“Ryan a good guy?”
“Yeah, he’s okay…I guess. But…” She leaned over, her lips next to Jax’s ear. “He’s nothing like you.”
A shiver skittered down his spine as she licked his earlobe, her tongue trailing slowly down his neck, then her lips next, gently kissing her way back up toward his ear. Her hand rested on his thigh, her fingers sliding up his leg, moving dangerously closer to the apex of his thighs. Jax shifted, legs parting slightly, the first delicious stirrings of arousal coursing through him.
“Nikki…I thought you said you were supposed to be working.” He turned his head and any response she had was stopped by his kiss. It was hot and wet and passionate, and he grabbed her head, winding his fingers into hair.
“Nikki!” Ryan’s harsh voice was loud. Nikki jumped, pulling away from Jax, ducking her head.
“Duty calls.” Jax watched her walk through the beaded curtain and then heard muffled voices.
He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes, enjoying the too-quickly fading feelings Nikki had aroused in him, the pleasant tingle of her touch gradually leaving his skin.
The voices from the back became louder, Ryan’s with a sharp edge, Nikki’s lower but more insistent. Jax was almost ready to step through the beaded curtain when Nikki came back into the room.
“Everything okay?” Jax leaned forward. He wasn’t sure if Nikki was angry or scared, but her mouth was a firm line, her jaw clenched, head down.
“Yeah, sort of. He’s…I think he wants you to leave. He said if you’re not getting a tattoo then you can’t just hang out.” She met his eyes, brows furrowing.
Jax stood. “It’s okay. Not your fault. Like you said, you’re supposed to be working and I should leave you to it.” He pulled her close, kissing the top of her head.
“Come see me tonight, okay? I miss you when you’re gone.” Jax tilted her face to his and brushed his lips across hers. She closed her eyes briefly, a sensuous smile playing across her face.
“Yeah. I like the sound of that. I’m done here at ten. Is that too late?”
“It’s never too late. But take a cab. No walking or buses.” He reached for his wallet, but she put her hand over his.
“I got this, Jax. I can take care of myself, you know. Was doing that a long time before I met you.”
He looked down into her eyes. There was a stubborn hardness there and it took him by surprise.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…I just want you to be safe, that’s all.”
She was shaking her head, but she was smiling now. “I know. But like I said, I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time. And nothing’s happened yet.”
Jax sighed, resigned to letting her have her way, but not happy about it. He opened his mouth but Nikki put a finger to his lips.
“And no, you can’t come get me either.”
He frowned and she laughed.
“Jax, I can read you like a book. Now go before Ryan remembers you’re here.”
* * *
By the time Jax returned to the house, most of his pack was there, along with several members of Bec’s pack, but Bec was nowhere in sight. They’d gathered in the living room, pulling chairs in from the kitchen and the library, leaving room for Jax in front of the flat screen television. They fell silent when he entered.
“Thanks for coming. I think we’re set…” He glanced at Rand, one of his…one of Bec’s pack members.
“Is Bec coming?”
Rand shook his head and thesubtle restless shifting among the other members of Bec’s pack sent a ripple of apprehension through Jax. Something was afoot, but he didn’t have time to try to figure out Bec’s leadership problems at the moment.
“You’ve all heard about the murders over the past few days. There were three at a strip club by the Delaware Expressway last week and one at an apartment building not far from there on Saturday.”
There was a low murmur among the group, some shaking their heads. Apparently Bec wasn’t keeping his pack up to date on this.
“I just want all of you to keep your eyes and ears open, nose to the ground. Be on alert. Those of you who were with us at full moon know what we saw. For those who weren’t at the house, here’s the run-down on what we know.”
Jax paced the length of the room. “We saw a wolf-like…thing. I can’t describe it other than it looked wolf-like, acted like one of us, with intelligence and purpose. It has a very distinct smell…rotten, putrid…and tastes just as bad.
