Chapter 11 – CAMILLE #2
Jax’s scoff raises my hackles. Possessiveness, I can understand. Accusing me of acting inappropriately is something else entirely. I won’t stand for it.
He moves closer, and I refuse to retreat, even as he backs me against the marked tree. The bark bites through my shirt, grounding me.
“Already decided I’m a lost cause? He’s a potential alpha, I don’t blame you.”
Oh, how fucking dare he.
“Don’t.” I shove at his chest, but he doesn’t budge. “Don’t you dare try to make me the bad guy here, when you’re the one who doesn’t want me?”
Jax catches my hands and pins them over my head as he presses his nose against my neck and breathes in deeply, the scratch of his stubbled jaw against my sensitive skin making me weak at the knees, even despite my rage.
“Then what were you doing?” His body leans into mine, legs bracketing mine, caging me in.
I should feel threatened, but instead, my traitorous body responds with a rush of heat.
“Alone in the woods with him.” He snarls. “His scent still clings to you.”
His teeth are already lengthening, scraping against the delicate skin of my marking spot; the danger of it should terrify me. Instead, it sends shivers of anticipation down my spine and makes my wolf purr with satisfaction.
But she’s an idiot.
“You can’t do this, Jax,” I say testily, lifting my chin in defiance. “We were just talking, sharing useful information, before you crashed in like a jealous m–”
“What? Like a jealous what?” He presses closer, his entire body resting against me.
For a moment, I forget why I’m so angry, and wish he’d close the distance and just kiss me already. Instead, he whispers in my ear. “Like a jealous what, Camille?”
I stubbornly keep my lips pressed tightly together.
“Say it,” he demands.
“No.”
Even with my arms pinned above my head, and my body trapped, I refuse to give him what he wants.
His head drops, nose skimming along my jaw without quite touching, attempting to use the bond to get his way. My nipples go stiff at the almost-contact, and I have to fight back the urge to arch my back and press my breasts against him.
“Say it.”
Narrowing my eyes, I glare up at him.
“Like a jealous mate,” I spit out angrily, and the words seem to break something in him. And when he repeats the word mate quietly to himself, I realise what he thought.
He thought I was going to say maniac. That I was calling him broken or crazy.
But I’d never think that of him. He’s mine.
Jax pulls back just enough so I can see his entire face, and the raw anguish there makes my chest ache. But underneath the pain is a desire so intense, that it steals my breath.
“You want to know the truth?” His voice drops to a growl that travels to my bones.
“I am jealous. The thought of you with him, with any male other than me, makes me want to tear the world apart. My wolf wants to hunt down every single competitor who’s so much as looked at you since you got here, and claw their fucking eyes out. ”
The possessive declaration should infuriate me when I’m here, willing to give this a shot, but he’s the one holding back. Instead, heat pools low in my belly.
“But you can’t act like that,” I manage, determined not to let him see how much this kills me to admit. “Not when you’ve made it clear you don’t want me like that.”
“Have I?” The laugh that escapes him is bitter and broken. “Then why can’t I stay away from you? If it’s so easy for me to walk away.”
His words leave me reeling. “Jax…”
“You know what I thought when I saw you with him?” he whispers.
I shake my head, not sure I even want to, but I’m frozen here, whether I want to be or not.
“I thought about pulling you away from him and sinking my teeth into your neck, right then and there. Letting him watch you fall apart as I claim you, knowing he can’t have your mark, because that belongs to me. Because you’d belong to me.”
My breath catches, and I let my eyes fall shut as the image he’s implanted in my mind has my pussy dripping. “This isn’t fair… you can’t…”
“Can’t what?” His hand comes up to cup my jaw, thumb brushing over my bottom lip.
The gentle touch contrasts sharply with the wildness in his eyes.
“Can’t want you? Can’t need you so badly that it’s fucking killing me, even if I can’t have you?
I can’t imagine how you’d sound with my name on your lips as I… ?”
Fuck.
Fuck this and fuck him.
“Stop.” The word comes out breathless, but unconvincing. “You don’t get to do this.”
Jax kisses me, but I remain motionless, lips pressed shut, refusing to let another man toy with my emotions.
“Let me,” he pleads. “Let me finish what we started at the clinic. No male, not Kain, or any of these other assholes, will ever be able to please you like me.”
He kisses me again, groaning in delight, as I open for him, allowing him to deepen the kiss.
“Finally,” he murmurs, pleased that I’ve yielded to him, that I’m letting him in. One hand drops to cup my breast through my shirt as I rock my hips, and he lifts his weight, shifting his hips back, so I have some room to move. “That’s it.”
“Jax?” I mumble, dragging my free hand down to grip his hair, holding it tightly, as we devour each other.
“Mmm. Yes?” His hand has found its way under my top, sliding across the bare skin of my stomach, his heated palm touching my exposed flesh, leaving his scent like a brand.
With a quick step to the side, I snatch my bejewelled blade from my pocket and press the tip to the underside of his chin and cup his balls in my other hand.
Jax freezes, a string of expletives spilling from his lips, as his eyes return to their normal colour, his arousal quickly being replaced by concern at what I’m going to do next.
“I’m here to work. That’s what I was doing.”
He blinks and nods imperceptibly. I watch as a single red drop of blood rolls down Jax’s chin. Leaning, I brush my lips against his ear and whisper, “And if you ever use our bond to prove a point, or to satisfy your fragile male ego, again, I’ll cut your balls off.”
Jax curses, muttering sorry, but I skip out of reach before turning and marching away from him without a backward glance, calling just loud enough for him to hear, “And I can pleasure myself just fine.”