"Give me a chance," Jax continued. "And I'll prove it to you. I don't expect you to accept anything on faith."
Sarai closed her eyes tightly. He was too intense, too much. She wanted to touch him, feel the smooth silk of his skin under her fingertips, the wiry hair of his chest. What had he said? Give him a chance? She had to get rid of him somehow. Maybe she could use his own words against him, she thought desperately.
"You want a chance?" she said, opening her eyes. His face was only inches from hers, his gaze focused on her mouth. He licked his lips, and something inside her clenched. If she leaned forward even the slightest bit, they would be touching. "If I give you a chance, will you go away?"
A stillness came over Jax.
"Yes," he said slowly.
"I'll give you a week," Sarai said nervously. She could feel tension radiating from him. He was like wild predator, one who wanted to devour her.
"A week isn't enough," Jax replied softly. "I want a month. And during that month you have to let me touch you."
"No," she said quickly. She already knew how dangerous his touch could be.
"Yes," he replied firmly. "You want me to promise to leave you? Well, I'll leave if after a month you still want me to. But you have to let me touch you whenever I want. And I want to sleep in your room."
"I won't have sex with you," she said in panic. "I won't ever have sex with another man unless it's my choice. I won't give you that kind of power over me."
"I didn't say you had to have sex with me," he replied smoothly. His eyes were intense, compelling. His fingers brushed her cheek again; it was impossible to think. How did he do it? How did he make her melt like this?
"If you don't want to make the deal, I can't force you," he continued. "But it's the only way you're going to get rid of me. What do you say?"
"Two weeks," she said desperately. "A month is too long."
"Three weeks," he whispered. His lips brushed against hers, his body pressed her back against the counter. She could feel the entire length of him. His frame was hard with muscles, and against her belly an unmistakable bulge jutted.
Against her will, her hands rose to grip his waist. She wanted him to pull her against him, to lift her up onto the counter and thrust into her. She took a deep breath.
"Three weeks," she whispered. Could she last that long? She would have to. She had seen his determination; this might be her best chance to get rid of him.
He groaned as she agreed, his mouth taking hers in a kiss unlike any she'd ever experienced. His lips were rough, commanding her to open to the onslaught of his tongue. His arms came around her like bands of iron, molding her to him even as one leg thrust between hers.
He thrust into her mouth like a marauder, a warrior, and she let her head fall back under his strength. He plumbed her depths, thrusting again and again even as his lower body ground slowly against her pelvis.
She could feel her ni**les tightening, and moist heat built between her legs. How was she going to survive three weeks with this man? She couldn't even survive three minutes!
"What are you doing to my mother?" Able's voice cut through the kitchen, filled with disapproval and dislike. Jax stilled instantly, and Sarai all but whimpered as he pulled his lips from hers. He stood back from her, and turned to face the boy.
Sarai's son was standing there, both hands on his hips and his face twisted with dislike. She groaned inwardly, disgusted by her own behavior. She had allowed this man to maul her in front of her child, a child who had seen first-hand the horrors his father had committed.
"I was kissing her," Jax said lightly. "Does that bother you?"
"Yes," Able said, his face grim. Sarai rubbed a hand against her forehead. How was she going to explain this to Able?
"I don't plan to hurt her, and I won't do anything she hasn't agreed to let me do," Jax said, keeping his tone friendly. "But I wasn't making her do anything she didn't want me to do."
"Is that right, Mom?" Able asked, turning his accusing gaze to her. She sighed, knowing he would be upset if she said yes. For a moment she considered saying no, covering up her part in the kiss. But she had never lied to her children before, and now wasn't the time to start.
"Yes," she said. "I agreed to let him kiss me."
"Oh," Able said, at a loss for words. He looked confused, and suddenly very young. "Why did you do that?"
Sarai gave a choked laugh, wondering what to tell him. Because I can't control myself? Because I made a deal to get rid of him? Because your father only hurt me, but when this man touches me I feel like I'll break into a thousand pieces, and it feels good? None of them were answers she could give her son.
"Because sometimes men and women like to kiss," she said finally. Able's face grew dark again.
"That's a stupid reason," he said after a brief pause. Then he whirled and ran out of the room.
Sarai slumped back against the counter.
"I'm a terrible mother," she whispered, looking up at him with haunted eyes. "How could I let you do that where my children might see? This deal we've made, none of it can happen around them. They are my life, they are far more important than you. Can you understand that?"
Jax nodded, his gaze inscrutable.
"As long as you understand that at night you're mine, I'll make sure I don't touch you in front of the children."
"Thank you," she replied. "I can't have them getting hurt over this. They've already been hurt enough."
Jax reached one finger to her chin, and lifted her face so he could look at her directly.
"I understand," he whispered, dropping a quick, light kiss on her mouth. He straightened, then spoke again in a louder voice. "I'll go take care of that pipe now. Let me know if you need anything, all right?"
He turned and strode out of the room.
* * * * *
He could win her over, he knew it.
Sarai was inside getting the children ready for bed. He sat outside her bedroom in the garden, waiting for her. It had been dark for hours; she'd kept the children up well past their bedtime. She was avoiding him, using them as a shield. But eventually she would run out of excuses.
He saw the light come on in her room, and the outline of her body against the drapes. If she had any idea how sheer they were she would faint, he thought with amusement. Every night she gave him a show, as she got ready for bed.
She untied her apron and started removing her clothes quickly and efficiently. Turning as she pulled off her dress, she was briefly silhouetted. Long, slender legs, shapely br**sts that were still fairly firm, even after two children. Her blonde hair hung down her back like a curtain. What would it look like over her naked body? he wondered. That one night they'd had together had been all too brief. He'd never gotten the chance to see her as he'd fantasized so many times. He wanted her astride him, her head thrown back in pleasure and her br**sts bouncing. Her hair would be wild and free, offering him glimpses of her body even as she rode him through the night.