologizing.

I walk up and touch her arm. “Hey, Ruby. How ya doing tonight, darlin’?” She moves away slightly but doesn’t yank away like I’m expecting. Progress. I’ll take it.

“Hi, Jaxon,” her husky, breathless voice moves across my nerve endings like warm molasses. Smooth, silky and warm. Just like her.

I can feel my dick start to harden and I command that asshole to step the fuck back. Not yet. Now’s not the right time.

I wave her towards a machine in the corner for working her legs. “How’s your week been so far, Ruby?”

She follows me and I can see her staring at me, like she’s not sure what’s going on. “It was good.”

“Still sore?” I ask her, getting her set up on the machine. When she steps in front of me to lie back on the machine, I grunt. I’m about ready to pull her into me when I smell her sweet, spicy scent. It hits my senses like a glass of vodka. Knocks me for a loop and I’m panting like I’m winded from standing.

She smiles slightly, but still won’t meet my eyes. “No, I’m alright.”

I grin mischievously. “I guess that means we’ll try harder today.” I chuckle when her smile turns sour.

“I don’t think that’s necessary, Jaxon,” she mutters. And when she says my name it’s like opening the floodgates on my raging desire. A full-on conflagration of epic proportions is burning through my body like a wildfire.

“I’m sure you don’t think so. But we need to move forward. We’re looking for your plateau and we haven’t found it if you’re not still a little sore.”

She grimaces, crinkling her nose and I’m so close to just grabbing her and pulling her up until her legs are wrapped around my waist and I’m pounding into her on the nearest wall.

I turn away and subtly readjust. I don’t wanna scare the hell out of her but I’m not a little guy. Right now that fact would be abundantly clear.

I settle her sweats-clad legs and show her how to push and pull the weights. She catches on and starts pushing hard. The sight of those thick thighs of hers rippling(at least what I can see from the baggy clothes) is enough to get my dick hard again. This machine was a mistake cause now all I’m picturing is her with her knees pushed into her chest while I pound into her. I’m starting to feel like I’ve got a one-track mind and it seems to be locked into fucking Ruby.

I huff out a breath. “Hey, take a quick break, Ruby. I gotta run to the bathroom and I don’t want you doing anything without a spotter.”

She nods but her forehead’s creased. I know she’s confused. We just got started. But I desperately need a breather.

Five minutes later, after a quick pep talk in the mirror I’m making my way back to her. When I turn the corner and see her I almost roar. She’s backed into the machine she was working on and she’s cringing away from a guy who apparently has a death wish. I growl under my breath and take off in a jog.

When I reach them I growl, “You’ve got one second to get your hand off her before I break it, buddy.”

He shrugs. “Sure. Sorry, man. I didn’t know she was yours. I was just trying to get to know her,” the little shit says, backing away with his hands up.

My voice cracks out, sharp as a whip. I step up to him chest to chest or close to it since he’s shorter than me. “You don’t touch any woman in this gym unless they ask you to and I know she didn’t.” I glance back at Ruby and my heart seizes in my chest and I see red. She’s absolutely terrified, every shuddering inch of her. All my hard work might have been wiped out by one asshole.

I bend down and mutter in the guy’s ear so Ruby doesn’t hear. “That woman right there is mine. I should kill you for touching her but I won’t…this time. Touch her again and you’ll be having meals through a straw from now on.” I can see by his pale face that he understands me.

I back away holding onto my temper. Barely. He scurries off like the rat he is.

And now I turn to Ruby and my heart sinks. She’s frozen, eyes closed, barely breathing. She’s cringing away, trying to literally draw her entire body in on itself.

“Ruby, baby,” I say softly, stepping to her side slowly like she’s a fawn frozen in her tracks. “Baby, it’s just me. Just Jaxon.” There’s no response. Not even a deep breath.

“Honey, just please open your eyes,” I plead with her, voice breaking.

Then like the sun rising at dawn, those emerald eyes open and my heart starts beating painfully. I gasp. There’s so much pain in those beautiful eyes. But underneath it all is the barest glimmer of trust.

She gasps and sucks in a harsh breath, lunging at me, wrapping herself around me like an anaconda. She buries her head in my chest, huge shivers wracking her body. And my arms tighten around her even as I’m begging my own body to behave. It’s almost impossible with those delicious curves pressed tight into me. It’s like a dream and a fucking nightmare all at the same time. Heaven and hell. My cock twitches in my pants but I tell it silently to calm the fuck down. Now is not the time to claim her. Now is the time to win her fragile trust.

