Page 83 of Second Chance Mates

My fingers grab the sheets to throw them off my body before I creep out of bed and analyse my appearance in the mirror. My hair is a complete mess. I quickly try to flatten it, but it’s a frizzball from dancing all night.

I focus on my eyes and swallow a breath. Why am I getting so worked up about seeing him? It was only a couple of hours ago that we arrived home.

I silently creep out of my room and make my way downstairs to Jaxon’s private kitchen. I step inside, and he’s already here—except he’s shirtless. I pause in the doorway to admire his sculpted shoulders and toned torso.

An unexpected shudder runs through me at the sight of his tan skin and muscles packed over muscles. Werewolves are always in the best shape of their life, but Jaxon is in another realm.

He doesn’t look at me, but the corner of his lip quirks. I’ve been caught red-handed. Of course, his crazy senses would pick up that I was here. I slowly walk over to him as he finally turns to me. “What do you want to eat?” he asks, his voice a little groggy.

I ponder and watch as his eyes wander down my bare legs. My face heats within seconds. “Something with cheese,” I say as confidently as possible.

His brow arches. “What about some grilled cheese?”

“Sounds good.”

After a moment, he turns around to prepare our midnight snack. I jump up onto the counter so I can observe silently. He slices the cheese against the cutting board, those impressive back muscles contracting with every movement. I gulp at the action. He looks so damn good doing something so simple.

The Greek Gods would be jealous.

My fingers twitch at the thought of running my hand across the skin on his back, how smooth it would feel beneath my palms?—

I shake my head. I need to stop.

Jax slides our food underneath the grill and turns around to face me. “You know I can still hear your thoughts?” he says playfully.

“Goddamnnit.” All colour drains from my face, which is then replaced with a deep blush. “Those lessons were useless.”

“Not useless.” He flashes me a smug grin. “Although I really don’t want your thoughts to disappear. I find them rather entertaining.”

I glance down to hide my embarrassment, but Jaxon steps in front of me. He places two fingers beneath my chin and tilts my gaze to his. He gently nudges his way between my bare thighs. Oh, gosh. I’m the temperature of the sun.

“You can stare as much as you want,” he says huskily, lowering his head so our lips almost brush. “I’m all yours, Ava.”

My lungs decide this is the perfect moment to forget how to take down air. I hesitantly look into his eyes, which are watching me with admiration. Jeez. There is no oxygen left in this room—I’m sure of it.

He glances down to my lips and smiles. “Can I kiss you again? I’ve been thinking about you non-stop.”

I manage a slight nod, words failing me. His hand clasps the side of my cheek gently and presses his lips to mine. This time, it’s different. Slower and patient as if we have all the time in the world. And we do. We’re alone with no one to interrupt us.

The kiss doesn’t turn heated. It’s a caress of a touch that makes my heart sing. I clutch onto his wrist, drawing him closer. Our chests press together, his bare skin making my body sizzle beneath the surface.

When he widens his mouth just a little, the alarm on the grill starts to beep. We both pull away at the same time. His forehead drops to mine for a couple of seconds, and I shield my eyes from him.

The moment I open them again, he leaves a simple peck on my lips before making his way over to the grill. I press a hand to my head, knowing my mind is swirling from all the new chemicals.

He plates up our food and slides it onto the counter. “Thank you,” I say politely, as I stare down at the sizzling cheese coating the golden bread. We sit and eat in silence despite feeling his eyes on me the entire time.

I eat slowly, my appetite now subsided. If anything, I’m trying to calm my breathing so Jaxon can’t hear it, but with his wolf senses, there is no doubt he can hear everything.

When I’m finished, he takes my plate from me, and I jump down from the counter. “Come on.” He takes my hand and presses a kiss on my forehead. “Let’s get you back to bed.”

Once he leads me out of the kitchen and up the stairs, we pause outside my bedroom, and I hesitate for a moment. A new wave of self-assurance washes over me.

“Goodnight, baby,” he whispers. “Sleep well.”

My fingers raise to his mouth, and he leaves a peck on my knuckles. I stare at the action, and my heart flutters like a butterfly. He drops my hand and turns to walk down the hall towards his own bedroom.

I stand there fumbling with my fingers, the words on my tongue. After everything I experienced today, the last thing I want to be is alone. It’s a part of the reason why I think I couldn’t sleep.

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