“Sometimes, I can’t stop thinking of that moment,” he could hear the distress in her tone at the admission. “I can still feel the burning of his disgusting fingers inside of me.”
“Don’t!” He rasped, pulling her tighter against his body. “Do not think of it, push that thought from your mind.”
“But…”
“Alessia,” he warned before biting lightly at the bit of flesh peeking out from her loose collar, immensely pleased at her startled jump beneath him. “Listen to me and do what I say,” he rasped deeply in her ear.
He waited for her to nod in acknowledgment.
“Soon, I will replace any memory you ever had with that bastard. When you think of him, I want you to replace that thought with me. Picture yourself in my arms, my bed, imagine hearing my voice only. Soon there will be no memories of anyone else touching you but me.”
Nodding, she hugged his arm tightly around her waist.
Unable to stop himself, he kissed that the soft flesh he nipped at earlier, feeling her shivering response. “Go to sleep.”
~*~
There was nothing like the feeling of waking up in Jax's arms. At some point in the night, he moved for comfort, but he made sure to pull her along with him, keeping her close. Even when she carefully scooted down the bed and tiptoed to the bathroom, she was aware of him waking. She could feel the weight of his watchful gaze on her back as she silently moved. When she came back, Alessia got a good look at the man beneath the covers. His long, toned body was like a work of art tangled in the covers. The sudden overwhelming urge to whimper like a needy child was unexplainable. She wanted him to sit up and see how much she needed him, to pull her to him and hold her close as if she was yet another poor kitten in the house craving his affection. Crawling onto the bed, Alessia watched with lowered eyes as Jax pulled the covers back on her side consideration, helping her back into her spot. Settling back into the warmth of her spot, Alessia waited.
Nothing happened. There was no movement behind her at all. Fighting the flare of disappointment, Alessia tried to force herself to go to sleep. She could feel his hands radiating heat inches away, but she could also feel the cold space between them. Seconds ticked by like hours and she regretted ever even getting up. She wanted his touch dammit. She wanted the feel of his heavy bicep across her body, shielding her while keeping her clothes.
“Tell me what you want.” Her chest tightened the sound of his penetrating voice in the darkness.
Breathing deeply, she stared at the wood wall directly ahead of her as she debated herself inwardly. “I want you to hold me again,” she said weekly. “Please.”
She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep the moaned that threatened to release as his heavy arm snaked around her waist. Content, she focused on the overwhelming feeling of his large body enveloping hers. Expanding out, his strong pectoral muscles pressed against her back as he breathed evenly before contracting again. The heavy weight of his muscled arm around her felt like a shield to a suit of armor. Nothing could get past the bulging strength of his biceps or the thick unmovable bar his forearm made around her stomach. She could stay like this forever if he let her.
“I can feel you thinking,” he grumbled against the back of her neck. The hot air dancing over her exposed skin along with the slight brush of his short beard made her nipples tighten.
Controlling her breathing, she prayed he could not feel the rapid pace of her heart. “I was just thinking of the festival in town tonight,” she lied.
"Mmm," the speculation in his deep reply was evident. "Well, don't get your hopes too high. It's going to be cold, crowded, and let me reiterate cold as fuck."
Alessia laughed. “So needless to say, you are not as excited as I am, is that what you’re telling me?”
Making another deep growling sound as an answer, he pulled her closer and nuzzled into the crook of her neck. Alessia let out a small gasp as she felt the soft hairs from his beard glide across the sensitive spot on her neck. Her whole body was heating up. The pressure of his strong thighs against the back of her legs sent pulsating waves of sensual heat directly to her core.
"I'm not, not excited," he grumbled casually in her ear as if this was still just a regular conversation amongst friends. Did he know what he was doing to her?! "And," he continued. "I'm looking forward to seeing you excited."
Dear God, his statement was so sweet but she could barely form a response. If she wasn't careful, he was going to see how "excited" she was at this very moment. Was she the only one affected by this? Acute pain shot through her chest at the thought. For the past week, Alessia was certain something was building between them. Jax had even told her, or at least insinuated, that was what he wanted, and he wanted her to feel comfortable with him. Didn't he? So how in hell was he able to speak so casually in this position right now?!
Annoyed and feeling spiteful, Alessia pushed her hips backwards across the discrete space that separated his hips from hers. The moment the soft crease of her ass pushed against the bulge in his pants, the dormant electricity between them crackled to life.
Jax’s whole body stiffened in reaction before abruptly pulling away. “I’m going to get dressed and bring in more wood for the fire,” he said, his voice tight.
Hiding her smile in the pillow, Alessia waited until the bathroom door shut firmly behind him before she let out a small laugh. It was good to know she wasn’t the only one feeling what was forming between them. Thinking again about the hard bulge she felt, she let out another giggle.
~*~
“Oh, my goodness, I’m so excited,” she squealed, jumping out of the truck. “I had no idea it would be this crowded.”
