Second Chance Sample Sunday

Second Chance - Book 2 in the Rewind Series

Release Date: TBD. Unedited and subject to change.

-

Something was off.

And it frustrated the hell out of me because I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was. For the last few weeks, Jaxon kissed me like he’d always done. The sex was explosive as ever. And we spent the rare nights where we slept apart on the phone with one another until exhaustion took over.

And despite all that, I felt a shift between us, something that had a permanent knot of nerves resting in the pit of my stomach.

A knot of nerves that didn’t make a bit of sense.

“Fuck, Sinn.” His barely audible words brought me back to the present. Back to his dark, musky scent that never failed to overwhelm my senses as he thrust into me, producing a loud smack each time our pelvises met.

His harsh breathing greeted my ears at the same time my hands latched onto the damp, taut skin of his shoulders while I rode the wave of the orgasm that washed over me. My loud keens broke the silence as he slammed against me harder, chasing his own release.

“Jaxon!” Was all I could yelp when his thumb found my clit, swiping up and down the distended nub at the same pace his rigid length invaded my folds.

God, his skills in this area never ceased to amaze me. If possible, he got better each and every time. Maybe it was the ever-growing comfort between us. Or that he’d gotten reacquainted with my body, my desires, my triggers, my needs since our chance encounter three short months ago.

Either way, whatever was the culprit behind the pleasurable experiences, I was grateful for it.

My body grew tight and my lids collapsed, legs shooting out and going stiff with another impending orgasm. I didn’t know if I could take another one. Not after the way he’d pulled them from my body with the same ease as taking his next breath.

I tried to focus on something, anything, in the room while I fought the onslaught of… feelings.

“Don’t hold back,” he ordered, authority seeping into his tone. That same authority that never failed to turn me on. “You might as well stop fighting it, baby.” A soft swipe of his thumb across my chin prompted my eyes to pop open and settle on his narrowed, intense ones. “I’m not letting my shit go until you give me another one.”

Like his words were the trigger I‘d waited for, I exploded, shooting off into the realm of ecstasy only he could send me to. That scary place between conscious and unconsciousness that heightened the experience, giving pleasure on a whole other level.

Seconds later, he followed, hips sporadically colliding with mine as he moaned in my ear.

He moaned.

If I wasn’t so damn overstimulated already, that sexy sound alone would’ve sent me tumbling headfirst into another orgasm.

Once I returned to Earth, I tensed to prepare for what came next. What had been happening for the last few weeks.

Though the sex was top tier as usual–the trembling in my legs was testament to that–the post-sex routine we’d developed was lacking.

Like clockwork, he pulled out of my arms, leaving me a lonely, wet, spent mess on the sheets.

He was withdrawing and distancing himself again, and I didn’t know why.

I couldn’t fathom why.

Things had been good. Better than good. Then one day, it was like a switch flipped. If he needed space, or if he felt like this was moving too fast… I could respect it if he talked to me.

The lack of communication was killing me. Jaxon was nothing if not a proponent of talking through any issues that came up in relationships. That was the area I’d lacked in all those years ago. He hated walking around in limbo. He hated uncertainty, so talking was his way of quelling that.

Now that he was the one shutting down and pulling away, I understood how he’d felt back then when he’d tried getting me to communicate.

I rolled to my side on the plush mattress, watching silently as he climbed from the bed. Each movement of his strong pecan back appealed to me, just like his long locs did as they swung freely past his shoulders. It was weird seeing him without his customary headband.

It was his thing, and I looked forward to seeing the way he coordinated them with his outfits daily.

I glanced at the clock, frowning at the early hour.

5:45 am.

Someone had woken up horny.

Neither of us had to work until nine, yet here I was. Wide awake before the crack of dawn, watching him move about the room, purposely avoiding my gaze.

Like always, I grabbed the charm of the necklace he’d gifted me years ago. The necklace that was only removed when swimming or showering. Over the years, I’d gotten questions from men I’ve dated, wanting to know the sentimental value of it. They’d wanted to know why the many necklaces and charms they’d gifted never replaced the simple, thin chain I wore faithfully.

I couldn’t explain my attachment to it. Maybe it was because it was my present for opening my pride and joy, my salon and beauty bar, Mane Touch. Or it could be because it had come from Jaxon.

Though I was the one who ultimately walked away from the relationship, I hadn’t been able to part with it.

I hadn’t been able to part with that little piece of him.

My gaze bounced from his powerful physique to the sleek, gray painted walls and floor to ceiling windows that led to his second-floor balcony. His home was beautiful, and I envied the simplicity of it.

Avery and I had decorated my three-bedroom apartment when I’d moved in after ending my relationship with my ex, Quincy.

The décor of my home was bright and in your face, much like my personality. While the subtle, masculine undertones of this expansive home matched him.

If you didn’t know him, his quietness and laidback nature could be mistakes for passiveness. Which couldn’t be further from the truth.

Jaxon was a subtle alpha. One who wasn’t fully away of his effect on others and how he exuded quiet dominance by just entering a room.

He liked to keep to himself and stay in his own lane. I loved it, once again realizing I hadn’t appreciated how refreshing it was until I’d become involved with a loud-mouthed, disrespectful, toxic, over the top beta posing as an alpha.

“Did I do something wrong?” I finally built up the courage to ask. I’d asked him if he was okay or if something was bothering him, but never flat out asked if I was the problem.

He paused, back still turned before he continued rustling through the drawers of his dresser. “No, why?”

Even that quick answer felt… wrong. Jaxon never spoke to me with his back turned or passed up an opportunity to give me his undivided. He’d spoiled me with his attentiveness, and now I felt empty, starving without it.

“I don’t know.” I gnawed my bottom lip, feeling stupid bringing this to him now. Maybe I was just being paranoid. “It just feels like there’s tension between us.”

He shrugged, still not turning around. “Nah, I’m cool.”

Instead of pushing further, I continued to watch him lay out his clothes for work without sparing me a glance.

“Can I join you?” I asked when he made a move towards the bathroom for his shower. Again, he paused, but this time flashed a glance in my direction. His full bottom lip slipped between his teeth, and I tensed in anticipation.

“Nah, I don’t want to be late.”

When he stalked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him, I sighed. He could deny it until he was blue in the face, but the reality was that something was definitely up and I planned to get to the bottom of it.

It wasn’t until the running water from the shower started rushing behind the closed door that I was hit with a realization.

He hadn’t kissed me one time while we’d had sex.