Alpha Male Incorporated Under Your Protection (14 page)

“Oh my God!” she screamed, struggling against his grip. “Let go of me. You really are a fucking vampire! Sahara wasn’t lying, but that isn’t possible. Vampires aren’t real. They’re mythological or something from folklore.”

“As you can see and feel I’m very much the real thing,” Jax pointed out as he slowly let go of Raya. He sensed that Raya might be a little shocked, but she wasn’t going to run or hit him. He sensed that she was calmer than she had been a few seconds ago.

“You have to stop fighting me. This isn’t about me, but Sahara.” He wasn’t sure if showing her the truth would make the situation better or worst, but it was something he had to do.

“I should have believed Sahara,” Raya whispered softly. “As long as I’ve known her she’s never lied to me about anything. She’s the only person I know that would get a vampire in love with her. I still can’t believe this.”

Jax smiled. Since he’d made his point, he had retracted his fangs. “Sahara is unlike any woman that I’ve ever known. I’m in love with her but she’s going through a lot right now. She can’t have you pushing her away. She needs your love and support while all of this is happening to her.”

Jax was sure Sahara wanted Raya to be at her side for her performance next week. Sahara’s career was the most important thing to her and it would only make it better with her childhood friend there cheering her on. He would do everything in his power to make sure Sahara got everything she craved out of her life.

“Do you think you’re calm enough to go back inside now?” Jax removed Raya’s cell phone from his back pocket holding it out for her to take. He wouldn’t have Raya going back inside if she wasn’t mentally ready.

Grabbing the phone from him, Raya shoved it back into her purse. “Stop talking to me like I’m a child. Sahara and I have been through a lot. Once I apologize we’ll be back on the same track. Our friendship will be stronger than ever.”

Jax had to admit he was impressed with the way Raya was handling everything. Most women would still be in a panic over learning his secret. Sahara knew how to pick the right kind of person to have around her.

“Let’s go. I need to get back inside because I don’t want Zander spending any more time with Sahara than he should.” Spinning away from Raya, Jax headed back towards the restaurant and his mate.

“Sahara doesn’t need to get hurt and if you hurt her, I’ll get you.” Raya warned as she followed him back to the building. “I don’t care if you’re a vampire or not. I won’t allow you or anyone else to hurt her. She has been through enough as it is. She’s survived a lot to become the strong woman that she is. You can’t go demanding things from her and sending her back to that dark place she fought so hard to overcome.”

Stopping in his tracks, Jax turned back around and faced Raya. “All I want to do is love Sahara and that’s it.”

“For your sake, you better be telling me the truth,” Raya said before walking around him.

Chapter Twenty-Four

The next morning Sahara rested her shoulder against the doorframe of Jax’s bedroom door watching as he picked up his t-shirt off the bed and admiring how the muscles moved in his sculptured back.

This was the first time he had worn his hair down and she loved how it brushed against his shoulders. She wondered what it would be like to run her fingers through the thick, blond strands.

Last night when Jax went after Raya after seeing how upset she was and brought Raya back to the restaurant the gesture touched a part of her that she purposely kept hidden from a lot of people, but he was slowly working his way through it.

She wasn’t used to having boyfriends because she had focused so much of her life on making a mark in the music industry but she was smart enough to realize most men wouldn’t have done that for her.

As much as she hated to admit it, she was noticing that Jax possessed a warm heart and did want the best for her. He might be a little on the controlling side, but it was because he cared about her.

One of the big reasons Jax was beginning to win her over was he was totally ‘
what you
see is what you get
.’ Yes, he might have kept the vampire secret from her but he did eventually tell her.

“How long are you going to stand there daydreaming? Did you come to tell me something? Or did you just miss me so much that you couldn’t stay away?”

Sahara blinked, drew herself away from her inner thoughts and stared at Jax who was now standing by the side of his bed watching her. She hadn’t even been aware that she’d gotten so lost in her own mind like that. She wondered how long he’d been standing there watching her with those intense green eyes of his.

