“Well, I peeked at your bucket list…” her father said with a twinkle in his eyes.
Jesus, not that damn bucket list again. Karma braced herself. Who knew what the hell they had done.
Her dad opened the freezer and pulled out an envelope from an empty box of chicken patties. The envelope was covered in white and blue bows.
“The freezer, Dad? Really?”
“Hey, it’s the only place I could think of. You know all my hiding places.”
He had a point.
It took Karma nearly five minutes to get all the bows undone, and she opened the envelope slowly just to torture Matt. He loved the anticipation. She pulled out the papers and smoothed them out on the counter.
Oh noooo! Two paid tandem sky dives. She looked up at her dads, who were grinning from ear to ear.
“We thought you’d cross it off your list.”
“How kind of you,” Karma said, her voice laced with sarcasm.
Jax looked over her shoulder, and she could tell from the look on his face that he was excited. His eyes twinkled when they met hers. She started to feel a stir of excitement herself. It was crazy the effect he had on her. Only Jax could make the idea of jumping out of a plane sound like fun.
“It’s way too generous,” Jax said, looking at her dads. “If it wasn’t her birthday present there is no way I would accept it. Thank you.”
“We feel much better with her going with you than off on her own,” Garrett said, glancing at Karma.
“I’d never do it on my own,” Karma said truthfully. She gave them both a hug. It couldn’t have been easy for her father to agree to the present. Clearly, it was Matt’s idea.
They finished eating and went back to the movie. Her father was right; it wasn’t long before the thunder and lightning started. The lights flicked on and off a couple of times, but thankfully didn’t go out for real. Karma loved the soothing sound of the rain pelting the roof and hitting the window panes.
It was almost midnight by the time the movie marathon was over. Karma felt much better after watching comedies with Jax’s arm wrapped around her shoulder. Thoughts of her mother’s visit didn’t sting quite as much as they did earlier. It still boggled her mind that he really liked her.
“We’re going to bed.” Her dad stood up and gave her a hug and Matt followed suit.
Karma wished them good night, and then they were left alone in the quiet house.
“It’s still raining,” Jax said with a smile.
“Is it, I didn’t notice,” Karma shot back playfully.
“I hope you don’t mind that dress of yours getting wet?”
“It’s just a dress.” Karma’s heart was thumping against her chest. Just the thought of kissing Jax in the rain was enough to make her head spin.
They were standing at least six inches apart, but she felt as if he was touching her. It was disturbing and exciting at the same time.
“Walk me to the truck?” Jax trailed a warm finger down the side of her face. His touch was tender, and Karma wanted to melt into his big strong arms.
She couldn’t speak so she just nodded like a fool. She would have walked with this man to the end of earth and back if he’d ask her to.
They stood on the porch watching the rain.
Jax turned her toward him. She was nervous.
“You’re beautiful,” Jax said simply as if it was a fact and not a matter of opinion.
Karma felt off kilter by his words. She looked down and whispered, “Thank you.” Her chest felt so tight it was hard to breathe.
“I know you don’t believe me.”
“I’m not beautiful, Jax. I see myself in the mirror every day. My eyes are too wide, my nose is too big, and my hips are huge. Don’t even get me started on my thighs. I could go on and on.”
Jax smiled sadly. “Your mirror is cracked.”
Karma looked up at him in surprise. His words totally disarmed her, because she could tell he was telling the truth. He really thought she was beautiful. He could have any girl he wanted, and he chose to spend time with her. It was utterly astonishing to Karma.
Karma shook her head and refused to meet his eyes. “My mother is beautiful.”
Jax pulled her closer. “Of course she is, she gave birth to you.”
“That’s not what I mean. You’ve met her. You saw what she looks like—a walking billboard.”
“She’s ugly on the inside and your shrink sucks,” Jax said, his eyes never leaving hers.
“What?” Karma stammered, completely caught off guard once again.
“It blows my mind you can look like you do and not see it for yourself.”
