chapter 14
They rested quietly together for a long time. JJ blinked sleepily, torn between wanting to drift into sleep with the thump of Jonas’s heart beneath her ear and wanting to stay awake so she wouldn’t miss a thing. Normally this was when she’d be looking for exit strategies. She’d always believed that keeping distance between her and the men she dated was best. Don’t get too close or too attached. Strong emotion was too dangerous.
But this was different. Jonas was different. She couldn’t have left him behind even if she tried. Not that she wanted to. This was bliss. Nothing had ever felt so good as losing all control in Jonas’s arms.
“I want to take you out.”
His voice came as a shock in the stillness, and JJ lifted her head slightly so she could see his eyes. There was a peace over him that made him look relaxed and glowing. Was that what she looked like too? Completely sated and happy? It was too much to hope for. JJ didn’t want to examine her current state of happiness too closely for fear it would disappear in a puff of smoke.
“Take me out? Like, on a date?”
He grinned, his amusement obvious. “Yes on a date. Is that so hard to believe?”
She laughed. “Kind of. I’m so used to bickering with you and hanging out that it seems odd to go on a regular date.”
Jonas’s expression changed then, getting serious. “That’s a mistake on my part. I’ve gone about this the wrong way. I want to take you out, Jessica Jones. You deserve that. I want to treat you the way a man treats his lady.”
JJ shivered, inordinately pleased by the statement. He was looking at her like she was the most precious thing in the world. That was how he made her feel, too. Like she was this delicate thing that he wanted to protect and care for. She’d worked so hard to be independent and stand on her own two feet, that she’d never wanted a man to try to take care of her. What good did it do to look for that kind of treatment when most of those men only wanted one thing? Why get used to being taken care of when they weren’t going to stick around for long anyway? But with Jonas, for the first time she had no fear that he couldn’t come through. It was amazing how quickly he’d broken down her walls, but she did trust him, JJ realized with a shock. She absolutely trusted that Jonas was someone she could count on.
“What was that thought?” He brushed a knuckle over her cheek and it took all her power not to curl into the embrace like a kitten looking for a stroke.
“Just thinking about what a good man you are,” she whispered. “You are so good to me. Even when I was giving you hell about everything.”
His eyes lit up. “I hope you’ll continue to give me hell. A man needs a woman who can keep him on his toes.”
She giggled at that. He was deliberately being silly, but she found she liked it. He was always serious and it was wonderful to be the one who could bring out this lighter side of him.
“So does that mean you’ll go out with me?”
JJ pretended to think about it. “Hmm, now that you mention it, I don’t actually recall you asking me.”
Jonas turned them over in one quick motion, making JJ shriek in surprise. “Okay brat. Here it is. Jessica Jones, will you do me the extreme honor of going out on a date with me?”
She curled an arm around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. “Yes, I will. I would love to go on a date with you.”
“Awesome! Let’s go.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Right now? Is this date clothing-optional?”
When she raised her hips slightly, Jonas groaned at the brush of her heat against his belly. “Now that you mention it, there are quite a few things I could show you right here in this bed first.”
With a sigh, she sank back into the pillows as his lips took a detour down the side of her neck. His hands plumped her breasts, squeezing the soft globes gently. “I like that idea. But don’t think you’re getting out of taking me on a real date, mister.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he muttered. His voice was muffled since his lips were busy tormenting the skin of her stomach. After one last nip, he scooted lower, propping her legs on his shoulders. He groaned when his lips made contact with her core. JJ bit her lip to hold back a cry at the first brush of his tongue on the super sensitive skin that was still recovering from the last few orgasms.
“Actually, maybe we can do the date thing tomorrow. I think we have a lot more work to do right here.”
Waiting had become more difficult.
After getting the call, Matthias had changed clothes and then taken the scenic route to the meet, making sure he wasn’t followed. It was easy to see if there was anyone tailing him at this time of night. Evasive maneuvers were as common to him as breathing. When you came from the streets, watching your back was second nature. Or at least it used to be.
Matthias kicked the dirt under his feet. He was restless. Or maybe just out of practice. He thought of the warm, spacious room he used back at Blake Security. The kitchen where there was always plenty of food and the common room where there was always someone to talk to. He’d gotten soft and complacent after years of being comfortable. If the Matthias of ten years ago could see him now, he’d probably wonder who this slightly posh, slightly out-of-practice guy was. He wouldn’t go soft though. He was never that comfortable.
Noah and the crew didn’t mess around. The gym at the penthouse was state of the art, and he could lift more than ever with Oskar acting as his coach. It was just unusual to have weight on him after years of being so lean.
You didn’t have a choice about being lean back then, he thought. Food had been a luxury he often couldn’t afford.
A soft rustle told him he wasn’t alone. He didn’t bother to turn around. Sudden movements were never a wise choice in the circles he came from.
“You look different.”
The voice was soft and the type that was hard to identify. Matthias knew that was deliberate. ORUS agents were trained to be as unidentifiable as possible. It had once been a point of pride for him that he could blend in, become invisible. It was only after he’d gotten a glimpse of what it could be like living as a free man that he’d known the desire to be seen. He’d gotten spoiled, living with people who treated him like he was different. Special.
The first time Lucia had looked at him like she trusted him, it made him believe that more might be possible for him.
Thoughts of her were always a problem, so he shook them off. He needed to keep his head in the game. You couldn’t let down your guard around another ORUS agent. Not even one you called a friend. It was a good way to end up with a knife in your back.
“Hello to you, too. And what do you mean I look different? Do these pants make my arse look big? I thought black was supposed to be slimming.”
“I’m not here to tell you any differently.” The other voice held a hint of amusement now.
It was as good an opening as any. “So why are we here? It’s not like you to call out of the blue.”
“Someone has been digging.”
Matthias cursed. “There’s nothing for them to find.”
A heartbeat of silence. They both knew that no matter how well you scrubbed information, there would always be something you missed. It was the nature of the beast. Matthias had always known that his past would rise up one day to haunt him. He’d just always assumed he’d have more time.
“Thanks for the warning, but I can handle myself.”
“Yeah, I heard you took on Libra and lived to tell the tale.”
Fucking hell. Noah wouldn’t be happy about that. News about Rafe’s miraculous return from the dead would surface eventually, but the rumor mill was working even faster than usual.
“Where did you hear that?”
There was a whisper of fabric. Shoulders shrugging? Matthias chanced a glance to his left. His old friend was wearing all black and his head was covered with a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes. Nothing to see here.
“I hear things. Word on the street is that you’re coming back.”
“The street can think whatever it wants,” Matthias replied.
“Orion said you were coming back into the fold.”
Now that was interesting. Was Ian really that delusional? Or maybe his newfound power was going to his head.
“You heard wrong.”
He turned to walk away but stopped at the sound of his old friend’s voice.
“Watch your back. Shit has been weird lately.”
He nodded and then sped up his steps, eager to leave all remnants of his old life behind. He was never going back to that. He didn’t care what Orion had up his sleeve.