Pressing the mail in her hand against her chest, Sahara eased further into his bedroom. “I wanted to thank you for going after Raya last night. She told me what you did to prove I wasn’t lying to her.”

“I couldn’t stand seeing you so upset when I knew I had the ability to fix it,” Jax replied as he moved closer to her. “Raya is very protective of you. She warned me about hurting you and if I did what would happen to me.”

“Raya is very protective of everything in her life, so it doesn’t surprise me that she told you that,” Sahara answered.

“What she doesn’t understand is that I would never do anything to hurt you. You make my life so much more important. I was only going through life not really caring about anything until I saw you.” Reaching out, Jax gently pulled her completely into his bedroom closing the door softly behind them. “I’ve been thinking and since I proved to Raya I was really a vampire I should get a reward from you. What do you think?”

Sahara’s heart pounded in her chest as her dark brown eyes connected with Jax’s. Everything about him was so
sensual
and
sexy
. He reminded her of a jaguar instead of a vampire. It was like he was about to pounce on her at any minute.

Licking her bottom lip, Sahara swallowed hard without breaking eye contract from Jax. “I’m nervous to even ask what you want me to agree to since you want so much from me.”

“Baby, it’s nothing we haven’t done before. I only want a kiss,” Jax whispered softly as he traced her bottom lip with the tip of his finger.

“Is that really it?” Sahara asked, skepticism in her voice. “Are you saying that you don’t want to bite me and make me your mate? Does that mean I can find another man to be with now?”

Before she had time to react Jax snatched the mail out of her hand and flung it down on the dresser next to them. “I will kill any man who thinks about taking you away from me. I thought I was in love once, but I see now she wasn’t my forever, you are. I can’t sleep or eat because you’re constantly on my mind. Do you know how many times I’ve come into your room at night just to watch you sleep? The only reason I haven’t pressed the issue about you completely becoming mine is you,” he confessed.

“What do I have to do with it?” Sahara thought she had no choice in her fate with Jax. Now, he was telling her she did which was confusing her more than she already was.

“You’re uncomplicated. You don’t indulge in too many material things. I love how you speak your mind. I’ve noticed there isn’t a huge difference between what you do and want out of life compared to your actions.”

Wow. Sahara was stunned and very pleased at how much Jax knew about her. He really did know her almost as well as Raya which was really rare. Even her Uncle Frank didn’t know all of her hopes and dreams. Some things like that a woman only shared with her best friend and not family.

“Well, I’ve never seen the point of complicating the obvious with too much fuss. My mother was the same way; I can’t remember her ever stressing over anything.”

Pulling her closer, Jax rubbed his hands up and down her back. “I’m sorry that you lost your parents at such a young age. Do you think about them a lot?”

Sahara couldn’t stop the sudden tear that slipped from the corner of her eye. “Sorry,” she whispered when Jax brushed the tear away with the pad of his thumb. “I think about them all of the time. I felt so lonely for years until Uncle Frank introduced me to music.”

Lowering his mouth, Jax brushed his lips across her. “Sahara, you aren’t alone anymore. You have me and I can promise you I’ll be here for you.” His warm breath brushed against her neck.

Lord, help her
.

The low soft way Jax was talking to her made her weak in the knees every time he got near her like this. Her mind seemed to lose the ability to function properly.

“I had a lot of people tell me that after my parents died, and the only two people who’ve stayed were Uncle Frank and Raya.” Most of her parents’ friends had slowly disappeared over the years.

“Sahara, I’m not most people,” Jax corrected staring into her eyes. “I want you to understand the special connection we share. It doesn’t ever go away. You are mine forever and I’m yours. So, you better get used to seeing my ugly face for the rest of your life.”

Ugly
... Jax had to be out of his mind if he thought he was unattractive.

God, he was sexy as sin
.

“Thank you, baby,” Jax grinned. “I’m glad you think I’m sexy.”

“Do you know how strange it is when you read my thoughts?” Sahara placed one of her hands on Jax’s chest and ran the other one through his thick blond hair. “I like your hair like this. This is the first time you’ve worn you hair down since you started working here. I like the way it brushes past your shoulders. It makes you hotter.”

