Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Jax

Lily wipes her face clean of the makeup that was smudged and dries her hair with a towel. Emerging from the bathroom wearing a pair of sweatpants rolled down at the waist and a pink tank top, I catch a sliver of her slim waist as she ties her damp hair back into a ponytail. She’s the girl next door. The one that makes a boy have sweet dreams for years without even trying. Wet, sweet dreams.

“What?” She tilts her head and looks herself up and down. My stare making her think something is out of place.

“Nothing.” I grin. Jesus Christ this woman gives me a hard on wearing sweats.

“You’re staring at me like I have my underwear on the outside,” she teases.

Underwear. Lily’s underwear. Get control of yourself man, or she’s going to kick you out wearing some other guy’s clothes. “I like you with no makeup.” And your nipples are erect in that damn little tank top. Don’t stare, eyes high, stay on the face. Face only. I try to talk my eyes into working with me. It doesn’t work, like a magnet to its pull, they drop.

She squints, not sure if I’m teasing her or not and shakes her head with a smile. “I’ll throw your clothes in to dry. You want something to drink?” She asks over her shoulder as she tucks my clothes into the dryer.

“Sure. Whatever you’re having.”

Grabbing two bottles of water, she hands me one, her face faltering a bit as she speaks, “I don’t have much else in the house. Hope this is okay?”

“It’s great.” I try to assure her. I really could care less, but something seems to have shifted, her mood blue and distant.

We settle in on the couch together. I’m glad it’s small, even though she sits at the other end, it’s still nice and close. “Here, give me your feet.” Reaching down, I pull her legs up and settle them on my lap. “They’re freezing,” I say as I take one into my hands. Her tiny pink painted toes are like little icicles.

“That’s because someone soaked me in a cold fountain,” she teases, the smile coming back to her face.

“That’s terrible.” I smirk as I begin rubbing her feet.

“Wow. That feels good.”

“I’m good with my hands,” I quickly counter, wishing I was showing her what I could do with them other places on her body.

“Mmmm.” She closes her eyes and let’s out a small moan of appreciation as I work the arch of her foot with my thumbs. I rub up and down methodically, enjoying watching her face go slack as she relaxes into my touch. Perhaps I enjoy it a little too much, forcing me to shift slightly to disguise the bulge growing in my pants before she sees it.

After another ten minutes, Lily opens her eyes, now hooded from the massage. “Seriously, that was incredible. I don’t even like people touching my feet.”

“I’m not just any people,” I offer, trying to mask just how much I was enjoying touching any part of her. At this point, I’ll take what I can get. Sadly, I’ll settle for a foot.

Lily rolls her eyes and attempts to pull her feet away, but I grab them, stopping her from recoiling.

“What are you doing?” She asks as I hold firm on her feet

“Keeping you comfortable.”

Lily squints, eyeing me suspiciously. “With my feet on your lap?”

“It’s a small couch. You shouldn’t have to be squished just because I’m here.” I offer as an explanation, although her face tells me she’s not buying it. Yet she doesn’t attempt to pull her feet away again.

“So, tell me, Jackson Knight. Do you have a girlfriend back home?”

I shake my head no, grinning almost questioningly at her. “The position is open if you know someone.”

“Hmmm…” she replies, teasingly, “…maybe I do. Tell me what you’re looking for.”

Clasping my hands behind my neck, I pretend to deliberate over my answer. But I know exactly what I’m looking for. “She has to be smart,” I begin. “And love art.”

“Art, huh?” Lily questions suspiciously.

“Yep. You know, with my being an art history minor and all.”

“Uh huh.” She plays along with a smile.

“And I tend to like blondes, my preference with long wavy hair. Maybe the kind that picks up flecks of light, reminding you of spun gold.”

“That’s pretty specific.”

“Hey. I know what I like.” I shrug.

“Of course you do,” she patronizes me.

“And blue eyes. I’m definitely a sucker for blue eyes. There’s actually a certain blue that has a hint of green in it, almost like they can change based on mood.” I pause. “They’re pretty rare. But that’s the color I like best.”

“Anything else?” She dares to ask.

“Curves. I like a woman with curves. Not too skinny. Maybe about five foot three.” I rub my chin as if I’m pondering the description of the perfect woman. Although all I have to do is look in front of me if I forget anything.

“Not five foot six? You sure?” Lily teases.

“Positive. I’m pretty specific about the height.”

“I’ll try to remember that. Anything else?”

“Hmmm…” I pretend to give it due consideration before dishing out my final requirement. “She has to like foot massages.”

