Chapter 22 – Jaxon
The door shut behind us with a soft click, sealing us in the quiet of my bedroom. The air felt heavier in here, charged with everything that had just happened and everything still hanging between us.
Maddie stood in the centre of the room, her hair falling around her shoulders, her lips still swollen from my kisses, the dog tags glinting faintly against her skin.
Her gaze flicked away from me briefly, roaming the room as if she were trying to piece something together.
It wasn’t the first time she’d been in here — my space — but it was the first time she’d had the chance to really notice her surroundings. I could see her taking it all in, the way she moved her eyes over the dark furniture, the stark, clinical neatness of the room, and the absence of anything personal.
The bed was made with precision, the rest of the room just as organized. Everything in its place. Clean lines. Muted tones. Practical. Distant.
A tight knot formed in my stomach as the thought hit me. Aloof. That’s how I’d kept it all these years. That’s how I’d trained myself to be.
Don’t get too close. Don’t need anyone.
The walls I’d built around myself had made me into this. A man who couldn’t even keep a damn picture of family or friends on the wall, not even an old memory from better days.
You never let anybody get too close, dickhead.
Her lips parted slightly, like she wanted to say something but wasn’t sure if she should. I followed her stare as it lingered on the books stacked neatly on the shelf. She took in the single leather chair in the corner, the folded blanket draped over it, the faint scent of my aftershave that seemed to cling to the air.
“It’s exactly how I thought it’d be,” she murmured, her voice soft, almost like she was talking to herself.
My brow furrowed, the tension in my chest tightening. “How’s that?”
She turned back to me, her eyes locking onto mine. “Like you. Everything in its place.” Her lips curved into the faintest smile, a teasing edge softening her words.
I let out a low chuckle, shaking my head. Leave it to Madeline to see through everything, to poke at the parts of me I didn’t even know I was showing.
She shrugged, stepping closer to the bed, her fingers trailing absently along the edge of the neatly folded blanket draped across the footboard. “I notice things,” she said simply, her voice soft but sure. “Especially about you.”
That confession hit deeper than I expected, pulling at something in my chest I didn’t have words for. I watched her carefully, the way she seemed so at ease yet completely aware of the shift in the air between us. She wasn’t just in my space; she was claiming it, in the same way she’d claimed every part of me without even trying.
I took a step toward her, the sound of my boots against the hardwood grounding me as the distance between us disappeared. She looked up at me and for a second, I wondered if she could hear the pounding of my heart.
My hands came up, framing her face, my thumbs brushing over her cheeks as I looked down at her. She didn’t flinch, didn’t pull away. She just stared up at me, her eyes full of something that looked a lot like trust.
“You’re sure?” I asked, my voice rough, uneven. I needed to hear her say it. Needed to know that she wanted this as much as I did.
Her lips parted, and her eyes softened, the tension in her body melting away as she nodded. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
That was all I needed.
I leaned in, capturing her lips with mine. My hands sliding down to rest on her waist, feeling the soft fabric of her sweater that she had hurriedly put back on under my palms. But when I pulled back, the sight of her — flushed, breathless, her hair falling around her shoulders – it was maddening.
My gaze dipped lower, tracing the length of her bare legs, and heat surged through me.
“Is this all you’ve got on?” I asked, my voice rough as my hands skimmed over her hips.
Her lips curved into the faintest, most infuriatingly sexy smile, and she tilted her head, feigning innocence. “Maybe,” she said softly, her voice playful but laced with want.
I raised an eyebrow, “Maybe?” I repeated, my voice rough, filled with disbelief and need.
She laughed softly, her fingers playing with the edge of the tags hanging around her neck. “There wasn’t really all that much time from when you pawed at me in the kitchen ’til now for me to get dressed!” she quipped, her tone teasing but laced with heat.
I couldn’t help the low chuckle that rumbled out of me, though my grip on her thighs tightened. “You call this my fault?” I asked, leaning closer, my lips brushing against the shell of her ear.
Her breath hitched, and I felt her shiver against me. “You’re the one who couldn’t keep your hands to yourself,” she whispered, her voice trembling but laced with that maddening edge of challenge that always set me on fire.
Her laughter was soft, breathless, as her hands came up to tangle in my hair, pulling me closer. “Maybe I wanted to have you right where I’ve got you,” she murmured, her lips brushing against mine, teasing, taunting. “Maybe I wanted to see what would happen when you snapped.”
“Careful what you wish for,” I muttered, my voice rough, my hands gripping her hips as I hoisted her higher against me. Her legs wrapped around my waist instinctively, the movement sending a jolt of heat straight through me.
Her laughter faded into a soft gasp as I pressed her back against the wall, hard enough to get a reaction from her.Her arms crossed over her body as she pulled the rest of her clothes off, the fabric slipping away to leave her completely bare. She tossed it aside, her gaze locking on mine, daring me, challenging me.
