Page 30 of Tangled in His Embrace

Jax thought about the condoms in the drawer and reminded himself they hadn’t been opened. As much as he wanted to ask her more, he didn’t feel as if it was the right time.

She didn’t seem to feel the same way. “They were both nice men. Polite. Handsome. And when I told them about Taylor they didn’t get up and run in the other direction.”

He was waiting for a but.

“At the end of the date they both asked to see me again, but I couldn’t do it. My heart wasn’t in it and I knew it wouldn’t be fair to them if I let it continue.”

The silence dragged on and he wondered if she was finished.

“You ruined me for other men.”

The pattern his fingers had been making on her skin stopped. He shifted his position so he could look her in the eye. Tipping her chin up, he made sure she met his gaze. “It seems we had the same problem. I made a friend in physical therapy. He tried to fix me up a few times and I turned him down every time every time.” Jax shook his head. “I couldn’t imagine myself with anyone but you and, at the time, I thought I’d ruined our relationship beyond all repair.”

Gabby took hold of his hand and pressed his fingers to her lips. “We’re quite a pair, aren’t we?”

He grinned. “So it seems.”

She yawned again, but this time she rolled over, presenting him with her back.

“Are you trying to tell me something?” He’d said it as a joke, but he was being somewhat serious. If she wanted him out of her bed so she could sleep, he would go even though he didn’t want to.

“That I’m sleepy?”

For a split second he thought about asking outright if she wanted him to give her some privacy, but he thought better of it. If she wasn’t asking, he wasn’t volunteering.

Deciding to press his luck, he eased in behind her, pressing his front to her back. He tucked one arm under his head and curled the other around her waist.

She released a contented sigh and he knew all was good. They’d make it through this. They had to. It was just going to take a little time.

***

Warmth against her back was the first thing Gabby became aware of as she awoke. The second was the sound of Jax breathing in her ear. He was still asleep. Or at least most of him was asleep. A certain part of his anatomy was very much awake and pressing into her backside. Her nipples grew hard remembering him inside her and she felt the moisture between her legs increase. As was always the case, her body was ready for him.

Gabby began edging away, knowing she needed to put some space between them before she jumped him again. She didn’t get far.

“I thought you said you wouldn’t run away again,” Jax mumbled.

She turned to find his eyes were open, staring back at her. “I’m not. I just... I didn’t want to wake you.”

With a move swifter than she imagined possible, he reached out, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her back down to lie beside him. He tucked her into his side. “That’s better.”

“Is it?” Her voice came out as not much more than a squeak. That wasn’t good.

“Yes. We’re stuck here, probably for the rest of the day, so there’s no need to rush out of your nice comfy bed.” He trailed his fingers down her forearm and back up to her shoulder before tracing a line along her collarbone with his index finger. “Are you hungry?”

“No. I’m fine.” In reality, she wasn’t fine. She wasn’t sure what she was.

He nodded.

They lay there not speaking for a long time. She had to admit it was nice just being there with him. His hands never stayed still, though, and before long all her nerve endings were on fire and she was pressing her legs together looking for some friction.

“I think we need to talk some more.”

His words tore her away from her more erotic thoughts. “We do?”

“Yes. I think we need to talk about where we go from here. What we want for the future.”

She swallowed, not sure if she wanted to go down this path yet.

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