Chapter 74 - 0074: I Take Care Of What Belongs To Me

Chapter 74: Chapter 0074: I Take Care Of What Belongs To Me

Elena’s Point Of View

My face flushed an incandescent crimson, heat rushing up my neck and scorching my cheeks all the way to the tips of my ears.

"Pervert!" I screamed, my voice cracking as I clutched the plush black towel tighter against my chest, the soft terrycloth digging into my skin under my white-knuckled grip. My pulse roared in my ears, drowning out every rational thought I might have mustered.

Jaxx didn’t even flinch. A slow, sinfully dangerous smirk spread across his sculpted lips, dark eyes flashing with unholy amusement as he took a heavy, deliberate step toward me.

The floorboards beneath his designer boots barely creaked, but the sudden shift in his posture made my stomach plummet. He looked like a predator closing in on cornered prey, unhurried and utterly certain of the outcome.

My heart slammed against my ribs like a trapped bird. Panicking, I backed away, my bare, damp feet sliding against the polished hardwood floor. "Stay where you are!" I snapped, my eyes darting frantically around his sprawling master suite, searching uselessly for an exit that didn’t exist.

There was no way out. The massive king-sized bed blocked my left, a towering mahogany bookshelf guarded my right, and the heavy doors to the balcony behind me were locked tight against the howling storm outside. Even the storm seemed to mock me, hammering against the glass as if urging him on.

"Don’t come any closer, Jaxx! I’m serious!"

"You’re always serious, Bambina," Jaxx purred, his voice a low, vibrating rumble that seemed to pulse straight through the floorboards and resonate deep in my chest. He didn’t slow down. He closed the distance with terrifying, fluid grace, his massive frame blotting out the ambient light of the room. "And you’re always telling me what to do in my own house."

"Because you’re..."

My words died in my throat as my heel struck the cold, solid surface of the wall behind me. I froze. Trapped. A ridiculous, traitorous part of me noted that my heart wasn’t only pounding from fear.

Before I could even attempt to dart sideways, Jaxx planted one heavy, broad palm against the wall right beside my head, his towering shadow completely enveloping me. The rich, suffocating heat of his body washed over my bare, damp shoulders, carrying the scent of rain, aged oak, and his addictively dark cologne.

The plush towel was the only paper-thin barrier keeping my naked chest from pressing against his dark, form-fitting shirt. I hated how aware I suddenly became of every inch separating us, or failing to.

My breath hitched, my throat going completely dry. I could feel the steady, powerful thrum of his pulse, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest just inches from my own. It should have terrified me more than it did.

"W-What do you think you’re doing?" I stuttered, hating the way my voice betrayed me, hating the way my pulse hammered violently at the base of my throat under his intense, heavy gaze.

Jaxx leaned down slowly, his dark eyes dipping to watch the rapid rise and fall of my chest before drifting back up to lock onto my parted lips. The sheer proximity was suffocating, electric, and terrifyingly intoxicating.

"I think," he whispered, his breath hot against the shell of my ear, sending an involuntary shiver straight down my spine, "that for a woman who just crawled out of an upside-down death trap, you have a remarkable amount of attitude."

"I don’t have attitude," I shot back defensively, pressing myself flatter against the cold wall to gain even a fraction of an inch of space. "I just don’t appreciate being cornered by a man holding two glasses of unknown liquid while I’m wearing nothing but his bath towel."

"It’s a very nice towel," he teased smoothly, his dark eyes sparkling with wicked mischief. "Fits you much better than it fits me."

"Jaxx!"

"Relax, Bambina." He raised one of the crystal glasses in his hand, bringing it up between our faces. The liquid inside was a deep, shimmering ruby red, condensation clinging to the crystal, smelling faintly of crushed berries and chilled botanicals. "I brought you a peace offering."

I looked at the glass suspiciously, my brows pulling together. "I’m not drinking that. You could have put anything in there."

"Like what?" Jaxx tilted his head, his smirk widening into something devastatingly handsome. He raised the glass directly to my lips, pressing the cool crystal edge gently against my bottom lip. "A sleeping potion? A truth serum?"

"Maybe," I muttered, my eyes narrowing, though some traitorous corner of my mind wondered what exactly he thought the truth might reveal.

"Drink," he commanded softly, his voice dropping into a low, persuasive purr. "It’s not poison."

I rolled my eyes, tilting my head back just half an inch. "I never said it was."

"You didn’t have to," Jaxx chuckled, his dark gaze holding mine hostage. "Your eyes did. They’re practically screaming that I’m trying to drug you. Trust me, sweetheart, if I wanted to take advantage of you, I wouldn’t need a drink to do it."

"You’re impossible," I whispered, but the cold crystal against my dry lips was tempting, and the rich scent wafting from the glass was utterly irresistible.

Yielding to the relentless heat radiating from him, I parted my lips slightly and took a cautious, small sip.

My eyes widened almost instantly.

