He carried Nikki into his room, laying her on his bed, grabbing the blanket and pulling it over her. She tried to sit up, struggling with the blanket but he gently pushed her back down.
“Stay still. I’ll be right back.” He moved away from the bed and she reached out, grabbing his hand.
“No, don’t go…please.” She looked up at him, her eyes wide, almost too large for her face.
“Just getting a glass of water, right there. And something for your wrist.” He pointed to the open door to the bathroom. “You’ll be able to see me, or hear me, the whole time.”
Her grip loosened and he patted her leg, before walking quickly into the bathroom. As he ran cold water over a washcloth, he looked at his reflection in the mirror. What the hell was he thinking, bringing her back here? Even if she had asked, he shouldn’t have done it. He could have just as easily taken her back inside, or to her own apartment.
He shook his head as he reached for a glass, filling it with water. What the hell was he thinking?
Nikki was sitting up against the head of his bed, legs tucked beneath her, the blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She was still trembling and her hands shook slightly, and she spilled water on the blanket as she took a drink.
“Here.” Jax set the glass on the bedside table, sitting down beside her, brushing away the droplets of water. He held the cold washcloth against her bruised wrist.
For a brief instant he caught a whiff of a strange scent, an animal scent, almost wolfish but off somehow. He didn’t think it was Nikki herself, and he wondered briefly if the man who had attacked Nikki was a werewolf. He lifted her wrist closer to his face and inhaled deeply. He was right, it wasn’t Nikki; it was on her clothes. Jax shook his head. It wasn’t important now, he’d worry about it later.
“Thanks.” She was looking up at him, her eyes fixed on his face. “You saved my life. Thank you.”
“I was in the right place at the right time. Do you know the guy?”
“He’s an ex-boyfriend…”
Jax drew back, frowning. Nikki reached out, her hand on his arm.
“No, not mine. One of the girls from the club. He’s been hanging out in the alley for a few days, I guess, bothering the girls when they leave, looking for China…his girlfriend…ex, I guess. Drugs or something.” She took a deep breath. “I’m rambling. My nerves are shot.”
But Jax wasn’t listening to Nikki’s words. Her touch, her hand on his arm, on his bare skin, sent an electric jolt through his body. Beyond her touch, her scent was overwhelming him, the complexity and depth of it amazing. He could still smell her fear, sharp and acrid, lingering on her. That would fade, he knew.
Beneath that was Nikki’s own scent, warm and rich, sweet with an edge, like biting into an orange picked fresh from the tree, drenched in heat, lush and juicy.
And finally, the scent of her core, her being, her sexuality. Jax closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, taking his fill of her, not able to get enough. Beyond description, her scent started a chain reaction of emotions and feelings in his body, everything spiraling out of his control. He’d never experienced this with any woman, and as much as it aroused him, it scared him. Control was everything to Jax and this woman was quickly tearing that to shreds.
He opened his eyes, caught Nikki’s look and saw reflected there everything he was feeling, the fear from her attack fading, replaced with lust and arousal. She started to shrug the blanket off her shoulders and he leaned forward, pulling it away from her body. Even in a faded sweatshirt and jeans, she was alluring, arousing, every curve still very evident.
Nikki rose up on her knees, eyes level with Jax, her fingers reaching up to touch his cheek, his lips, her pupils dilated, her dark eyes searching his.
“Make me feel safe, Jax. Make me forget.”
Any thoughts of resisting her, of not giving in to his own desires, quickly left him. He reached for her, his hands on her torso, pulling her against him.
Their lips met, hers soft against his, as lush as the rest of her. He traced his tongue briefly along her lower lip and she opened her mouth to him instantly, her tongue meeting his fully, almost aggressively.
He worked his hands beneath her sweatshirt, momentarily surprised to find something satiny and soft. But beneath that was skin, delicious and warm, irresistible. His fingers brushed against the weight of her br**sts and something broke loose inside of Jax, a shiver rushing through his body, his erection straining against his suddenly too-tight jeans.
Nikki broke away from their kiss, grabbing the hem of her shirt and stripping it over her head, leaving her in the red camisole she’d worn at the club. Once free of the shirt, her hair fell around her shoulders in a wavy mass, a mix of deep chestnut and burnished copper. Jax reached for a strand, running it through his fingers. It was softer than anything he’d felt in a long time and a wave of longing and desire washed over him. He wanted that mane spread across his pillow, wanted to run his fingers through her hair.
He realized she was looking at him, a small smile playing about her lips.
“There’s more to me than just my hair, you know.”
Her fingers were impatiently tugging his t-shirt up over his body, and he lifted his arms, as her hands slid beneath the fabric, working the shirt up his chest, letting her pull the shirt over his head. Her hands were back on his body, seemingly everywhere on his skin, fingers eagerly running over his n**ples, down the flat plane of his stomach, over the bulging front, beneath the edge of his jeans. A low groan escaped his lips as she cupped him with her warm hand.
