"This was the best meal ever," Jax declares as he pushes his plate away.

"Incredible," I agree.

It took a long time to get everything back across the creek and then back to our main cabin. But as soon as we did, we took full advantage of all the food we found. We had spaghettios for an appetizer, and I made whiskey maple drinks with hot water, some of my maple syrup, and a little corn syrup for extra sweetness.

Then we cooked a literal feast. Jax made steaks from the wolf meat and used the pan's drippings and cornstarch to make gravy. I fried up potatoes—real potatoes—in vegetable oil, and along with that, we had a can of green beans. It was so good that I had to pinch myself a few times to ensure I wasn't dreaming it all up.

"We are set up for the whole winter if we want to be," Jax muses. "We can still fish and hunt a few times a week. But I think maybe we use the winter to bulk up. Then, come spring, we'll have new resources, and hunting will be easier."

"Good idea," I agree as I lift my drink and sip. "When do you think Franky will show up?"

"My birthday is at the end of June, probably a few weeks before that. I doubt he wants me to show up on my birthday like, here I am, that's a little obvious."

"What if Franky won't go with our plan?"

"He will."

"He might not, Jax."

"It's a smart plan. He'll see that. We'll convince him. Like I said, I just show up at Vinny's door. He's going to have questions; a Vegas backstory is the perfect answer to that. Franky will agree."

"But Franky is really smart. You told me he was basically helping your uncle run things, and he has been since everything happened," I say slowly. "He might see right through what we're trying to do."

Jax lets out a soft sigh. "He might."

"So we need a backup plan then."

"There isn't one, Sam. We have to convince him."

I wish there were some other way, but I can't think of any way to convince Jax we can make it on the streets without money, not when I'm not so sure we can either. We can handle the woods. We know what to do out here. The streets are a whole new world, and yeah, Jax's family being criminals gives him a little edge, but not much. His mom kept him away from it for the most part. I probably have more street knowledge than he does.

"Let's not worry about all that tonight." Jax leans forward. "Think about all the stuff we got instead and what we can do with it."

"I can't believe how many tarps we found!" I exclaim. We now have three large tarps, plus many other amazing tools and supplies.

"I think we could use those to reinforce the bathhouse, so we can start using it again, even in the cold. We can melt snow and keep a good fire there to keep it warm."

"That would be amazing," I say. Sponge baths in the cabin are so hard. We bathed outside in the boat over the fire at the creek cabin to get clean again. Even with the cold air, it was well worth it. "I have a lot of new clothes to wash."

"I saw that! Two full bags."

"Well, one bag is all men's clothes," I say softly. "But if you don't want them, I understand."

"It'll be a little weird at first, but clothes are a resource out here." He leans in and grabs my hand, clasping it in his. "Thank you for getting them and for going in there."

"Of course." His eyes become haunted as they drift away from me, so I squeeze his hands to bring him back. "I found something else in there, too."

"What?"

"Close your eyes," I demand.

"Okay..." He looks confused but squeezes them shut. I get up and quickly retrieve the box of condoms from the bag.

"Hold out your hands," I direct as I return, and he does without questioning it. I drop the box into his hands. "Can you guess what that is?"

"I dunno, a box of cigars?"

"Nope."

"I have no idea. Can't I just look?" He whines.

I giggle. "Okay, fine."

His eyes open, and he blinks a few times at the box in his hands, then his cheeks flush as he looks up at me with astonishment. "Holy shit!"

"That was my exact reaction," I bite back a grin. "So..."

He stands up, his expression growing serious. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"I've never been more sure of anything," I whisper as I step closer to him. "Are you ready?"

"Oh, sweet Sam," he rests his forehead against mine. "There's nothing I want more than to make love to you."

His lips meet mine in a soft and slow kiss. I wrap my arms around his neck, keeping him close as he encircles his around my waist.

We have made out so many times that it's like breathing, but it's all so different tonight. We are finally going to connect in the one way we haven't been able to. The air between us feels as charged as our desperate kisses.

I can't help but feel a little nervous, but I am doing my best to push that aside. Letting my mind start overthinking right now is the last thing I need.

Instead, I turn off any thoughts as I dip my head back. His lips find my neck, teasingly peppering it with kisses as he slides my shirt up. His rough, calloused fingertips tickle my soft skin, causing goosebumps all over my sensitive skin. He lifts the shirt over my head and lets it fall to the floor.

I expect him to lunge for my breasts like he does when we're making out, but he doesn't. Instead, he's unsnapping my jeans and then pushing them down my hips. I like that he's taking control so I don't have to, it's helping ease my nerves. l assist him by stepping out of my pants as he slides them down my legs. He takes a step back, still fully clothed, as I stand in front of him in my panties.

"You're so beautiful, Sam," he whispers.

"I start to reach for his shirt, but he stops me, taking my hand and bringing it to his lips.

"Relax, baby," he says huskily as he moves forward, pushing us closer to the bed. "Lie down."

I allow myself to fall backward into the bed as he stands at the foot of it and pulls off his teeshirt.

He then crawls over me, kissing and then nibbling in my ear. "I want to taste you first," he whispers.

I can only moan my consent as his lips move down to my neck, kissing and sucking on it, causing little tidal waves of pleasure to shoot straight down to my pulsating core. My hands find his hair, and I run them through it, pulling him closer.

As he moves towards my collarbone, the kisses become soft and teasing. My nipples pebble up in anticipation, but he takes his sweet time getting to them.

"Please, Jax," I beg as I tug at his hair, pulling him closer to where I want him.

