Chapter 31

MELODY

I exit the restroom,convinced I need to call it a night, and just go home.

A few steps separate me from the corner, and I'm about to steer left when a dark silhouette coming from the opposite direction swiftly blocks my retreat.

He snakes his arm around my waist and nudges me away. We're not stopping at the restroom door.

Instead he pulls me into a different corridor and presses my back against the wall.His hand comes to my hair, and his lips hover over my ear.

"What are you doing here, baby? What did I tell you?"

My hands are propped against his chest as I need a moment to reflect.

"Why are you here?" he asks again.

Is he mad because I'm here with Emile?

Or is he mad because I'm where he was supposed to spend the night with his friends and that pretty brunette?

Both can be true.

I tilt my head back, seeking his beautiful, dark gaze.

There isn't much to see asvery littlelight filters through a cracked door, but even so, satisfaction glints in his eyes.

He's not mad.

He enjoys having a reason to punish me.

"You left my things with that woman," I say quietly.

A soft smile tilts his lips while he drags his finger down my cheek and grips a strand of hair.

"You wanted me to come inside and broadcast you were with me in that alley? I thought you wanted to keep it a secret," he says, playing with my hair and tickling my lips. "You got your things," he argues.

"Yes, I did."

"And then you were supposed to go home," he breathes on my lips.

"And then––"

He doesn't say whatever else he wants to say about me not doing the right thing when I wind my arms around his neck, he pulls me into his chest, and small explosions thread through our blood as our lips become a cauldron of fire.

We kiss, forgetting the world we left behind.

I don't care aboutthe conversation I had with Joanna, and he's not interested in punishing me anymore.

We kiss in a small, dark space, risking being caught by someone working here or by that woman who has taken it upon herself to poke her nose into my business.

Soft moans climb up my chest as I greedily want more, the not-so-friendly voice in my head warning me I'm losing it too soon, offering myself on a platter.

And why?

Because I just found out how elusive that good, perfect manreallyis.

Who knows what dark secrets Jax London really has?

The good thing is that he kisses me like the sex god that he is, fucking my mouth with his tongue and moving his hand up my skirt.

I could rip his clothes off, but I only untuck his top, slink my hands inside, and move them up his abs.

I shudder when he puts his fingers into my panties and pulls them down.

"You missed me…" he says, looking down.

"We shouldn't do this here," I say, afraid that so many people could catch us.

But my voice trails off when he cups my slit and rubs my clit.

"It isn't up to you," he rasps, watching my chest moving up and down in quiet desperation.

He is punishing me, after all.

"Who is that woman…?" I ask, my hands latched onto his body, my head tilted back as he shamelessly drags me to a peak of pleasure without even fingering me.

It's like dying a slow, delicious death.

He ignores my question, not looking at me, not kissing me.

When he slides his fingers into me and feels me clenching around him like I'm about to come, he brings his eyes to me.

"No questions, all right?" he saysseriously, and I become a hostage of compulsion, my morality destroyed by my sultry dark desires.

He's not even fucking me.And he's not even giving me anything.Only a new shot of pleasure to fuel my addiction.

He moves his hand while I rock my hips because we have our little thing, and we've gotten good at this.

I enjoy it tremendously, although I'm still an unreliable skittish squirrel.

If sex is all we have, I want this to last for a while.

A very long while.

And now I need him between my legs, despite being scared that it would ruin it for us.

My hands curl around his shoulders as my skirt is pushed up past my hips. His hand is in my underwear, ravishing my clit and center.

He kisses me while fucking me with his fingers, and I come, feverishly running my hands through his hair, the pleasure threatening to never end.

Voices echo around the corner, and he freezes with his hand between my legs, my arousal on his fingers.

He gently removes his fingers from between my thighs and slides my skirt down.

Emile and Joanna talk about me not far from us.

He asks her whether she's seen me, and she has no answers.

Tucking his top in and sliding a hand over his fly to adjust his hard-on, Jax shoots me a stern look.

"Get rid of him, or I will," he says.

Nothing on his face says he's not serious about it.

He pivots to pull away from me when I stop him and lock his eyes.

"I need a cigarette," I say quietly.

He studies my face before reaching inside his jacket and offering me one.

"A light, please?" I say.

He pulls his lighter out of his pocket, clicks it open, and lights my cigarette.

His eyes stay on my lips.

Not soft. Not tender. Not warm.

"Thank you," I say and step away from him.

Emile and Joanna are gone. They must've returned to the table.

Pushing the nearby door open, I exit the restaurant and welcome the fresh air against my cheeks while Jax goes back inside.

Great.

We act like two strangers secretly having sex.

Shivering, I look up at the sky.

And that's how my new addiction begins.

JAX

"Another beer? Scotch?"one of the guys says as I slide back into my seat and glance across the restaurant.

Melody's date and his lady friend are back at the table.

They don't talk to each other, but she seems pissed while he seems worried.

He keeps looking at the bar and obviously has an itch he can't scratch.He won't scratch it now for sure as his timing couldn't be more off.

I don't understand men who miss out on opportunities.

The opportunity presents itself, and they're not sure.

They want to check different options.

Take their time.

Think about it.

Well… I'm glad he did.

"Is everything all right?" the brunette sitting next to me asks, sliding her hand up my thigh.

"Yup," I mutter, pushing out of my seatat the same time.

I'm so hard any woman's touch could make me blast my load right now.

"I'll be right back," I say to the men. "I need to make a phone call."

They get another round of drinks, and my quick retreat goes unnoticed.

Icheck Melody's seat againas I stride past her table. She's not back.

People leave the place as new guests pop in while I fiddle with my phone at the bar.

A few more seconds pass before I go straight to the back. I'm so hard ifshe'sstill out there; I'll pinheragainst the wall and fuckherraw.

I push the back door open and peer outside.

Three garbage bins are overflowing with garbage. That's where she enjoyed her cigarette.

Classy as fuck.

I suck in a breath and get a whiff of smoke and citrusy perfume, and my fingers tingle at the thought that I can have my hands on her and myhard dick thrusting into her.

She's driving me crazy.

My gaze dips to the slab of concrete as I see her in my mind, tall on her heels, her insides soft and wet, still recovering from my fingers.

When she came against my fingers, I wanted tocomewith her so badly. She's not the only glutton for pain. It takes one to recognize one.

I hadn't planned to finger fuck her again.

I had no plans. I just wanted to feel her softness against my calloused fingers, touchherlips with my lips, and inhalehersmell.

I didn't even plan to kiss her, but she's unpredictable as fuck.

I don't know what happened to her, but something did.

Something unresolved in her made her feel like fire against my mouth.

I wanted to finish her right there, and that's when my fingers found their way to her panties again.

"Looking for someone?" one of the employees asks, carrying more garbage outside.

"No. I'm fine."

After that, I let the person walk back in, adjust my bulge, and, frustrated, I head back inside.