Chapter 2

"Bella,

what are you doing?" jax asked shocked.

Bella’s heart slammed against her ribs so violently she thought she might faint. She yanked the blanket up to her chin with trembling hands, but it was useless. Jax had already seen everything.

She was mortified.

“Jax… I…” Her voice cracked. She couldn’t even form a complete sentence. Her cheeks burned with humiliation as she pulled her legs tightly together under the blanket. Her fingers were still slick with her own juices. The scent of her arousal hung faintly in the air, making everything ten times worse.

Jax stood there for what felt like forever, tall and imposing in the moonlight. His dark eyes never left her face. There was no anger in them. Only something much more dangerous. Hunger. Raw, barely restrained hunger.

“I… I was just…” Bella tried again, her throat dry. “I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t mean for you to see that. Please, just forget this ever happened.”

Jax took one slow step closer. Then another. The couch dipped as he sat on the edge, only a foot away from her. Close enough that she could smell his cologne — rich, masculine, and intoxicating.

“You were moaning my name, Bella,” he said quietly, his voice low and rough. “Quite loudly. You said you were going to cum while thinking about me.”

Bella wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole. Fresh shame flooded her body, but underneath it, her pussy gave a traitorous throb at the memory of his voice cutting through her orgasm.

“I… I was confused,” she whispered, unable to meet his eyes. “It was a mistake. A stupid, terrible mistake. It won’t happen again. I swear.”

Jax was silent for a long moment. Then he reached out and gently tilted her chin up, forcing her to look at him. His touch was warm, firm, and sent electricity racing across her skin.

“You don’t have to lie to me,” he murmured. “I’ve seen the way you look at me when you think I’m not watching. The way you press your thighs together when I’m in the room. I know you’ve been thinking about me for a while now.”

Bella’s breath hitched. She wanted to deny it. She *needed* to deny it. But the words wouldn’t come.

“This is wrong, Jax,” she said, her voice barely audible. “You’re my father-in-law. Julian’s father. I’m married. This… this can’t happen.”

Even as she said the words, her body betrayed her. Her nipples were still hard against the thin shirt. Her pussy was still wet and aching from the interrupted orgasm. And the worst part? Being this close to him only made it worse.

Jax’s thumb brushed slowly across her lower lip. His eyes darkened.

“I know it’s wrong,” he said, almost gently. “I’ve told myself the same thing every single day for the past two years. But here we are.”

Bella’s heart raced faster. She could feel the heat radiating from his body. She wanted to lean in. She wanted to run. The two urges warred violently inside her.

“I should go back upstairs,” she whispered, even as she remained frozen in place.

Jax didn’t move. He simply looked at her with that intense gaze that made her feel completely exposed. “You can go,” he said softly. “But we both know you’ll still be thinking about me when you’re lying next to my son.”

Those words hit her like a slap.

Bella stood up quickly, clutching the blanket around herself like a shield. Her legs felt weak as she hurried toward the staircase, not daring to look back.

She practically ran back to the bedroom and locked the door behind her. Julian was still fast asleep, completely unaware. Bella leaned against the door, breathing hard, her mind spinning.

She told herself it was over. She would never let herself think about Jax again. She would be a better wife. She would forget tonight ever happened.

But as she climbed back into bed beside Julian, her body still buzzing with unmet need, one devastating truth settled deep in her chest.

She couldn’t stop thinking about him.

Even now, with her husband sleeping peacefully beside her, all she could see behind her closed eyes was Jax’s dark, hungry gaze.

And deep down, she knew this was only the beginning.