The liquid was impossibly smooth, freezing cold, and burst across my tongue with a delicate, rich sweetness... a blend of wild dark cherries, crushed mint, and a silky, sparkling finish that coated my raw throat like velvet. It washed away the metallic taste of rain, smoke, and blood in a single, heavenly wave.

I couldn’t help the soft, helpless sigh that escaped my lips as I swallowed, my shoulders dropping half an inch as the chill settled the lingering fire in my stomach.

I stared at the glass in shock. I wanted more. I wanted the whole thing.

"Love it?" Jaxx asked softly, his eyes tracking the sudden softness in my features, a triumphant, knowing grin playing on his lips.

I bit my lip, trying desperately to maintain my stern expression, but I failed completely. I gave a small, reluctant nod. "It’s... actually incredible. What is it?"

"A custom import from a private vineyard in Italy," he replied smoothly. "Exclusive to Vespers. You can’t buy it anywhere in this country."

Without stepping back an inch, Jaxx brought his own glass to his lips, took a long sip, and then, right in front of me, tipped the rest of his glass into mine, filling it to the brim with the sparkling ruby liquid. He guided my small, trembling hand up to take the stem of the crystal glass.

"I’ll pack boxes of it for you," he murmured, his thumb brushing over my knuckles as he transferred the glass to my grip. "As many as your greedy little heart desires."

"I don’t need boxes..."

"Quiet, Bambina."

Before I could process his words, Jaxx reached out with his free hand, his warm, heavy fingers cupping the back of my neck, sliding into my damp, fragrant hair. He tilted my chin up, and in one swift, possessive movement, he leaned in and took my lips.

I gasped, the unexpected impact of his mouth on mine sending a sharp jolt of electricity straight down my spine. The crystal glass in my hand wobbled dangerously, slipping from my slick fingers, but Jaxx was already ahead of me. Without breaking the kiss, his large hand swooped down, covering mine, steadying the glass, and guiding my hand gently to rest against his rock-hard chest, sealing my fingers safely around the stem.

Then, he deepened the kiss.

It was nothing like Graham’s desperate, bruising, possessive demands. Jaxx took my mouth with a slow, agonizing mastery that completely wiped my mind clean. His lips were soft, warm, and tasted intensely of the sweet, chilled cherry wine we had just shared. He parted my lips with a subtle, coaxing pressure of his thumb on my jaw, his tongue sliding seamlessly into my mouth to claim every inch of my breath.

"Mmm..." A soft, helpless whimpering gasp tore from my throat, escaping directly into his mouth.

The kiss stretched, morphing from a teasing temptation into a deep, sensual firestorm. Jaxx didn’t rush. He took his time, sweeping his tongue over mine, tasting me, drinking me in like I was the rarest vintage he had ever laid eyes on. His hand at the back of my neck tightened gently, tilting my head to angle the kiss deeper, sucking my bottom lip between his before sweeping back in to devour me all over again.

Warmth flooded through my veins, melting my bones until my knees felt like liquid. The pain in my shoulder, the trauma of the accident, the sting of betrayal... everything vanished into the scorching, addictive heat of his mouth. My fingers, still holding the glass against his chest, clenched tightly into the soft cotton of his shirt, pulling him closer until the plush towel flattened entirely between our bodies.

When he finally pulled back, it was slow, agonizingly reluctant, his lips trailing lightly against my bottom lip before resting against my flushed cheek.

I was completely dazed.

My head fell back against the wall, my dark eyes glossy, unfocused, and wide with shock. My mind was a complete, ringing blank. My chest heaved against his, my lips parted and swollen, wet with his taste. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t remember why I was angry, why I was wearing his towel, or why I was standing in his room.

All I knew was that my lips felt freezing the moment his left them. I felt a sudden, primal spike of desperation... a dark, overwhelming hunger that I had denied myself for far too long, one I barely recognized as my own.

Without thinking, driven by pure, unfiltered impulse, I reached up with my free hand, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and pulled him violently back down to me.

I kissed him.

It was messy, fierce, and completely unprompted. I captured his lips with a needy, breathless urgency, my tongue tangling with his, chasing the intoxicating taste of dark cherries, vanilla, and pure fire. I pulled his body flush against mine, my fingers entangling in the hair at the nape of his neck, moaning into his mouth as I drank him in.

Jaxx froze for a split second, surprised by my sudden, fierce attack, before a low, growling chuckle vibrated in his throat.

He broke the kiss just an inch, his dark eyes burning down into my frantic, glossy ones, his breath hot against my face.

"What’s gotten into you, Bambina?" he teased, his voice thick with triumph, a dangerous smirk on his lips. "Shouldn’t you be pushing me away? Calling me a pervert again?"

"Shut up, Jaxx," I gasped out, my cheeks burning, pulling his collar down again. "Just shut up and kiss me."

"Your wish is my command, sweetheart," he growled.

