Kira stretched languidly. Her eyelids fluttered open. Closed. Dark lashes fanning against her cheek. Opened again. Focused on him. A satiated smile curved her lips. Knowing that he was responsible for it was fucking awesome. Jax had made love to her for half the night as promised. Every time had been as incredible as the first.

There wasn't an inch of her that his lips hadn't paid homage to. He had worshiped her body with his. The body he'd happily give his life to protect from all harm. The body that the morning sunlight revealed sported abrasions. What the fuck? "Your face is red," Jax realized with a frown as he trailed a fingertip gently down her cheek.

"It's probably wind chapped from our walk yesterday," she admitted with a sleepy shrug as if it wasn't important.

The wind might be partially responsible, but his facial stubble had done the majority of the damage. Fucking hell. Jax pulled the sheet away and realized that Kira had beard burn all over her body. That was not acceptable. It was definitely time for a shave. "What do you need to fix it?" He queried.

She blinked at him before saying, "I suppose lotion would work."

Yeah, it would be some girly shit he didn't have. Maybe there was something in the first aid kit that would help. If not, he was sure that Stilettos would have what he needed. Better to check with the expert before he fucked up and used the wrong thing. A glance at his G-shock watch assured him that she hadn't left for her shift yet.

"I got this," he said confidently and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Jax fished the phone out of his discarded jeans, scrolled through the contacts and hit call. When she answered, he said, "Need some help, Stilettos. Got a friend with windburn and minor abrasions. What do I need to fix it?"

"What kind of abrasions?" Jenna 'Stilettos' McBride queried around a yawn.

Fuck. This might not have been a good idea after all. "Just some light scrapes," he evaded answering directly.

"From?"

"Beard burn," Jax sighed.

The admission was met with radio silence before her sleepy voice grumbled. "If you woke me up to tend to a fucking frog hog, I'll kick your ass, Blade."

"It's not like that," he hastily denied. "She really is a friend."

"Uh, huh," came the doubtful response. "Just throw her in the shower and slather her down with sunblock before you kick her ass to the curb."

"So just clean them up and apply sunblock," he reiterated a more tactful version.

"That'll do it," the doctor confirmed.

"Thanks, Stilettos. I owe you."

"Fuck yeah, you do, and I'm gonna want the intel on how she wound up with windburn. You been getting freaky on the bike, Blade?" She demanded before peals of laughter resonated through the phone.

He hung his head in defeat. Stilettos would never let him live this down. Her sense of humor was just as whacked as Steels. It was no wonder they were perfect for each other. Jax sighed in exasperation and ended the call. He turned to face a narrow-eyed and very pissed off woman. Well, hell. What now?

"I take it that Stilettos is an expert in beard burn," Kira snapped.

Fucking hell. He hadn't given a thought to how his convo might have sounded to her, and she had obviously assumed the worst. "You could say that," he explained evenly. "Jenna is a doctor. She lives with one of my teammates. And she's got a thing for stilettos, so that’s the call sign we gave her."

"Oh," she said in a contrite tone as her face flamed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I thought…"

Her voice trailed away, and Jax decided to set the record straight. "I seem like the kind of man who'd call one woman while he's in bed with another one?" He queried as he tossed the phone atop the nightstand.

"Oh, shit. I didn't mean… I mean I just assumed… oh, shit," Kira stammered and pulled the linens up over her head.

Jax levered his body over hers, careful to keep his weight braced on his forearms, so he didn't crush her. Grasping the sheet with his fingertips, he eased it down from her face in a slow, gentle movement. He'd already done enough damage to her porcelain skin. No way was he letting the sheet rub against her already tender flesh.

Yeah, she looked mortified, and that was understandable. Kira obviously hadn't had the same epiphany that he'd had last night. They were still strangers for the most part, and she had no idea just how special she was to him. She would when the time was right. But until she was ready, there was important shit she needed to know.

"Just so we're clear, this is no hit it and quit it," he informed her evenly, his eyes never leaving hers. "Now that we've hooked up, you're the only one I'm with. Got it?"

