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Mia looked down at the floor. “Oh. Right.”
“Look at me, Mia,” Jax urged her softly. “You’re amazing. You’re the bravest, fiercest young woman I ever met. And even after everything you’ve been through, you still have fight and passion in you. And a love for good books. You seriously impress me.”
And turn me on.
“What about Chloe? What was she like?” asked Mia, looking into Jax’s eyes now.
Jax sighed. “Chloe was young and lost. Our parents died when we were young, and my brothers and I had to bring her up. But while my brothers and I went on to find our purpose, our mission, Chloe took longer to find herself after our mum and dad died. In the end, she ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time, and her life was cut short. Not her fault, and not mine, but me and my brothers blamed ourselves for it. We set up Paladin Security, vowing to never let another vulnerable woman slip through the net again." He paused. “Then we realized just how fucked the system is. From the lowlife scumbags on the streets right up to the corrupt politicians. It’s a damn mess, Mia. But we’re going to sort it out, one asshole at a time. We’re gonna clear up the city if it breaks us.”
Mia let out a small sound of distress as she squeezed Jax's hand. "I'm so sorry, Jax. For everything you've been through."
He nodded, understanding the pain she felt for him.
Jax continued to hold her hand, his eyes fixed on the flickering light of the gas lantern. "Don't be," he replied softly. "We've all suffered. We’ve all been hurt, but that's what makes us strong.We don't need to save each other, Mia. We're already saving ourselves."
Mia looked up at him, her eyes glistening in the dim light. Her voice was barely audible as she spoke, "Jax, I want you to know something too."
He leaned in, his gaze never leaving hers. "Yeah?"
"I trust you," she whispered. "I trust you with my life."
Jax was silent for a moment, taking in the weight of her words. "Thank you, Mia," he said, his voice just as quiet. "I'll never betray that trust."
She nodded, her fingers intertwining with his.
Jax pulled Mia closer, his heart swelling with affection. "You know, Mia," he murmured, the softness in his voice barely audible. “I like you. A lot.”
Mia's breath hitched, her eyes wide with surprise. Her lips parted, but no words came out.
Jax hesitated for a moment, his fingers brushing against her warm hair. “Mia,” he murmured. “I want to kiss you.”
“Go ahead,” she whispered.
That was the green light he needed. Swiftly but gently, his lips grazed hers, slow and tender at first, waiting to see if she’d flinch, or reciprocate. Thankfully, she kissed him back, so his kiss became harder, deeper. He slid his tongue between her lips and then the kiss became passion-filled and desperate, as if they were trying to drink each other in, to become one in that moment.
"Mmm,” Mia moaned, pressing her body against his. He wanted her so, so badly, but he needed her to slow down. To make sure that they were acting with clear heads. That she wasn’t going to let him do anything to her that she’d later regret.
“Baby,” he murmured against her mouth, “not so fast. You’re getting me too turned on.”
“That’s the idea,” she said mischievously. Then, broke off from the kiss and got up from her beanbag, shimmying closer to him, swaying her hips and swaying her hips seductively to an imaginary beat. Her movements were fluid and enticing, and it took all of Jax's self-control not to reach out and touch her.
As she danced closer and sexier toward him, Jax felt a growing sense of unease. He wanted Mia—that much was clear—but he didn't want her to perform for him. He wanted something real, something meaningful. And he knew she deserved that, too.
"Stop," he commanded, his voice firm yet gentle. Mia halted mid-move, looking at him with a mixture of confusion and hurt.
"Did I do something wrong?" she asked, biting her lip.
"No," he reassured her, patting his lap, and gesturing for her to sit down on it. The feeling of her ass on him sent electricity jolting around his center. "But I don't want your old stripper moves, Mia. I want the real you, the woman who loves literature and has a mind and body of her own. That's who I'm interested in."
Tears sprung to her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m an idiot.”
“Shit, no,” said Jax. “You’re not at all. You’re fucking awesome. And what you were doing just then was very, very sexy.You’revery sexy. But I’m a Daddy Dom, remember? I get to decide when it’s okay to initiate a sexual encounter. I make those decisions based on what I think will keep both of us safe and satisfied.” He spoke as gently as he could, but he knew he was getting his words tangled up. he was so used to talking to people online, behind the protective cloak of a screen, where he could write and erase and rewrite his words however much he wanted. In real life, his words felt clumsy and buffoonish.
“I feel so silly,” said Mia.
Jax hated seeing Mia look so ashamed. He hadn’t meant to make her feel that way at all. “Hey,” he told her. “You have literally nothing to feel bad about. I just feel like I could kill thatChad guy for what he did to you, and seeing you dance like that just now . . . I know that it was a show. It was for other people. I wantyouto be the one who’s getting entertained. I want people to work hard to getyouaroused. To make you feel damn special.”
“I do feel special when I’m with you.”
