Page 27 of Triple the Danger

He heard his brothers behind him laughing, but he didn’t pay them any attention. His whole focus on the blond in front of him. “Try it, baby,” he invited silkily. “We’ll see how far you get.”

“Ugh. Seriously? I thought we would have been too early for all that kinky talk,” another voice called in disgust, making them all look over to see Wren and Winter, their faces twisted in annoyance, and yes, disgust. Behind them, Scarlett and Rogue looked resigned to the fact that there wasn’t much they could do about what they overheard.

Saylor snickered, and Jax narrowed his eyes at her. She just grinned at him and turned back to the twins. “It seems Jax here thinks all you women are pains in the ass,” she told the girls, who both turned scowls back at him.

Ah, shit.

Rogue shot him a look that clearly told him he was an idiot, while Scarlett looked displeased. The twins, however, had a look in their eyes that made his gut quiver. He saw how they went after Rogue, and he definitely didn’t need them going after him. He had two options, and he was going to take the easy way out. Instead of replying, he moved, threw Saylor over his shoulder and headed for the door, even as she snarled at him and slapped at his back. “You asshole,” she seethed. “That pain in your ass is about to become a reality the minute you put me down. My foot is going to go up so far up it, you’ll need it to be reconstructed.”

“I like her,” he heard Wren say with a laugh behind him.

“Jesus,” Rogue grunted.

He tuned it all out as he hit the door of the clubhouse and walked outside. He nodded when he saw Ice and Fury chatting, but both stopped to stare as he walked past. “You good, brother?” Ice called out to him, a lilt of amusement in his tone.

“Why don’t you fucking ask me that?” Saylor demanded, and he could feel her planting her hands on his lower back to press herself up enough to lift her head. “Jax, if you don’t put me down, I swear to God I’ll be putting not only my foot but anything else sharp and pointy I can find up your ass.”

He heard Fury and Ice choke. “Oh, shit,” Fury laughed. “You sure you don’t need back-up, brother?”

“I’m good,” he called calmly over his shoulder as he headed for the warehouse. He walked up the steps when he reached it, careful to make sure Saylor didn’t bump her head, and then turned the knob and walked in, kicked the door shut and locked it behind him.

Now came the fun part of setting her down and not letting her make good on her threat.

He had half a mind to just take her into the bedroom, but instead, he headed for the couch and dropped her on it, quickly grabbing her wrists when she lashed out at him, and then blocking her knees when she tried to use them as well. She glared up at him, and he was sure she was ready to bare her teeth at him. Before she could speak, however, he said firmly, “We’re talking, Saylor. That’s it.”

He could all but hear her grind her teeth as she glared at him. “What the hell do we need to talk about?” she snapped. “I’m not doing the whole ‘you’re mine’ conversation again. Should I have said that I was going to screw the entire clubhouse, no, but I’m not taking it back either. You don’t own me, you don’t control me, and that’s final.”

He could admit he was heavy-handed in his approach earlier, and that was pure jealousy taking over. “You’re right, and I’m sorry,” he told her calmly. Her eyes widened, clearly not expecting that response. Carefully, he released her and stepped back, staring down at her. He gave her a wry smile. “Just because I’m a biker doesn’t mean I don’t know how to apologize.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “No, but that was such a quick turnaround that I’m right to be suspicious,” she countered. “Why the sudden change of heart?”

He sighed and moved to sit down in the old recliner; it had been here so long, he was sure it came with the building. He sat forward, bracing his arms on his thighs and regarded her calmly. “Because you have me so tied up in knots that I can’t think straight,” he admitted.

Her eyes widened further. “How the fuck can that be?” she demanded. “We barely know each other.”

“Who the fuck knows?” he shrugged. “Around here, the guys all seem to find their women and just fall. Probably something in the air or the water or some shit. But I just know that when I look at you, I don’t see a stranger passing through.”

She blinked at him for a long moment, until finally, she looked down at herself and said dramatically, “I told you to cool it with the pussy magic. Now look what you’ve done!”

He couldn’t help but laugh. This woman was something else. She looked at him with an amused smile. “Babe, there is no doubting that your snatch is addictive, but it’s not all I’ve noticed about you.”

“And what was?”

“That you’re sharp as a tack, sexy as hell, and have no problem speaking your mind.”

“From the sounds of things, that’s every woman here. So I’m not that special.”

Jax leaned back in the chair. “Look, I don’t have all the answers. I’m just as confused as you. I don’t do relationships. I fuck and fly. Quick and easy, everyone’s happy, and nothing to worry about. But here you are, and in less than twelve hours, you’ve flipped my life upside down. I’m not real sure I’m happy about it either.”

Instead of getting offended at his statement, she cocked her head and replied, “Then it’s good I’m only here for a week, isn’t it?” His only response was to watch her, silently. She huffed out a sigh. “Look, Jax, I think you and I need to come to an understanding. Otherwise, we’re going to be doing this shit all week, and I’m not having it. Also, you need to stop putting me over your shoulder. I told you, my ribs are still healing from Leon’s beating, and doing that only irritates them.”

Guilt hit him hard. “Shit, I’m sorry,” he replied, straightening. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

She gave him an incredulous look. “When the hell have I had a chance, when you were acting like an overgrown caveman?”

He winced. She was right. He never gave her a chance to speak. Shit. He was fucking this whole thing up. It was yet another reason why he never bothered with relationships. He was not going to be good at them. Doubt hit him, and he tried to push it down. Now wasn’t the time for that. He’d handle that shit later. “I won’t do it again,” he promised her. “I really am sorry, Saylor. If you had told me that shit earlier when we were out at the lake, I wouldn’t have done it.”

She shrugged. “I was kind of in the moment then,” she sighed. “Look, life is short, so how about we just leave the shit from earlier behind? No more picking me up, no more fighting, and for the next week we continue on like normal people and be cordial and friendly. Deal?”

---