I did not need help. I wasn’t a woman who needed a man to be her savior. I leaned against a door and took a few deep breaths and twisted the knob. Thankfully, it was open, and when I peered inside the room to see a large bed with a view of the ocean, a flash of a memory invaded my mind. It was hard to hold onto, but the memory was gone as soon as it came. Had it been real? I had been in here before. I only knew that because it felt familiar. I hobbled inside, and there was a step down onto the floor where the bed laid. I flopped on it onto my back and stared up at the ceiling, watching the clouds move through the skylight.
While Jaxon felt like an intricate part of my soul, there was something he wasn’t telling me. I just wished I could heal already and remember just what the hell was going on in my life and how I got to the Cliff House. It all seemed too good to be true, and that always meant something bad lingered in the shadows, just waiting to pounce.
I closed my eyes and concentrated on remembering, flipping through the blurry pages in my mind, but nothing was sticking out. I let out a huff of annoyance when everything came up blank. There was Brian though. I remembered him. Maybe I could ask him what was going on? I didn’t want to talk to him. Brian wasn’t a good man. I had fallen for i
t once, but I refused to fall for it again. The love for Jaxon outweighed the curiosity I felt when it came to Brian. I knew I wouldn’t ever let it go, but I’d find out the truth eventually.
Right now, I just wanted to sleep.
“I’m sorry.”
Jaxon’s whiskey-ridden voice had me opening my eyes and propping myself up on my elbows. He leaned against the wall, feet crossed and hands in his pockets as he gazed at me from across the room.
“I’m worried about you. Seeing you fall like that scared the hell out of me. I thought you were dead. I won’t apologize for worrying about you, but I will apologize for making decisions for you. I should have known better.”
“It’s okay,” I said on a whoosh of air. I felt bad for snapping now. Of course, he was scared. He watched me tumble to my almost death. I needed to be more patient. “I’m sorry for being bitchy. I’m tired. And I think I’m hungry,” I mumbled, throwing my arm over my eyes.
“You’re always hungry,” he said, and his voice was getting closer now.
The closer he got, the more my body warmed, and the more I wanted his touch. There wasn’t much we could do right now, considering I was all banged up, but I really wanted to know what it was like to kiss him.
Maybe it would help with the memories.
He crawled onto the bed beside me and held his head up with his hand as he laid his elbow on the mattress. I turned my head to look at him, and I lifted my good hand to rub my fingers through his beard. He closed his eyes, relishing in the simple touch.
“I love your hands on me,” he said, scooting closer to my side until our bodies touched.
“Will you kiss me?” I asked out of nowhere, and his onyx eyes snapped open, his pupils constricting into small points. “I know we have before—”
“—I was your first kiss, Quinn. I’m going to be your last too. You never have to ask for me to kiss you. It’s the one thing I always want to do.”
I had no time to think about him being my first kiss because he laid his wide hand on my jaw, his palm covering half of my throat as his thumb swiped along my jawline. He knew how I liked to be touched. That time, it was my turn to shut my eyes and soak in the attention. It was cruel that my memory turned against me, and all I had to give in to the temptation was what my heart told me to do.
Beautifully, unnecessarily, undoubtedly, cruel.
His lips were on mine an instant later, pressing softly against my mouth with a delicate tenderness I didn’t think Jaxon could possess. He exhaled between my lips and the soft tip of his tongue teased mine. He was silk, and I was a customer of appreciation when it came to how exquisite he felt.
His beard scratched my chin and around my lips. The course hairs would rub me raw eventually, but I didn’t care. I wanted all the good, and all the bad Jaxon could give. Something told me he was the best of both worlds and wanted to slide into the in between he balanced himself on.
Jaxon rolled on top of me, spread my legs apart and settled between them, careful not to hurt my injured leg further. He kept most of his weight balanced on his forearms, and when my fingers scratched down his back, he growled, the vibrations tickling the inside of my chest.
I felt his length pressing against my pussy. I wanted him. I was tired, sore, and I could use another pain pill, but I wanted Jaxon to make me high naturally. I rutted against him, and the flared head of his cock press the sensitive button between my legs that made me cry out his name, “Jaxon.” My good hand roamed the plains of his back, the strong cords of muscle, and the grooves of his shoulders. I squeezed the round muscle of his ass and pulled him tighter against me, and his thick shaft slid over the nerves that brought me closer to the high a drug gave.
“I want you.” I broke away from the kiss and tried to pull his shirt free, but he stopped me. He continued to rock his cock against me. I was thankful for the thin material of the joggers because I knew he could feel the warmth and wetness between my legs easily.
“I want you too,” he said, his faced pained as he battled with himself to take me or not. “But you need to rest. Having sex right now might hurt you more—”
“We will be careful,” I said, running my fingers up his spine until I dug them into his hair. “I really want you, and I know you’re used to me—”
“Used to you?” He kissed me again, teasing me by circling his lips over mine. “I could never be used to you. You get better every time,” he whispered, thrusting against me again. He felt big. “You really need to rest. I nearly lost you three days ago. You have to be in pain.”
“The only pain I feel is the one between my legs, and it is a pain that you’re causing. My question is, what are you going to do about it?” I challenged him; something tells me that he was a man that loved a good challenge. I ripped off my v-beck shirt, then reached in front of my bra to unclasp it. The material released my tits, and his eyes hooded when he saw my perk nipples, begging for his attention.
“Quinn.” My name was a mix between pain and pleasure as he reached up and plucked my elongated nipple. “I shouldn’t.” He shook his head, so I did the next best thing. I pulled my joggers down as far as they could go along with my panties, hoping it would be enough to send him over the edge.
His nostrils flared as if he could smell me. “You don’t play fair.”
“If I played fair against you, I had a feeling I’d never win.” I nipped his chin, and with a frustrated noise in the back of his throat, he pushed off me and shucked off his shirt.