𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐏𝐎𝐕

Leaning back against the lounge chair, I honestly feel like I could sleep right here, right now. It's peaceful enough with the pool glistening and the light hum of the filter running for white noise. My body feels molten into the fabric of the chair while I turn over and see Ana relaxing on one side, and Jax on the other.

"This was fun, wasn't it?" I ask Ana.

She turns her head and gives me a friendly smile. "It was. Although, that apology was pretty laughable if you ask me."

She's not entirely wrong. That was the most half assed apology I've heard in my life, and somehow it worked. But at the end of the day, as long as Nora is happy, that's all that truly matters.

"Yeah. Did she say what time she would be back tomorrow?" I inquire.

"Gareth said something about tomorrow evening," Jax chimes in beside me. "I guess he's taking her out for a date night and then they're grabbing a hotel somewhere."

Every time this man says anything, it makes my spine tickle. He could say the word marshmallow and I think I'd be internally freaking out for the rest of the night with that accent.

"How did I miss that?" My eyebrows pinch together.

Feeling a sudden warmth on my hand, my eyes peer down to see Jax brushing his hand gently against mine. I intertwine our pinkies together and let them dangle between us, savoring the steady shock that flows between us like a river. Now that Gareth and Nora are okay, I think it's safe to say we don't have to keep our feelings for each other a secret.

Ana sits up in her chair while stretching her arms above her head. "Why don't we head inside and have a movie night? We can have some drinks and maybe some popcorn," she suggests with a gentle grin.

"That sounds like a great idea," Jax confirms. The corner of his mouth lifts ever so slowly, causing his dimple to deepen and my heart to nearly explode.

He extends his foot and gives James a soft tap, startling him awake from the chair beside him. James grunts in response, kicking Jax's foot away, and I can't help but chuckle. They seem like brothers, even if James is one of the newest members of their band.

When we make it into the house, James is already scouring in search of alcohol. The disappointment when he's only able to find wine is written all over his face while holding the half empty bottle of Pink Moscato I stored deep in the fridge.

"This is all you have?" He removes the cap and sniffs the rim. "How am I supposed to get drunk off of this?"

Before I'm able to answer him, Ana's face widens with surprise.

"Shit!" she exclaims while throwing a hand over her mouth.

James nearly drops my precious bottle of wine at how shocked he is by her sudden outburst. "What? What happened? What'd I do?" His head shakes back and forth with each question nervously.

"Oh, it's nothing," she says while walking toward James and linking her arm with his. "I just forgot we had plans already."

His face scrunches before looking at Ana. "I don't think we... Ouch! What the he—" he exclaims while rubbing his arm.

Ana's eyes flick from Jax and I back to James before his eyes suddenly widen. "Oh! That thing," he chuckles. "How could I forget?"

"Wait, like right now? What about the movie?" I ask while gesturing toward the living room. I was looking forward to spending more time with everyone. I also can't ignore the way my heart sinks low in my belly at the thought that my time with Jax is being cut short.

"It's okay, Al. I don't have plans," Jax interrupts my thoughts with a warm smile. A light blush dusts over his cheeks and it's a struggle to not allow mine to match.

Heat spreads across my chest with excitement to know he's willing to stay. Just knowing the fact he wants to stay here with me makes it almost difficult to breathe.

God, I'm so glad I have wine for this.

"Alright, you guys have fun," Ana says in a singsong way. She runs over to me and throws her arms around my neck. "Make sure you text me every detail," she whispers.

Before I can tell her there will be nothing to text her about, she leaves my side and grabs James by his elbow, and pulls him out of sight. And now it's just Jax, me, and a half a bottle of wine left in the kitchen. As if he's just realizing we're completely alone, Jax strides to me and places one hand on my hip while the other pushes the hair from my face.

"Remind me to thank her later," he murmurs.

Butterflies soar through my stomach, stealing the words from my mouth. His warmth radiates from his body and transfers to mine, causing my cheeks to redden instantly.

"I definitely will." Is all I can say since everything else sounded stupid in my brain.

"You look absolutely stunning tonight," he purrs while leaning in to press his lips to mine. The soft touch feels like velvet, the sensation pulling me deeper and deeper. I already feel drunk and I haven't had a sip of wine yet.

The second he leaves my side, I instantly feel the loss of being without his touch. It's weird to think how much you can crave someone's presence and not even crave the touching. Just the pure need to be near them.

He quickly picks up the bottle of wine and returns to my side with his hand outstretched. "Shall we?" He gives me a playful bow.

"We shall," I nod before interlacing our fingers.

After we've settled on the couch with my legs draped over his for the past hour, the wine starts to settle deep in my stomach. We haven't drunk a lot, but enough to feel at least a little tipsy and giggly at this point. I've found myself snickering at almost anything he says and it's the best feeling in the world.

"My mum told me it was difficult to take my anywhere as a toddler. She said any time we went to the beach, I'd just plop down on people's towels and start helping myself to whatever was on them." He chuckles while shaking his head at the memory.

"I can picture that perfectly," I say through a laugh.

