Page 43 of Single Mom's Navy Seals
One hand fists in the fabric at my hip, dragging me closer as he leans back slightly on the swing, pulling me with him. I follow without resistance, knees straddling his lap before I even realize what I’m doing. His hands roam over my legs, squeezing the soft flesh of my thighs, inching higher with every breathless second.
My fingers slide up his bare chest, skimming the ridges of his muscles, the heat of his skin setting fire to my palms. His body is solid beneath me, and I can feel everything: the hard press of him between my legs, the rising tension in every part of him.
The kiss deepens again, messy and consuming, his mouth dragging down to my jaw, then lower, lips brushing along the edge of my neck. I gasp, my head tipping back, giving him access without thinking. His tongue flicks against my pulse point, and I shiver, my nails digging into his shoulders.
“Jax…” I whisper, my breath shaky.
He pulls back just enough to look at me, his pupils blown wide, voice gravel-rough. “Tell me to stop, Ava. If you want me to stop, I will.”
I look at him, really look at him. His chest is heaving, his hands still resting on my thighs, but he’s not pushing for more. He’s waiting. For me.
And that’s the most dangerous part of all. Because I don’t want him to stop. But I also know I can’t let this happen. Not all theway. Not tonight. Not while everything else in my life is still hanging by a thread.
“I—” My voice cracks. I swallow hard. “We can’t…”
His jaw clenches. He nods once and slides his hands slowly, regretfully, from my legs.
“You’re right,” he says quietly, still breathless, inches from me. “We can’t. But don’t pretend you didn’t want that too.”
I don’t. Because I did. Because I do.
I climb off his lap gently, avoiding his eyes, my entire body humming with leftover heat. My legs feel unsteady as I stand, wrapping my arms around myself.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, already backing toward the door. “We shouldn’t have—I mean, that was a mistake?—”
“Ava,” he says, voice low and serious. “That wasn’t a mistake.”
But I can’t stay. I turn and slip inside the house, closing the door behind me with shaking fingers.
My lips still burn. My body aches in places I haven’t felt anything in for years. And my heart pounds with the terrifying realization that I might want something I’m not ready for.
Because if I fall for him, even a little, it’s not just my heart on the line.
It’s Eli’s, too.
How could I have been so reckless?
I’ve just complicated things immeasurably, risking everything by giving in to these feelings. Randy is still out there. This isn’tthe time to get distracted, especially not like this. Panic surges, leaving me breathless and frightened.
Because no matter how safe Jax, Liam, and Cole make me feel, no matter how much I want to trust them completely, I can’t afford to lose sight of the danger constantly lurking just out of view. One slip-up, one careless mistake, could cost Eli and me everything.
18
JAX
I’ve been standing in the kitchen for longer than I care to admit, staring blankly at the coffee dripping into the pot. Steam curls upward, filling the quiet kitchen with the comforting aroma of caffeine. My eyes burn from exhaustion, but sleep was impossible after last night’s encounter on the porch.
I’d always been an early riser, thanks to SEAL training, but this was different. Since kissing Ava last night, sleep had vanished completely, replaced by restless energy and chaotic thoughts. Ava claimed the kiss was a mistake, but every instinct inside me screamed otherwise. That kiss had shifted something inside me, and now I had to deal with the aftermath.
Leaning heavily against the counter, I rub my face roughly with one hand, attempting to shake off the lingering tiredness. My thoughts circle endlessly, replaying every second of that kiss. The softness of her lips against mine, the way she gasped when my hand slid up her thigh, the raw need in her breath when she shifted into my lap. The heat of her body pressed to mine, the way her nails dug into my shoulders, her head tipping back to give me more, Jesus. I can still feel the burn of her skin beneathmy hands, the way she trembled when my mouth hit her neck. And that look in her eyes, right before she pulled away, like she wanted it just as badly but was terrified to want anything at all. My chest tightens, a low ache curling in my gut. I don’t regret a damn thing, but I can’t stop wondering how different it would’ve felt if she’d let herself stay.
The conversation that preceded the kiss echoes just as loudly in my mind.
I pour coffee into my mug, leaning against the kitchen counter. My gaze drifts absently toward the stairs, ears straining for any hint of movement upstairs. It’s quiet; everyone else is still wrapped in sleep. Not surprisingly, considering the long journey we’ve had, but it leaves me alone with nothing but my thoughts.
And right now, my thoughts are tangled up in Ava.
Last night’s conversation changed everything. I already knew there was something between us, something impossible to deny, even though it’s only been a handful of days since we found her and Eli. But talking to her on that porch swing, under a sky full of stars, opened my eyes completely.
