Chapter 45
forty-five
I roll up my mat as Lizzy gathers her things.
“Well, shit. That wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” she says, shoving her water bottle into her bag. “Though I’m pretty sure my hamstrings are never going to forgive me.”
“Yeah, not really my thing either,” I admit.
“Uh-huh.” Lizzy winks. “So that means you being here has nothing to do with seeing Sasha bent over in those tight yoga pants?”
I give her a look that makes her laugh.
“Gotta run. My first appointment will be here in like twenty and I seriously need a shower,” she says, heading for the door. “See you later!”
Shaking my head at her antics, I look up just as a tall guy with dark hair grabs Sasha’s elbow.
My jaw tightens when I recognize Brex, the fuckboy firefighter helicopter pilot who she was flirting with at The Brew a few weeks ago.
When the hell did he show up? I didn’t see him during class.
My fists clench as I watch him lean in close and say something that makes her smile and do that flirty thing where she tilts her head.
Imagining all the dirty things he might be saying to her, my blood starts to boil.
When she responds with something I can’t quite hear, Brex nods, giving her a flirty grin. I don’t even try to hide my glare when he finally looks up and meets my eyes.
Then the smug bastard has the nerve to hike an eyebrow at me and shake his head before turning to leave.
What the hell was that about?
My eyes flick back to Sasha, who says something to Reyna before she marches over to me, green eyes flashing.
“What the hell was that?” she whisper-shouts.
“What was what?” I ask, playing dumb.
“Don’t give me that crap. You were glaring at Brex like you wanted to rip his head off.” Cheeks flushed, her venomous tone is low and controlled. “He’s a potential client, Jax. He wants to get together to talk about specialized training options for the Search and Rescue Team.”
“I’ll just bet he does,” I mutter, unable to keep the sarcasm in my tone at bay.
Her eyes narrow dangerously. “You know what? I don’t have time for this shit.” Spinning on her heel, she storms off in the direction of her office.
Unwilling to let this go, I storm after her. As I pass the front desk, I catch Noia’s eye. She arches a brow and smirks, clearly enjoying the show, while Reyna’s eyes have gone wide.
I step inside and close the door behind me. Before Sasha can say another word, I grab her by the waist, spin her around, and push her up against the wall, getting all up in her face.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she demands, eyes wide with surprise.
When she doesn’t push me away, I lean in even closer, bracing a hand against the wall beside her head, the other still gripping her waist. Her breath hitches as I hold her gaze.
“I get it, okay? I understand why you don’t want anything serious,” I huff. “But I need you to understand. I’m not your dad. I’m not Ryan. I would never cheat on you, never lie to you. The last thing I would ever do is hurt you the way they did.”
Dumbstruck, her lips part in surprise, but before she can respond, I slam my mouth down on hers. The kiss is fierce, desperate as I pour every ounce of what I feel for her into it.
Instantly she brings her hands up and grips my shoulders, curling her fingers into the fabric of my shirt, tugging me flush against her luscious curves.
A soft moan escapes her throat as I deepen the kiss, tangling my tongue with hers. When I press myself tighter against her, making sure she more than feels how hard I am for her, she grinds back.
Growling into her mouth, I slide my hands down to cup her ass and lift. When she wraps her legs around my waist, I pin her against the wall and grind against her core, rejoicing in her gasp when I hit just the right spot.
“Jax,” she whispers against my lips. “I—”
Both of us are breathing hard as rest my forehead against hers, our lips so close I can feel her breath warring with mine.
“I know,” I groan. Reluctantly, I pull back just enough to look at her. Cheeks flushed, her eyes are still dark with hunger. “I just needed... fuck.” I shake my head. “I don’t know.”
My heart is hammering so hard, I wouldn’t be surprised if she can feel it.
“I’ve been going crazy these past few days. Having you so close but not being able to touch you,” I rasp. “I miss you.” My next words slip out before I can think. “I miss us.”
She shifts, and I let her go, taking a step back as her feet touch the floor.
“You can’t tell me you didn’t feel that just now.”
“Jax…”
But I don’t let her finish. I can’t. Deep down, I’m too scared about what I’m sure she’s going to say.
“Think about it. Really think about it, okay? And when you’re done thinking about it, I’ll be here. Waiting. However long it takes.”
And with those words, I turn and stride out of her office, chest so tight with emotion I can barely breathe.