Vengeance (3 page)

“Do you really not remember?”

“No, not except meeting her in the bar and chatting with her.
I
was so drunk. Most I have ever been in my life.”

“You broke my heart.” I whisper.

“And you broke mine.”

“Can we get past that?”

He looks deep into my eyes. “Do you want to get past it?”

“With every bone in my body.
You are the best thing in my life Jax; we have one and nearly two incredible kids. I have loved you from the minute I set eyes on you and I don’t want to be without you.”

He softens and makes an odd sound. “Can you forgive me?”

“Can you forgive me?”

He steps forward and takes my cheek in his hand. “I already have.”

CHAPTER 2

Jax and I sit talking for hours going over everything that has happened, when we have drained it all out, he stands.

“You hungry?”

“I’m always hungry.” I smile, looking down at my belly.

“A baby huh?
God
, that is
kinda
scary.”

“Did I tell you it’s a boy?”

He stiffens and his eyes grow weary.
“A boy?”

“Yep.”

“Shit. Wow.”

“You will be good at this Jax. You’re a great dad to Lilly.”

He smiles,
and then
kisses my head.

“Stay here, I will get some food.”

He leaves and I get myself a glass of water before sitting at the small kitchenette. Jax returns a few minutes later with some food. He sets two plates down on the table, and I am suddenly starving. I sit down and smile at him; he gives me a half grin.

“Eat up, don’t let my boy starve.”

“What about me?” I grumble.

“Well…”

I poke my tongue out at him,
and then
look down at my plate. Wow, it looks great. I slice the fresh roast beef and pop it into my mouth, moaning.

“
Mmmm
.
The food out here's amazing.”

Jax raises an eyebrow. “Anyone would think you just had an orgasm.”

I snort and choke on my food.
“Jax!”

“Well, you should have heard your moan.”

I shake my head and give him a stern look, before continuing to eat my food. He follows suit, and when we are done, I gather the plates and wash them up. He comes up and stands beside me, gripping my arms and turning me so my face is pressed to his chest. He holds me, just holds me. I am surprised, but an instant flow of warmth trails over me and I sink into him. When he pulls back, I frown.

“What was that for?”

“Just a cuddle, you deserve a cuddle.”

“You don’t cuddle Watts.” I tease, it’s an old joke.

He grins. “Only with you, it’s the law.”

“The law?”

“The Jade law.”

I giggle and
plonk
onto the bed; my face goes serious after a moment and I want to ask him something.

“Ask Jade, I can see you want to.”

I fumble with my fingers; he sits beside me and nudges me. “Ask.”

“Jax when…I had that camera inside me, and you could see everything. How did you feel?”

He visibly tenses. “I have never been so scared in my entire life. It was like watching a horror movie. I screamed, kicked the television,
and cried
…we all did. It was awful, watching you scream, run, hearing your breathing when you were scared…”

“I’m so sorry, I got what I deserved.”

“Nobody deserves that.”

“I did, I lied, and karma bit me in the ass.”

He grasps my chin. “You were trying to save your family, and in some stupid attempt at protection, you were trying to save me.”

Tears stream down my face.

“In all my efforts, I lost you anyway. I was so happy on our wedding night, you…
God
you have given me everything I ever dreamed. I am so madly in love with you.”

“You always have been
,
it warms me to know you love me so much.”

“I loved you the minute you scared James off, all those years ago at the palace.”

Jax laughs. “Yeah, that was memorable.”

“And when you snuck into my room and made love to me for the first time.”

“And you asked all those blasted questions, you just about killed me.”

I laugh. “Hey, I was new at it.”

He strokes my cheek. “You made my life different. I will never forget that.”

“Jax?”

“Hmm.”

“Will you make love to me?”

He stiffens. “No.”

“No?” I stammer.

“
It’s
all it has ever been about Jade, us fucking. I can’t…we need to do this for a while without it.”

“Please,” I murmur leaning forward and pressing my lips against his. “I need you.”

“Jade…”

“Please Jax, make love to me.
It’s
been so long, and I want you.”

He closes his eyes, fighting
God
knows
what inside himself. He grips my hips and positions me over his lap then spreads my legs apart. Reaching down, he slides his fingers under my panties and strokes. I moan into
him as he presses his mouth against mine. I feel him harden beneath me, and I am desperate to just force the issue by unbuttoning his jeans, but I don’t. He slides one finger inside me, and I hiss through my teeth, then he pushes another in. With his thumb, he strokes the outside while his fingers thrust on the inside.

“Come for me.” He breathes into my ear.

I do, with his words, I explode around him. I grip his shoulders and groan as shudders rack me. When he removes his hand, I expect more, but he doesn’t move. I look at him, and he is having that internal battle again. I shift my hips on him, and he growls. Then, he grips them and holds them still.

“Stop forcing me to fuck you Jade, I said no…”

I feel as though he has slapped me. I slide off him and look down at my hands; I am so ashamed of myself. He doesn’t want me.

“Don’t be hurt, I told you why. It’s not that I don’t want to, look at me!” He orders.

I don’t.

