Chapter 24
Jessa changed into the large T-shirt he left for her, grateful for the clean clothes after her shower, and made her way back to the guest room.
The bed was big and tall and fluffy, covered in a white comforter and lots of pillows.
She sighed, relieved she would finally get to spend the night by herself, and climbed under the covers.
Jax knocked once and opened the door. "All set for bed?"
"For the love of God, just lock me in here and leave me alone."
He clucked his tongue. "Sorry, sweetheart, there's no lock on the door. But I brought something for you.”
She eyed him warily. “What is that?"
He moved to the end of the bed and sat down, pulling the blankets out to expose her feet, and her stomach clenched.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
His voice was husky. "Just making sure you're here in the morning."
He picked up her foot and wrapped something soft around her ankle. She pushed down the puffy blanket so she could see what he had placed there—a black velvet cuff with red rope running from it.
A sex toy.
She gasped. “You can’t be serious…”
“Oh, I’m serious all right. You tried to take my child out of my life. I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep you here.” He raised one eyebrow. “I think you'll find they're pretty comfortable."
“Just a little something you happened to have lying around?”
He shrugged. “They’re made for holding someone against a bed. They seemed appropriate.”
He reached for her other foot and she snatched it away. “Would you rather sleep in my bed tonight?” he asked. His eyes were dark, and they held a silent threat that clearly told her the sex toy was the least dangerous option.
She pursed her lips. “How am I supposed to move?”
“I’ll leave enough play in the lines. As long as you can’t reach the other straps to unfasten them, that’s all I care about.”
She glared at him, then slowly put her leg back within his reach. He touched her and her leg jerked as he placed the band around her ankle and secured it tightly.
She couldn’t help but wonder what woman he’d tied to his bed before her. Was that how he liked it, with one partner immobile?
Or maybe the tie-downs are for him.
An image of Jax naked and spread eagle on the bed emerged unbidden in her mind. His glorious muscles. His cock erect and full.
Lord have mercy.
But who was the woman who would straddle him?
She watched as he tucked a length of red rope under the mattress, then moved to the side of the bed and pulled it back out. She licked her lips.
“Give me your hand,” he said.
She was beginning to feel way too vulnerable, and she was shaking. “This is ridiculous.”
“All right, then.” He pulled back the covers, exposing her body and bare legs. “I’ll sleep in here with you.”
“Whoa, wait, stop!” She grabbed the blankets and pulled them back up with a huff. “Fine. Tie me up, but you’re not sleeping here.” She glared at him as his too-warm fingers wrapped around her wrist and pulled it toward him, then fastened the velvet strap securely.
He walked to the opposite side of the bed, trailing the red rope up the underside of the mattress as he went. He sat down on the edge of the bed and held out his hand expectantly.
Her heart was racing. As soon as she gave him her hand, he would have all four of her limbs secured.
"Give me your hand, Jessa."
She took a deep breath in and out, imploring him with her eyes not to make her do this.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, but there was a change in him, a dangerous fierceness to his voice that made her feel like she was a bunny looking for comfort from a fox.
She closed her eyes and held out her hand.
His fingers closed around her more tightly this time, his hand lightly caressing hers before he secured the velvet strap, but he didn’t release her.
Jessa held her breath.
It must be the pregnancy hormones, because she was overwhelmed with intense physical longing, the connection between them seeming to magnify every sensation as he stroked her fiery skin.
She opened her eyes, her lids heavy with desire, and saw an answering arousal on his face that frightened her to her core. This was the man she professed to hate, the father of her child, a man truly worthy of the horrible betrayal she’d bestowed upon him.
So why am I attracted to him?
He stared at her for what seemed a long time, the tension between them stretching out like the bands that held her to the bed. Then the pressure of his hands on her changed, pulling him toward her. "Damn you," he growled.
He leaned in and kissed her, his mouth demanding and rough. She pulled at her restraints, her arms reaching for him, though whether to hold on to him tightly or push him away, she wasn't sure. But she could do neither, she could only take his kisses as she lay beneath him, open and exposed.
Her mind might have been confused, but her body was not, its will made known by the twist of her hips against the mattress and the subtle moans of pleasure coming from deep in her throat.
Jax’s hand came up to her breast and squeezed, shocking her sensitive peak and making her arch her back as she gasped. He deepened the kiss, the hard bridge of his erection grinding into her hip, and she pushed back against him suggestively.
She was vaguely aware of the insanity in her movements and the hot flush of arousal covering her body. She hated him so much, yet that emotion did nothing to douse the flames of desire that flared up when he was near. On the contrary, it seemed to make him that much more irresistible.
He slid his hands under the T-shirt he’d given her, pushing the fabric up to reveal her to him.
He exhaled a shaking breath and took one breast in each hand, forcing her nipples out of the holes made by his thumb and forefinger before lapping at each one with his tongue.
She cried out in pleasure. She was wickedly aroused, her body screaming and desperate for him to make love to her again as he’d done that first night, knowing his touch held the magic she craved to be free of her past.
"Please, Jax," she begged.
Their eyes locked, her lids heavy with desire.
His hands fell away from her body, and cool air grazed her skin where he’d held her tightly. "This is crazy," he said.
It was as if the world suddenly stopped spinning, everything falling over as momentum turned into a destructive force. She curled her fingers into her palms and bit her lip, hard.
He looked around the room like he’d just awakened from sleepwalking. He stared at her half-naked body. “What the hell am I doing?”
He pulled her shirt down, the blanket up over her, and got up. He scrubbed his face with his palms before leaving the room, closing the door firmly behind him.
Jessa was alone — just as she’d wanted — a frantic sort of desperation her only companion for the night.