Ashley woke first. The safehouse was quiet and dim, the curtains shut tight. Jax's arm was heavy across her waist, his breath warm against her neck.
For a while, she just lay there, staring at the cracked ceiling. Her body ached, but it wasn't just from the night before. What happened between them had been more than s*x. Jax had let her see the part of him he usually buried deep. She knew it didn't magically change everything.
When she finally tried to move away, Jax's hand tightened on her, holding her in place without even waking.
"You running?" Jax's voice was rough, still half-asleep.
"No," she whispered. "Bathroom."
He let her go, but his eyes stayed on her until she turned the corner.
When she came back, Jax was already dressed. The softness from the night before