“Jade, look at me.”

I look up at him, my lips quivers. He takes my hand and puts it on his extremely hard erection.

“You can clearly see I want to but,
God
, I can’t Jade. Just respect that, if I make love to you, it is going to complicate everything again. We need time.”

“Then why did you touch me?” I cry, leaping up.

“Because, you wanted me to and you needed it.”

I snort. “Whatever, I don’t need this.”

“Don’t run
,
you are not running every time something goes wrong. Face it!”

“Face your rejection? How do you suppose I face it when I am so embarrassed?”

He sighs and stands, taking me into his arms.

“Don’t be, I don’t think you are stupid and I didn’t reject you.”

“Yes you did.” I cry into his shirt.

“No, if I was rejecting you, I wouldn’t have touched you.”

“So what do you want to do? What do you want me here for?” I snap.

He squeezes my cheeks. “I am going to talk with you.”

I groan and stomp my foot. “I don’t want to talk.”

“Tough, do you want me to tie you up, because I will?”

“If you like.”
I purr.

“Stop that.”

I frown. “You are getting old and cruddy.”

He laughs and pulls me down onto the couch. We sit, and I put my head in his lap, he strokes my hair as we chat for hours. It feels good, right even. I fall asleep, and I feel Jax move out after a while. Soon after, I hear a knock at his door. I hear him slip outside, and I prick my ears to listen.

“Jax, you haven't come and seen me today.”

It’s a female voice, heavily accented.

“My wife is back.”

“What, why?”

She sounds upset.

“She is pregnant; she wanted to be with me.”

“But…I want to be with you.”

“Kumar, I have told you. I am not available.”

“But you kissed me.”

He what? I stand and storm out of the hut. Jax sees me and flinches. I turn and glare at him.

“You ass Jax!”

I am about to step down when he reaches out for me. I pull my arm from his grips and stomp down the stairs.

“Jade, get up here now.”

“No.” I say, walking further into the night.

“Lilyahna Jade
Watts,
get your fucking ass back up here now or so help me
God
I will come down there and bring you back myself.”

His tone is icy. Oh, he is angry.
Marvelous.
I pause and turn, liking that he used our married name when he called out to me.

“I said, no.”

He growls. “Kumar, go back to your hut right now. Don’t argue with me. I kissed you; it was a peck. It was nothing.
NOTHING.
I have no interest in you now please LEAVE.”

She pouts and walks down the stairs. As she goes by, I see she is pretty, dark eyes, hair and skin.
Very native looking.

“Jade, you have three seconds to get up here or I am coming down there to get you.” Jax calls out when she is gone.

I snort and turn. He is down the stairs in seconds and I giggle, ok he is so mad, but it’s kind of funny. I dodge him and he growls, spinning around. I dodge him again.

“Jade I am going to take you over my knee if you do not stop. Now get up stairs.”

“No.” I laugh.

“This isn't fucking funny.”

I laugh louder and dodge him again, on the third go he lunges at me, and we fall to the ground. I am in hysterics now. He carries me into the hut and throws me over his knee. I am laughing, so hard tears are falling from my eyes.

“Stop it.” I giggle.

He lifts his shirt, which I am wearing and runs his hand over my backside then lifts it and brings it down hard. I yelp. I am still giggling though, so he does it again.

“Stop Jax, you can’t spank me.”

“Can and will.” He mutters, bringing his hand down again.

“OW!”

“Say sorry.”

“You say sorry.”

He slaps me again, and I laugh once more.

“Say sorry, it will only get harder.” He orders.

“NO!”

He slaps me and this time it stings, I let out a scream and stop laughing.

“Say sorry.”

“Get fucked.”

He slaps me again and tears spring to my eyes.

“Jade…”

“I said, get fucked.”

The next slap causes my voice to choke; I won’t give in. He can slap me until his hand is red raw, but I will not say sorry. I am kicking his control issues to the curb.

“One more chance?”

“Get…”

He slaps me really hard, and I cry out, tears pour down my cheeks and drip onto his legs.

“
God
Dammit
you stubborn woman!
Just say sorry.”

“I will not, so slap away.” I choke through my tears.

He mutters a curse and pulls me up, holding me close to his chest.

“
God
Damn
, you will be the death of me.”

“You need to give up your control issues Jax, and if that means you spank me until you lose that,
then
fine.”

“
God
, you stupid girl.”

He stands and lays me on the bed, then comes back with some lotion.

“Roll over.”

“No.” I whisper.

“Jade roll over.”

I roll and grunt a curse at him. He sits beside me and pulls back my underwear, then puts some lotion into his hand and rubs it on my very, very sore backside. He strokes his hand so gently over my skin I want to melt, but I am far too mad.

“Who was that?” I snap.

“Kumar, a girl from the tribe that lives here.”

“You kissed her?”

“I pecked her, seriously, I kiss Lilly more.”

“Why?”

“She asked what a kiss was. I am not interested in her, not even slightly.”

“Oh.”

“So stop your jealous shit. It's another thing that needs to go.”

“Whatever, I am tired. Can we go to sleep please?”