Page 115 of Stay with Me

His gaze tracked the shrug and then his stare flew back to my face.

I tossed the self-consciousness away as I reached to my side and tugged the zipper of my dress down, and I didn’t stop the dress as it loosened all around my body.

A look appeared on his striking face, a tautness that tugged at my heart. “Calla ...” The way he said my name was different now.

And I let myself admit that I didn’t just like him as I caught the thin straps and slid them down my arms. I told myself as the dress gathered around my hips and then with a little shimmy, fell to the floor, that I had fallen for him.

Then I was standing in front of him, in the kitchen, the bright light, in nothing more than my heels, and dear God, I was scared. Fucking terrified out of my mind, and my skin felt numb when I realized that it wasn’t because I was practically naked for the first time in my life in front of anyone, but because I was in love with him.

I wasinlove with Jax.

Twenty-three

Iwas trembling as I stood in front of Jax. Even my fingers were twitching at my sides. I loved him. I wasinlove with him. I had no idea when it happened, but it did, and it was an amazing and terrifying feeling, but damn, it was also so hopeful, because even though I liked guys in the past, even lusted after a few, I had never been in love with one and I hadn’t really thought I’d get to know a guy enough to fall in love with him.

But I had.

Jax’s eyes were fastened to my face, and it seemed like he read something in my expression because he made a sound in the back of his throat that sent a tremor through my core.

And then he was on me.

His hands clasped my cheeks and he tilted my head back as his mouth landed on mine. The kiss was deep and moving. I could taste him and another salty flavor that I knew belonged to me and that spun my senses. His tongue moved with mine and then flicked over the roof of my mouth before delving deep. Everything I needed to feel was in that kiss.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked.

I took a breath, but it didn’t expand my lungs. “I’m standing here naked. I’m sure.”

Jax chuckled and the sound danced over my skin. “I’d hope so, but honey, you haven’t done this before, and I want to make sure you’re a hundred percent with me.”

Pressure clamped down on my chest as I nodded. “I’m sure, Jax.”

He made that sound again before he kissed me. “I’m so fucking glad to hear that, you have no idea.” Then he took my hand and placed it against his chest, above his heart. “You can trust me.”

I did trust him.

Holding on to my hand, he drew me out of the kitchen, out of the bright lights, and through the darker living room, then to the stairs. My heart was racing as we went up the stairs and came to a stop in his bedroom, in front of his bed.

He let go of my hand, and I watched him walk to the nightstand. He opened a drawer and fisted what appeared to be a handful of foil wrappers. My brows shot up. Um, how many of them did he need? He grinned when he caught my look and tossed a few onto the bed. Then he faced me.

Eyes locked with mine, he reached down and pulled off his shirt before moving on to the belt he wore. Unhooking that, he flicked the button and then the zipper went down. He shucked off his jeans and the black boxer briefs quickly followed.

And he was as naked as I was.

He was gorgeous. Every inch of him. From the top of his messy bronze hair, across the broad cheekbones and full lips, down the neck, over his chiseled pecs and the tightly roiled stomach. Farther down, he was even more magnificent. The muscles on either side of his hips drew my attention for a moment and then my gaze moved over the fine dusting of hair to where he was the hardest.

Good Lord.

I sucked my lower lip in and felt a pleasant hum in my veins. Jax was so not lacking in that department.

One side of his lips curved up. “Come here.”

With my heart pounding in every pulse point, I walked over to where he stood at the side of the bed. He placed his hands on my shoulders and guided me down so I was sitting on the bed. Then he knelt, running his fingers down the outside of my legs, from my thighs to my ankles. Once he reached the strap on my sandals, he nimbly undid them.

“Next time, I want you wearing these shoes,” he said, looking up at me through thick lashes. “You got that?”

Oh my. I nodded.

“That’s my girl,” he murmured, moving on to the other sandal. Once he had that shoe off, his hands made the trip back up my legs as he rose. He didn’t stop. Skating over my stomach, the outer curves of my breasts, he eventually reached my cheeks and he stopped there.

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