d marble staircase with the help of the banister, and started down a long, tree-lined flagstone path toward a side parking lot.
Lexi paused at the edge of the patio. The path was lit only by tiny white lights where the flagstone met the grass, one side lined by one of the mansion’s high stone patio walls.
“Jax?”
He didn’t answer. Didn’t stop.
Lexi glanced around, pulled off her heels, and started down the path. “Jax, wait. ”
A few yards ahead, Jax’s silhouette stopped. His head tipped back with the bottle of water at his mouth. By the time he stopped drinking, Lexi had caught up and heard him crinkle the bottle in his hand.
“Don’t worry, babe,” he said, his voice low and hopeless in the dark. “I’m not going to out you. ”
“I don’t care. ” She heard the words, but it almost seemed as if they’d come from someone else. “I mean I do, but…I don’t want to. I care about you. I just…it’s complicated. Can you give me some time, Jax? This is…terrifying. ”
He didn’t answer, but he didn’t walk away. Lexi moved closer. He was barely visible in the dark, and it brought back memories—and nerves—of their first night together.
“I missed you,” she said, reaching for his arm and sliding her hand down to close her fingers around his. “And I’m stressed. And I wasn’t prepared for this. But I…”
His hand closed around hers in the dark, the sensation so reassuring, the same way he’d been that first night. Every moment they’d been together since. Emotion swelled in her chest. Tears burned her eyes.
“There’s no accounting for who you love, right?”
“I love you, Jax. ” The words didn’t come out right. They sounded plastic. Fake. “But it’s happening so fast, and I’m confused. I’ve been living so long one way—”
He pulled on her hand, drawing her close. His other arm wrapped around her waist. “What?”
“I don’t…” Why did she feel like she was dangling over a ledge? “I don’t want to lose you because I’m resistant to—”
“Not that. ”
His hand found her face, felt along her temple, her cheek, until he found her jaw, then drew her up. His mouth covered hers, and Lexi whimpered, kissing him back, seeking his tongue. He tasted her for one long moment, then broke abruptly.
“The other part,” he said.
She knew what he meant, and the warm sensations flowed through her. “I love you. I know there’s a lot I don’t know, but I can guess. And all that matters to me is that I love who you are now. ”
“Lexi…” Her name was more of a groan than a word before his mouth closed over hers again. And so much emotion filled his kiss, Lexi could taste it. She was too short without her shoes on and stretched against his body to get more of his mouth, more of everything.
The hard ridge of him rubbing her low belly made her crazy, and she stroked him through his jeans.
“Lexi…baby…” He pulled her hand away.
She kissed his jaw, his throat, pulled at the buttons of his shirt. Jax might have been holding the hand that had been stroking him, but now he was rubbing his erection along her hip bone.
“Lexi, you make me insane. ”
She whimpered against his neck. “Please…”
On a growl, he picked her up by the waist and carried her toward the rock wall. Behind each large tree, the wall curved into an alcove of smooth sandstone. More marble floored the area, housing a piece of ornate pottery filled with plants.
He pressed her back to the cold stone, kissed her deeply as his hands ran up the backs of her thighs, raised her dress.
“Christ, Lex…” His hands roamed over the garters, her silk panties, gripped her ass. “That’s so hot. ”
“I need you. ” Lexi opened his jeans, found his cock, and took him into her hands with a groan.
“Shh,” he murmured against her lips. “Grab my wallet, baby. ”