I concentrated on eating the maraschino cherry out of my Shirley Temple and looked out at the gorgeous view, pretending to ignore the fact Jax was looking at me like a hungry beast who just spotted a rabbit with a wounded leg.
“You never explained what rattled you in the store the first day I met you,” he growled.
I thought for a moment and asked, “Have you ever heard of triggers?”
“You mean like the kind you find on a gun?" He asked.
“Kind of. More like something happens to you in the present that triggers a really terrible memory. At a sensory level, it feels familiar, so you connect it to an experience when you felt that way. Your reptilian brain responds as if it’s in danger and reacts as if it’s back in that really unpleasant situation from the past, even when it’s not.”
I chewed on my plastic straw and ran the end over and over through the gap between my upper and lower teeth, nervously awaiting his reply.
Jax reached over and grabbed the base of my ponytail in his hand and stroked his way to the end. Strange that such an innocent caress could make my heart beat faster.
My clam chowder came, and again I used it as an excuse to focus my attention elsewhere. Jax made me so nervous.
I blew on the spoonful of my soup and put it in my mouth. “I know how this town can be with gossip. Is there anything else I should know about you?” I smiled up at Jax, feeling unexpectedly close to him after hearing his secrets.
“Only the things I plan to teach you when we’re alone someday. I’d like the day to come sooner rather than later, Chloe. I’m finding myself to be a very impatient man.”
Jax grabbed my hand and squeezed. He reached over and picked up my soup spoon, scooping some off the top, blew on it, and fed it to me. He continued to do so until the cup of chowder was gone, looking into my eyes with every spoonful and staring at my mouth every time I opened it to take a bite. There were a couple of times when he lightly groaned, watching my lips close over the spoon.
When I finished with my soup, Jax picked up his chair and pulled it around the table and set it next to me so he was facing me. He put one hand on either arm of my chair and leaned towards me to kiss my lips. His chest rumbled with a growl as the kiss deepened, and he licked at my mouth a little and moved one of his hands to the back of my head. Our kiss deepened, and I found my panties soaking themselves as if there were a leaking faucet between my legs.
My body was out of control. Clearly, a sex-seeking parasite inhabited it. I copied what Jax did, uncertain how to kiss him. I just moved my hand to the back of his neck and pulled him closer still. Again, he growled into my mouth.
The waiter appeared out of nowhere and cleared his throat behind Jax. Small town service was not strong on discretion.
“Your cheeseburger and fries, Sir. Shall I put them here?”
“Yes, it would be great. We can enjoy the sea view.”
“And you had the fish and chips, Miss. Correct?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
A-1 was my favorite with fries, and as I unscrewed the bottle and dumped a pool on my plate, Jax’s fingers found their way to my panties under the table.
My drenched panties.
“Daddy!” I whisper-scolded.
He ignored me, dipped one of my fries into the sauce, and fed it to me. “Be a good girl and eat your lunch. Maybe I’ll let you have dessert after."
