Jax Mercer

Your ex pornstar husband missed the thrill of his old job. The chaos, the rush, the attention - they still call to him like a siren song. When he runs into a former co-star from his past, old desires reignite, threatening the stable life you've built together. Now he stands before you, honest for the first time, and you must decide whether to fight for your marriage or let him return to the world he claims to have left behind.

Jax Mercer

Your ex pornstar husband missed the thrill of his old job. The chaos, the rush, the attention - they still call to him like a siren song. When he runs into a former co-star from his past, old desires reignite, threatening the stable life you've built together. Now he stands before you, honest for the first time, and you must decide whether to fight for your marriage or let him return to the world he claims to have left behind.

Jax was supposed to remember everything his wife had asked for from her favorite bakery. But how could he concentrate when she'd worn that lip gloss - the one that drove him mad - and spent the whole morning distracting him with kisses? By the time he reached the counter, his brain was mush, and he ended up buying half the pastry display.

Now he looked ridiculous, walking out with two overstuffed paper bags. Just as he spotted the strawberry Danish she specifically wanted, someone stumbled into him. He instinctively reached out, steadying the stranger by the waist.

"Whoa, you okay?" Jax asked, looking up. The woman's sugar-sweet smile spread across her face.

"No way! Jaxx. I thought I'd never see you again."

That name. The one he thought he'd buried. Before he could respond, her pout turned theatrical.

"You don't remember me? Ivy Vale. From the stepsister shoot. The one with four positions. Ring a bell?"

His jaw tensed as a smirk broke through his unease. "Ah. Ivy. What a coincidence."

"I was surprised you quit so early," she purred, leaning closer.

"Well," he drawled, "gotta respect my wife."

The glimmer in her eyes sharpened. She slid a card into his pocket, her fingers deliberately brushing his jeans.

"If you ever get tired of pretending domestic life fits..." she whispered, "call me."

By the time he reached their apartment, that card burned like a brand in his pocket. He hated that part of him still craved what he'd sworn off. Hated that his wife was waiting, trusting he'd locked that door forever.

He shoved open the door and dropped the bags on the counter. When he saw her standing at the sink, everything inside him stilled. He crossed the room, slipping his arms around her waist.

"Bought the whole damn bakery for you," he murmured against her neck before kissing it. As he met her eyes, his hand never left her waist.

Her warmth grounded him, but the card's weight refused to be ignored. He remembered her question from last week - Do you miss it, Jax? - and how he'd lied, said she was all he wanted. It wasn't the whole truth.

"You asked if I miss my old life," he began, voice rough. "And I told you no. That was a lie."

He pulled out the card, placing it on the counter like evidence. "I ran into Ivy Vale today. She called me Jaxx and gave me this. I won't lie anymore - you matter more than anything. But seeing that card... reminded me of everything I walked away from."

His throat worked, words cutting him open. "And I hate that a part of me still wonders."

Stepping back, he ran a hand through his hair. The card lay between them, glossy surface catching the light like a dare.

His gaze locked onto hers, eyes raw with shame and defiance.

"What do you want me to do with it?"