Page 20 of This Is War: All's Fair Duet
I shut one eye and squint at him, debating whether the boyish excitement on his face could really hide the jerk Logan thinks he is. But there’s really only one way to find out. After a few final moments of indecision, I relent with a broad smile. “Yeah. Okay. Food it is.”Let’s just hope I don’t regret this.
12
RYA
Thirty minutes later,Jaxon and I are back at the dorm with our food. Unlike last evening, the huge lounge on the first floor is strangely empty. Curled up in the corner of one of the squishy couches with my to-go container, I watch with wide eyes as bite after bite of a chicken Caesar salad disappears into Jaxon’s mouth. I poke my fork around my lettuce without even looking at it. It’s not bad. I’m just finding it hard to concentrate on eating it.
“You’re really not hungry?” Jaxon frowns, watching me fork up a piece of chicken that I only nibble at.
I scrunch my nose. “I’m such a cliché dancer sometimes, I think. We’re trained to watch what we eat.”
“But there’s nothing wrong with a salad and chicken.”He points to my food with his fork. “You even had them put the dressing on the side and refused the dead bread.”
My brows furrow hard. “Sorry, what?”
“The dead bread.” He pauses, winking, then shoots a sly smile at me. “Croutons.”
“Oh. Right.” I shrug. “I’m just not hungry right now. I’ll put the rest in my mini fridge for later when my appetite finally appears.”
I’m unsure whether the truth is I’m nervous to be alone with Jaxon or I’m weird about eating in front of guys—Logan excluded—though Jaxon has given me no reason to feel funny about it either. Needing to divert the conversation to any other topic, I stab some of the romaine lettuce onto my fork and dip it into the Caesar dressing before collecting a piece of chicken on the tines, too, for good measure. Almost as soon as I put it into my mouth, Jaxon leans closer, bringing his hand up to cup my face. My brow furrows, and I jerk ever so slightly at the contact. But then, he leisurely swipes the pad of his thumb over the corner of my mouth and immediately brings it to his mouth and sucks it clean.
I’m dumbstruck for several beats as I stare at his full lips, and then my eyes widen as his tongue peeks out and slides across the bottom one. Holy shit. It practically takes an act of God for me to tear my gaze from his mouth before embarrassing myself further. But I don’t miss theteasing smirk on his stupid-handsome face or the warmth that spreads through my body. I have the urge to lunge at him but manage to hold back. After a couple of unsteady breaths, I go back to eating my salad.
It takes me a few minutes to calm myself, especially because I sense Jaxon’s amused gaze following my every move. When I finally dare look up, I notice Jaxon has eaten every single morsel in his plastic to-go container. Setting it aside, he unwraps the brownie he’d purchased from the plastic wrap while eyeing me. He takes a big bite, then drops his head back against the couch, a groan of pure pleasure rasping from his throat. His eyes remain shut while he chews, making it obvious he’s enjoying the gooey treat.
To my surprise a shot of intense heat moves through me, directly to my center.Holy shit.I can’t help the reaction I’m having. I’m only human. And the sexy sounds he’s making have me thinking about things way more sinful than that damn brownie. I watch him chew, an expression somewhere between rapture and adoration crossing his face. Unable to stop myself, I stifle a laugh before asking, “Good?”
He lifts his head but only winks one eye open before nodding. “You should have gotten one,” he mumbles, “because the answer issofucking good. If there’s one thing this school does right, it’s desserts.” He breaks off anotherpiece and pops it into his mouth. “Want a bite?” he questions with a mischievous arch of his brow.
It’s only then I realize I’ve been lusting after his brownie almost as much as I have been him.
“Rya?”
I blink, and my eyes flick to his, then down at the brownie he’s holding out toward me. “I shouldn’t.”
He chuckles. “A small bite won’t hurt you. Come on.” With a soft smile playing at his lips, he watches for my next move, then when I angle closer, he nods approvingly. “That’s it, pretty girl.”
I surrender, open my mouth, and let him nudge the edge of the brownie between my lips. Taking a bite, I feel the familiar guilt that comes with eating something I probably shouldn’t be putting into my body. As the decadent flavor hits my tongue, I let out a moan that should be embarrassing, and Jaxon flashes me an appreciative grin in response. My concerns melt away. Chewing slowly, I close my eyes and savor the rich chocolate.
I’m caught off guard when Jaxon drags me onto his lap, my swift intake of breath is embarrassingly audible. My knees sink into the cushion, firmly planted on either side of his hips. I grip his shoulders, fingers clenching at the ridge of muscle. I’m stiff, more than a little unsure what he’s expecting of me. My throat grows thick as I take in the intensity in his eyes.
“You’ve got a little chocolate here,” he murmurs, then without pausing a beat, he leans in, his tongue swiping along the pillow of my lower lip before sucking it into his mouth. My heart hammers wildly behind my rib cage. How do I keep getting into these situations with him? I feel woefully unprepared for the onslaught of want rushing through my body as he gathers me close. One of his hands cups the side of my face, his fingers tangling in my hair while the other splays across my lower back, pressing me close to him.
I let out a gasp, and the slight parting of my lips is all the invitation he needs. His tongue delves inside my mouth, wickedly stroking against mine. He kisses me like he means it, teasing me with his boldness. I can’t deny how good it feels as he helps me grind against him, his cock hardening at an astonishing rate.
“Fuck, Rya,” he whispers against my lips right before his mouth takes mine once again, fiercely plundering with his velvety tongue. His shameless caresses make me forget everything. Who I am. Where we are. There’s nothing but him and me and the wildfire raging between us.
Mindlessly, we rock together, and his hand slides from my face to dip under the hoodie I’m wearing. My lower abdomen clenches with need as his warm hand skims over my stomach. His touch leaves a blazing path in its wake, and I know I’m in trouble when he slips my crisscrossedbra top up, freeing my breasts. His hands roam, first cupping one, then the other, almost as if he’s testing to see whether I’ll run from him.
And maybe I should. But instead, I tear my mouth from his and throw my head back, arching my spine. My breath heaves from my lungs as he continues to feel me up, his deft fingers tugging at my sensitive nipples and coaxing them into aching peaks. I don’t know if he realizes how turned-on I am, but my panties are damp, the scent of my excitement permeating the air around us.
Electricity sparks along my limbs, and I bring my head forward again. For a second, I think there must be someone watching us because his gaze is trained on the big door across the room, but when I shift to take a quick look, there’s no one there. And then, nothing matters, because he’s dragging my face back to his and lightly tracing my upper lip with his tongue before we crash together again.
I could lose myself in Jaxon. Easily. Effortlessly.
If only Logan didn’t dislike him so much. If only my heart wasn’t still twisted up in how good Logan and I could be together. If only he’d ever want me the way I’ve wanted him since the moment I laid eyes on him.
A small whimper falls from my lips as Jaxon groans, breaking the kiss, and we stare into each other’s eyes at close range. “I can taste you on my tongue. I can’t fuckingget enough.” His hand squeezes my ass cheek. He murmurs roughly, “I think we should go out.”
