Free Jaxson by Kris Keldaran

beneath the light. Kehau had spent hours trying to fall back asleep after that, with no success at all.
    Finally, she relented and her lips released his. “Welcome home, Johnny Rocket,” she said huskily.
    “Hmmmm…I like your idea of welcome home. Now get upstairs or we’ll never make it to dinner, sweetheart.”
    A thrill ran through her as she walked away, mainly because of what he’d just done. Or hadn’t. Sione was the kind to insist on sex. Sometimes Kehau had gotten off, sometimes she hadn’t. At the time, she wondered if something was wrong with her.
    The hot water washed away the sweat and the stink of the day as she tried to decide on what to wear. Jeans would be comfy, but she wanted him to touch her bare skin. Needed it. Kehau thrived on that physical contact. Wonder if he wants to relax in the hot tub too ? Hmmm… Pulling out a yellow two-piece swimsuit and a floral lava-lava, she ran a brush through her hair and hurried down the stairs.
    Jax was waiting for her on the l â nai, the light from a dozen or so tiki torches casting shadows all around the veranda. Plumeria flowers covered the ground underfoot, giving the air a heavenly scent that she loved. I never get tired of smelling those . At the table he had laid out plate lunches for two. Her stomach gurgled and she realized suddenly just how hungry she really was.
    Jax turned toward her as she stepped across the plumeria carpet. He started to say something, but his mouth seemed to stop working and he fell silent. He doesn’t like the outfit at all . Oh , I knew I shouldn’t have picked this out ! she berated herself. Kehau was so caught up in her thoughts she didn’t notice Jax close the gap between them. But she did notice when he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in close. His free hand strayed across her cheek, and she could feel his hand shake as he did so. What was wrong? she wondered.
    “You look stunning,” he finally managed to gasp.
    In this plain old thing ? Desperate to deflect the question anywhere else, she made a show of looking around. “You did all this yourself?”
    “Uh-huh.”
    “Why?”
    “Because I can. You deserve to be treated like a queen. Because I love you.” He kissed her again, and for a long moment, silence reigned supreme.
    He loves me, what do I say to that ? Kehau felt stupid. In Hollywood, the heroine always said it right back. But she wasn't certain she could. Not yet. In the meantime, dinner awaited. She started out sitting across from him playing footsy, but Kehau quickly realized she wanted more than that. Half a week away from him demanded more than just playing footsy like kids at the dinner table. Standing, she sauntered around the table and dropped into his lap, leaning back against his chest. This is more like it ! She breathed in the scent of him. Clean and manly.
    Jax hung his head over her shoulder. “Miss me much?”
    “Every day, Marine. Every day.”
    He began to serve her bites of fried chicken katsu and rice from his plate. “Pray tell, what did you do with yourself while I was gone?”
    “Tried to drive my boyfriend crazy.”
    “I think you succeeded.”
    “Really now?
    “Absolutely. In fact, you did so well that your boyfriend is still wondering how he should thank you.”
    “Well, he could kiss the back of my neck while I sit on his lap and eat his dinner.”
    She felt one hand slide up her left side, fingers skirting the curves of her form and sending an electric thrill through her body. Roughly calloused finger pads brushed against her neck as he lifted her dark hair up and off her neck, baring the skin beneath to his view.
    “What a lovely neck too. Perhaps I should do this.” Kehau jumped as he nipped her skin with his teeth, then kissed it and blew a stream of air across the sensitive spot. Her whole body shivered as she arched her back, pressing into his collarbones with her shoulder blades.
    “One would think my boyfriend missed me.”
    “Just a little.”