Page 38 of His Secret Obsession
“Maddison!” My body jolts at the sound of Jax’s sing-song voice as the front door flies open. His massive body lingers in the doorway as he cocks his head at me, a devilish smirk pulling on his firm lips. He takes a step forward, closing the front door behind him and placing a hand in each pocket. Despite his casual stance, he looks like a predator playing with its food. It shoots a thrill through me.
“Jax, don’t do anything crazy,” I warn him. I take a step back towards the kitchen that I just exited. He takes another lumbering step forward, and my heart skips a beat.
“You started the war, little menace.”
“No, that was just…retaliation.” I narrow my eyes. “For messing with my car last week.”
He takes another step forward, while I step backwards again. His wolfish grin has my mouth going dry. “And when you asked me sonicelyto fix it, I did. Didn’t I?” He almost laughs on the word nicely because we both know that’s a lie.
“A day and a half later!” I continue to back up as he advances on me until my hips collide with the kitchen table. This version of Jax is so different from the one I’ve been accustomed to, and I love it. He still tends to be overly serious, but I’ve been catching glimpses of playfulness too.
“And I could have done way worse!” I give him my best cheeky grin, and he arches an eyebrow. “If you knew some of the other pranks that crossed my mind, you would know I went easy on you. Honestly, you should be thanking me.”
“So fucking mouthy.” He shakes his head, a playful smile bringing out his dimples. “But that’s not going to save you.” Then he rushes toward me.
I let loose a shriek as I attempt to turn and bolt away, but he’s too quick. Before I know it, his arms wrap around my waist in a tight grip.
Then his hands are at my sides, tickling me while I shriek with laughter.
“Thought it was funny to embarrass me in front of all my guys, did you?” He taunts me, his lips brushing against my ear. “You know what they say about payback, don’t you?”
My eyes water, and I giggle so hard that my stomach hurts. I frantically swat at his hands, to no avail.
“That’s enough!” I shriek.
His grin is so wide and radiant that it makes my heart stumble. Something about the close proximity of his body reminds me of the incident in the laundry room and how good it felt to have him pressed up against me. I feel my smile slip as my gaze zeros in on his mouth. His movements halt as he drags in a deep breath, his eyes darkening.
“No, don’t do that.” His voice is raspy now.
I blink. “Don’t do what?”
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?”
Our gazes lock, the air thickening with anticipation and razor-thin restraint. My heart beats faster as he invades my space, his soft breaths ghosting over me as his focus locks onto my parted mouth. “Like you want me to kiss those pretty lips.”
A thrill shoots through me, making my stomach swoop. I haven’t kissed him since that night in his truck all those years ago, haven’t allowed myself to dwell on it much, because I knew if I did, I would crave more. And now I’m itching to find out if the real thing is as good as my memories make it out to be. My fingers reach out of their own accord, grasping onto the denim of his work uniform and pulling him flush against me. Jax comes willingly, a low groan pulling from his throat.
He threads a hand through my hair before placing two fingers under my chin and gently tilting it up. “Tell me what you want.”
“Kiss me.” My voice comes out low and needy.
“Fucking finally,” he mutters.
I blink, wondering what he means by that. But all thoughts vanish from my head when his lips meet mine in a soft kiss. He releases a tortured groan, and adrenaline bursts through my body, making me gasp. One of my hands slips up to cup his jaw, the rough scratch of his stubble against my fingertips a sharp contrast to his gentle kiss. He continues kissing me, gradually demanding more as the pressure increases. His tongue teases along the seams of my lips, and I immediately part for him. A throaty moan of approval rumbles from deep within his chest, and it sends a lick of heat down my spine.
His tongue brushes against mine, and I whimper.
He releases something akin to a growl as one of his hands slips down to grip my hip while he sucks on my tongue. My hand slips around to his back, reveling at the smooth expanse of rippling muscles beneath my fingertips.
When we finally part for air, he rests his forehead against mine.
“Why do you fucking tempt me every goddamned day, Maddie?” His voice is low and gravely now, lined with somethingdark. The sound of it feels like a caress against my skin, making goosebumps pop up along every exposed inch.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I pant, sucking in a mouthful of air. “It’s not like you’ve ever noticed me before, not until recently.” Something I can’t discern flashes in his eyes.
“All I do is notice you,” he admits, his voice husky. His words flood me with a sense of warmth, and I wrap my fingers around his thick biceps. His eyes never leave mine, boring into me with an intensity that makes my head spin. It feels like a delicacy to have the full power of his attention on me, and it makes me crave more.
