need to find a place that sells good stink bombs in quantity. You don’t have to protect me anymore, Jax. And for God’s sake, don’t feel guilty about who you are. You’re a billionaire Montgomery. People are always going to be curious about you and your family. There’s nothing you can do about that.”
He stroked a hand through my hair as he said gruffly, “You never wanted this kind of attention.”
“Maybe not,” I admitted. “But I’m perfectly willing to put up with it if that means I can hang out with you.”
His expression was hopeful as he asked, “Are you? Because I swear I’ll hurt those assholes if they scare you away.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and smiled. “I’m a whole lot tougher than you think.”
Really, I couldn’t blame Jax for thinking that I was fragile. All he’d done was spend time with me during the most vulnerable period of my life. I’d been leaning on him for support, and he’d given it freely, patiently, and generously. But I was ready for the dynamics of this whole relationship to change.
Jax needed to know that he had my support, and that I cared about him, too.
He wrapped his arms around my waist. “You’re getting pretty damn feisty,” he teased.
“Do you have a problem with that?” I asked.
“Oh, hell no, sweetheart,” he rasped. “It nearly killed me to see you like you were on day one. I’d rather have you fight with me than to see you give up on the entire world. If I never have to see you that upset and unhappy, it would be too damn soon. All I want to do is make you happy, Harlow. Just tell me how to do it, and I’ll make damn sure you’re smiling every day.”
Tears sprang to my eyes as I looked at the fierce expression on his face.
He was dead serious, and at that moment, I realized that Jax Montgomery really would do anything just to make me smile.
“You already make me happy,” I told him as my heart started to race out of control. “You don’t have to do anything else. You’re the reason I’m smiling now. You’re the reason I’m recovering, and standing on my own two feet now. You have no idea how grateful I am for that.”
His expression was intense as he growled, “I don’t want you to be grateful. I want you to be happy.”
“Then kiss me,” I whispered. “Just kiss me.”
“I can do that,” he grumbled as he lowered his mouth to mine.
If I’d thought that the first kiss was never going to be duplicated, or that it had just been a product of my sexual frustration, I’d been thinking like a fool.
Jax overwhelmed my senses from the second his lips touched mine, and I was completely lost all over again.
My world tilted as he devoured my mouth, consuming it and me until I was desperate to feel more of him, touch more of him.
Liquid heat flooded between my thighs. I moaned against his lips, and leaned into him until we couldn’t get any closer with our clothes on.
A need I’d never experienced before clawed at me, and I speared my hands into his coarse hair, and held on for dear life.
I’d never felt as alive as I did when Jax was touching me like this, and I relished his fierceness, and the way he couldn’t seem to get enough of me, either.
He stroked his hand down my back, cupped my ass, and pulled my hips up against him until I could feel exactly how much he wanted me.
And it made me completely insane.
Just knowing I could make his cock that damn hard was a heady feeling, but I wanted more…
“Jax,” I whimpered when he released my mouth and ran his tongue down my neck and then up to my earlobe.
“Christ, Harlow,” he rasped against my ear. “You make me fucking crazy. Do you have any idea how much I want you naked right now?”
“Oh, God yes,” I moaned. “I need you.”
“You have me,” he growled.
“Show me,” I begged.
“Not. Right. Now.” He pulled away from me with a groan. “We have to go, baby. I’m not starting anything I can’t finish.”
He backed off, and I felt that loss almost immediately.
Our eyes locked, and I shuddered as I saw the raw desire in his possessive gaze.
I wasn’t sure how long we stood there like that, just staring into each other’s eyes as we caught our breath.