“It’s not that simple. You’ve forgotten four of the worst years we’ve ever lived.” Jax paused, and her eyes started to well up.

“It doesn’t feel good, you know? You think it’s a gift when it’s actually torture—to be surrounded by complete destruction and not have any memory of causing the explosion.” Gretchen pressed her fingers to her lips to try to keep from crying. “So yeah, this is a real fucking gift.” Gretchen wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. She threw the box of letters in a small wastebasket and stepped around Jax to leave.

Jax grabbed Gretchen’s wrist and pulled her into a bruising kiss. Jax kissed her with such force that she was sure she’d be imprinted for the rest of her life. Jax backed her into the nearest wall and forced her legs apart with her knee. She breathed heavily against Gretchen’s parted lips and ran her hands down Gretchen’s body, cupping her full breasts along the way.

Gretchen whimpered, all of her sorrow replaced by desire, and she felt dizzy. She opened her mouth wider and licked Jax’s lips, tasting them. Her hips canted forward when Jax tugged at the button of her jeans. She kissed Jax slowly, relishing how well they fit together. Gretchen started moving her hips, grinding her center against Jax’s thigh. She wrapped her arms around Jax’s neck and held her body close. Nothing compared to the feeling of safety she felt when she was surrounded by Jax. Every piece of wreckage that lay at her feet was finally starting to fall back into place.

She lifted her arms and let Jax remove her T-shirt. The air was cold against her bare skin. Gretchen shivered.

“Are you okay?” Jax said, pulling back just enough to look Gretchen in the eyes.

She held Jax’s face in her hands and smiled. “I’m okay.”

Jax lifted Gretchen and carried her to the bed, putting her down carefully. Gretchen was greedy with her hands, pulling at Jax’s sweater and tugging it frantically to get it off her body. She needed skin and warmth and the softness she had been missing.

Jax sat back to take off her pants. She kneeled between Gretchen’s legs in nothing but her sports bra and boxer briefs and smiled down at her. Jax pulled Gretchen’s jeans down her curvy legs. Once the pants were discarded, Jax leaned forward and kissed her panty line. She trailed her mouth up Gretchen’s soft stomach and stopped at her sternum. “I don’t want to hurt you,” she said in a whisper against Gretchen’s skin.