Falling Away (Fall Away #3)(66)
Author: Penelope Douglas

After that I didn’t hesitate. I darted past her, racing up the stairs two at a time, and crashed through her bedroom door, slamming it shut. Hitting the power on the iPod dock, I dashed into the bath-room as Joan Jett & the Blackhearts started with “I Hate Myself for Loving You.” Music made me work faster.

Whipping off my tank top, I pulled my hair out of my ponytail and hastily applied eyeliner and mascara. Dabbing a little red on my lips—not lip gloss, because Jax hated it—I ran the straightener through my hair, smoothing it over with the brush, and then scurried for Tate’s walk-in closet.

Joan’s guitars kept my blood boiling, and my muscles were pumped. I sang along, suddenly very fucking hungry for pizza.

“ ‘I hate myself for loving you,’ ” I sang, bobbing my head.

I grabbed my long-sleeved, loose black silk top. High collar in the front, but draped low in the back, showing off ample skin.

If I was going to tell him to screw off, at least I wanted to look hot doing it.

I dropped my shorts, and then I unclipped the skirt from the hanger.

The drums vibrated in my chest as I stepped into the miniskirt and slid it up my legs. “ ‘Can’t break free from the things that you do.’ ”

But just then a shadow fell over me.

I gasped, looked up, and jerked the zipper up, staring wide-eyed at Jax.

Shit.

He had both hands pressed against the doorframe, leaning in slightly, and cocking his head at me like a challenge.

His eyes were like fire, and his jaw was hard. I swallowed and held his eyes, but the combination of his silence and stare had me so jacked up I wanted to scream.

Say something!

“Fuck off,” I choked out.

Then he rushed me, grabbing my face with one hand, my waist with the other, and sank his lips into mine.

“No,” I cried into his mouth.

But it was useless.

I immediately took his face in my hands and held his lips tight with mine as he hoisted me up and guided my legs around his body.

His arm was like a steel band around me, and I wrapped my arms around his neck and tightened my thighs around him, unable to get fucking close enough to him.

His lips were everywhere, moving fast and hard, and we groaned, filling the small space with our heavy breaths and moans.

He tore his lips away, and I let my head fall back as he dived for my neck, licking, kissing, and biting a trail up to my ear.

“Holy shit,” I panted.

His hard shoulders flexed under my fingers, and the next thing I knew I was spinning around in his arms and entering the light of the bedroom as his heavy footsteps pounded on the hardwood floors.

“Fuck,” he growled, and dropped me to the bed, falling on top of me.

I moaned, diving for his lips again, so damn hungry for the taste of him. “You’re an asshole,” I breathed out in between kisses.

“I know.” His lips curled, and he reached down between us, unfastening his belt.

I twisted my lips away, and reaching up, I put my hands on both sides of his face, forcing his eyes on me. “Don’t you ever ignore me for five days again,” I gritted out.

He ripped through the button on his pants, tore down the zipper, and freed his cock, seating himself between my legs.

“Never again,” he promised, looking down at me with fire in his eyes as he tore the condom from its wrapper and rolled it on. “You’ve owned me since I was seventeen.” And he slid his greedy hand under my ass, held me tight, and thrust his cock inside me, spearing me.

“Ah,” I sucked in a hard breath, throwing my head back.

“God, baby … I missed you.” He squeezed his eyes shut, and I released my grip on his face, taking his neck instead and bringing him down to my mouth.

“Always wet for you,” I whispered into his mouth.

He thrust hard, fucking me fast and rough. Just the way I wanted it from him. We both moaned loud, not caring that there were probably people downstairs.

He was mine, and I was his, and the next time the little shit threw his temper around or shut down on me, I was going to either push him harder or pull away for good.

Push and pull.

Give and take.

Accelerate. Release.

Jax’s finger traced the lines of my profile, gliding over my nose and brushing down my lips. I let out a blissful sigh.

I loved to be touched. With kindness, that is. And it felt so good that I wanted to close my eyes, but I couldn’t. I’d waited years to just be able to look at him, without fear of him seeing me, and now I couldn’t get enough.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said, lying next to me with his head propped up on an elbow.

I reached up to touch him, too, but halted and jerked my head toward the door, hearing Tate’s squeal from downstairs.

“He’s here!” she shouted, and I grinned, turning back to Jax.

“Guess that means Jared’s home.”

Jax let out a sigh next to me. “Oh, joy.”

I rubbed the tip of my nose on his. “What’s going on with you two?” I asked, concerned.

He kissed me softly on the lips. “Nothing,” he whispered. “He just likes to get on my ass like you.”

I laughed. “Hopefully not just like me,” I joked.

Sitting up, I grabbed my brush off the nightstand and fixed my hair. “Jax?” I licked my lips, my mouth suddenly dry.

“Yeah.” He sat up, dipping his head into my neck.

Tingles spread like a swarm of butterflies under my skin, and I pushed him away, smiling.

“I overheard your call with him the day you gave me driving lessons,” I confessed. “Your father is getting out of jail soon?”

Jax leaned back on his hands, looking down. “Maybe.” He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it.”

I rose off the bed and straightened my skirt.

“I want to, Jax,” I said. “I mean,” I rushed to add, “I don’t want to worry, but I want to know about you. I want you to tell me things.”

“Jax! Get your ass down here!”

We both jumped at Madoc’s bellow, and I let out a nervous laugh. The king of bad timing.

I leaned down, cupping his face.

And once I was staring into those blue eyes, I couldn’t stop. I kissed his forehead, then his nose, and when he closed his eyes, I kissed those, too.

“I like you,” I admitted. A lot. “I want to know you.”

He pulled me down into his lap and wrapped his arms around me as my feet dangled above the floor. I closed my eyes, feeling his light fingers brush my hair over my shoulder and kiss the sore skin on the back of my neck.