Page 35 of Jax

Mia tore into the almond croissant like a woman starved, flakes of buttery dough falling onto her lap. The sweet taste of cherry jam inside filled her mouth as she swallowed greedily. She hadn't realized just how hungry she was until the first bite. Jax watched with a mix of amusement and concern, reaching for a napkin to wipe the corner of her mouth.

"Slow down, babygirl," he chided gently. "There's plenty here."

"Sorry," she mumbled, cheeks flushed. "I guess I'm hungrier than I thought." Jax handed her a cup of coffee, and she took a grateful sip, the warmth spreading through her. It had been too long since she'd felt this cared for, both physically and emotionally.

"Here," Jax said, offering her a forkful of fruit salad from his own plate. "Eat up. You need to get your strength back."

"Thanks, Daddy," Mia said softly, savoring the juicy pineapple and berries. She felt a surge of gratitude for Jax and his attentiveness, which seemed to nourish her as much as the food did.

“I only wish I could do more for you,” Jax replied. “You’re gonna have to imagine you woke up in a 5-star hotel this morning. With a private jacuzzi and room service. By the beach. With our own butler,” he replied. “Not just in a dusty old bookstore.

She laughed. “I like this dusty old bookstore.”

“Who needs beaches anyway? I hear the sand gets everywhere.”

Jax arched a brow. "Never been to the beach?"

She wrinkled her nose. “I told you, I’ve never left Chicago.”

“There are beaches in Chicago, you know.”

Her jaw dropped. “There are?”

Jax laughed. “I have so much to teach you, babygirl.”

Mia picked up a second pastry now, some kind of delicious thing that looked halfway between a croissant and a donut. “What’s this?”

“That’s a cronut,” said Jax. “I almost got you a cruffin, but I thought you might prefer this.”

“A cruffin?”

“Half croissant, half muffin.”

Mia laughed. “I guess you really do have a lot to teach me.” She chewed thoughtfully on her sugary treat, then looked over at the counter. “So, what did my note say? Was it full of kisses?”

Jax chuckled. "Maybe you should read it."

Mia’s curiosity piqued. She finished her cronut in a hurry and went over to the counter, brushing the crumbs from her mouth as she did so.

She saw a sheet of yellowing paper with some handwriting on it. This was the first time she had seen Jax’s handwriting, and it felt strangely intimate. It was very precise and angular, almost like a computer font.

“You’re cute when you sleep,” the note read. “Heading out for breakfast and I’ll be right back. Hope you like sugar, cutie.” There was a kiss. In fact, there were two. And under the note, there was a book.

She looked at it with a puzzled frown. It was an old self-help book entitledUnlock Your Power: A Guide to Embracing Your True Self. "You left me a self-help book?”

“Open it,” replied Jax, walking over to her.

Mia hesitated for a moment, then opened up the book. Her eyes widened as she saw Jax's handwriting scrawled between the lines of empowering advice. “What’s this?” she asked. “You’ve written something here.”

Jax reached out for Mia’s hand. “It’s a contract. Or, at least, a first attempt at one. If there’s anything there you don’t like, wecan change it. And of course, I’ll type one up and print it out properly for you eventually. This one is . . . a placeholder.”

Mia felt herself grinning from ear to ear. “I think I like it like it best like this.”

She looked more closely at the words of the contract now. The inked letters spoke of trust, boundaries, and exploration. A thrill shot through her as she realized what this meant—Jax was into her. Deeply. She hadn’t blown it last night. In fact, they were just getting started.

“The most important thing is that we take our time with all of this,” said Jax, his eyes locked on hers. "You’ve been through more than I can even imagine. I want to give you time to mull it over, set your limits, express your desires, and ensure everything we do together is consensual and comfortable for both of us. You’re in charge, Mia. One-hundred percent. I’m the Dom, but ultimately, baby girl, you’re the boss."

Mia felt a swell of gratitude and warmth toward Jax. His openness and willingness to communicate made her feel valued and respected. It was a stark contrast to her past experiences, where her boundaries were trampled and her voice silenced.

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