Her throat tightened. Why did he keep saying things like this? Couldn’t he just drop it? “Please, stop.”
He stepped closer and dropped his hand to the swell of her hips. “I love your hips and the way they fit perfectly in my hands, your nose gives you character, your thighs… Jesus, I can’t even think about them without getting a hard-on, and your eyes make my heart race like a schoolboy with his first crush.”
Karma stood on her tippy toes and went in for a kiss, but Jax pulled back, laughing. “You’re not getting out of it that easy. We’re crossing another one off your list.” He pulled her down the stairs into the pouring rain.
“You’re crazy, Jax!” She laughed, tilting her head up and spinning in the rain like a five-year-old. When she came to a stop she looked up and Jax was staring at her so intently it took her breath away.
He yanked her toward him, and his hands slid down her back to the curve of her waist. His legs widened as he pulled her closer, and she could feel the hard ridge of desire through his pants. “You’ve been driving me crazy all evening,” he said roughly.
Wild desire tore through her body as the rain pelted down on them. Jax bent his head and his lips covered hers. A moan of pleasure escaped as her hands slid up and gripped his shoulders. The response to his body was overwhelming. She was trembling and it had nothing to do with the cool rain.
Jax pulled her tighter, as though he never wanted to let her go. One of his hands released and cupped her breast, his thumb caressing her rigid nipple. A shot of desire ignited between her legs and her breathing became ragged. The burning pleasure was instant and spread throughout her body. Her body was ready for him, moist, warm, and drunk on desire.
“I want you,” Karma gasped.
Jax looked at her for a moment and didn’t reply with words. His mouth was warm and his tongue slow and gentle. He seemed totally lost in the kiss, taking his time exploring her. Karma wanted to strip naked and ride him on the lawn.
His hand trailed down her dress and up her thighs; he slowly pulled her panties to the side. His fingers stroked her and her back arched, pushing herself against him. She drew a shuddering breath at his touch.
Her eyes opened slowly to gaze up at him. Jax’s eyes were filled with need as his fingers slid slowly in and out. Karma wanted to beg him to replace his fingers with his cock. She could tell by the look of pain and desire on his face that would not be happening. It was taking all of his self-control. His hair was plastered to his face and it only added to his sexiness. She probably looked like a drowned rat, but Jax was looking at her like she was the sexiest woman in the world.
With a low growl Jax kissed her hungrily. With a stark possessiveness he slid his tongue deeply in her mouth. Her desire escalated rapidly.
A clap of thunder startled them both, and they jumped apart with a laugh.
“God, you make me crazy,” he muttered as his thumb caressed her jaw line.
“The feeling is mutual.” Karma’s body sagged against his.
Jax grabbed her hand and ran her back to the front porch.
“I have to work tomorrow,” Jax said, pressing his wet body to hers. She could feel his heartbeat, and it was racing as fast as hers.
“Twenty-four hours, right?” Karma was surprised how the thought of not seeing him for twenty-four hours made her sad.
“Y
eah, unfortunately.”
Karma forced a smile. “I have to go to school and I have an appointment with my shrink. So I guess the timing is good.”
Jax ran his hand down the sides of her arms. “You do know your mom is the one messed up, not you, right?”
“I think she messed me up too,” Karma said quietly. “But I’ll be all right.”
Jax looked down at her, and she could see the concern in his blue eyes.
“I’m fine, Jax. That was nothing.”
“If that was nothing then I really hate that woman,” Jax said through gritted teeth.
“Can’t pick your parents.”
“I guess not,” Jax said. He looked like he wanted to say more but he stopped himself. “I’ll see you on Sunday. Get inside before you catch a cold.”
“Okay. I can’t wait to see you again.” Karma stood on her tiptoes and gave him a quick peck on the lips before running back in the house. Her birthday had turned out sort of wonderful after all. Even after the horrid scene from her mom. She moved the blinds and watched him drive away until his taillights were out of sight.
