Page 200 of Knot Unwanted: Part One

“Say it,” he says.

A shiver goes through me. “Yes.” I shudder. “Please…help me.”

He exhales slowly, his breath warm against my temple. “I need you to tell me if it’s too much. Can you do that?”

“Yes,” I say again, clutching at his arm.

“Good.”

Jax’s hand moves, sliding down from my waist to my thigh.

Something aligns inside me as I lean against him. For the first time, weakened by the heat coursing through me, I can’t keep up the walls I’ve been hiding behind. That alone makes alarm bells ring in my mind. They ring, but as Jax’s heavy hand remains still on my thigh, the alarm slowly dies.

This isn’t Finn, but there’s a similar safety in Jax’s steady presence, in the careful way he holds me despite his obvious desire.The realization doesn’t erase my hesitation, but it softens its edges, gives me room to surrender to the instincts I’ve been fighting since I arrived here. But only if I want to.

Jax’s touch is firm, his palm warm against my skin as he pulls my legs apart slightly. The movement sends a fresh wave of heat through me, and I bite down on my lip, trying to stifle the soft whimper that threatens to escape.

“Don’t hold back,” he says. “I want to hear you.”

The words make my cheeks burn. I’ve never heard Jax talk like this. He’s always been so carefully in control. Hearing him say these words…it feels like he’s being vulnerable with me, too. Showing me a part of himself that he’s been keeping hidden.

My breath hitches as his hand presses against the inside of my thigh. He doesn’t rush, his touch steady and sure, and the ache between my legs sharpens until I feel like I might break.

“Jax…” I whisper, voice trembling.

“Yes, little dove,” he whispers against my hair. His hand moves higher, his fingers brushing against the heat of me through the thin fabric of my pants.

The sensation is sharp, electric, and I gasp, my hips shifting instinctively toward his hand.

“Easy,” he murmurs, his other arm tightening around me, holding me in place. “Let me take care of you.”

The words, the strength in his grip, the sheer command in his voice—it all hits me at once, and I feel myself relax against him, my body trembling as I give in to the pull of him.

“Sweet little dove,” he says softly, and the praise sends a rush of heat through me that has nothing to do with the pre-heat.

His fingers press against me again, firmer this time, and I can’t stop the small, broken moan that slips past my lips. My body arches against him, seeking more, instinct taking over as the fire inside me flares hotter. I feel him tense beneath me, his fingers faltering for just a fraction of a second as his breath hitches.

The realization that he’s not unaffected—that I’m having just asmuch of an effect on him as he is on me—sends a thrill through me. It’s heady and overwhelming, the knowledge that this powerful alpha, so controlled and steady, is feeling the weight of this moment too.

“Hailey,” he murmurs, his voice rough, almost hoarse.

His hand stills against me, and I whimper at the loss of friction, my body trembling as I fight the urge to beg him not to stop. The shaky uneven exhalation he releases brushes against my hair, and his grip on my waist tightens.

“Look at me.” His voice remains low, commanding but gentle, like he’s pulling me back from the edge of something dangerous.

I tilt my head back, my breath catching as I feel the strength of his arms around me, holding me steady. He shifts beneath me, his hands sliding to my hips, and before I can process what’s happening, he turns me in his lap.

The motion is quick, and suddenly I’m straddling him, my knees on either side of his thighs, my hands clutching at his shoulders to steady myself. The shift brings us closer, impossibly close. So close I can feel the heat of him through the thin barrier of my clothes.

As Jax’s hands settle on my hips again, I feel the strength in those fingers, the restraint in the way he holds me, like he’s afraid I might break.

“Better,” he rumbles. A low, dark sound that sends a shiver through me.

I don’t know if he means the position or something else, but I can’t bring myself to ask. My heart is racing, my breaths coming in shallow, uneven pants as I meet his gaze. His eyes are dark, molten, and I feel like they’re stripping me bare, seeing every inch of me, every thought, every need.

“Jax, I…” I whisper, my voice trembling.

His forehead presses to mine, the warmth of his skin grounding me. The next sensation is the feel of his breaths against my lips. Each exhalation seems to tickle my skin, toawaken little nerves all across the surface that I didn’t know existed.

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