Stolen Identity: Mute Heiress

Jax froze when the words left Mari's mouth. His pencil stilled in the air. For a long moment, he didn't move. It was as though her words had struck something deep inside him.

Mari's heart pounded in her chest, and she suddenly worried that he didn't believe her because she had said it too soon, "It's the truth. I feel it here—" she pressed her hand to her chest, right over her heart, "—every time I look at you. Every time you look at me or touch me. My heart feels like it's going to explode."

A slow smile formed on his face. "You're not there yet, love. Not as much as I want you to be. But by the time I'm done with you, you'd be," he promised.

A smile tugged on her lips but she raised a brow. "By the time you're done with me? You plan to be done with me? Now I'm worried Diva was right…" she trailed off with a laugh when Jax glared at her.

"Why do you like talking about her when you know I don't like it?"

"Sorry. I couldn't resist," she said with a grin.

Jax eyed her, his heart was bursting with love for her. He wanted to kiss her, but at the same time he didn't want to. His mind was still on the drawing and he didn't want to break his concentration until he was done. She'd distracted him already.

Without another word he returned his gaze to the drawing.

She bit her lip, worried that she might have upset him and ruined the moment because of her joke. "I… I didn't mean to annoy you. I was kidding."

Seeing that she had misunderstood, he slowly set the pencil down. He reached out and tilted her chin so she had no choice but to look at him. His eyes were burning, searching hers.

"You think I'm annoyed?" His voice was low and rough.

Mari swallowed hard when she saw the way he looked at her, but nodded. "Are you not?" Her voice was soft, almost breathless.

Jax let out a shaky laugh, but his eyes glistened. "Christ, Mari… you truly do not know the extent of my feelings for you."

Something about the way he said it and looked at her made her pulse quicken.

Before she could answer, he pulled her into his lap, his arms wrapping tight around her, almost crushing her to him. His lips found hers and he kissed her like he was breathing her in.

Mari's breath caught when his mouth pressed to hers. His kiss was deep, and hungry. Her fingers curled in his hair as his arms pulled her tighter, holding her so close she could feel the heavy beat of his heart against her chest.

When he finally drew back, his forehead stayed pressed to hers. His breath was warm, shaky, and full of need.

"You drive me mad," he whispered.

Mari's lips curved, her cheeks hot. "Good mad?" She asked, her chest rising and falling.

"The absolute best kind of mad, I promise," Jax said, his thumb brushing her cheek.

Her heart swelled so big she thought it might burst. She traced the line of his jaw with her fingers, smiling as she looked into his eyes. "I like making you mad then."

He chuckled low, the sound rough and warm. "You've gotten under my skin since the first day. And now, you're in my blood. I don't think I can breathe without you anymore. You're mine, Maribel," he whispered.

It was a statement, not a question.

Her smile was soft, her heart pounding as she whispered back, "You're mine, Jax."

And then he kissed her again. It was softer this time, almost reverent.

Mari melted into him, her body fitting against his like it had always belonged there. Jax broke the kiss and his gaze flickered down to his throbbing bulge when Mari ground against it.

Heat sparked in his eyes but he pulled her closer again and buried his face in her neck.

"You don't know what you do to me," he murmured against her skin, his lips brushing her pulse.

Her breath hitched. "Then show me."

Jax chuckled, then let out a long, shaky breath as he pulled back and cupped her face with both hands. "I will as soon as you stop distracting me and I'm done with this painting."

Mari laughed, "I really do want to leave you and let you focus, but at the same time I just want to look at you and talk to you and kiss you. I just can't help it."

Jax chuckled, feeling both amused and happy. "Really?"

"Really." Mari leaned her head against his shoulder, her voice muffled but full of wonder. "I still can't believe this is real. I feel like I'm dreaming."

Jax stroked her hair, his lips curling into a grin against her crown. "Wouldn't be the first time I'm having such realistic dreams of you. But if this particular one is a dream, then I better never wake up."

Mari giggled as she turned to look at the unfinished painting. "Alright, finish this. I'm dying to see it and also have you to myself back on the bed."

His eyes softened, and he kissed her once more before picking up the pencil again. "I'll be quick."

And as the strokes of his pencil filled the canvas, Mari sat close beside him, her hand resting on his thigh.

Every time his pencil touched the canvas, her chest tightened. It wasn't just drawing. It was love being poured out, piece by piece, line by line.

It made her think of the other paintings at home. All the love that had been poured out in color.

Overwhelmed and unable to sit still, she rose, but Jax turned immediately, glancing at her with a small smile. "Don't leave. This is my first painting with my muse in here. I love the feel of your presence."

Her cheeks warmed. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled softly as she sat down again. "Alright. But can I talk to you while you work or do you prefer silence?"

"I usually prefer to work when it's silent. But I think the only sound I don't mind hearing is your voice," Jax said casually, and Mari smiled as she gazed at him, wondering how he could say sweet things in such a careless manner.

"So, how long does it take you to paint? Do you always need to draw the subject before painting? Can't you just paint?" She asked, and he glanced at her.

"This will take about 3 hours or less. I don't draw when it is an inanimate painting. Please, no more questions. I will answer your questions when I'm done because I can't work and talk. I like to focus when I work, and to answer your questions I'd need to pause to think. So, for now just talk to me. Tell me more about yourself," he said, and Mari nodded.

Mari chattered for a while talking about how she met Emily and Jamal, she told him about high school and college and Jax chipped in and asked her questions at intervals.

After painting for a while Jax glanced at her, "Can you turn around?"

"Huh?"

"I'm almost done. I don't want you to see it until I'm done. You know like when you go for a makeover and your chair is swiveled around so you face the mirror?" He asked, and Mari giggled.

"Okay," she said, turning her back to the painting but remaining on her seat.

When Jax finally finished, he leaned back, and exhaled slowly as he set his brush aside, smiling at what he had done.

Mari straightened. "Is it done?"

"Yeah. You can turn around now," he said, and Mari did.

Jax watched with a grin as her hand flew to her mouth.

He had captured not just her face and body, but her spirit. She looked alive and very real on the canvas, her eyes shining, her lips curved as though she was about to laugh. The background glowed with soft colors that seemed to breathe warmth.

"It's beautiful and so fucking sexy," she whispered, her throat tight. "I've never seen anything so beautiful. Not even the other ones you sent."

"You're the beautiful and sexy one," Jax said quietly, his gaze fixed not on the painting but on her.

Her chest ached at the tenderness in his voice. She turned to him, stepping into his arms without thinking, and hugged him tight despite the paint stains on him.

"I love it. Thank you," she whispered against his chest.

He pressed his lips to her hair. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she whispered.

"Now, I need to clean up, while we leave this to dry," he said as he rose, and Mari followed him as he took the brushes to clean them up in the washroom of the studio, and together they returned to the bedroom.