Jackson worked to keep a straight face and bit back the laughter roiling in his chest. He didn’t doubt her main concern was for Lucie, but he’d bet his favorite board that hints of jealousy also fueled that last comment. V had nothing to fear from an old flame, but he didn’t see any reason to point it out. After all, it wasn’t like it mattered for a few days of mutual fun.
Stroking his jaw, he pretended to mull over her terms. He, of course, thought the strict time frame and ban on future dalliances were ridiculous, but he refused to believe those were firm rules. Even a Red Viper had the potential to be charmed.
“All right,” he said at last. “I agree to your terms for as long as you do, on one condition.”
“Which is what?”
“You give me control.”
She shook her head like he’d just told her to assassinate the president. “Rule #2.”
He checked the sigh of frustration before it escaped. Patience. “What is it?” She sucked the center of her lip between her teeth, and if she didn’t speak soon, she’d break the skin. “V, if we’re going to make this work, I need to know what I’m dealing with. What is it?”
“Never relinquish control.”
Boom. That rule alone explained a hell of a lot about why she had conniptions any time he tried holding the reins. He tried to imagine what had happened in her past that would make her so adamant about something like that. Nothing he came up with could be categorized as minor, and a fierce protectiveness welled up inside him. But he also wanted to help her let some of whatever was haunting her go, and the only way for her to do that would be to face her fear and give it to him.
“V,” he said gently, “I only want control in the bedroom, so to speak. Outside of that, you can boss me around all you want.”
“No.”
Gently. Firmly. “Yes.”
“I can’t,” she said weakly.
“You can. All I’m asking is you let me take the lead. I’ll never ask you to do anything you don’t want. The minute you tell me to stop, I stop. But I promise that whatever I do to you, the last thing you’ll want is for me to stop.” Jax leaned in, nuzzling the curve of her neck with his nose, letting his stubble gently abrade her skin as he lifted his face to whisper in her ear. “Give me control, V.”
She shuddered so hard he swore he felt it ripple through him as well. “I…” A shaky breath fanned over his cheek. “I promise I’ll try, okay? Deal?”
Jax felt like he’d just had his hand raised in a decision fight. He knew, for her, even conceding to try was a huge step. “Deal.” Sliding into the water, he placed himself between her legs with his hands on the concrete beside her hips, boxing her in.
“You agreed we wouldn’t start until tomorrow.”
He leaned in, his face next to hers, his mouth at her ear. “I have no intentions of touching you. But touching isn’t the only way to turn you on. For instance, you got me hard last night and all you did…,” he said, pulling back to meet her eyes meaningfully, “was stare at me.”
…
Vanessa inhaled sharply, and her back stiffened. “I thought you were sleeping.”
“I was. But then I felt those intense eyes burning into me. I felt branded everywhere they touched, and it made me so fucking horny, it’s a miracle I didn’t jump out of that hammock and attack you.”
It took a lot to make her blush normally, but now she felt as though her cheeks matched her hair. “I can’t believe you didn’t say anything.”
“How about I make up for it now by saying a whole lot of things?”
“Like what?” She swallowed thickly. His proximity was too close for comfort if she had any hope of sticking to her own damn rule.
“Like how I plan on attacking that sweet mouth of yours as soon as I’m allowed.” He moved until his lips lined up with hers, so close she swore she could feel them on hers, and yet there was still space between them. “And how my hands are itching to touch your smooth skin, knead your breasts, cup that sweet ass of yours as I haul you against me.”
Why were her breaths so damn loud? She sounded on the verge of having an asthma attack. And her heart pounded so hard she mistook it for the distant beat of the music. Her skin tingled with sensations in the areas as he mentioned them, like his words gave life to action. Before she realized what happened, she found herself leaning back on her hands as Jackson angled himself over her, still standing in the pool, still not touching her. But now his face hovered over her chest.
“I can’t wait to suck on these.” His hot breath seeped through the cotton weave of her top. She felt her nipples tighten, almost painfully, as they strained toward him, begging to be taken. “I’ve tried to imagine what your nipples look like. I bet with your fair skin they’re a pretty shade of light pink.”
The deep vibrations from his voice skimmed over her body. “And I bet they’ll turn cherry red after I suck them deep into my mouth and flick them with my tongue, maybe give them a nibble.”
From somewhere in the back of her throat, a moan escaped at the thought of his white teeth clamping on the hard nubs.