Those expressive sea green eyes spoke volumes. They searched his for answers to questions that he hoped did not remain unspoken this time. Questions like, does that mean we're together? Or, do you want to have a relationship with me? Wouldn't you know, his feisty little vixen would broadside him with a query he hadn't seen coming.

"This is about Raven, isn't it?"

What. The. Fuck?

***

Jaxon reared back onto his knees as if she'd slapped him, a scowl covering the masculine beauty of his face. Something dangerous and deadly flashed in those hellishly dark eyes before he squashed all evidence of it being there. His expression once again as cold and detached as his voice, he asked, "Care to elaborate on that?"

Kira worried her lower lip between her teeth. Noooo. She really didn't want to elaborate. Not after seeing his reaction. But dammit, she didn't want him going all white knight on her either. Mind you, she absolutely adored his protective nature, but she just couldn't let Jaxon get hurt because of her.

Especially after last night.

Not only had the man rocked her world, she was pretty damn sure that he'd also stolen her heart. Because geez Louise! He was just too good to be true. Brave and strong, yet caring and gentle. As fierce in his passion as his fury. The kind of man that came around once in a lifetime. If you were lucky.

So yeah, they were gonna have to talk about it.

Intent on setting the record straight, she sat up, tucked the sheet beneath her arms and blew out a heavy breath. "I know you said I'd found what I was looking for," she began evenly. "And I appreciate that you want to help me. But I told you that hooking up with a SEAL for protection was a ridiculous idea."

Oh, boy. The wolf was back. If his jaw got any harder, it looked like it might crack. And his eyes were practically smoldering. His voice even sounded like a growl when Jaxon asked, "You think what happened between us was because I feel obligated to protect you from my brother?"

"No," Kira firmly denied as she drew her knees up to her chest and looped her arms around her legs. "I think both of us were caught up in a highly emotional situation and we acted on a mutual attraction without much thought to the ramifications."

"Stress relief?" He barked incredulously. "Last night was just to relieve tension?"

Huh. How about that. He looked as outraged as he sounded. So maybe she was reading this wrong. And maybe it was time she shut the hell up and let him do the talking. Kira pinned him with a penetrating stare and replied, "You tell me."

***

It took every ounce of control he had not to tell her. If Jax ground his jaw any tighter, it would lock in place. Right then that might not be a bad thing. Because while he'd been giving her his heart, Kira had been relieving stress! Fucking hell. This love shit was more complicated than the romance novels claimed.

Needing to calm down, he slid off of the bed and paced to the Arcadia door to stare outside at the ocean. A storm was rolling in. The sky was dark and angry. The waves were turbulent, violent. As dangerous as his mood. Nope. Not helping. He turned back around and locked eyes with the woman he planned to spend the rest of his life with.

Every ounce of tension drained out of him. Kira looked so small and vulnerable sitting in the middle of his bed. She had curled in on herself much like she had the night before. Only this time it wasn't because of fear. Mother fuck. Jax had let his emotions get in the way and completely ignored all the signs she'd been exhibiting.

Kira was nervous.

About them.

She didn't want him to think she was with him just because she was in danger. And she didn't want him to be with her just to protect her. She had acknowledged their mutual attraction. And she'd been pissed when she thought he was talking to another woman. His heart skipped a beat. This was good. This, he could work with.

"First of all, I have a personal issue with Rave that needs to be handled. It's long overdue and has nothing to do with you. It was going to happen even if we'd never met," Jax explained in his calm, soothing tone. He folded his arms over his chest and added, "Nothing that happens between us has a damn thing to do with him."

"It doesn't?" She asked and looked so hopeful that it made his chest ache.

Jax shook his head solemnly. "The only reason why we hooked up is because I have a type, Kira. I'm attracted to a very specific type of woman, and you meet all the criteria perfectly," he assured her.

Now she looked intrigued, and a little amused. "So you've got a thing for damsels in distress?" She teased.

"Nope. I've got a thing for feisty, petite redheads with sea green eyes and a banging body," he clarified. "She also has to be intelligent, beautiful, and articulate. The kick-ass tattoo was a bonus."

"You like my pixie?" She asked in amusement.