Jaxx took over completely. He wrapped his arm tightly around my waist, lifting me half an inch off my feet as he pinned me to the wall, taking my mouth in an erotic, breathless assault that stripped away my last remaining shreds of sanity. He kissed me until my lungs burned for air, until my head spun wildly, his tongue stroking mine in rhythm with the heavy, frantic beating of our hearts.

His hand pressed into the small of my back, holding me so close I could feel the hard, rigid length of his arousal pressing against my hip through the layers of cotton and terrycloth.

By the time he finally pulled away, leaving a fine thread of saliva connecting our lips, I was breathless, my forehead resting against his chest as I dragged in wild, ragged gulps of air.

Jaxx looked down at me, his dark eyes heavy with satisfaction, his broad chest heaving beneath my forehead.

"Sit down," he ordered softly.

I blinked through the haze, my mind slowly recalibrating. "What? Why?"

Jaxx stepped back, breaking the intoxicating heat of our contact, though his eyes never left mine. "Sit your fine ass down on the couch and stop being stubborn for once in your life."

I swallowed hard, my throat bobbing as I gulped down my lingering breath. I didn’t have the energy... or the desire, to argue with him anymore. Holding the crystal glass carefully in one hand and clutching my towel with the other, I walked weakly over to the expansive velvet sectional couch in the center of the room and sat down on the soft cushions, my legs still trembling from everything that had just happened.

Jaxx disappeared into the adjoining master bathroom.

He returned less than two minutes later holding a sleek medical box. He set the box down on the low mahogany coffee table in front of me and popped the latch open. He reached inside and pulled out a dark glass bottle labeled with a high-grade pharmaceutical compound.

"Ointment," he stated simply, unscrewing the cap. A rich, herbal scent of arnica, menthol, and specialized anti-inflammatory oils filled the air between us.

He knelt down on the rug right between my knees. Without asking for permission, he gently reached out and unhooked the top corner of the black towel resting over my left shoulder, sliding the fabric down just enough to expose my bruised, swollen shoulder joint and collarbone while keeping my chest completely covered.

I winced slightly as the cool air hit my bare skin, but Jaxx was already moving. He scooped a generous amount of the rich cream onto his large palms, rubbed them together to warm it up, and then placed his hands directly over my injured shoulder.

"Ah..." A soft gasp escaped my lips as his palms made contact.

"Hold still," Jaxx murmured, his voice incredibly tender despite his fierce posture.

His large, calloused fingers began to work the ointment into my inflamed muscles. He used long, firm, agonizingly thorough strokes, his thumbs applying precise pressure to the knotted, bruised tissue around my shoulder blade. I found myself studying the concentration etched into his features, wondering how someone capable of such gentleness could also be the source of so much chaos in my life.

I let out a long, shuddering sigh, my head tilting back against the plush velvet headrest as the agonizing throbbing in my shoulder slowly began to dissolve into a deep, soothing warmth. His hands were magic... strong, hot, and absurdly skilled, working away the trauma of the impact inch by inch.

"Feels good?" he asked quietly, his eyes focused entirely on his work as his thumbs kneaded the base of my neck.

"Mmm... incredible," I whispered, my eyes closing as the tension melted away. "The pain is actually stopping..."

"Good. You were tense enough to snap in half," he muttered gently.

Jaxx reached into the box with his free hand, popping two small white pills from a blister pack and retrieving a small glass of water he had brought over.

"Here," he said, holding the pills out to me. "Take these. High-strength painkillers. They’ll knock out the headache and let you sleep through the night."

I opened my eyes, looking at the pills, then at him. Without protest, I took them, tossed them into my mouth, and washed them down with a heavy gulp of water. "If these turn out to be poison after all, I’m haunting you."

"I’d welcome it," he grinned smoothly.

Jaxx then reached back into the kit, pulling out fresh medical tape, sterile gauze, and a gentle skin antiseptic. He carefully removed the temporary dressing he had applied in the car, leaning close to examine the cut on my temple. His breath washed over my face as he meticulously cleaned the small wound, applying a fresh, perfectly aligned strip of sterile bandage over my skin.

I watched him through half-lidded, sleepy eyes. The way his dark brows furrowed in intense concentration, the gentle precision of his massive hands, the quiet, protective focus he gave to every single scratch on my body... it was terrifying how safe I felt here, wrapped in his towel on his couch, after everything that had broken me today.

Somewhere beneath the exhaustion, a small, frightened voice reminded me that safety with a man like Jaxx was its own kind of danger, but I was too tired, too warm, too thoroughly undone to listen.

A small, playful smirk touched my swollen, kiss-bruised lips.

"I never knew you were a doctor, Jaxx," I teased softly, my voice heavy with fatigue and the sweet haze of the cherry wine.

Jaxx finished smoothing down the edge of the bandage, his thumb lingering against my cheek for a beat before he looked up to lock eyes with me.

The corner of his mouth curved into a dark, sinful smile.

"I’m not a doctor, Bambina," he whispered, leaning in until his lips brushed against my ear once more. "I just take care of what belongs to me."