They were parked near the end of town by the gas station on the main street. From where they were, she could see down the street to where the crowd was. On either side of the street were lit up stalls lining the street while hundreds of people milled in the streets eating and talking, some even dancing to the music playing from the various speaker stands.
Locking the truck with the beep, Jax walked around the truck towards her and walked alongside of her. “Yeah, it’s a combined festival for about three coastal towns: Gaulding, Tarki, and Antor Falls.”
Getting closer towards the crowd and the thrumming music, she walked closer to Jax as they prepared to push through the people. The warm grip of his fingers lacing through her gloved hand shocked her but she made no outward show of it, she simply smiled up at him. Letting him guide her through the crowd, Alessia couldn’t help but notice the way he pulled her close and occasionally shielding her from, particularly boisterous people. Getting to the end of the festival, where it was less crowded, they decided to work their way backward.
Sipping some of her apple cider Jax bought, Alessia’s boots crunched on the sand that had been put down on the icy shoveled streets. “I kind of feel like the Stay Puff marshmallow man with all of these layers on,” she mumbled.
Before they could even leave, Jax made her put on an extra sweater on top of the one she already had on, including her big jacket. Her arms felt so puffy she could barely move them.
"Yes, well, it's still snowing," Jax replied unapologetically as he held his hand out to catch some of the falling snowflakes. His breath made a big puff of white steam against the cold night air. "And it's not worth getting sick, besides you're not the only one in layers. I have on long-johns under here, so I'm just as uncomfortable."
Alessia had to wrangle her self-control not to look down at his jeans. “Mmm, long-johns, sexy,” she teased.
Jax made a Tsk noise as he gave her a roguish grin. “You laugh now, but I bet if I were to let just some of these women know that I am sporting some grade-A long-johns under these jeans, we might just start a stampede.”
Alessia nearly choked on her apple cider laughing. “Well, thank God most of them think you are a local hermit-serial-killer.”
“It’s a sad time when a man can’t even live out in the woods and not shave for a week or
so without being called such hurtful names,” Jax tried to look hurt as he shook his head.
Laughing, they both walked hand-in-hand to the next few stalls until they were stopped and greeted by a familiar man. Alessia knew that she must have outwardly tensed when she felt the comforting back-and-forth swipe of Jax's thumb across her hand.
Steve, the man she had mistaken for Gary, smiled at them both with a beer in his hand.
"Hey there Jax, long time no see," Steve's smile was so genuine, Alessia felt ashamed that she had ever mistaken the man for someone as horrible as Gary.
"Hi, Steve," Jax's dry obligatory reply only made Steve laughed as if he expected nothing less from the man. "How's the insurance scamming still going? Burning any more cars for people in that old clearing in the woods?"
Giving off a nervous laugh, Steve looked around before leaning in. "Come on, man, not so loud. The last thing I need is sheriff Garrett all in my face. I thought this was just between you and me?"
"You, me, and your clients, of course," Jax said matter-of-factly.
“Yeah, yeah,” Steve grinned over the rim of his beer as he took another gulp. The glint of euphoric mischief sparkled in his eyes as he gave Jax a stage whisper. “But yeah, business is good. Got three clients this month.”
Bored with Steve’s nefarious conversation, Alessia interrupted politely to Jax. “I’m going to go look at those stands over there,” she gestured to the nearby booths. “Keep talking, I’ll be close by.”
Stepping back, she pulled gently at her hand still trapped in Jax’s hand. She could see that he debated on just coming with her and bailing on Steve, but she gave him a knowing smile as she took another step back. Reluctantly, Jax let go of her hand but Alessia didn’t miss the possessive look he gave her that sent butterflies scattering across her nervous system.
"You going to introduce me to your girl?" She heard Steve ask Jax as she walked away.
“Nope,” Jax answered.
Stepping past a group of people, she noticed they were all staring at a local news station conducting interviews. Seemingly everyone wanted to share their excitement on camera with the blonde news anchor lady about the festival. Taking advantage of the distracted crowd, she made her way over to an empty stall.
“Care to kiss Eli’s famous Tarki pickles?” The man behind the booth’s counter thrusted out a pickle halfway wrapped in foil.
“Excuse me?” Blinking Alessia looked up from the pickle a few feet from her face to the smiling young man holding it.
With light sandy hair, the man looked only a few years older than herself and gave her a charming smile with a wink. "You heard right, pretty lady," he said loudly for everyone nearby to hear. "If you kiss my famous Tarki pickle, you can walk away with not only this pickle but a ticket to possibly win a gallon of pickles when we do the drawing at the end of the night."
It was obvious now by his volume and the pleased look in his eyes as a few people started to surround them, curious of the spectacle he was making this was shameless publicity.
“I will not kiss that pickle,” she said through smiling, clenched teeth as even more people surrounded her and the booth. Nervously, she ran a hand through her loose hair.
"Aww, come on," he pouted, still holding the pickle out. "Where is your festival spirit?" He called out. "All it is is one teensy kiss from one beautiful lady." Giving her another salacious wink, the crowd laughed and began urging her to kiss it.