Jax smiled. “Sorry... I can’t help it sometimes when I read your mind. When I see that hurt look come on your beautiful face I have to know what is going on inside your head. However, do you know that this is the first time you’ve given me a compliment about my looks?” Jax ran the tip of his fingers down her bare arm. “I like that my woman finds me attractive. It will help our relationship develop into something even hotter and sexier which is the level I want with you.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Sahara tried to deny the words Jax was saying, but she couldn’t find the energy to move away from him. His eyes were like polished green jade which constantly had this inner glow that came out anytime she was around him.

Being this close to Jax was making all of her senses go into overdrive. She’d only come in here to tell him thank you for all of his help last night. But, once again Jax found a way to get her off track. If she didn’t leave now, she might not be able to do it later.

“I should go. I need to work on my dance routine for my performance next week. After I’m done we can go and take a look at the club. I got permission from the club owner last week. So, I need to head downstairs to the basement and give my steps a once over.” Sahara tried to move, but Jax rested his hands on her hips preventing her from leaving.

“Wait...you can’t leave just yet. I need something from you. Remember I asked you for my reward earlier and I still haven’t gotten it.”

“Will I like what you want?” she flirted getting drawn into the closeness she was experiencing with Jax.

“If you don’t, I can promise we’ll keep practicing until you love what I’m going to do to you.”

“I was always taught that practice does make perfect,” Sahara admitted.

“How about we start practicing right now?” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, softly pressing his tongue into her mouth stroking the sides with the tip then capturing her tongue with his.

With a low moan in the back of her throat, Sahara wrapped her arms around Jax’s neck. Her tongue played with his matching his stroke for heated stroke while her fingers played with the ends of his hair.

Jax sucked her bottom lip and then bit down on it gently.

Standing on her tiptoes, Sahara pressed her hard nipples against the wide expanse of Jax’s chest hoping to ease some of the ache. The kiss grew even deeper when Jax slid his hand to her ass lifting her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist.

“God, I love the taste of you. I’m not ever going to get enough of you.” Jax breathed against the corner of her mouth.

Spinning around, Jax carried her back towards his rumpled bed and laid her on the cool sheets covering the mattress. He moved her thighs from around his hips and pressed them down.

“Do you know how crazy you’re making me with these short skirts you keep parading around in all the time? I mean all I want to do is strip you out of them and make love to you.”

Nibbling at her bottom lip, Sahara stared at Jax from underneath her lashes noticing the huge bulge in the front of his tight jeans. “How do you know I want the same thing?” she asked.

“I can smell how much you want me when you get within ten feet of me. It’s very hard for you to hide and I’m glad you can’t.”

“I don’t believe you.” There was no way she smelled.

“Sahara, your body gives off your attraction to me every single time we’re together.”

Placing his knee on the bed between her spread thighs, Jax slid his hands underneath her skirt and pulled her damp underwear down her hips, legs and then off her body. Jax held them up to his nose and took a long whiff.

“I love the smell of my woman. All of this is for me and no one else.”

She wanted a snappy come back but she was at a loss for words because all she was dying for now was Jax to kiss her again. God, she was so affected by him that she had no control over herself at all.

“I want to look at you,” Jax said tossing her underwear next to her body on the bed. “Let me see what’s mine.”

“What?” Sahara rose up on her elbows and stared at Jax. What was he asking her to do?

“Take off your shirt. I want to see your beautiful breasts. Show them to me,” he coaxed softly.

Apprehension crept into Sahara’s mind; she wasn’t used to stripping down in front of a man. What if Jax didn’t like what he saw?

“Sahara please stop worrying about what I think. You’re stunning and I’ll love every inch of your body. Now show me what I requested.”

Taking a deep breath, Sahara repositioned her body so she was kneeling on the bed. Her fingers grabbed the hem of her t-shirt as her eyes locked with Jax’s green ones and she noticed how they were slowly changing to a deeper shade of green.