“There’s something odd about its body. It’s misshapen, distorted, almost like it’s mutated or an aberrant.” Jax took a deep breath.
“But the most concerning thing about this…thing that we know so far is that it either changes at will or it’s in this form permanently.”
The room went silent, everyone looking at him. He ran a hand over his face, not really knowing what to say next. His father had always made this part look so easy, standing in front of the pack, charismatic and authoritative, speaking with confidence.
There was a sudden tightness in his chest. He swallowed, his throat constricted. In that instant he missed his father more than he ever had, ever thought he could. And he also had, for the first time, serious doubts about his ability to lead this pack.
But this wasn’t the time or place for that. There was a room full of his pack members, all looking to him for leadership. And right now, he needed to pull himself together and give them that leadership. He owed his father’s memory at least that much.
“We all need to careful, more than usual. Keep your senses open to anything that seems out of place, but don’t, under any circumstances, try to take this thing on by yourself. Find me, find Bec, and we’ll get the packs together. This thing is even more powerful than we are. I don’t want to lose any of you to heroics.”
There were heads nodding here and there. Finn was the first to speak.
“Do you think it’s a lycanthrope? Not a werewolf?”
“I’d say it probably is. We only saw it briefly, before it attacked two girls who were in the alley by the strip club.”
“It fits the description, doesn’t it? Bigger, stronger, can change at will.” Finn was sitting forward in his chair, eyes intent on Jax.
“But it’s not a lycanthrope. You’re wrong, Jax.”
Heads turned toward the back of the room. Bec was leaning against the doorway to the kitchen, arms crossed over his chest. He stood for a moment before he straightened, walking toward Jax and continued.
“It was on all fours, not walking upright like a lycanthrope. It may have been stronger, but it was deformed. I saw it and you said so yourself. No lycanthrope would be deformed. They’re almost perfect in form. This one was diseased looking.”
Bec now stood in front of Jax, head cocked, jaw thrust forward. Jax knew the look in Bec’s eye. It was the same challenging look he’d always gotten from his little brother, when they were much younger, daring Jax to prove he was right, daring Jax to back up his words with action.
Jax sighed inwardly. This was not how he wanted this meeting to turn out, with Bec challenging him in front of his own pack.
“Bec, we know what we saw…”
“And we disagree.” Bec turned to the group. “Be careful, stay sharp, but trust your instincts. This thing needs to be dealt with and we need to do that quickly, before it kills again.”
There was a disquieted murmuring among the group. Bec turned, walking out of the room, most of his pack members followed him. Jax was left at the front of the room, fists clenched on his hips. His own brother had just come in, taken control of his meeting, and then walked out.
Finn remained behind, joining Jax. “You don’t agree, do you? With Bec, or how he wants to handle this.”
Jax shook his head. “No, I don’t. I saw that thing, I know how strong it was, what it’s capable of. Finn, it leapt over a wall. Bec’s cavalier attitude…” Jax stopped, taking a deep breath. Trash talking about his brother in front of a pack m
ember wasn’t going to help.
“You don’t think Bec is taking this seriously enough?” Finn watched him closely.
“I don’t know what Bec is thinking, on this, or with most things.”
Finn nodded. “There’s a group of us that feel the same, some of Bec’s renegade pack as well. They want to come back, but they’re not sure…”
“Not sure if I’ll take them back?” Jax sighed. He wasn’t surprised to hear this, but he hadn’t expected to hear it so soon.
“Yeah. Exactly.”
“Tell them they’re always welcome back. No bad blood, nothing to be said. No apologies needed. That includes Bec, but I doubt he’ll take hearing that from you.”
Finn followed Jax into to the kitchen. He glanced at the clock; was after ten and he wondered where Nikki was. Finn was still talking and he tried hard to follow the thread of the conversation, but his mind was only on when he would see her again.