Embarrassed and trapped, Alessia leaned backward as he held it even closer. "I will not kiss your pickle," she yelled over the laughing crowd, realizing how ludicrous she sounded.
"What do we have here?" The fake merry voice, along with the blinding white light at her side, spelled disaster.
Alessia wanted to shrivel up and die when she realized the newswoman and her cameraman were standing right next to her, pointing the camera directly at her!
“Hi, I’m Eli of Eli’s famous Tarki Pickles, and I have a simple contest going on,” without missing a single beat, Eli turned his winning smile to the camera and explained his contest. “And right now, we have our last contestant of the night, all she has to do is kiss my pickle.”
Horrified, Alessia felt all eyes, including the news anchor, turned to her expectantly.
“How about it Miss, are you going to kiss Eli’s famous pickle?” Tilting the mic she was holding out towards Alessia,
the news anchor smiled.
Alessia screamed on the inside of her head. Looking to everyone and the camera, Alessia could hardly believe this is happening.
“Kiss it, kiss it,” the crowd began to chant. Throwing Eli and evil glare, in which he only smiled larger and reply, Alessia bit her lip as she eyed the green pickle.
“Here, let me make it easier,” Eli said, producing something green in his other hand and hovered it above the pickle. A mistletoe. The crowd cheered even louder.
She pledged to herself she would find and strangle Eli after this, even if it meant walking to Tarki to do it.
“Fine,” she grumbled and leaned forward.
"Wait," the loud command shook the crowd. A familiar hand caught Eli's hand that was still holding the mistletoe in a crushing grip. With another hand snaking around her waist, Alessia turned to face Jax's hard expression. Still forcing Eli's hand to hold the mistletoe, Jax leaned in. "You want a kiss, I'll give you a kiss," he said loud enough for everyone, including the camera to hear before leaning down to lock his lips over hers.
The crowd went wild.
Chapter 15
“Are you mad?” Alessia finally asked after some time riding in silence. They were approaching the turn in to the forest, back to the cabin.
Jax didn't take his eyes off the road as the truck bumped along the dirt road. "Nope, if anything, I feel renewed."
Frowning, she turned back to look out her own window at the dark trees filing past them. Renewed? How odd. Well, she didn’t feel “renewed" she felt absolutely dumbstruck. Jax's kiss left her feeling like she had just been tossed into the sea, invigorated but confused. Distantly, she had heard the cheers of the crowd, but all she could truly focus on was the wonderful pressure of his firm lips covering hers. Her hands had just knotted into his jacket when he hauled her back up straight and stepped back, leaving her looking stunned. With the reporter and the surrounding crowd pleased by the show and Eli of Eli's pickles nursing his crumpled hand, Jax had guided her back to the truck just as the fireworks started.
Pulling the truck to a stop, they both slowly got out and went inside. Unzipping her jacket by the door, Alessia tried to think of something to say as she struggled to remove the coat over her double sweater-padded arms.
“Here, let me,” Jax’s deep tone held no trace as to what he might be thinking as he helped her remove the coat.
Turning around, she watched him hang up his coat before stepping out of his boots and placing them next to hers by the door.
Not able to stand the silence anymore, Alessia stepped forward. "Jax, what…"
Grabbing her hand, Jax led her to the living area. “Let’s talk by the heater, your hands are cold.”
Stopping in front of the heater, they both stood enjoying its radiating warmth for a moment as they looked at each other. Alessia was debating if she should speak first when they heard the jingle from the other side of the bathroom door. Turning their heads, they both listened to the familiar jingle of the cat’s toy roll across the tile. Alessia smiled as she pictured the kitten playing happily with his toys she left with him along with his water bowl and litter box.
The pressure of fingers at her chin turned her head back straight. With his fingers gently under her chin, Jax tilted her face to look at him.
“When I saw you smiling tonight, I realized something about myself.” Stepping closer, Jax crowded her close.
“What is that?” She whispered.
“That I’m one of those pathetically jealous men,” one eyebrow arched as he gave her an apologetic smirk. “I realized I
hate to see you smile at anyone but me.”
“Jax,” she began, she wanted to tell him that he was the whole reason she was even able to smile and to put any fears to bed but he continued.
Cupping her face on either side, he shook his head, effectively hushing her. "I know it's dumb and a little barbaric and I know I only feel that way because I'm unsure where we stand." Leaning down, he placed a soft kiss on her lips. "I want to remedy that now."
Nodding, Alessia didn’t trust herself to speak as she held her breath for his next words.
"I want you rough and hard, Alessia. I want to taste your nipples between my teeth and confirm to myself that they taste like the ripe berries I imagine them to taste like. I want you on your knees before me looking up to me as you take every inch of my cock into your sweet mouth. I want my head between your legs as you cum,” he growled. “I told myself I would let you take the lead, let you decide the pace to your comfort level, baby. But if I sleep next to you one more night without touching you or watch you smile at another man again without knowing you’re mine, I’ll fucking die.”
At All Cost: A Mountain Man Romance Page 13