Page 27 of Louder Than Words

“Do you think we should… wait?” she asks, not quite meeting my eyes.

I frown. “Wait for what?”

An anchor drops in my chest the second the words leave my mouth. I know exactly what she’s asking. I just need her to say it out loud. It kills me to see how much this is hurting her. Me? I can handle all of it. I’m fine if it’s the four of us for the rest of our lives.But her?She’s the one I’m worried about. Because I know that us not even trying could be the thing that finally sends her over the edge with everything else she’s dealing with.

And honestly, that scares the fucking shit out of me.

She shrugs. “Trying.”

Her eyes find mine, and it feels like all the air’s been knocked out of my lungs. Because behind them? There’s an entire storm ripping through them. One filled with guilt, remorse, but maybeeven a little acceptance. Acceptance that maybe this was never the great idea we desperately wanted it to be.

I sit there quietly, not pushing her to explain. Instead, I focus on the side of her face, watching every tiny shift in expression, ready to swoop in if she breaks.

She lets out a long breath. “I just think… we weren’t really thinking,” she says with a soft laugh. “I mean, you go on tour in what? Three months? I know you, Jax. You wouldn’t be able to walk away. The label would make you, but you’d hate yourself for it.”

I nod, frowning. Because she’s right. I would absolutely hate myself. Every second of every day I had to be away.

“And with everything going on with the girls, and Trevor...” She trails off, then shakes her head slowly. “I know there’s nothing to really worry about, but sometimes I just can’t help it.”

And to my surprise, her voice doesn’t crack like I thought it would. If anything, she looks like she’s finally able to take a full breath for the first time in months—like something inside her is breaking and healing all at once.

I reach for her and pull her into me, threading my fingers through her soft curls, and just hold her there. We sit like that in silence, only listening to each other breathing for at least a few minutes.

But then something shifts.

Her hand isn’t just gliding over my stomach anymore—it’s slowly moving up my chest, and I can feel goosebumps ripple along my arms. Her fingers don’t stop until they find my tie, and gently curl around it. She peels herself away from me, and the second she meets my eyes, my mouth goes dry.

“You know,” she says, her voice warm, almost teasing, “there’s no harm in”—she tugs on the tie, loosening it with one smooth pull—“practicing for when weareready.”

I let out a low chuckle. “Maybe you’re right.”

In one quick move, I flip her, landing her with a soft thud against the mattress.

A small gasp slips past her lips the second she hits the silk sheets, her hair fanning across her face. She looks like a fucking goddess—lips parted, eyes wide with need, breath already caught in her throat.

I’m up in an instant, snapping off my belt with one quick snap without taking my eyes off of her. My hands slide up her thighs, pulling her down toward me as she lets out a sharp squeal.

“Jax!”

My eyes roam over her, and just like every bloody time we’re together, I can’t help but take in every inch. Every curve, every detail of what makes herher. Of what makes hermine.

But with everything going on? It’s been almostthree monthssince I’ve been inside her.

And I can’t wait another second.

My hands slither up her dress, feeling her buttery soft skin glide beneath my palms. My fingers hook under the sides of her panties, tugging them down in one smooth motion until they’re on the floor. She’s lying on the bed, the slit in her dress spilling over the side, completely exposed to me. I can already see her glisten, every inch of her perfect and ready for me to bury myself into.

But not yet.

I hover over her, one hand trailing up her thighs again as goosebumps prickle under my touch, before I slide one finger inside her.

AndGodit’s so much better than I remember.

Warm. Velvety. Tight.

It’s like she’s reminding me she was made just for me as she clenches around my finger. My mouth lands on the nape of her neck, and I lose myself in the way her throat vibrates against my lips.

“Tell me what you want,” I murmur against her pulse, trailing soft kisses along her sensitive skin.