Jesse’s head lolled lazily against Jax’s shoulder as he carried her sleeping form up to the apartment, walking carefully so that he wouldn’t wake her. Devon was a foot or so ahead of him and continuously looked over his shoulder to see if she was still asleep.
She passed out in what seemed a dead sleep about halfway home. He and Devon had both decided to not wake her up. They wanted to keep her close to them for a little while longer and knew that if she was awake she would fight them to go home.
Jax squeezed past his brother as he flung the apartment door open but froze when Jesse suddenly frowned and mumbled in her sleep, shifting around slightly in his arms. He crooned softly into her ear until she settled down again with a soft snore. Jax smiled softly and dropped a gentle kiss onto her forehead before moving on again.
Devon was already in the bedroom, switching the bedside lamps on so that there was a soft glow in the room and pulling the covers down so that Jax could just lay Jesse down.
As Jax placed her on the bed and pulled his arms away, Jesse instantly curled into a small ball on her side and stuffed her nose into the hoodie she had borrowed from him. Seeing her in something that belonged to him had his possessive side yelling in triumph. He wanted to mark her as his, theirs, again. The mark he had put there was fading already but he knew a love bite wasn’t going to satisfy his other needs next time. He needed something more permanent, something that wouldn’t scare her away.
He stepped back so that his brother could tuck the blankets around her and kiss her, just as he had a minute ago, on her forehead.
He could feel his brothers’ frustration against fighting his own needs building as well. They both knew that she belonged to them so controlling their most basic, animal instincts was killing them.
Devon switched off the lamp closest to her but kept the other one so that she wouldn’t be too disorientated if she woke in the middle of the night in a foreign bed.
Without a word being said between them, they headed towards the kitchen. Devon sat while Jax headed to the kettle to start the coffee. While the water boiled, Jax sat across from his brother, both of them just wordlessly staring at each other.
“She’s been hurt.” Devon finally said.
“Badly.” Jax agreed.
“We need to find out what happened to her.”
“Agreed, but that’s going to take time. We can’t go pushing her into trusting us with her secrets. All that’s going to do is push her away from us.”
“I know that, damn it. But the stubborn woman is continuously pushing us away anyways. When we go back to work it’s just going to be even more difficult to get her to open up to us.”
“That may be true but she was slipping today. We were getting through to her today. That means that we have a chance to gain her trust. All we have to do is come up with a plan to get her to stay here. With us. In our territory.”
Interest made Devon’s eyes flare slightly.
“And how do propose we do that?” Devon asked as he watched his brother get up to finish making their coffee as soon as the kettle stopped boiling.
“I have no idea,” Jax said with a shrug but there was a grin on his face when he turned back around, two steaming mugs of coffee in his hands. “But I’ll think of something.”
Jesse woke sometime in the middle of the night in a really big bed that smelt deliciously of Man and was thirsty as hell. Flipping the covers off, she swung her legs off the bed and took in her surroundings. It took her only a few seconds to recognize the bedroom she had woken up in the morning.
Scratching her head, she rose and crept out the door towards the kitchen.
Her bare feet made a soft sound on the cold floor and she was shivering slightly as the cold air brushed her legs. She gathered the edges of the hoodie closer to her in an attempt to keep warm.
“Thirsty?” A voice asked behind her as soon as she opened the door of the fridge.
Jesse screamed softly as swung around, her hand held over her heart.
“Don’t do that to me!” Jesse hissed at Devon who sat at the counter, a blanket thrown over his legs, a steaming cup next to his elbow, and a book in his hand.
He raised his brow at her.
“It’s not my fault that you scare so easily.” He said and lifted the blanket from his legs. “Here, take this and sit down before you freeze to death. You can have some of my coffee but if you want your own I can make you some.”
“Won’t you get cold though?” Jesse asked through chattering teeth.
Devon frowned at her.
“No.” That was all he said and Jesse just decided that she wasn’t going to argue with him over a blanket.
“Thanks.” She said, almost snatching the blanket from him and dropping into the chair next to him. Pushing her knee to her chest, she stuffed the blanket underneath her to keep out all the cold air.
Devon put his book aside and rose as she made herself comfortable.
Silence reigned until he finally sat back down, handing her a cup of her own coffee.
“Thank you.” She whispered before taking a sip. Devon watched with a frown as her eyes widened and her throat worked over time as she struggled to swallow.
Afterward, she gave a few delicate coughs and looked at him with tearing eyes.
“Coffee, right?” She croaked making his frown deepen.
“Yes.”
“Made the traditional way of sugar, coffee, hot water, and milk. Right?”
“Yes.”
“Oh.” Was all she said before placing the cup on the table again.
“What’s wrong with it?”
“Oh, no! Nothing, nothing! It’s just . . . Are you sure it’s coffee?” She asked looking adorably confused.
Devon open his mouth to say something but Jax’s laughter stopped him.
“As impossible as it may seem, baby, it really is coffee. It’s just that my brother and I have no idea what we’re doing in the kitchen. Even when we make something as simple as coffee, we mess it up. A curse we got from our mother’s side of the family I’m afraid.” He said as he walked around them to the fridge and took out some orange juice to pour for her. He moved the steaming cup away before putting the glass of juice down. Walking around the table again, he settled his elbows onto the table in opposite of her, giving her the perfect view of his bare chest.
He had obviously just gotten out of bed
“Really?” Jesse asked confounded even as she struggled to lift her eyes away from his exposed skin.
How could someone not know how to make something as easy and simple as coffee? It should be a sin!