I shifted her weight in my arms so I could free one hand. My palm came up to her throat, my thumb brushing along her jaw as I gripped her gently, but firmly enough to feel her breath catch. The other arm held her easily, her legs wrapped tightly around my waist as though she couldn’t bear to let go.
Her eyes widened slightly, the fire in them brightening as her hands gripped my shoulders.
“Do you feel that?” I asked, my voice low, rough, as I leaned in, my lips brushing her ear. “The way you give yourself to me? The way you let me hold you like this?”
She shivered, her breath hitching as my thumb traced the curve of her jaw, down to the sensitive hollow of her throat. Her pulse raced beneath my touch, the rhythm as unsteady as my own.
Her nails bit into my shoulders as I pressed her back against the wall again, harder this time, the impact drawing a soft gasp from her lips. Her body arched into mine, her legs tightening around my waist, but I pulled back just enough to look into her eyes.
“You think I’m a controlling asshole,” I muttered, my voice edged with a dark, self-deprecating humour. “And fuck, you’ve got me down to a T. But you’re the one who really has me. Every damn part of me.”
Her breath caught, her gaze softening as her hands came up to cup my face, her fingers trembling against my skin. “Jaxon…”
“No,” I interrupted, my tone firm but not unkind, my hand loosening on her throat, sliding up to cradle her cheek. “You have to know it, Madeline. You have me.”
Her lips parted, and for a moment, she just stared at me, the weight of my words settling over her like something she hadn’t been ready to hear. Then, slowly, she nodded, her voice a whisper as she said, “I know.”
The honesty in her eyes gutted me, the vulnerability making her look even more stunning than before. I leaned in, my forehead resting against hers as I exhaled sharply. “You always have a choice with me, Scout. Always. If you tell me that you want this — if you tell me you want me — I swear, I’ll give you everything I have.”
Her lips parted, her breath warm against mine as she whispered, “I want this.”
I closed my eyes for a beat, the weight of her words settling over me like a fire I couldn’t extinguish. My hand slid from her cheek to cradle her jaw, my thumb brushing along her bottom lip. “Then we do this right, baby,” I murmured, my voice low and rough. “You tell me what you need, and if it’s too much — you say the word, and I’ll stop. No questions, no hesitation.”
Her lashes fluttered, and a faint smile tugged at her lips. “What word?” she asked softly, her voice laced with curiosity and heat.
I tilted my head, the corner of my mouth lifting in a wicked smirk as my hand slid to her waist, holding her steady against me. “Pick something you’ll remember. Something that’ll snap me out of it.” My voice dipped lower, teasing, seductive. “But you’d better mean it if you use it, Scout. Because the second you say it, everything stops.”
Her cheeks flushed as she toyed with the edge of the dog tags around her neck, her breath uneven as she stared up at me. For a moment, the air between us felt still, charged with anticipation. Then her lips curved into a faint, teasing smile, her eyes holding mine.
“I fold,” she whispered, her voice soft but steady.
The words slammed into me, more potent than anything she could’ve said. My grip on her waist tightened, my chest tightening with the weight of what she was giving me. “That’s your word?” I asked, my voice low, rough. “I fold?”
She nodded, her hands coming up to rest on my chest,
“It’s perfect, just like a card game,” she murmured. “You’ll stop if I say it, no questions.”
A low chuckle rumbled out of me as I leaned in, my forehead brushing hers. “Scout, I’ve never folded in my life,” I muttered, my voice dipping lower, darker. “But if you say it, I’m done. You’ve got my word.”
Her breath hitched, her fingers curling into the waistband of my jeans as she whispered, “I won’t say it.”
The corner of my mouth lifted in a smirk as I brushed my lips against her ear. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” I growled. “If you need it, you fold .”
“Then push me,” she whispered, her voice trembling but steady, her eyes full of fire. “I’m not scared.”
The challenge in her voice set something off in me, sharp and electric.
Madeline clung onto me, her body melding perfectly against mine as I carried her to the bed. The sound of her breathless moans sent my pulse into overdrive, my restraint unravelling with every second.
I laid her down, her legs still locked around my waist, her hands sliding into my hair as her lips curved into the faintest smile. “Still think I’ll say it?” she teased, her voice light but tinged with heat.
I growled low in my throat, leaning down until our foreheads were almost touching. “I think you’re about to find out exactly how far I’ll take you before you do.”
Her laughter was soft, breathless, but it faded quickly as my hands slid under her thighs, spreading her open beneath me. My mouth trailed down her neck, tasting the heat of her skin, and I smiled against her when I felt her shiver.
“Jaxon,” she gasped, her voice trembling, her fingers tightening in my hair as I took my time, letting the anticipation build.
“Say my name again,” I muttered against her skin, my lips brushing her collarbone as my hands explored every inch of her. “I want to hear you.”
Her head tilted back, her breath catching as I pushed her further, teasing, coaxing, building her up. “Jaxon,” she repeated, her voice breaking, and it sent a thrill through me that I couldn’t describe.
“You’re mine,” I murmured, my tone low but certain as my lips found hers again. “And I’m going to make sure you never forget it.”