Chapter Eighteen
Jax woke up thinking about Karma. Seemed like she dominated all his thoughts these days. His desire for the girl was clearly evident from the way his sheet tented. He wondered what she was doing right now. Did she sleep in or wake up early? Was she a coffee or tea drinker? Did she sleep in pajamas or in the nude? Just the thought of her naked body underneath the sheets was too much to handle. Jax pushed the sheets off him and stumbled into the bathroom. His body throbbed with an aching need. Without bothering to turn on the light or look in the mirror he reached in and turned the shower on cold. Two weeks and four days, he muttered to himself. Each day he spent with her made it harder to walk away. Who the hell was he trying to fool? He wasn’t going anywhere unless she pushed him out of her life. And he wasn’t going to allow that to happen, not without a fight. He knew a good thing when he saw it, and he wasn’t about to screw this up.
The cold water was a welcome shock to his body. He couldn’t go into work all distracted. He scrubbed his body clean, and once he was under control, he turned the water to lukewarm. Of course, the cascade of the water reminded him of kissing Karma in the rain. The way the white dress clung to her skin leaving very little to his imagination. He closed his eyes, remembering the feeling of her erect nipples pressed against his chest. How his fingers moved against her beautiful ass, slowly gathering the hem of her dress. Even with hair plastered to her face, she was breathtaking. He couldn’t get the look of awe on her face out of his mind after they’d broken the kiss. She’d been just as blown away as he’d been. Jax had kissed a lot of girls in his time, but nothing had been as erotic as the kiss in the rain. He knew it’d be a memory ingrained in his brain for the rest of his life.
His cock twitched, and Jax laughed; so much for being under control. Damn, he couldn’t wait to sink into her. Just the thought of having her legs wrapped around his waist and her firm breasts pressed against his… As if his hand had a mind of its own Jax wrapped his palm and fingers around his cock, stroking up and down, wishing it was Karma’s small hand or her pouty full lips wrapped around him. He had to get a release for the sexual tension. He closed his eyes and imagined Karma naked on her knees looking up at him with those innocent wide eyes, giving him a mischievous smile, running her tongue along her full lips before grabbing the bottom of his cock tightly and sliding her lips over him moving her hand and mouth in perfect rhythm. He could almost feel her body against his skin. Jax gasped, pumping his hand faster. It was as if her warm tongue wrapped around him, easing him in and out of her warm mouth until he was about to explode. He could clearly picture his hand wrapped around her hair guiding her head up and down his thick shaft. Jax threw back his head and shuddered as he came, thinking about spilling his seed in her beautiful little mouth. Damn.
After a couple of minutes his heart settled back in his chest and his breathing returned to normal.
Not a bad way to start the morning, he thought with a grin. Of course, it would have been much better to wake up with Karma naked in his arms. He shook his head to banish the vision. If he kept this up, he’d never make it to work on time. Jax rinsed off again and grabbed the towel off the hook. He whistled happily as he dried off.
On his way out the door, Jax debated with himself and then sent Karma a quick text. There was no sense in playing hard to get. They were on a timeline. One that he hoped to push forward indefinitely. Hope your day goes well.
A couple of minutes later his phone chimed. He wondered if he’d woken her. Yours too. Be safe.
He jumped in his truck and headed to work. A full twenty-four hours without his Karma fix. He could do it. No problem. Yeah right, he already missed her quirky personality and beautiful smile, not to mention her kissable lips. Jax groaned to himself; he was in way over his head.
Jax shook his head and tried to concentrate on the road.
A little while later he pulled into the fire station. He looked at the clock on the dashboard; he had five minutes to spare. The guys were waiting to be relieved, and no one liked to have to stay late on a twenty-four-hour shift.
“’Bout time,” Amy yelled out.
“Yeah, yeah. I still got five minutes,” Jax shot back with a half grin.
Amy was tiny, but tough as nails. She could outrun most of the guys, and could bench press her own body weight, not a small feat for a female. She was the only female on the team, so she had a lot of pressure to work harder than the rest of the guys. And she was a mother of three, so he could understand her need to leave ASAP.