I lift her trembling body into my arms and stride into the office. I settle on the black leather couch with her on my lap and pat her back, muttering nonsense words under my breath. Anything to soothe her delicate, troubled heart.

∞∞∞

Ruby:

A warmth moves over me and through me. It soothes my soul and wraps around my battered heart filling all those cracks that he caused. Not Jaxon and not the idiot who touched me and started this whole flashback.

I can vaguely hear muttered nonsense in my ears and I know he’s holding me. I know he saved me from myself. From the nightmares that come roaring back when anyone touches me. Except Jaxon. For some reason, that soft southern drawl in his deep voice coats my nerves like warm honey. I feel safe. I feel home and with my history that feels scary but at the same time I want it so bad. I want to belong with someone, to someone. I just can’t get past the damn fears.

But with Jaxon, they’re not there. He holds me in his arms right now and all I can think about it is how warm he is, how much I like the feeling, how much I like him.

What the hell’s going on here? I just met this guy two nights ago. That shouldn’t be enough to erase fifteen years of hell.

His big palm caresses my back and he’s not trying to get to first or second base. He’s not pushing me. He’s not insisting on sex. He’s just trying to make me feel better and it’s been so long since someone cared enough to try. To make the effort to take care of me. Tears pool in my eyes and roll down my cheeks and I know I’m soaking his shirt but he doesn’t seem to care. Just keeps crooning soft nonsense in my ear. Hypnotizing me.

After what seems like years but is probably only a few minutes I look up into his concerned alpine blue eyes. “Are you alright?” he asks.

I nod shakily and run the backs of my hands over my cheeks. He pushes my hands out of the way and his thumbs rub gently at my cheeks, gathering up my tears. My eyes sink closed as he caresses my face and I moan low in my throat. As soon as I do that he freezes and so do I. Because I feel something growing under my ass. Something hard and long.

“Shit,” he growls under his breath and I flinch. He lifts my chin up and grins softly. “I can’t help it, baby. Every time I’m near you, I lose my self-control. I don’t want to react that way, not right now when I know you’re so upset but I can’t help it. I want you. I’ve wanted you since the first moment I saw you and the more I get to know you, the more I want to know. The more I want to feel your kiss. To be the only man you ever want. You owned me from the first time you said my name.”

I flush and drop my eyes away from the desire and lust I see raging in his glowing eyes. He wants me. This amazing man wants me. But yet he doesn’t push me. That’s like the biggest aphrodisiac in the whole world right there. A man that wants you but he’s willing to take the time, to put in the effort to be with you. A man that wants more than just your body. He makes it sound like he wants my heart. Like he can’t live without me.

I lift my eyes. Curiosity rushes through me. What would it be like if he kissed me? Just a kiss.

“Jaxon, if I asked you for something would you do it without asking a bunch of questions?” I study his strong, sharp-jawed face. He doesn’t even have to think about it.

“Of course. Anything you want, baby.” His pale blue eyes are steady on mine.

“Would you kiss me, Jaxon? Just a quick kiss and that’s all,” I finish in a rush.

His eyes study me carefully. It seems like he sees what he needs because he nods slowly. “Alright. But you tell me if something bothers you.” And that right there seals a little hole in my heart. That selfless caring that’s an ingrained part of him. The big, ex-military guy with the soft heart.

He leans down and his breath fans across my cheeks before his warm lips touch mine lightly. His lips cling to mine so softly, like a butterfly’s kiss. His warmth surrounds me and I feel like I’m burning up from the inside out. His lips move gently but he doesn’t try to force his way into my mouth. Just delicately moves his lips against mine. My breath catches as his hand moves up to cup my jaw but not hard. Everything he’s doing is so gentle and sweet but it’s started a fire that’s threatening to burn out of control if we don’t stop.

I pull my lips off his with a gasp. I feel shaken. I feel like I’ve just discovered another wonder of the world. His lips. His touch. His taste.

“Are you okay?” he asks me, concern furrowing his brow.

I smile brightly. “Yes, for the first time I feel alright.” He doesn’t know that I mean the first time in fifteen years. It’s such a long time but maybe I was just frozen waiting for him to wake me up like a sleeping princess.

He smiles wryly. “I think that’s enough for today, little one. Do you want to finish your workout? We don’t have to, I know it’s been a hard day for you.”

It would be so easy to say no. To say that I want to go home. But I don’t. I push off from his chest and that intriguing bulge in his pants and grin, holding my hand out to him “No way. How am I going to hit my max if I don’t keep trying.”

And I know from his grin as I pull him up, he understands me. That he’s willing to wait for me to be ready for whatever this is. That he’s alright and so am I.