* * *
Lori had already left for work by the time Nikki got back to the apartment. She had detoured there, wanting desperately to change clothes, to put on something sexy, something easy to get out of, before she went to see Jax. She also wanted out of the clothes she’s worn at Ryan’s. They carried the lingering scent of the tattoo shop and it nauseated Nikki.
Lori’s bedroom now contained all of Nikki’s clothes, crammed onto every horizontal surface, and in every available space. The bedroom had been cluttered before, but now it was a complete disaster. Nikki looked around, rummaging through her belongings. There were still things at her apartment she wanted to get, but there was no way in hell she was going back there by herself. Maybe Jax would come with her.
Her brows drew together at the thought of Jax and his protective nature. Part of her, a large part, was happy to have someone who cared about her, who wanted to look after her. She got that clichéd warm and fuzzy feeling thinking about how he felt about her.
However there was a tiny part of her that resisted all of this. Earlier at the tattoo shop, she’d bristled at his offer of cab fare. She’d really wanted to take the money. God knows she could have used it.
But that stubborn little voice in her brain spoke up, made her stop him. And she ended up borrowing cab fare from Ryan for later, and then walking home from work to Lori’s apartment.
Jax’s house was where she wanted to be. She finally unearthed a short skirt and black t-shirt and some decent heels. It was like playing dress up, trying to look like a lady for a change. Her reflection in the mirror told her that she looked pretty good and she nodded, satisfied.
She left a note for Lori on the kitchen table, letting her know she probably wouldn’t be home until the next morning, not to wait up. She bit her lip, remembering the first night she’d spent here and the pain in Lori’s voice as she’d rolled over and gone to sleep. Nikki had tried talking to Lori the next day, but in typical Lori fashion, she refused to admit there was anything wrong. But she’d been cold and distant the next morning.
Nikki had made a big deal out of wanting to go shopping on Sunday, and Lori had finally given up being sullen and come along with her. They’d actually had fun and it seemed that night that things were less strained.
The cab finally dropped her off at Jax’s house. She was struck again by its size, the solid brick building set back from the street. The porch light was on and she took the stairs slowly, enjoying the quiet of the neighborhood.
She was just about to ring the doorbell when the door opened and several men walked out, deep in conversation. The last one held the door for her, nodding his head as she walked past.
All the lights were on downstairs and Nikki hesitated, not sure where to go. Then she heard Jax’s voice and made her way toward the kitchen.
Jax was standing at the table, talking to a sandy-haired man. He was so serious looking, his jaw clenched, eyes narrowed. She paused in the doorway and Jax looked up.
The change in his expression was instant and amazing and Nikki’s heart fluttered a bit, knowing it was because of her. He was smiling at her, his eyes lighting up. He said something to the other guy, who turned to give her a curious look, and then Jax was there, pulling her into his arms.
“Nikki…” It took her by surprise, the intensity in the way he held her, his face buried against her neck.
“Come on.” He took her by the hand and led her out of the kitchen and up the wide stairs.
“Are you okay?” She turned as he closed the door behind them. He crossed the narrow distance between them and his lips were on hers, passion evident, barely restrained. She gave herself over to the kiss, parting her lips, his tongue swirling against hers.
His hands were everywhere at once, sliding beneath her skirt, fingers groping her ass, pressing her hard against his erection, moving up to cup her breasts.
Nikki broke away from his kiss, holding his face in her hands, searching his eyes. “And I’m happy to see you too. Like I asked downstairs, are you okay?”
“It’s been a long day, Nikki. A very long day.”
“You want to talk about it?”
“Later…after. Right now I just want you.”
He tugged at her shirt, pulling it over her head. As her hair cascaded over her shoulders, he caught a thick strand in his fingers. His voice was low, husky, as he wound it through his fingers.
“Promise me you’ll never cut your hair. Keep it long, like this. I want to see it when the moon is full, watch the color change in the moonlight.”
His hands cradled her head, his lips finding hers again. The urgency in his earlier kisses was replaced with something no less passionate but distinctly different, a subtle longing she’d never felt from him before.