"I fucking love it," he agreed. The tattoo on her lower back was the image of a pixie kneeling. A glorious mane of red hair covered her naked body and intricately detailed sea green wings rose from her back. "So you see, Vixen, this is all about you and me."

"Vixen?" She repeated in amusement. "Is that like a call sign or something?"

"Or something," he confirmed with a devilish smile. Vixen was the name of his fantasy pixie, so it fit. Perfectly. And speaking of perfection, it was past time to take care of those damn abrasions marring her porcelain skin. Jax tugged the sheet away, scooped her into his arms and asked, "Feel like sharing a shower?"

Kira draped an arm around his neck and laughed, "Do I have a choice?"

Jax hit the brakes and stopped dead in his tracks. He'd never been more serious than when he replied, "You always have a choice with me, Kira. Always."

The look in her hauntingly beautiful sea green eyes made him feel all warm and melted inside. Like gooey chocolate chip cookies, hot from the oven. Her hand came up and caressed his bristly cheek, her touch so gentle and sweet. "Yes, Jaxon. I'd love to share a shower with you," she said softly.

"Awesome," he replied and flashed her a devilish grin before entering the bathroom and carefully placing her on her feet in the shower.

"Geez, Louise, where do I sign up for a place like this?" Kira asked as he adjusted the spray from a multitude of shower heads on the LED panel.

Jax knew exactly what Kira meant. His oceanfront luxury condo was the absolute shit, but affording it on military pay was a virtual impossibility. Yet another reminder of the way Chaz cared for Jenna even when he wasn't around. "Stilettos loves the beach, so my teammate Steel bought the building," he admitted. "All the tenants are SEALs."

"Seriously?" She asked in surprise while reaching for the shower gel.

"Yep. We get ridiculously low rent, and he gets the comfort of knowing that Stilettos will be safe while he's deployed," he explained as she squeezed gel into her hands. "The guys with families or girlfriends moved in for the same reason. Since the team rotations vary, there are always a few of us in occupancy at all times."

"Sweet deal," she said in admiration as she trailed her soapy fingertips over his chest.

Kira seemed fascinated by his tattoos and gave them a thorough inspection as she washed his body. Over his heart, a set of crossed daggers, one blade read, Slade. One day, the second blade was going to read, Kira. A Navy trident covered most of his back. Beneath it, written in bold script; I am that man.

"What does this mean?" She asked curiously as her hands glided over the words etched into his flesh. The words ingrained in his spirit.

"It's a passage from the SEALs creed," he confessed absently, enjoying her gentle touch with every fiber of his being.

"But what does it mean?" Kira repeated, her fingertip tracing the letters.

That was when Jax realized that this would be the perfect opportunity to let her know the man he was. He turned to face her, his eyes burning with the depth of his emotions for the woman before him. His expression as solemn as his tone, he began to recite a part of the creed that he lived by.

"In times of war or uncertainty there is a special breed of warrior ready to answer our Nation’s call. A common man with uncommon desire to succeed.

Forged by adversity, he stands alongside America’s finest special operations forces to serve his country, the American people, and protect their way of life.

I am that man."

Kira stood in the gentle mist from the rain head staring up at him, a look of awestruck wonder on her face. Those captivating sea green eyes welled with unshed tears as she flashed him a brilliant smile. "Yes," she said softly. Reverently. "You are that man."

Some heretofore unknown part of his soul took flight at her response. Jax knew with unwavering certainty that he'd been waiting for this woman his whole life. And he also knew that he would do anything to make her his.

Permanently.

 

***

 

Kira had actually considered pinching herself. Several times. Because she had to be dreaming. There was no way that Jaxon was real. He was too freaking perfect. Hell, even her fantasy wolf shifter wasn't this wonderful. Her brain simply could not grasp the surreal situation, but her body was completely on board with it.

Was it ever!

Geez, Louise. She'd never been loved so well. And that was part of the reason for her present state of confusion. Because it felt like they were making love and not just having sex. Spectacular, life altering, larger than life 3D Imax sex. And that was before their shower turned into the stuff of fantasies.

Jaxon had bathed every single inch of her with care and adoration such as she'd never before experienced. Then he had made love, yes, made love, to her so slow and gentle. His eyes filled with such tenderness. Tears had filled her eyes at the beauty of it. Her heart was so full of love for him that it was seeping out of her pores.

