Page 46 of Stay with Me

Too early? It was almost nine o’clock! Granted, being a bartender meant one’s idea of early and late were two different things.

When I didn’t move, Jax tugged me back down so that I was half sprawled across him once more.

“Jax—”

“Sleep,” he grumbled.

“I’m not—”

“Sleepy time.”

What the hell? I managed to wiggle back enough to get my hand between us. I pushed back as I rose. “I’m not going back to sleep and I don’t think this is really appropriate. I need ...” I trailed off as I stared down at him.

Oh wow.

Jax’s head was tilted back against the pillow, exposing his long, tan neck, and the tips of straight white teeth bit down on his full lower lip. The look on his face, like he was stopping himself from doing something very naughty and very fun, confused me.

And then I realized why.

I’d planted my hand on his lower stomach, like way lower stomach, and my thigh was now pressing in betweenhislegs. “Oh God,” I whispered, feeling my face heat as I jerked back my hand.

Jax moved lightning quick, capturing my wrist in his hand. “You probably should’ve just gone back to sleep.”

My heart flounced in my chest. Yes, literallyflounced.

He rolled suddenly, and before I could take my next breath, I was flat on my back and he was hovering above me, one hand still curled around my wrist and the other planted in the bed beside my head, his lower arm curved into the mattress.

“What are you doing?”

Not immediately clueing me in, his warm brown gaze traveled over my face—my face—before fixing on my mouth. “You know what they say about guys in the morning?”

“What?”

One side of his lips kicked up, and then I got it and then my face really was burning. A deep, husky chuckle shook him. “I’m kind of glad you didn’t go back to sleep. This is by far more interesting.”

My brain emptied.

The hand around my wrist slid down my arm, stopping at my elbow, where it was jabbing into the side of my stomach. “You know what else I find really interesting?”

“What?” Why was I asking? Why did I care?

His head lowered until I felt his nose brush mine, and I tensed. “It’s interesting how much I liked waking up with my hand on your ass and my leg between yours.”

“You were awake!”

He grinned. “Maybe.”

Using my other arm, I pushed my hand against his chest. “Get off.”

“Would love to.”

My eyes narrowed with irritation. “Yeah, that’s not what I’m talking about, jackass.”

Totally unfazed, he moved his thumb in a slow circle over the inside of my elbow. That tiny, almost unconscious touch sent a shock wave of sensation through my system. One second I was ready to knee him in the nuts and the next I was thinking of other more pleasant things involving said nuts.

“What are you doing?” I asked again, my pulse racing and even pounding.

His chest expanded, brushing mine, and my toes curled in response. “Doing something better than sleeping.”

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