What could have changed since she saw him earlier? Was it something she’d said or done, her refusal of his offer of cab fare? It didn’t make sense that something so trivial would have this kind of effect on Jax.
He stepped back briefly, his shirt over his head and on the floor. Nikki ran her hands over the smooth skin of his chest, the warmth and solid feel of his body both arousing and comforting. Any tension, any anxiety she had about his mood slipped away as her hands moved down the front of his jeans, cupping him gently, feeling the heat and hardness of his erection. He moaned softly, his eyes downcast, watching her hand against the dark material of his jeans.
Her bra was next, as Jax deftly undid the hooks, sliding it down her arms. It dropped to the floor and his hands were on her body, gently caressing her, growing more aggressive as his lips moved down from her mouth, trailing hot kisses over her neck.
When he took her hard nipple into his mouth she gasped. She wrapped her hands around his shoulders, his skin warm to the touch He pulled more of her into his mouth, sucking harder and she moaned, none to softly, at the corresponding jolt low in her belly, the rush of heat that flooded through her body.
His teeth grazed her sensitive nipple and her moan turned into a cry. Jax looked up, his eyes questioning but his mouth never leaving her. She nodded, holding him tightly to her. He moved to the other breast, his lips and mouth and tongue sending another jolt through her body. This time his teeth nipped at her flesh and she tipped her head back, her cry louder, pleasure mixed with more than a hint of pain.
When he finally stood and pulled her against him, she gasped, her nipples puckered and wet and exquisitely sensitive. As they brushed against his chest, she sighed and closed her eyes as a shiver ran through her.
Jax’s hands were back beneath her skirt, then tugging at the zipper. The skirt was history, as were her silky panties.
He walked her backward until the backs of her legs bumped against the mattress. Her fingers were back at the zipper of his jeans, tugging it down over the bulge of his erection. She slipped her fingers beneath the fabric, eliciting a deep moan from Jax as she touched him, holding him gently for a moment.
His eyes locked with hers as he pulled the jeans down his narrow hips. She reached up, winding her arms around his neck as he held her, his hands
on her hips. The pressure of his erection against her stomach made her aware of just how aroused he was.
“You’re so beautiful, Nikki.” He held her face in his hands, thumbs tracing the contours of her cheeks.
She smiled, letting the warmth of his words wash over her. There had never been a man whose could make her feel this good, just with words. Of course, the things he was doing to her with his hands were pretty amazing as well.
He tipped her back on the bed, climbing beside her. His mouth was on hers again and it was as if he couldn’t get enough of her.
“I want you so badly, Nikki…I need you.”
His eyes were silver in the muted light of his room, almost as if they were lit from the inside. Nikki caught her breath, the intensity of his gaze matching that of his words.
“I’m all yours, Jax. No one else’s.” She ran her hand over his cheek, the stubble pleasantly rough beneath her fingers.
She shifted on the bed, his body settling between her legs. There was a moment of almost giddy anticipation and then he was sliding into her. She closed her eyes, drawing a deep breath in answer to his exhalation against her skin.
Jax wrapped his arms arm her, holding her against him as he began to more. She was carried along on the strength of his passion, his lust. There was urgency to his movements, and she let him set the pace, take the lead.
Her own pleasure didn’t seem quite so important at the moment. She was wrapped up in giving herself over to him, letting him use her, take from her what he needed. She’d never felt like this before; never put her needs second to any man. But this was different. This was Jax.
When he came, she held his head against her shoulder, his open mouth pressed against her skin, his cries muffled. He shook briefly and she felt him pulsing inside her as he took his release.
He stayed inside her for a long time after that, his body curved around hers, arms still holding her against him. When he finally looked up at her, his face was relaxed, his eyes dreamy and far away. He sighed, his lips curved into a contented smile.
The Alpha's Touch Boxed Set (14 Book Bundle) Page 64
