All of You

Chapter 20

My hand slid to his thigh, and he hissed through his teeth.

"What are you thinking right now, five words or less?" Jaxon murmured.

My lips immediately sought out his ear. I couldn't tell him how I was losing my mind over him.

Losing my f**king brain over my feelings for him. Not yet. So instead, I told him how damn much I wanted him. "I'm . . . wondering . . . how . . . you . . . taste."

"Jesus, Ashlyn." His fingers grasped the back of my neck as his forehead angled toward mine. "Now I'm hard as a rock."

I was so turned on I gripped the armrest to get ahold of myself.

Jaxon shifted away from me and adjusted himself.

"I'm going to the ladies' room," I said, standing on wobbly legs.

"I'll go with," Andrea said.

We stood side by side in front of the mirror, and I noticed my flushed cheeks.

Andrea, who was applying lip gloss, smiled at me. "You and Jaxon are so cute together."

I grinned and dotted my freckles with powder.

"And I hope you don't mind my saying this, but . . . Jaxon is smoking hot."

I pointed my lip gloss at her. "Hey, eyes on your own prize."

"No argument there." She sighed. "You brother is gorgeous, no doubt. I can get so lost in those eyes of his."

I cringed. "Not sure I can hear this."

Her cheeks reddened. "Sorry."

"No, don't apologize," I said, and turned to her. "I'm happy Adam has you."

"That means the world to me." Her face grew serious. "Don't worry. I'll take good care of him."

But I was already pretty confident that he could take care of himself. 

***

 Jaxon dropped us off at my door and gave me a chaste kiss on the lips that didn't quite satisfy my craving for him. "See you tomorrow."

I got Adam and Andrea settled in the living room. They cuddled on the couch and clicked through TV channels to find a good movie.

"Just so you know, sis, I'm gonna sleep on the couch, and Andrea's got the mattress."

"Adam," I said. "I don't care if you sleep on the same mattress. Listen, I've been there. Sometimes it's nice to sleep next to the person you care about."

My words were strangely reminiscent of Jaxon saying how nice it'd been sleeping next to someone after that first night in his bed.

"We'll figure it out," Adam said, a bit flustered. "So, um, I really like Jaxon."

"I'm glad. What do you like about him?" I was curious what my brother saw in him. Were they the same things I saw?

"He's cool, mature, and a decent guy." Adam ticked off Jaxon's qualities on his fingers as he spoke. "And I can tell he adores you, sis. Do . . . do you feel the same?"

"I . . . I might." Suddenly I wanted to see Jaxon right that instant. To show him how much I craved his company. How much I cared. Maybe even reveal what was deeply hidden— my longing, my doubts, how his nearness was overpowering because it filled up the hollow places inside of me.

"Which reminds me," I mumbled. "I . . . I'll be right back. I forgot to tell Jaxon something."

I flew out the door before they could see how flushed I'd become.