The first rays of dawn crept through the heavy curtains, casting a soft, golden light across the room. Ava blinked awake, the warmth of the bed cocooning her in a rare sense of comfort. For a moment, she allowed herself to linger in that hazy space between sleep and wakefulness, savoring the feel of Jaxon's body beside hers, the steady rise and fall of his chest a soothing rhythm against her back.
Last night had been a turning point in both her relationship with Jaxon and in her own understanding of what she wanted, what she was willing to risk. The walls she had carefully built around her heart had begun to crumble, and though that terrified her, it also brought with it a strange sense of freedom.
But as the light grew stronger, so did the weight of reality pressing down on her. The world outside their sanctuary was waiting, and with it, the myriad challenges that still loomed large. The merger, the betrayal by Richard, the unknown forces working against them all of it demanded her attention. And then there was Jaxon himself, a man who was still, in so many ways, a mystery.
Ava turned slightly, her gaze shifting to Jaxon's sleeping face. In the quiet of the morning, with his guard down, he looked almost boyish, a stark contrast to the powerful, enigmatic man she had come to know. But even in sleep, there was a tension in his features, a shadow that hinted at something deeper, something unresolved.
She had seen glimpses of it before a darkness that lingered at the edges of his charisma, a past he kept hidden behind a carefully constructed facade. And now, as she lay beside him, she couldn't help but wonder what secrets he was still holding onto. She knew so little about the man she had allowed into her life, into her heart, and that uncertainty gnawed at her.
Before she could lose herself in the labyrinth of her thoughts, Jaxon stirred, his eyes fluttering open. He blinked at her, a slow, lazy smile spreading across his lips as he reached out to pull her closer.
"Morning," he murmured, his voice still thick with sleep.
"Morning," Ava replied, her heart doing a little flip at the warmth in his gaze.
For a few precious moments, they simply lay there, wrapped in each other's arms, letting the new day settle around them. But Ava knew they couldn't stay in this bubble forever. There were too many questions, too many uncertainties that needed to be addressed.
Jaxon must have sensed the shift in her mood because his smile faded slightly, his eyes searching hers. "What's on your mind?"
Ava hesitated, unsure of how to broach the subject without shattering the fragile peace between them. But she had never been one to shy away from the truth, and now was no different.
"Jaxon," she began, her voice soft but steady, "I need to know more about you. About your past."
Jaxon's expression hardened, the tension returning to his features as he pulled back slightly, putting distance between them. "Ava..."
"I'm not asking to pry," she quickly interjected, placing a hand on his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart beneath her palm. "But if we're going to move forward… if I'm going to trust you completely… I need to understand who you are. What you're dealing with."
Jaxon's jaw tightened, his gaze shifting away from hers as he stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. The silence between them stretched, heavy with unspoken words and unresolved fears. Ava could feel him pulling back, retreating behind the walls he had so carefully constructed, and it sent a pang of anxiety through her.
But then, just as she was about to pull away herself, Jaxon let out a long, slow breath, his hand coming up to cover hers, anchoring her in place.
"There are things about my past that I'm not proud of," he said, his voice low, almost strained. "Things I've tried to bury, to forget. But they have a way of coming back, of reminding me that I can never fully escape them."
Ava's heart ached at the vulnerability in his voice, the pain that laced his words. She had known from the beginning that Jaxon was more than just the charming, successful man he presented to the world. There were layers to him, layers that she had only begun to uncover. But hearing him admit it, hearing the cracks in his armor, made it all the more real.
"Whatever it is, you can tell me," she said gently, her fingers tightening around his. "I'm here, Jaxon. I'm not going anywhere."
Jaxon's eyes flicked back to hers, and for a moment, she saw the battle waging within him,the desire to let her in warring with the instinct to protect her, to shield her from whatever darkness lay in his past. But then, slowly, he began to speak.
"I grew up in a world that was… rough," he began, his voice distant as if he were recalling a memory long buried. "My father was a powerful man, but not a good one. He built his empire on the backs of others, never caring about the consequences of his actions. I learned early on that power comes with a price, and that sometimes, to survive, you have to make choices that change you sometimes for the worse."
Ava listened in silence, her heart breaking for the boy Jaxon must have been, forced to grow up in a world where love and trust were commodities to be traded, rather than freely given. She could see now why he was the way he was, why he guarded himself so fiercely, why he was so determined to succeed, no matter the cost.
"When I was old enough, I left," Jaxon continued, his voice growing stronger, more resolved. "I built my own life, my own company, far away from my father's shadow. But there are things… connections… that you can never fully break free from. And they've followed me, even here."
Ava's mind raced with possibilities, her heart pounding as she tried to piece together the fragments of Jaxon's story. He had hinted at a darker side of his life before, had mentioned enemies and old grudges, but this was the first time he had spoken openly about it. And as much as she wanted to ask more, to dig deeper, she knew that pushing him now would only cause him to retreat.
"Thank you for telling me," she said softly, her hand moving to cup his cheek, turning his face back to hers. "I know it's not easy."
Jaxon's gaze softened, his hand coming up to cover hers, holding it against his cheek as if grounding himself in her touch. "I'm trying, Ava," he admitted, his voice raw with emotion. "I want to be the man you deserve, but there are parts of me… parts of my life… that I'm still trying to figure out how to reconcile."
Ava leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to his lips, a silent promise that she was with him, that she wasn't afraid of the shadows in his past. "We'll figure it out together," she whispered against his lips. "One step at a time."
Jaxon's arms tightened around her, pulling her close as he deepened the kiss, his need for her palpable in every touch, every caress. Ava responded in kind, her hands sliding into his hair, her body arching into his as she lost herself in the warmth and passion that only he could ignite within her.
The kiss grew more intense, more desperate, as if they were both trying to chase away the darkness with the light of their connection. Jaxon's hands roamed her body, setting fire to her skin, and Ava could feel the last vestiges of her resolve slipping away, replaced by a need so intense it consumed her.
They made love slowly, reverently, as if the act itself was a balm to the wounds of the past. Ava clung to Jaxon, her heart swelling with emotion as they moved together, their bodies perfectly in sync, the world outside fading away until there was only the two of them, wrapped in each other's arms, their hearts beating as one.
When it was over, they lay together in the quiet of the morning, the storm inside and out finally calmed. Ava rested her head on Jaxon's chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart, feeling the rise and fall of his breath beneath her. She knew that this was just the beginning,that there were still secrets to uncover, still shadows to face. But for now, she was content to simply be, to feel the warmth of his embrace, the strength of his presence, and the promise of something real, something worth fighting for.
As she drifted back to sleep, Ava couldn't help but think that whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together. And that, more than anything, gave her the strength to keep moving forward.