She didn't know what he'd done to her, or how he'd done it, but Jaxon Caulder owned her, body and soul. He was beautiful. Inside and out. The man was absolute perfection. A dream come true. She wouldn't change a damn thing about him if she could. Unfortunately, she came to the shocking realization that he wasn't of the same opinion.

***

Kira gasped aloud when Jax lathered shave cream over his face and demanded, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Shaving," he replied with an arched brow since that should have been obvious.

"But your scruff is so freaking hot," she pointed out as she snatched his razor away.

He flashed her a wicked smile for the compliment and reminded, "It's also the reason why you have beard burn."

"I'm not the one complaining about it," she informed him with a frown.

"Vixen, I don't want anything to hurt you," Jax said seriously. "Not even beard stubble."

"Maybe I like a little pain with my pleasure," Kira insisted.

His heart damn near stopped as Jax pinned her with a heated gaze. "Do you?" He demanded and hoped like hell she didn't. Because there was no fucking way he could ever cause her pain. Rough and dirty he had no problem with, but physical pain had no place inside his bedroom. BDSM was not his thing.

Those green eyes grew huge in realization, and she quickly shook her head. "No!" Kira exclaimed. "Not real pain. I'm not into kink." Then her brow furrowed, and she admitted, "I mean I've never tried it, so I don't really know… but I don't think I'd like it. Beard burn is good. Maybe a little biting. Spankings, not so much."

She was nervous. And rambling. It was cute as hell. Jax wiped his face clean on a towel and hauled her into his arms for a kiss that left them both panting for more. He picked Kira up and sat her on the vanity, insinuating himself between her knees. "So, it's okay if I do this..." he said and leaned down to bite her neck lightly.

Kira gasped her approval. "Yeah. Oh, yeah. That's good," she purred as she melted against him.

"And this?" He queried as he slowly trailed his stubbly cheek down to her chest.

"Mmm, yeah," she breathed.

"What about this?" He asked as he nipped her nipple gently.

"Oh, Jaxon," she moaned and tunneled her fingers into his hair, nails scoring his scalp.

His woman didn't like pain. She just liked an edge of excitement with her pleasure. So, yeah. Jax was more than happy to comply with that. But spanking was definitely out of the question.

 

***

 

It took some persuading, but Jax finally managed to convince Kira to let him go to the bus station to pick up her bag alone. He had to swear that he wouldn't confront any of the Hell Riders before she finally agreed. A confrontation wasn't exactly what he had planned, so technically he hadn't lied to her.

Just in case shit went sideways, he programmed a number in her phone and instructed, "If I'm not back in an hour, call this number. Steel is my teammate. Explain the situation, and he'll know what to do."

This time he took his SUV and on the way there, he called Steel. Because if anything happened to him, Jax needed to know that Kira would be protected. No matter what. So when Steel answered the phone, he announced, "Need a favor, bro."

His teammate snorted a laugh. "Let me guess. You're out of sunblock," Chaz 'Steel' Carrington joked in his usual devil may care manner. Jax sighed in resignation. Jenna had obviously told him about the beard burn. He'd never live this shit down. "The fuck you doing with a frog hog at your place, Blade?"

His teammates knew that Jax never took women to his condo. And the reason why. They also knew he didn't do relationships. And the reason for that, too. Even so, the assumption that Kira was a frog hog pissed him the fuck off. "She's not a fucking frog hog," he growled in response. "If I were you, she'd be Jenna. You read me?"

Chaz sounded shocked as hell, but confirmed, "Fuck yeah, bro. I feel ya."

"Good, because if anything happens to me, I need you to make sure she's protected," he said without preamble. "Can you do that for me?"

"Blade, man, you fucking know I will," his teammate agreed seriously. "If she's important to you, then she's important to the team. We take care of our own."

"Thanks, bro," he said in genuine relief.

"The fuck haven't you mentioned her before?"

Jax sighed heavily and admitted, "Cause I just met her yesterday."

"The fuck?"

"She's the one, Steel. The only one for me," he confessed. "Now I just have to show her that I'm the one for her."