“Slow night?” Jax asked.
She shrugged. “The usual, only got called out once, and it was for an accident. Drunk driver.”
“Well, get out of here. Sorry to make you wait around.”
She slung her bag over her shoulder and headed out to the parking lot, yelling over her shoulder, “Coffee and doughnuts are waiting inside.”
Jax was hungry. He usually tried to eat before he left for work, but he’d been running late. He even forgot to grab a protein shake. Guess it would be doughnuts and an extra-long workout today.
He went into the main office and clocked in. Cpt. Clark looked up from behind the desk. He was watching the news on TV.
“Morning.” Jax nodded.
Captain Clark grunted in response. He was slow to wake in the morning.
Jax watched TV for a few minutes then made his way out to the open bay area. The other guys were all sitting around drinking coffee and shooting the shit. Everyone thought being a fireman was a glamorous job, but truth be told it was a lot of sitting around doing nothing, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. When they got called out it meant something bad had happened. Even though a lot of time was wasted, it was part of the job.
Jax poured himself another cup of coffee and grabbed a glazed doughnut. Just as he took his first bite the alarm went off. Shit.
They all dropped what they were doing and raced to get into their gear. Every alarm had to be treated as a life-or-death situation even though more often than not it was nothing major.
The captain came running out. “Real deal, guys. A house is ablaze on Washington and Fourth.”
That put a little pep in their step.
Anders jumped behind the wheel, and the rest climbed into the truck.
Jax’s heart hammered against his chest. He lived for this shit—the adrenaline rush.
They went screaming down the highway and made it there within seven minutes. The smell of smoke assaulted his nostrils, and they could see the angry flames well before they reached the house.
Jax stared at the red and yellow flames shooting out the windows, devouring the house, before he pulled down his mask. Grady and Adam went to work on the hose. Neighbors were standing outside watching the house in flames. Pieces of soot floated through the air. He could hear the hisses, crackles, and pops, as the violent whoosh of flames tore away at the building. They
had to act quickly before it spread to the other homes.
“Someone’s in there!” a woman yelled on the verge of hysteria.
“What?” Jax’s heart thudded in his ears, and panic raced through his veins. He tried to slow his breathing without much success.
“We saw someone in the window!” an elderly woman said, her face pale, and a shaking hand covered her mouth.
Jax yelled to the others that there were people still inside. Grady came forward holding the hose. He yelled back to Adam, who turned on the water pressure.
Jax, Ryan, and Charlie ran forward. Jax was in the lead. Thoughts of his father being trapped in the fire flooded his mind and spurred him on. They had to get whoever was in there out. And they had to work fast. Before it was too late.
Using his ax Jax busted through the door.
Captain Clark yelled through a bullhorn that help was on the way. Stay low to the ground.
They pushed through and immediately walked into a wall of heat and smoke.
Jax yelled but in the roar of the fire, he doubted anyone could hear. “I’ll check upstairs, you guys do a sweep of the downstairs.” He used hand signals at the same time.
They nodded and took off into the smoke.
Jax took the stairs two at a time, not even aware of the heavy equipment on his back. He checked the first room he came to. A child’s room. The bed was unmade, and empty. He checked the closets and raced down the hall to the next room. Also empty. He yelled that he was there. The flames were growing stronger and it was hard to see through his mask.
Finally, he heard someone screaming. A woman? “Please. Help us!”
“Where are you?” Jax yelled, searching the next room and also finding it empty. Fuck!
“Bathroom,” the woman choked out, sobbing. “Please help my son. He’s not breathing. I can’t open the door, the handle is too hot.”
Jax saw a closed door at the end of the hall and slammed into it with his body. He was afraid if he used the ax, he would hurt someone on the other side.
The door gave a little but not all the way, so with all his might he drove his shoulders into the door again, and it flew open. Sitting in the bathtub was a woman with a boy on her lap. He was pale and not moving. Jesus.
Unintentional Virgin Page 10
