Page 52 of Jax & Knox

"Knox," she whispers.

I step closer, until there's barely any space between us. "Yeah?"

"I…" She trails off, her eyes searching mine.

I cup her face in my hands, my thumb brushing over her cheekbone. "You don't have to say anything."

"I want to."

"Then say it."

She takes a shaky breath. "I'm starting to believe this is real."

My throat thickens. "It's real."

"I'm scared."

"I know. But I'm not going anywhere. Neither is Jax. We're here. And we're staying."

She closes her eyes, and a tear slips down her cheek. I wipe it away with my thumb.

"Let me prove it to you," I say quietly.

She opens her eyes, and the vulnerability in them nearly breaks me.

"Okay," she whispers.

I kiss her.

It's slow at first, gentle, giving her time to pull away if she wants to. But she doesn't. Instead, she leans into me, her hands fisting in my shirt, pulling me closer.

The kiss deepens, and I feel the shift, the moment she stops holding back.

I walk her backward until her back hits the wall just outside Owen's room, my hands sliding to her hips, not demanding, just holding. She gasps against my mouth, and I swallow the sound, pouring everything I feel into this kiss.

"Knox," she breathes.

"I've got you," I murmur against her lips. "I've got you, baby."

Footsteps sound behind us, and I pull back slightly. Jax is standing in the hallway, his expression tender.

"Hey," he says quietly.

Ainsley tenses slightly, but I don't let her pull away. I just hold her, my forehead resting against hers.

"We're here," Jax says, stepping closer. "Both of us. However you need us."

She looks between us, her breathing ragged, her eyes wet. "I don't know what I need."

"That's okay," I say. "We'll figure it out together."

Jax moves to her other side, his hand sliding gently up her arm. "Can we just hold you? That's all. Just be close to you."

She nods, and the relief in her expression nearly undoes me.

We move to her bedroom slowly. I sit with my back against the headboard, and Ainsley settles between my legs, her back against my chest. Jax lies beside us, propped on one elbow, his hand resting on her thigh, not possessive, just present.

For a long moment, no one speaks.