He slowly raises the bottle to his lips, taking the last sip from the now empty bottle. I can't help but stare at him, and want his lips pressed to mine instead of the bottle. Along with also wanting that last sip for myself.

"Hey, that's the last sip! What're we going to drink now?" I say with a playful pout.

He turns his head to the side, his mouth slowly turning into a smirk. He crooks his finger for me to come closer when my chest burns instantly with anticipation. Sitting up straighter, I lean toward him and try to ignore the fact my heart is beating out of control.

Gently placing a hand across my chin, he cradles my jaw. His piercing blue eyes meet mine before he lightly pinches my cheeks, holding me there while waiting patiently for permission to proceed. I give him a simple nod when he slowly moves to hover his perfect face above mine. The smell of the wine already fills my nostrils, making it feel like ages have passed before I slowly open my mouth. I welcome the fruity liquid as it streams slowly from his mouth and onto my taste buds. His eyes twist with desire while he watches me swallow slowly.

My chest heaves at the sudden need for more when my hand grips Jax's collar to pull him toward me. Our lips crash together, the taste of mint and fruit swimming in my mouth when his tongue gently caresses mine. My back falls against the couch while he looms over me, kissing me hungrily.

His fingertips lightly brush against my exposed thigh, right below the hem of my bunched up dress. The touch sending little shockwaves to ricochet off every nerve in my body. He moves his lips from mine to leave a trail of tender kisses from my cheek, down my neck and stopping right above my chest. His eyes meet mine before he peels the spaghetti straps slowly down my arms.

With every lick, and every touch, I thought my goosebumps would jump right off my arms. The feel of his fingers lightly digging into my hips while we became one is a memory I'll never forget. The way our hearts beat in the same pace and rhythm while being pressed together, and how safe I feel every time he looks into my eyes to make sure I'm okay with everything happening.

The subtle moans that slip through his lips are music to my ears with every thrust and every tremble of his body. The way he makes sure to take care of my body while taking care of his is purely magical.

When he slows down, he places a soft kiss to my lips before laying beside me. Our chests rise and fall in sync, feeling limp and trembly while his arm drapes across my stomach.

"How are you feeling?" he asks with a husky voice.

I look at him before pressing my lips to his. "Perfect. Just perfect."

We stay like this for a while before Jax stands from the couch and walks toward the bathroom. The sound of his feet shuffling on the wood floor echoes through the quiet, empty house. I don't bother moving since my body still feels like every limb has cinderblocks tied to them, so instead I close my eyes for a few minutes.

"Hey," Jax whispers in my ear. "I have a bottle of water for you and a warm bath upstairs."

I open my eyes to see him sitting beside me, his arm rubbing my back gently. I slowly sit up and cover myself with the blanket that was suddenly draped over me. "You didn't have to do that," I say with a shy smile.

He smirks before nodding his head toward the stairs. "Come on. I'll help you up."

And he does exactly that. He grasps my hand gently and walks me up the stairs, into the bathroom, and into the tub. My body sinks into the warm water as the scent of my lavender scented bath bomb fills my nostrils.

"Come in with me?" I ask with my hand outstretched.

He smirks. "Sure," he replies quietly.

He removes his t-shirt in one swift motion, revealing an intricate tattoo of an hourglass across his chest. The sand showing time is almost up stares back at me tauntingly with the reminder that our time is almost up as well.

He slides in behind me and wraps his arms around my chest, placing a soft kiss below my ear. "I don't know how I've lived this long and have never seen anything more beautiful," he purrs.

My cheeks blush instantly while I lean into his embrace, placing my hands on his arms. Feeling more at home than I ever have.

"I wish I didn't have to leave here," I say barely above a whisper.

"When do you have to leave?" He asks the question, but it's clear he doesn't want to have to ask.

"Two weeks," I admit. My voice cracks while tears brim my eyes, threatening to spill if we have this conversation right now.

Jax leans over to grab a washcloth from beside the tub and dunks it into the warm water. He squeezes it to allow the warm water to rinse across my back, instantly easing my tense muscles.

"The thought of you returning home is going to tear me apart, but I understand that your daughters need you," he says before placing a kiss on my shoulder.

A tear slides down my cheek. It's going to shatter me to pieces, but in the end, he's right. It doesn't matter what I want. My daughters need me more than I need whatever is happening between Jax and I. No matter how much I long for this to be more, I need them more than a relationship that may or may not work in the end.

Jax's hand gently turns me face to his and wipes my tear away with his thumb. "Please don't cry, love. We'll figure this out, I promise," he murmurs.

I take a deep, shuddering breath, but it doesn't help. My tears burst through anyway, no matter how hard I try to hold them back and stream down my cheeks. He turns me in the tub to face him and pulls me into his chest. He cradles me in his arms while shushing in my ear, and I can't stop crying.

It's terrifying how hard and how fast I'm falling for Jaxon Owens—but it's too late to push the brakes on things. He has my heart in a vice grip, and I don't want him to let go. How am I supposed to go on and live my life without this? Why am I expected to? I have to show my girls that if something matters; you work for it. I'm can't let this slip away.