Touch Me ✔

Chapter Thirty-One

I stood quietly in front of an unfamiliar door, staring at it as if it were the door to the afterlife. I'd never actually come to this part of the building before, but just as I knew where Sebastian was, I also knew Jax was somewhere beyond this door.

I crossed my arms in front of me uncomfortably and just as quickly lowered them again. Then I stepped forward, taking a deep breath before tapping on the wood nervously. I waited a moment, listening for any sound of movement, but no one answered. I frowned, tapping on the door once again, but receiving no response.

I considered calling out his name, but my throat was tight and unprepared for words. Instead, I reached for the doorknob and twisted, expecting it to be locked. To my surprise, it opened easily. I hesitated and then stepped into the room carefully.

Where Theo was known for having a pristine room, Jax had him beat tenfold. The room was layered with shelves of neatly organized items, from statues to unidentifiable objects, and all of them were lined in some sort of pattern. Below each object was a label which looked to spell nonsense to me in the form of random letters and numbers. Along other parts of the room were file cabinets and more shelves of books. There wasn't a single thing out of place; not even a wrinkle in his bedsheets.

Beyond that, Jax himself was missing from the room and yet he was close. I meant to search for him, but something on his shelf caught my eye. I paused and then stepped towards it slowly, a feeling of familiarity rising within me. The object itself was something like an orb. Its color was a deep, almost black crimson that in itself sang of terrible things. And yet I continued to approach it. Just as I felt a pull to the horror my vampires provided me, I felt a similar horror in this object.

When I was close enough, I lifted my hand curiously, aiming to touch the surface of the object. Just before I could, the door to the bathroom opened loudly, startling me. I jumped away from the orb as if I had been caught like a thief and then I twirled quickly to explain myself. My words fell from my tongue at the sight of Jax.

He stood towering in front of the bathroom, still wet from the shower he obviously had been taking. And still quite nude. My eyes betrayed me, traveling over his body almost longingly before a sharp heat struck me. My face burned with it and I quickly turned around completely, covering my eyes with my hands in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," I managed to gasp. I wasn't sure why I felt so embarrassed being that I had seen naked men before. Perhaps it was because it was Jax with his dark aura and intense expression. Or perhaps it had been the smoldering look in his eyes as he had caught me unaware.

For a moment, I stood as I was. My heart thudded nervously in my chest and my skin flushed with heat. Jax hadn't spoken a word, but I could sense him like the light of the sun on my skin. He hadn't touched me, but still it was there.

"Is there a reason you're here, Katia?" Jax's voice was deep and unreadable. He was still loyal to Sebastian's orders; distancing himself from me until a choice was made. Of all the vampires, Jax appeared to be the one to respect Sebastian the most.

"Sebastian sent me," I stated quickly, but then hesitated. I didn't want to make it seem as though I came to deliver an order from Sebastian. It was clear that this was my question to ask and Jax's decision to make. I closed my eyes tighter and shook my head against my hands. "I mean, I came on my own... to talk to you."

I gasped when his hands suddenly brushed over mine, lightly tugging them from my hidden face. I kept my eyes closed stubbornly and froze under the delight of his touch. I held my breath as I felt him lean into me, his lips hovering over my cheek for a moment.