The primal urge to mate was always strong with Jax and never more so than at the cusp of the full moon. But more than just wanting to ravish Nikki, another need began to surface, the need to connect with her on a deeper level, connect to her in a way he’d never wanted to with any woman before. She had opened up a part of him he thought didn’t exist. And it scared him. To need something this badly, was to allow it to control him, and lack of control was a weakness.
But he gave in, pulled her hard against him. She grunted softly as their bodies came together, her hands now on his chest, caught between them. He claimed her mouth again, wanting to devour her, his hands winding through her hair as he held her against him.
She wiggled in his embrace, her hands moving down to work the button on his jeans. His hands followed the curves of her body, down to the flare of her hips, to the zipper on her jeans, easily tearing them open. Gasping against his mouth, she rose up slightly as his fingers worked beneath the waistband, and then down to cup her ass.
Suddenly frustrated by the clothing between them, Jax broke the kiss, tipping Nikki onto her back. She squealed in surprise, her eyes dancing with desire as he grabbed her jeans, tugging them down over her hips, both them and the satin panties sliding off her legs.
Jax tossed them to the floor and he stood, impatiently pulling off his own jeans. He looked down at Nikki, lying in his bed, her hair spread out beneath her across the pillow, the red satin lingerie molding sweetly to her body.
His own body was thrumming with arousal, with the overwhelming obsession to satisfy the animal needs of his body with hers. But beneath that was the desire to claim her as his, make her want him as badly as he needed her.
Jax climbed onto the bed, Nikki already reaching for him. He was so incredibly hard and she was very ready, her legs parting, her warm thighs sliding up his hips, wrapping around his waist, and pulling him down to her body.
He barely had time to wonder if this was what he should be doing before he was sliding against her, and then pushing into her, into the heat and slickness she offered up to him.
She cried out softly beneath him as he entered her, but met him fully, her h*ps rolling up beneath him, accepting all of him completely. Her soft cries became louder, sharper, his acute sense of hearing picking up every nuance in her voice as he thrust into her.
Time stood still for Jax. The movement of their bodies together, the intense feeling of her surrounding him, drawing him further, almost drove him out of control. Every thrust, every response from her beneath him driving him crazy, pushing him closer to the edge, making him want more of her, even as he took her.
And she demanded as much from him as he took from her, her movements matching his, her passion and arousal just as intense as he felt. Her body was one continuous wave, crashing over him, pulling him deeper into her, pulling him further out of control. He gave in, let her sweep him along, finally letting go of any illusion of restraint he thought he still had.
When she came, it surprised him, both with the suddenness and the intensity. She arched up sharply beneath him, her head thrown back, her nails raking across his shoulders, brief sharp pain that only added to his pleasure. He looked down at her, watching her face in the throes of her release, feeling her twisting beneath him, the contractions of her core so strong around him, pulsing waves that fueled his own release.
He was soon joining her, his growls mingled with hers, almost before he realized he was coming. The heat that had built inside of him came rushing to the surface, and he pressed Nikki hard into the bed as his h*ps jerked and flexed, every muscle tensed, far beyond even his control, as he spent himself inside of her.
As the final waves of his orgasm faded, and his body began to relax, Jax collapsed beside Nikki. Every sense was heightened, attuned to her. He listened to her breathing, heard the beating of her heart, matching the beat of his own heart. The rich fragrance of sex rose up around them and he drew in a deep breath.
But beneath that still was Nikki’s intoxicating scent. It had changed, grown stronger, not just her scent alone now, but mingled with his. The sun-kissed orange was still there, but spiked with something sharper, spicier, spiked with his masculine blend. All of that imprinted itself in his mind, on every cell, branded him.
He pulled her against him, nuzzling her neck, losing himself in the soft tangled mass of her hair. She turned toward him, curling her body against his and they moved in a brief silent dance, fitting his angles against her curves. And when they were still, it was a perfect fit. Nikki was asleep in minutes.
Jax lay awake, watching the moonlight streaming in through the window, outlining Nikki’s curves, casting deep shadows across her skin. Tomorrow night was the full moon, but his body was already feeling the moon’s insistent pull, all his senses heightened, his mind more aware, the long-familiar ache in his muscles and bones intensifying. He knew by this time tomorrow night, he’d be in wolf form, would stay that way until the following sunrise. And he knew Nikki couldn’t know what he was, not yet. Not if he wanted to make her his mate.
And lying in the moonlight, Jax had decided. She was the one for him, the mate he’d been searching for. And in the moonlight he sighed, knowing all the complications that came with that decision.
Chapter Four
Nikki woke alone in a strange bed, briefly disoriented. She lay still, her eyes closed as memories of the night before came back. She shuddered as she remembered a vivid image the man with the knife, holding it to her throat, his cracked lips held in a grotesque smile. Then fuzzier images of Jax, taking her away, taking her home with him. And then she smiled and stretched. More memories came back, very clear memories, of Jax, of him…them…in this bed. Of the things he’d done to her. And what she’d done to him.