“Really.” He said with a grin. The mischievous look in his eyes said he knew what effect he was having on her.
“What do you usually eat then?” She asked, dreading the answer.
Jax shrugged and looked at Devon, making Jesse do the same.
Devon glared at his brother. Knowing where he was going with this whole thing. Jax waggled his eyebrows at him and Devon let loose a sigh before looking over at Jesse. Who had her face turned up towards him curiously.
“Usually I just get take-outs or some of those ready-made microwave dinners.” He said, wincing slightly at Jesse’s horrified face. He knew she hated those things with a passion.
“That’s … disgusting! How could you, Devon!” Jesse exclaimed and lightly slapped him on the arm.
“We’re men, living alone and instead of taking the chance of dying from something like half-cooked chicken or off fish, we had to make a plan. Especially when you’re on the road as much as I used to be.” Jax said quickly, gaining Jesse’s attention before she could see the look that entered Devon’s eyes as soon as she used his name.
They couldn’t scare her off now when things were working out so well.
“Couldn’t you just get a – housekeeper or something?” She asked, throwing her arms in the air out of frustration and disgust.
Jax found himself enjoying the way she scrunched up her nose as she got upset, the fire burning in her eyes as she spoke and found himself wanting to see that look again, but for a whole different reason.
“We don’t trust just anyone into my home,” Devon said, also watching Jesse’s face intently. Jax grinned, knowing his brother was thinking the same thing he had been.
Jesse nibbled on her lips. Not liking what she was hearing at all! Her mind flew all over the place as she tried to think of something that would get them out of their unhealthy eating habits.
God, do they even know what they’re doing to themselves?!
“I could always make food for you and bring it over?” She suggested hopefully.
Devon and Jax both gave her a look that clearly said ‘HELL-NO!’ which in turn had her
shoulders droop.
“Cold food. Are you serious?” Jax asked.
“And even if we do heat it up, it’s going to be . . . soggy,” Devon added with a shudder so dramatic that Jesse felt her lips tug up in a slight smile and Jax chuckles deeply.
“Well, we’re going to have to do something for you. You can’t live off that crap anymore.” Jesse stated firmly in a tone that brook no arguments, which had Devon’s brows drawing together. Jax threw him a quick look that had him settling down. He understood now was not the time.
But soon.
God, he hoped it was soon.
“Well, I have an idea, if you’re willing to listen?” Jax asked, raising his arms and dropping his chin into his hands. He gave a look that made it difficult for her to look away from his blue eyes.
“What’s the idea?” She finally asked when she realized that they were waiting for her go-head.
“Well, we have a spare bedroom that you seem to be getting quite comfortable in and a large kitchen with everything you could ever want in it and two very hungry men.” He explained with a slight smile, giving him a boyish look with his mussed hair.
Jesse froze.
Not liking what he was suggesting.
Actually, she liked it too much. Her body had instantly agreed, demanding that she not pause to even think of what it would mean or what the consequences would be. It knew what these two could give her and it wanted more.
But her mind instantly went into a replay of what it was like when she had lived with Luke. And he was only one man, not two. She could only imagine the damage they could do to her already low self-esteem.
Though she had to admit, spending the day with them had made her feel more confident than she had n a really long time. They had made her feel special, desirable, and sexy.
She wanted to continue feeling that way but she also didn’t want to risk it.
“I – I don’t know.” She finally said, looking away from them. Scared that they would see the war waging in her head in her eyes.
Devon tucked his finger under her chin and turned her face back to them.
“We’re not pressuring you into anything. We just want you to think about it and give us your answer when you thought everything through.” He said softly.
“And whatever your answer, we promise that we won’t be mad,” Jax added just as softly and moved to stand next to her. Fingering his through her hair, forcing her head backward. He lowered his head to kiss her. Sipping at her lips softly at first but deepening it when her lips softened against his.
Devon turned her back towards him when Jax raised his head again. He felt himself harden at the glazed look in her expressive brown eyes and couldn’t help but drop his head to nibble softly on her bottom lip. Loving the way her body instantly leaned closer to him.
“We’d better get you to bed before you catch a cold or something.” He said gruffly as soon as he ended the kiss and before she knew what they were doing, Devon stood and scooped her up in his arms. Ensuring that he kept the blanket around her legs so that she wouldn’t get cold.
Jax grabbed her juice and followed behind him.
Jesse glared up at them as soon as Devon placed her on the bed.
“I could’ve walked.” She said.
“But that then I wouldn’t have been able to hold you,” Devon said, kissed her on the forehead, and walked out the room, leaving a speechless Jesse staring at the empty doorway in confusion.
Jax chuckled and sat down next to her on the bed, tucking the blankets comfortably around her.
“He’s hard to understand but you’ll get there in time,” He told her with a small smile.
“It’s not that. It’s just . . . He’s so different here than he was at work.” She told him hesitantly.
Unsure I she was about to overstep herself or not.
Jax chuckled.
“You’ll understand why in time.” He told her with a wink before getting up. “You should sleep. Today was quite an eventful day.”
Jesse felt her lips tug upwards and her cheeks burn as a blush spread across her cheeks when he wiggled his brows at her. Telling her exactly what it was that made it so eventful.
“Goodnight – Jax.” She said after a moment of hesitation, earning a smile from him.
“’ Night, baby.” He said switching off the light again and walking out of the room, closing the door slightly.
Once alone, Jesse turned onto her side and closed her eyes. Falling asleep with their scent in her nose and a small smile on her face.