Femme Fatale

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Healing

Jo had been through hell and back, but was now in her own little slice of sun-filled heaven. The Maldives was a tropical paradise, and she was greedily soaking up every bit of it. They were staying in a private villa overlooking a glittering expanse of turquoise water. The water was so clear she could see fish of all colors of the rainbow darting alongside the graceful, ballerina-like manta rays. But dolphin spottings were her favorite.

Jo would sleep in until the late morning, do yoga stretches in her room to shake off the Ambien haze, then sit on the dock with a breakfast plate of fresh fruit. Her legs would dangle above the water, the sun would beat down on her back, and she would stare off into the distance and wait for Sebastian and Alice – the names she had given her dolphin friends – to greet her with a series of synchronized jumps through the water.

The days began to blur together in the most wonderful of ways. The boys, for their part, hovered about her protectively. Jax would forego his own bedroom and sleep on Jo's couch at night, not wanting to leave her alone. When Jo would wake up, Jax would groggily watch her do yoga and get ready for the day before making his way to his own bed. He did his best to hide it, but he was still upset about what had happened.

Michael, as always, was a soothing presence. He would greet Jo on the dock every morning with gentle kisses on her bruised neck. He was trying to kiss away her pain and it was starting to work. But apart from Michael's healing kisses, both men refrained from making any sexual advances.

They gave her the space she needed.

As more time passed, the handprint around Jo's neck faded, her skin turned golden, and her dark hair lightened from the sun and saltwater. Her days were filled with dips in the ocean, long runs on the beach, and lazy naps by the pool. In the evening, the three of them would watch the sunset while they drank, joked, and swapped stories. Slowly but surely, all was becoming right with the world again. Jo never wanted to leave this place.

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When Jo woke up, she felt something that she hadn't felt in a long time: a deep yearning between her legs. Shocked, she sat up in her bed.

It was still there. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Jax?" she called out softly.

Jax grunted a non-response from the couch. Jo threw off the thin duvet and made her way to her personal bodyguard.

"Hi," she whispered as she draped her body over his. Jax's eyes blinked open in surprise, and she could feel his heart beat rapidly as her hardened nipples pressed against his bare chest.

"Hi," he said, his sleepy eyes searching hers. Jo smiled before giving him a sweet kiss on the lips. His arms immediately wrapped around her body.

With a mischievous glimmer in her eyes, she nibbled on Jax's earlobe before blowing into his ear. He groaned and tugged gently on a fistful of her hair. Jax was not an early riser, but he was now up in more ways than one. Jo stroked his thick erection through his boxers, causing it to jerk. He closed his eyes and tried to steady his breathing.

She pressed her lips onto his, and he opened his mouth to greet her tongue. As they kissed with urgency, Jo laced her fingers through his messy hair to pull his face in closer.

"I need you," she admitted quietly.

Jax pulled away and searched her face. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Jo's heart fluttered upon hearing his hesitation. She could tell Jax wanted her by the way his dick was pressing into her, but he was holding himself back. He had been holding himself back since they arrived.