“I think I want to learn to fight one day,” Jax said out of the blue.
“What? Why? Oh, I guess so you can protest yourself. I can see that,” Piper replied with a nod. “You’re a scrawny little thing. You need some kind of defense.”
“I’m not scrawny,” he replied defensively, glaring at her. “I’m right on track for an eleven year old. And I grow more every day.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” she said, patting his hand. “I’m sure you’ll get much bigger as you get older.”
“And here I wanted to learn to fight so I could protect you,” he grumbled. “You don’t need it. You can cut someone at the knees just with your words.”
“Awww, you want to protect me?” she said, getting a mushy look on her face. “You must really like me. Like, like me like me.”
“Don’t be gross,” he replied, giving her a disgusted look. “It’s just that you’re my best friend. Friends protect their friends.”
“One day, you’ll say you like me as more than a friend, and I’m going to remind you of this conversation before I tell you not to be gross,” she said tartly, before giving him a smile. “I think you should learn to fight. But not just to protect me. So you can protect everyone who needs it. Plus, I think it would be so cool.”
“It would, wouldn’t it?” he asked, a grin spreading on his face. “Okay, it’s settled. I’m going to learn to fight, and I’m going to be the best ever.”
Piper got out of the truck at Rocky River and waved at Ian and Seth as they walked out of the barn. The two fighters walked toward her and Jax, and when they reached them, she handed Seth the bag with the cookies.
“I made a bunch and thought I’d share,” she told them. “Kind of a thank you for letting me stay here.”
Seth pulled out a container and smiled in appreciation. “I don’t live here anymore, but I’m always up for cookies. Thanks! They’re chocolate chip, my favorite.” Freezing for a moment, he looked up at her, and she was surprised to see his eyes were pleading. “Tell me you use your grandmother’s recipe.”
“Sure do,” she replied with a smile.
“Sweet baby Jesus. It’s the best I’ve ever had, and I was sure I’d never taste them again.” Yanking the lid off, he grabbed a cookie, taking a bite and closing his eyes with a moan. “Oh my God, they taste the same. I could kiss you right now, Piper.”
She laughed, glancing over in surprise when Jax growled. He was glaring at Seth, green and gold eyes blazing. “Do it and I’ll rip your lips off your face,” he said, voice deadly serious.
“Chill, Big Bird. It was just an expression.” Jax continued to glare, and Seth started slowly backing away. “Oh, would you look at the time. I have to go do… something. Something anywhere but here. See y’all later. Thanks again, Piper!”
She watched, amused, as he turned and walked quickly back to the house. Ian cleared his throat, drawing her attention. “That’s the last we’ll ever see of those cookies,” he said with a laugh.
“I made two dozen,” Piper said. “More than enough to go around.”
“He’ll eat them all, probably in the next few minutes,” Jax said, earlier glare gone and a smile taking its place. “He really loves that recipe.”
“Well, shit. I’ll make y’all something else next time.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Ian said. “You don’t owe us a thank you for staying here. You’re welcome any time. I’m gonna go shift. I’ll see you guys at the fights.”
Watching as he walked to the woods, she whispered to Jax, “What kind of animal does he have?”
“He’s a tiger.”
“Shiiiiiiit,” she replied. She’d never admit it, but she felt a little intimidated.
“Seth is a leopard,” Jax told her, and she glanced over to see him smiling. “They’re larger than regular big cats in the wild. All shifter animals are. My eagle is larger, as well.”
She nodded slowly, digesting that. “And Cammie? What’s she?”
“Trust me, you don’t want to know,” he warned, taking her arm and guiding her to the woods. “If a tiger intimidates you, her animal will scare the shit out of you.”
“I’m not intimidated,” she muttered, but she didn’t say anything else. Besides, if he could hear lies, he’d know she was fibbing hard with that.
They walked deeper into the woods and then Jax stopped and started pulling off his shirt.
“W-what are you doing?” she sputtered.
“Taking my clothes off, obviously,” he replied with a quirk to his lips, hands going to his belt buckle. “My clothes don’t magically disappear when I shift. I don’t tear them to shreds like the bigger animals do, but I’ve gotten tangled in the clothes before.”
“Okay,” she breathed, pulse skyrocketing and blood warming as he unzipped his jeans.
Tearing her gaze away, she looked around at the woods, trying to act really interested in her surroundings, but she was one hundred percent positive she wasn’t pulling it off. A wave of energy caressed her skin at the same time there was a shift in the air around her, like something magical was happening.
Glancing over, she saw a very large eagle on the ground where Jax had just stood. He cocked his head at her, pale yellow eyes studying her the way she was him.
His feathers were the same as a wild eagle—white on his head and neck, before turning to dark brown on his body, with more white feathers on his tail. His beak was yellow, long, curved, and lethally sharp. And he was standing on huge talons that were as sharp as his beak. The eagle was a bird of prey, and Jax looked more lethal than most.
She kind of felt like an idiot for thinking how deadly Ian’s tiger could be, and not realizing Jax’s eagle could be equally deadly. He looked like a warrior.
“Jax?” she asked softly, hating the quiver in her voice.
The look in his eyes softened, and he hopped closer to her, pausing to assess her reaction. Crouching down to show him she was okay, she watched as he came closer. Reaching out a hand that had the slightest tremor in it, she ran her fingers over his head. Closing his eyes, he leaned into her touch, and she gained confidence as she ran her hand down the length of his body.
His feathers were soft to the touch, and she spent a few more moments petting him. She had the feeling he wasn’t one to let anyone get so close to him, much less touch him, and she enjoyed the moment. Finally pulling back, she stood up again, watching as he moved away from her and launched himself in the air.