“Foot massages?”

“Yeah. I like to start at the foot.”

Lily swallows, trying to pretend I’m not getting to her, but I can tell that I am. “Start?”

I nod slowly. “I like to take my time. Get the tension out of her feet before I make my way up the leg. The calf. The inside of the thigh. The…”

Lily jumps from the couch abruptly. “I should check on your clothes. They were pretty soaked. One cycle might not be enough.” I smile watching her walk away, and not just because of the view. Seeing her flustered as I spoke, told her what I liked, gives me hope I might have a chance.

***

A little while later, we’re back on the couch and I know my clothes have to be close to dry. We’re comfortable with each other, so I try to broach what her deal with Caden is.

“So Caden seems protective of you.”

Lily forces a smile, although the mention of Caden definitely changes the mood. “That he is,” her tone tells me it’s not something she’s too happy about.

Quiet for a moment, I try to think of a tactful way to ask the question, but sometimes direct is just the fastest way to where you want to go and causes the least amount of resistance. “Are you together?” Looking her in the eye, I ask pointedly.

“No. Not anymore.”

“But you were?”

“Yes, we were.” She pauses then adds, “It’s complicated.”

“So you’re not sleeping together?”

“No!” She answers, shocked that I would ask such a question. But there’s no way in hell I would share a woman like Lily.

“So it’s not complicated then.”

“You don’t…” The dryer buzzer interrupts our conversation and Lily’s too eager to make an escape. A minute later she brings back my clothes.

“They’re dry,” she says, and I think I hear a bit of disappointment in her voice. I change in the bathroom, putting on my warm pants but realize she’s given me one of her shirts instead of mine.

“I don’t think this is going to fit me?” I emerge from the bathroom shirtless, holding her shirt up.

Lily turns around. Not answering with words, I watch as her eyes drop from my face to my body. Swallowing hard, slowly her eyes trace the length of me, stopping at the top of my unbuttoned jeans. Her lips part and with a salacious gaze, I hear a small gasp that makes me lose the little resolve to be a gentleman I have left. “Oh fuck this,” I growl, taking the two strides to reach her quickly, finding all the emotions in her eyes that I feel deep inside of me. Lust. Need. Desire. Hunger so deep, it consumes me.

Walking us two steps until her back is to the wall, I reach down and lift her up easily. Pinning her body between mine and the wall, I wrap her legs around my waist and bury my face into her neck, breathing deeply to take in her scent.

Heat pulsating wildly through my veins, I pull my head back, dig my hips deeply into her parted legs so she can feel how hard she’s affecting me and claim her mouth in a kiss.

A low moan escapes her mouth as we come up for air, both panting, our chests rising and falling in rhythm pressed firmly up against each other. “God I love that sound,” I growl, sealing my mouth back over hers before we’ve even both caught our breath.

She tastes fucking incredible. How can someone taste so damn good? Sweet and addicting, like a drug you know you shouldn’t take the first time, because there’s no going back to how you were before you had it. You need it. Want it. Crave it.

Dropping my mouth to her neck, I lick and suck, making my way to her ear where I bite down on her tender lobe. I listen to her breathing change, learning what she likes as my tongue explores every inch of what I can reach. But it’s not enough. I need more. “Jesus, what I’m gonna do to you,” I groan.

Slipping one hand behind her head and the other lifting her weight at the curve of her ass, I unpin her from against the wall and carry her over to the couch. Gently, I lay her down, her back to the soft leather, and lean over her. Her wide blue-green eyes look up at me with hooded need, but there’s something else there. Something that stops me no matter how bad I want to keep going.

“You okay, Angel?” I ask, my voice hoarse, straining to control myself.

She hesitates, “I…I shouldn’t.”

The simple two words are the equivalent of someone pouring a bucket of cold water over my head. Shit. I stand, raking my hands through my hair, taking my frustration out as I tug mindlessly at my own locks. Why the hell did I need to ruin the moment by stopping to talk, we were doing just fine without conversation.

“I’m sorry,” Lily says in a timid voice, sitting up and pulling her knees to her chest.

“Don’t be. It’s my fault. I should go.” Turning my back on her, I grab Reed’s shirt, rather than wait for her to get mine from the dryer and take off toward the door. It’s barely over my head when I reach for my shoes and walk out without looking back.

I replay the last twenty minutes over and over in my head as I make my way down the four flights to the lobby. I shouldn’t, she said, not I don’t want to. Turning around, I take the stairs back up two at a time.