“Oh, honey…I still won’t say I agree with your rules, but I understand now why you have them.”
“And do you understand why it’s so hard for me to forgive lying? Of all my Rules, that’s the one I feel most strongly about. Most people might think it would be the one about choosing fists over words, based on my past with abuse.” She swallowed past the lump in her throat, remembering the constant disappointment she lived with as a child. “But physical pain goes away. You know that as well as anyone. It’s the emotional pain that does the most damage.
“My mother made so many promises to me and my sister. Every damn day was another promise: she’ll take us to the park, see our school play, get clean…stop seeing men.” She tried blinking them away, but another stream of tears escaped. “They weren’t just broken promises. They were empty words. All of them, nothing but lies.”
Jackson gathered her tightly, tucking her head beneath his chin. “Baby, I admire you so much. More than ever I know you’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met.”
Vanessa shook her head, but he quickly put a stop to it.
“Yes, you are.” He prevented any further dispute by capturing her mouth with his for a sweet kiss. Pulling back, he studied her, his brows drawn together as though turning a thought over and over in his head. He opened his mouth to speak, but then hesitated and shook his head. “We can talk more tomorrow. Right now I want you to close your eyes and get some sleep.”
His words added weight to her lids, making them too heavy to keep open any longer. On a deep sigh, she did as instructed, tucking her head firmly under his chin. He set them into a slight rocking motion again, and moments later, she drifted off to the sounds of the waves on the beach and the steady beat of his heart.
Day 4: Wednesday
Jax woke up to a red-haired angel draped over him, her soft breaths fanning his chest. Late last night, after she’d fallen into a deep sleep, he’d carried her into the room and settled them into bed. As soon as he’d tucked her back firmly against his chest, he let his eyes drift closed and didn’t remember a thing after that until the sun crept over his face just minutes ago.
He reveled in letting his fingers play with her curls until the sun eventually woke her, too. She looked up at him, her lids still heavy with sleep and questions in her eyes. He suspected she might feel vulnerable after sharing so much of her past with him the night before, so he didn’t hesitate to reassure her with a tender kiss.
When he pulled back, she rewarded him with her bright smile. From the very first, it had penetrated his armor as nothing else. But this one in particular did more than that. It managed to wrap itself around his heart, and the strangest part of all… He didn’t even mind. It actually felt pretty damn good.
She gave him one more quick kiss and then leveled him with a stern look. “I expect coffee to be ready and waiting for me by the time I get out of the shower. And if you also happen to have bacon and eggs with it, I wouldn’t turn them down.”
It was so damn cute how she thought she was in charge. He saluted her with a, “Yes, ma’am,” and watched her saunter naked into the bathroom, causing his cock to give a salute of its own. As soon as he heard the shower spray, he called room service, ordered a breakfast fit for a queen to be set outside their door, and then strode into the bathroom.
The shower was a large open stall, big enough for four people, with no door. The three shower heads—one angling down from either side and one straight above—were set in the back third of the tiled walls to prevent the water from splashing out. They had individual handles to allow the user to choose their preferences. Currently she only had the side ones on. Her hair was still dry and she was busy washing her body with a soapy loofah.
Facing away from him as she was, she hadn’t heard or seen him enter. Which was perfect.
As she stepped into the shower sprays, soapy bubbles trailed down her pale, lithe body. His eyes watched in rapture as they flowed over the curves of her hips and the round globes of her ass. The room became thick with steam and the scent of oranges and something else invaded his senses to the point of distraction.
She turned on the overhead spray and ran her fingers through her long hair. The bright red curls straightened with the weight of the water and fell down her back like flames licking at her skin. She looked otherworldly, like something out of a James Cameron film.
Unable to stand by any longer, he sheathed himself in the condom he’d grabbed on the way in and stepped into the stall. Without warning, Jax wrapped his arms around her. Anticipating her startled reaction, he held her tight. As soon as she heard his voice, the tension leaked from her muscles, and she tried turning around.
“No. Stay.”
“Jackson Maris, I’m going to kill you for scaring me like that.”