Craning her neck to watch him soar, she rubbed the eagle tattoo on her thigh. That had been the most incredible experience of her life. She’d just touched an eagle, and it was amazing. And more special because it wasn’t just any eagle. It was Jax.
She let out a sigh as she realized how far gone she already was when it came to Jax. He was creeping in, taking over her emotions and heart as he always did, and she was so screwed, because now she was past the point of wanting to fight it.
Jax circled the woods where Piper stood, unable to make himself go farther out. He had to keep her in his sight at all times. Gliding through the air, he decided that was enough time in eagle form, slowly descending back to where she stood.
He didn’t think he would ever stop feeling her fingers stroking his feathers. His eagle had been in rapture, putty in her hands. Wanting to act more like a cuddly kitten than a fierce bird of prey.
It was freeing that she knew what he was now. And encouraging that she wanted to see him shift to eagle form. It felt like she wanted to know all of him, like he wanted to know all of her. And that was everything.
Wings stretched wide for balance, he landed gracefully. Immediately shifting back to human form, his lips quirked as he watched her turn away while he dressed. They’d seen each other naked more times than he could count, and she still acted shy when it came to his nudity.
“I’m finished,” he said, moving in close as she turned around.
She turned to face him, and he heard her breath hitch when she found him standing so close. “That’s good,” she replied faintly, violet eyes dropping to his lips.
Not saying anything else just yet, he ran his eyes up and down her frame. The purple streaks in her hair were glinting in the sun, making her eyes look a touch more on the purple side. Her eyeliner was black, and she’d done cat eyes on her top lids. Her dark eyelashes looked a mile long, and she had red lipstick slicked on her lips that he found himself wanting to kiss back off.
She wore a snug white tank top and faded jeans held up with a studded belt, and she had black boots on her feet. The whole package made her look badass, and despite the cosmetic changes—the hair dye and shaved section, the piercings, the tattoos—she looked exactly like Piper to him. It all fit her perfectly.
Eyes falling on her wrist, he stilled when he realized she hadn’t put on her leather cuff. The four-leaf clover tat was on full display, and it felt like she was blessing his pursuit of her by not keeping it covered. Maybe that was stupid, and she’d just forgotten to put it on, but he couldn’t help feeling certain that it was a green light.
Reaching out, he gently grasped her wrist, raising it and turning it over so he could see the tattoo. Her breath stuttered but she didn’t protest as he traced the shape, feeling her racing pulse under his finger. Keeping his eyes locked with hers, he raised her wrist to his lips and traced the clover with his tongue, savoring the taste of her skin.
She let out a gasp, her eyes sliding to half-mast. Letting go of her wrist, he wrapped his arms around her waist and yanked her forward. His lips covered hers right as she let out another gasp, and he immediately took advantage, sliding his tongue inside.
Piper froze for a second, and then she let out a moan and wrapped her arms around his neck. She tangled her tongue with his, plastering her body to him. Blood singing in his veins, he did his best to devour her and make this a kiss she would never forget. A kiss she would remember years from now, a kiss so good she’d want to come back for seconds, thirds, and fourths.
Filling his palms with her ass, he squeezed tightly, easing one hand to the small of her back, his fingers dipping beneath the waistband. Nipping her bottom lip, he trailed his mouth to her ear and started a journey down her neck, alternating licks with biting kisses.
Letting out a moan, Piper jerked as he hit a hot spot. Her neck had always been sensitive, and a guaranteed way to get her going. She was basically trying to climb him, and the rub of her body against his had him letting out his own moan.
He would have kept kissing her, except he heard a sharp whistle in the distance. Ian. Fuck, the fight. When he had Piper in his arms, he forgot everything else. Reluctantly pulling back, he placed a quick peck on her lips before resting his forehead against hers.
“I want to keep kissing you more than anything, Piper. I could kiss you from here to eternity and never ever get tired of it. But we’re going to be late to the fights if we don’t leave now,” he told her, chest heaving as he fought for breath.
Nodding, she pushed back from him, taking a shaky breath. “Yeah. Yeah, okay, we should head back.”
Body humming with desire, he gave her a strained smile as he turned to lead the way back. He loved fighting, almost as much as he loved making music, but he loved making out with Piper even more.
Shooting her a glance, longing to hold her hand but not sure she was ready for that level of emotional intimacy, he acknowledged that kissing her wasn’t the only thing he loved.
It was her. Just Piper. He loved her even more than he did eight years ago, and he hadn’t thought that was possible.
They walked into the clearing and he saw Seth about to climb into Ian’s truck. Shooting him a grin, Seth called, “Trying out something new for the fight? I like it. That shade of red really suits you.”
Frowning as Seth cackled and got in the truck, he shook his head. Seth was crazy, and said off the wall shit all the time. Turning to Piper, he started to tell her it was time to go when she looked at him and started laughing.
“Oh, shit,” she gasped, wrapping her arms around her waist as she laughed. “I know we need to leave, but you’ve got to check yourself out in a mirror first.”
Frowning harder, he stomped over to his truck and bent to look at his face in the side mirror. “Fuck!” he said, staring at himself.
Piper’s red lipstick obviously wasn’t kiss proof, and a layer of it was coating his lips perfectly, like he applied it on purpose.
“I have to go to the bathroom, try to scrub this off,” he told her as he walked past her to the house.
“But that shade of red works so well with your skin tone,” she called, barely able to get the words out through her laughter.
Turning as he reached the porch, he told her, voice intense, “Even if I can’t get it off and I have to show up to a fight wearing lipstick, it was worth it. That kiss was worth everything.”
Her laughter died down and she watched him for a moment. As he turned to go inside, his shifter hearing picked up her whispered words.
“Best kiss ever.”