booktalesy Chapter 162: More than One
Chapter 162: More than One
Jaxon studied her for a moment without saying anything. Then he nodded and shrugged.
"Alright then. If you say so." He said, as a faint grin formed on his face.
That smile made something in Elaine snap. Her grip loosened as the rifle slipped slightly from her hand, and before she fully realized it, her fists were lightly hitting his chest.
"You...!" she said, flustered, her voice breaking slightly. "I don’t care if you won’t tell me your secret... but why does it feel like you’ve already forgotten about our first kiss?!"
The words came out faster than she intended, and she froze immediately after saying them.
Her body stiffened, jaw tightening as embarrassment and frustration surged at once. But she didn’t take it back, not this time. Everything she had been holding in finally slipped out.
"Why are you acting like nothing happened?" she said softly, her voice shaking slightly as she looked up at him. Her glossy eyes trembled, holding back tears as she whispered. "I’ve been waiting, you know..."
She didn’t get to finish. Jaxon suddenly stepped in and closed the distance between them, his hand gently guiding her closer as he leaned down, and their lips met.
Elaine’s eyes widened for a brief moment before slowly closing as the tension in her body melted away. Everything she had been holding back seemed to loosen all at once, and she instinctively leaned into him.
Jaxon’s hand settled on her waist, pulling her closer, while her fingers moved up and wrapped around his neck, holding on tightly as if afraid he would pull away.
Both of them were inexperienced at kissing, but that didn’t stop Jaxon. He gently slipped his tongue into hers, and Elaine hesitated for a moment before trying to follow his lead.
Their movements were clumsy at first, a quiet struggle as they learned each other’s rhythm, and the kiss stretched on for a long minute before they finally pulled apart, a thin strand of saliva still connecting them for a brief second before breaking.
"Haa... haa..." Elaine gasped for air, her chest rising and falling quickly, while Jaxon seemed far less affected, as if holding his breath for several minutes was nothing to him.
Elaine met his eyes, and a deep blush quickly spread across her cheeks and neck.
Jaxon smiled faintly and leaned closer, his voice dropping into a quiet whisper near her ear. "You look really beautiful like this, Elaine."
Her breath hitched slightly. She turned her face away just a little, as if trying to hide it, but she didn’t pull back.
"I don’t like this feeling," she whispered after a moment. "It makes me feel selfish."
Jaxon’s hand rested gently against her back. "Then be selfish," he said simply.
Before she could respond, he leaned in again and kissed her once more.
This time, Elaine didn’t hesitate. Her arms tightened around his neck, holding him close like she had finally made up her mind not to let go. The hesitation from before was gone, replaced by something quieter but more certain.
After a moment, her nervousness faded into curiosity. Her hands slowly moved over him, from his neck down to his chest, feeling the warmth beneath his clothes. Jaxon responded in kind, his hands resting at her back, before gradually sliding lower to her rear, holding her closer against him.
Elaine shifted slightly, trying to pull him closer, but Jaxon suddenly broke the kiss.
"Wait," he said softly.
Elaine blinked, still caught in the moment.
Jaxon exhaled and shook his head. "Not now, we still need to stay alert. I want our time alone to be uninterrupted."
He leaned in, his lips grazing her ear. "I want to enjoy our time properly... and I’m not in a hurry."
Elaine’s blush deepened, her chest rising with a shaky breath.
"Mm..." She nodded quietly.
Jaxon guided her down with him, both of them lying side by side on the bed. His arm slipped around her, holding her close.
Elaine didn’t pull away. Instead, she shifted closer, resting lightly against him, her hand still holding onto his chest as her breathing gradually steadied.
Jaxon didn’t say anything more as he knew she was too embarrassed to say anything, and was still processing what just happened.
They stayed like that for a long moment, enjoying each other’s company in silence.
After a long while, Elaine finally calmed down a little. Then she spoke while her head rested on his chest. "Jaxon."
"Yes?"
"What are you going to do about Natasha and Na-rin?" she asked softly. Even though she had decided to be honest with her feelings, a bit of guilt and worry still lingered in her voice.
"Hmm? Why would I need to do anything?" Jaxon replied, sounding calm and unconcerned.
Elaine lifted her head to look at him, then lightly pinched his side.
"Ow."
"You know what I mean," she said, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Especially your sister, she’s kind of scary. I know she won’t say anything, I know she won’t say anything but she will stare at me to death."
Jaxon chuckled a little. "You’ll be fine, she’s a nice girl."
"She’s only nice to you," Elaine muttered, pouting. Then her voice turned soft. "But Na-rin, she’ll be hurt..."
Jaxon stared down at her then spoke. "Na-rin knew we kissed back then."
"What?" Elaine blinked in surprise
"She told me she wanted to stay by my side too. I thought she wasn’t serious at the time, but she actually meant it." Jaxon smiled, thinking of that silent girl.
Elaine went quiet after hearing that. Something about it made her chest feel uneasy, and after a moment she finally voiced it. "...Do you like her?"
"Yes," Jaxon answered without hesitation.
"What?" Elaine frowned, pushing herself up slightly. "Aren’t we..."
"And I like you too," he added before she could finish.
Elaine froze, trying to process his words. It didn’t make sense to her. To her, liking someone meant choosing them, fully. Not sharing that space with others.
"What does that mean...?" she asked quietly, her voice tighter now.