Chaz was silent for a minute before he confirmed, "I feel ya, brother. I fucking feel ya."

 

***

 

Jax had the prospect in a chokehold in less than a second. The man flailed his arms and legs to no avail as he tightened his grip and choked him out. The prospect's limp body slid to the ground, and he propped him up against his bike. Jax searched the other man's pockets and came up with a burner phone.

Hooyah. His brother's number was on speed dial.

At least now he had a way to contact the fucker, and the right incentive to draw the rat out of his hole. He patted the unconscious man on the head and said mockingly, "Tell Raven his little brother sends his love." Pocketing the phone, Jax walked inside the bus station to collect his woman's belongings.

 

***

 

Kira had been sitting on the balcony with a cup of coffee, just enjoying the view. Or trying to. Her nerves were strung taut at the thought of Jaxon running into the Hell Riders, or worse, his brother. She kept trying to convince herself that it was completely ridiculous to worry since they couldn't possibly know that the two of them were connected.

Unless he did confront Raven.

That would be really, really bad.

Giving up the pretense, she went back inside the apartment and into the gourmet kitchen. Jaxon had really lucked out with this place. Whoever this Steel was, he was certainly a good friend to have. She washed out her cup and the coffee pot, wiped down the granite countertops and tidied up the already clean kitchen.

She wandered back into the living room and had to wonder if the place had come furnished. If it hadn't then Jaxon had exceptional decorating skills. Because it certainly didn't seem like a bachelor's apartment. The whole place was warm and cozy and looked so inviting. Like a home should feel.

It had the standard oversized couch that men preferred, but given his size, that was perfectly understandable. And of course, there was a massive TV that took up the entire wall beside the corner fireplace. Typical guy furnishings, but nothing else about the place was stereotypical. It had the little touches that made it homey.

Things that men didn't normally decorate with. Like throw pillows and an area rug. Curtains instead of blinds. Canvas artwork instead of pin-up posters or bare walls. Framed photos on the mantle. Everything was done in soft, muted tones that didn't try to compete with the spectacular view of the Atlantic. She was seriously impressed.

Kira curled up in the big overstuffed chair situated by the Arcadia doors. She stretched her legs out on the matching ottoman and tried to relax. This was the ideal location to sit and stare out at the ocean. Actually, it was the perfect place to sit and read, she realized. There was even a lamp table next to it to hold a cup of coffee.

The only thing missing was a cozy throw and a good book.

Unfortunately, she didn't have her e-reader with her. It was in her backpack at the bus station. Maybe when Jaxon got back, she could… hello! The side of the cushion had lifted up when she sat down and revealed what appeared to be a book wedged between it and the chair arm. Kira pulled it out and stared at the cover in amazement.

It was a romance novel!

Salienne Dulcette was one of her favorite authors. So what the hell was it doing in Jaxon's condo? One thing was for damn sure. The badass Navy SEAL who lived there sure as shit hadn't been reading it. So that could only mean one thing. Another woman had left it behind. A woman who'd had the same idea that she'd had.

Which made her wonder if the woman had decorated the apartment, too.

Gah!

Jealousy reared its ugly head and Kira bounded up out of the chair. She dropped the book onto the table and began to pace the floor. Yeah, she was being ridiculous, and she knew it. It's not like she was the first woman in Jaxon's life. The man was at least thirty and freaking gorgeous. Of course, he'd had other women in his condo.

For all she knew, he had a revolving door of women coming through here. Besides, it wasn't like they were in a relationship. She was just his temporary house guest. He was free to see whoever he wanted to. Although he had said that while he was with her that she was the only one he'd be with.

Wonder if he'd told the owner of the book the same thing?

Christ Almighty.

She was a hot mess of confusion. Because she'd never met a man like Jaxon before. He was the kind of man that a woman wanted to hold on to. The kind that only a fool would let go of. Kira Walker was no fool. She might not have been the first woman to stay at his place, but she hoped like hell that she'd be the last.

Because Jaxon really had stolen her heart.

It was crazy, she knew. They'd barely known each other a day, but nothing had ever felt so… right. They knew virtually nothing about each other, but Kira felt as if she knew him. Like they were kindred spirits. Yeah, okay. Her passion for romance novels was bleeding through. So what? It was true.

