Page 20 of Burn of Obsidian
Jax remained quiet, lips pressed into a thin line.
She went to say something else, but her stomach decided that was the perfect moment to grumble.
Jax raised a single brow, and without a word he returned to the sofa, Reaper following him out with a meow. Thea stood there, wild magic wreaking havoc beneath her skin. She was sure her aura was glittering with how unsettled he made her.
Fuck.
Unable to eat, she found Jax, legs spread, with her book resting on his thigh. “So, you like aliens with two cocks?”
She snatched the book back, her page lost. “It’s a romance. There’s a plot along with the two cocks.”
How long had he been there?
Bloody hell, how much had he read?
Jax stretched his arms over the back of her sofa, essentially swallowing the entire thing. “You can't really call that reading material.” If he was trying to look relaxed, it wasn’t working. Not with eyes like a predator, tracking every movement she made. “Why romance?”
“Is that a trick question?” When he didn’t respond, she answered anyway. “I like to believe there’s someone out there for everyone. Reading about love gives me hope.”
“So, you’re looking for an alien with two cocks?”
“If such a god exists.” She placed the paperback on her shelf along with the several hundred already there. “I’ve found men in real life to be utterly disappointing.”
“Hmm.” Jax turned to watch her, but didn’t move from his position. “You’re hungry.”
“I’ll survive.”
“Go eat something. I can wait.”
“How considerate.” Thea choked on her laugh. “You’re wasting your time; I don’t have whatever you think I have.”
Cocking his head, he reached into a back pocket and pulled out a phone. After a few clicks, he held it out, his arm unwavering.
“You need to leave.” She bit her lip, fighting the curiosity building. Jax remained silent, waiting patiently for her to take it.
A tremor vibrated his chest, not so dissimilar to Reaper’s purr, but deeper. It forced her attention up to his beautiful eyes, even if they were cold. They edged silver, slowly shimmering until the blue had morphed entirely into liquid metal. They were fascinating, even if they were a silent threat.
With a mumbled curse, she grabbed the phone, looking down to find the CCTV of her walking through the museum. She was about to deny it, because clearly the person wearing black with a large nose and small eyes wasn’t her. But then the video changed, showing her walking into an alley and removing the charms.
Fuck.
Reckless. Stupid. She couldn’t help her family if she was in prison. Or worse, dead.
Thea tossed his phone on the cushion beside him. “This proves nothing.”
Jax stood, and Thea tensed as he closed the distance between them. She was tall at five foot ten, but without her heels, she was still forced to look up at him. She very rarely had to look up at anyone. It should piss her off more if she wasn’t trying to scramble an excuse out of thin air.
“Someone dangerous is after the document you stole.” There was barely any Jax left in his eyes, his voice taking more of a gravelly tone.
“Dangerous like you?” Thea took a small step back, but Jax followed.
“You have no idea.” His hand brushed against her cheek, moving down until he loosely collared her throat. “Give it to me, Thea, otherwise I’ll have to take it.”
Thea swallowed, and his thumb stroked against her pulse. “Are you threatening me?”
“Warning you.”
On instinct, she reached out and placed her palm over his heart. She wasn’t sure what made her do it, but immediately his chest vibrated like before. The silver in his eyes retreated, and once again, she was met with frosted sapphires.