He laughs a low, rumbling laugh that's somehow sexy and adorable at the same time.

He takes a pert bud into his mouth finally and nibbles just slightly as he sucks on it, making me groan happily.

"That want you wanted, baby?" He asks and then blows on the now wet nipple. I arch my back in response, and he latches back onto it. One of his hands joins his efforts and starts massaging my breast as the other slides down my stomach.

I cry out when his hand slips under my panties, wasting no time before he works his fingers around my clit in the way he knows drives me crazy. I start to writhe underneath him, mumbling needy little noises.

"More." I lift my hips to grind against his hand as he slips a finger inside, making me gasp happily.

"My sweet, sexy girl," he whispers in a husky voice.

"Oh god, Jax," I groan.

He starts leaving a trail of kisses down my stomach, pulling his hand away from me and looking up at me with a sexy glint in his eyes when he reaches my panties.

"Yes," I beg needily.

He pulls my panties down with one quick tug, leaving me naked and exposed as he hovers over me in his jeans. Something about that turns me on even more.

He backs himself up and then kneels between my legs, which I eagerly spread for him.

When his tongue flicks over my clit my hips jerk from the intense pleasure. He gently places a palm on my stomach to hold me in place as he continues exploring me with his mouth and fingers.

The world becomes a fuzzy, colorful dream as I close my eyes and give in to the pleasure he's giving me. It doesn't take long before I'm screaming as I come apart.

"That's my girl. I fucking love it when you scream my name." His husky voice brings me back to the present.

"Jax..." I reach for him, and he starts moving away from me.

"I'll be right back, sweet thing. Just say there. Breathe, relax."

I do as he says because I know he's worried about my comfort. The breathing helps ease me into a deeper state of relaxation, and suddenly, my nervousness is just gone. I know this might hurt, and this is such a monumental thing, for both of us, but I'm okay– I'm ready. I love Jackson, and even more so, I feel loved by Jackson. That's all I could ever ask for, and it makes me feel so safe that there's no room for any more nerves.

I look up when I hear his footsteps and find him standing by the edge of the bed. He has a condom in his hand and is undoing his pants.

"My sweet Sam," he says as his eyes glaze over my body hungrily. I've never felt desired like this; I feel like a goddess.

He rips the package open, and I watch, licking my lips as he rolls it on. It takes him a bit, but I remain as patient as possible while I lie and wait for him.

Once he has it on, his gaze travels my body, his eyes pooling with the same want that has my pussy literally dripping for him. He crawls over me, and our lips meet like magnets drawn to each other as his chest presses against mine.

"Jax...I need you now," I breathe. 

He moves into position as I spread my legs to welcome him. He rubs his latex-covered dick over my slit, and I cry out as the intensity of it sends pulsating waves of pleasure through my already sensitive core.

The slippery wetness makes it easy as he slides the tip inside me. We both gasp at the intensity of being connected like this for the first time. His eyes are full of love when they meet mine, but there is a slightly hesitant look in his smokey gaze.

"Don't stop," I plead. 

"I don't want to hurt you. I am so scared of that," he admits.

"It'll be okay. Just go slow."

He pushes further, stretching muscles never before stretched, and it hurts, but in the best way possible, if that even makes sense. If it doesn't, I don't care. I love every second of it. My eyes well up with tears, cementing this beautiful moment into my memory forever.

I don't take my teary eyes off his loving ones even when the stretching sensation intestines into a burning one.

"I fucking love you so much," he says, and I see his eyes are as teary as mine.

"Jackson, I love you," I sob the words out.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, keep going."

He leans down, kissing away my tears, as he stills inside of me. We lie that for a long time just feeling the closeness of each other as i get used to the feeling of him filling me.

"God damn, you feel so fucking good," he whispers into my ear. "I'm trying to stay still but—

"It's okay," I cut him off. "You can move now. I want you to move."

"Yeah?" He asks as he slowly starts moving, slowly, in and out of me. I wince the first few times, but then something starts to shift, and the pain starts giving away to pleasure.

"Oh damn," I say as I start giving in to the feelings.

"You alright?" He stops his hands on either side of the bed as he givers above me with a worried look washing over me.

"It feels really good," l assure him, and the smile that lights up his face might be the most beautiful one I've seen from him yet.

He leans back down, his mouth covering mine as he moves faster. I run fingernails lightly down his back while I become a writing mess underneath him.

I can feel his chest-beating against mine, and it almost sounds like they are beating in tandem. The world slips away, and it's just us. I close my eyes and give in both the emotion and the pleasure.

"Sweet Sam, I can't —" he tenses and then yells out, "fuck!" as he comes.

I open my eyes and watch the sexy look on his face as he lets it all go.

"I'm sorry I tried to go longer..."

"It's okay - you were amazing," I assure him, running my thighs up and down his legs.

"Not done with you yet," he all but groans as he fingers find my clit, while he's still inside of me. "Not till you scream my name again."

"Oh god..." Feeling him inside me while he strums my most sensitive little spot in the way he knows so well makes his request an easy one to fulfill. It feels like every nerve in my body is exploding at once, and in no time, I'm screaming his name along with some really unladylike obscenities.

He rolls off me and lies flat next to me as he pulls the condom off, his chest heaving up and down. Once I catch my breath, I turn to look at him, and he pulls me in, cradling me against his chest as he strokes my hair.

"Jax... that was...wow." 

"You and me, forever, baby," he says as he kisses my head.

"Forever," I agree.