It was so easy to imagine Jaxon as the hero of her own romantic tale. Here she was, the frightened female running from an evil outlaw biker. When in rides a handsome SEAL on a badass bike to save her. It had all the components required to be a romance novel. Okay. Technically, the phenomenal sex would make it an erotica.

Hell, if she could write, this story would sell like hotcakes!

But in real life, there was no guarantee of a happily ever after. No assurance that Jaxon would want a relationship with her after the danger had passed. So that left her with one option: to enjoy every moment while it lasted. Which is exactly what she would do. And maybe, just maybe, if she were very lucky, Jaxon might come to love her too.

 

***

 

"You're back," Kira said in relief when he entered the condo.

"Got your stuff," he grinned as he handed over her backpack.

She took the bag and asked anxiously, "Were they still there?"

"Just one today," he admitted and pulled her into his arms for a comforting hug. "It's going to be okay, Kira."

"I just… I don't think I could handle it if anything happened to you because of me," she said quietly and hugged him tightly.

Jax tilted her chin up and looked into sea green eyes filled with worry. "I'll be fine," he assured her. "The government spent millions training me to be a badass. Kicking my brother's ass will be a piece of cake."

She laughed as he had intended her to and turned to put her backpack on the ottoman. "Oh, I found this in the chair. Thought you might want to return it to its owner," Kira said as she turned back to him and extended a book. "Unless… she's planning to come back for it."

The uncertainty in her eyes just gutted him. Because Kira thought he had another woman in his life. One who stayed at his place often enough that she left her books behind. Jax wished like hell he could tell her that he loved her and alleviate that uncertainty. But it was too soon. She'd think he was crazy. Or worse.

No way in hell was he scaring her off.

So he went with the truth.

"That's mine," he admitted and took the book.

Kira blinked at him. A frown marred her brow. A full-fledged scowl took its place. She crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive posture. "You don't have to lie to me, Jaxon," she informed him, and it was obvious by her tone that she was pissed. "I'm not the first woman in your life, and I won't be the last I'm sure."

The hell she wouldn't.

Jax didn't even bother arguing the point, because really, what could he say? Proclaiming his undying love now would probably just piss her off even more. It was time for show and tell. "I want to show you something," he said and extended his hand. When she merely glared at him, he added, "Please?"

Kira huffed out a breath and placed her hand in his. Jax led her into the hallway and stopped in front of what had once been a linen closet. His teammates thought he had converted it into a gun safe, hence the deadbolt he'd installed. He removed the keys from his pocket and unlocked the door.

Kira stared inside at the shelves filled with books in astonishment. "These are romance novels," she said in surprise.

"I've read them all," he admitted with a grin at her dumbfounded expression. "I'm a closet romantic."

Those big sea green eyes studied his face before a huge smile curved her lips. "That has to be the hottest thing I've ever heard," she admitted.

"Ya think?" He asked in amusement.

"A badass SEAL who reads romance novels? Hell yeah," she confirmed wholeheartedly.

"Just don't tell my teammates," he asked with a look of long-suffering. "They'd never let me live this shit down."

Kira laughed in delight and began to peruse the shelves like a kid in a candy store. "We share the same taste in books," she admitted in delight. "Paranormal is my favorite genre."

"Mine, too," he confessed and shot her a wicked wink. "I've got a thing for pixies."

"Wolf shifters are my weakness," she assured him. "You'd make a great one."

Jax laughed his ass off at that analogy. "And you'd be the hottest pixie ever," he admitted. "I'll leave the door unlocked so feel free to read anything you like."

"Thank you; I will. Normally, I prefer audible books," Kira admitted sheepishly as she turned to face him holding a book. "It's more realistic when my fantasy lover's voice is in my head."

Oh, fuck no. That shit wasn't happening. His woman did not need a fantasy lover. "From now on, my voice will be the one you hear," he assured her.

She laughed and teased, "You're gonna read to me?"

"Damn right," Jax readily agreed as he took the book she held.

"That is so freaking hot," Kira breathed a second before she tackled him.