Chapter 1

NOTE: This started as a conversation with a friend, a what if of sorts and it somehow ended up here, though this was not the original content of the conversation, it was more a suggestion, a mention of something...I'd say I have a dirty mind, but her's isn't any better. Since you're here reading you might be in the same boat. Enjoy.

She wasn't sure how she'd ended up sitting in the nursery watching the baby sleep in her arms. She'd told herself she was just going to lay him down and turn off the lights, but he was so sweet, the weight of him so heavy and light at the same time. She had to admit she hadn't realized how tranquil it would make her feel and she smiled against his hair and hummed some old lullaby she only half remembered. She exhaled slowly and let her head fall back against the rocker as she relaxed into the the wood and closed her eyes with a soft sigh.

She couldn't say how long she stayed that way, maybe a few minutes, maybe an hour, but she was pretty sure it was the low rumble of a bike that woke her. She blinked into the soft glow of the night light that lit the room and pulled the sleeping baby a bit tighter to her breast as she sat up against the rocker. Her movement caused him to squirm and she whispered soft sounds against his hair and soothed a manicured hand down his back until he settled. She cocked her head to the side, alert now to the sounds coming from outside. She heard the rumble cough to end end and a few seconds later there was the soft jangle of keys before the door opened. She moved then, quick and as graceful as she could, she stood and lifted Thomas easily onto her shoulder and then softly put him in his bed.

She'd just managed to pull his blanket up over him and soothe him back to sleep by humming another few lines of that same old lullaby when she saw, or rather felt the boy's father at her back. She straightened as a hand landed on her shoulder. She didn't jump, just looked up with a shy smile.

"The boys good for you?" He moved to her side, his voice was barely a whisper as he reached down to trace a finger over his son's small hand.

She watched Jax's hand move gently over his son's form and then watched as he retucked the blanket she'd just put in place and then his eyes found hers. She didn't miss the weariness or the lonliness. She nodded and then pointed toward the door and held a finger to her lips when the baby squirmed and made a soft sound in his sleep.

When they were safely in the hall she pulled the door mostly closed and moved toward the kitchen. She didn't wait for Jax. She just opened the fridge and bent down to look inside. "You thirsty or hungry?" She looked over her shoulder then to see him leaning against the door jamb watching her. "You've lost some weight, isn't anyone feeding you?"

He snorted at her and held out a hand. "Hand me the milk."

Her eyebrow rose, but she pulled the carton out, leaned back without facing him and waited until he took it from her hand. She was still undeterred from her question, but now she had a better idea of what she was working with so she stood and turned, determined to see if she could fix him something to eat. But what she saw made her stop. There she stood in the open door of the refrigerator, watching Jax upend the milk carton. She couldn't look away and she didn't want to. She let her gaze follow his profile and down the line of his throat as it worked to swallow. His hand gripped the carton carefully and she noticed the bruises on his knuckles, one bloodied still from some punch he'd thrown. He took a breath, licked his lips and she watched his tongue swipe across his full lower lip, catching a stray drop or two before he tilted his head back for another drink.

He hadn't shaved in a few days and he had the makings of a light beard on his face and neck. She watched a small drizzle of milk run from the corner of his lips, down his chin and settle in his blond goatee. Her mouth went a little dry. She had to shake her head and then she cleared her throat softly as she started absently drumming her nails along the top of the fridge door. "You've been gone all day. Did you eat at all?"

He downed more milk and then lowered the carton, wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and smiled as he shook his head. "Who'd have thought you cared so much?"

She leveled her gaze at him and she stepped away from the fridge letting the door close behind her. "You've always helped me out Jax." She smiled sadly. "Not just the club, they took their clue from you and it could have gone different for me." She shrugged then and looked down at herself. "Not everyone gives a girl like me a fair chance."

"Who gives a shit about everyone else?" He brushed past her, yanked open the fridge door and shoved the mostly empty milk container back onto the shelf. He pulled out a pie plate covered in plastic wrap and frowned, pulled back the wrap, sniffed and then shrugged before he turned to look at Venus. "Any idea what this is?"

She rolled her eyes. "Actually, yes." She said as she slid toward him, pulled plate from his hand and peeled the wrap off. "Sit down and I'll warm some up for you."

His eyebrow rose and he stayed where he was. "Where did it come from?"

She slapped his ass and pointed to the kitchen table. "What do you mean where did it...for fuck sake Jackson. What do you think I fed your children while you were out breaking laws and doing, well doing whoever." She winked as she put the plate in the microwave and pushed a couple buttons. "It's better fresh from the oven when the crust is flaky, but it'll do this way."

She leaned against the counter and watched Jax watching her. She felt suddenly nervous. "Do you want a beer?" She smiled and pointed to the fridge. "Hell I do, I hate to tell you this, but Able wears a girl out."

Jax chuckled as he sat. "I suppose he does." He took the offered beer, twisted the top off and took a long swig. He frowned. "Did he ask you anything?" His words were hesitant.

Venus opened her own beer and watched him as she drank. "He asked me plenty, but not about what you mean, no." It was quiet except for the hum of the microwave and then when the alert chimed she almost jumped. She set the beer down and carefully pulled the plate from the oven. She pulled two plates out, set a serving on each and then put them down at the table.

Jax stood and pulled forks from a drawer, held them up and smiled. "I don't suppose we should eat with our fingers?"

"Thomas did." She smiled, took the fork and pointed at his plate. "Now eat."

He eyed his plate, pushed the food around with his fork and the lifted a forkful closer to his mouth. "What exactly am I eating?"

She chewed and swallowed. "I know it doesn't look like much right now, but it was prettier before." She sighed and poked her fork into her own plate. "It's just chicken pot pie and it's completely homemade."

His eyebrow rose higher. "You telling me you made this?" His words came out in a snort, his fork clattered to the plate and then he pushed it toward the center of the table as he shook his head. "My kids are gonna live, right?"

Venus glared, her lips crashed together and her eyes narrowed, then she smiled almost coldly and filled her fork with another bite. "You didn't even try it."

"And I'm not gonna." He sipped his beer and shook his head again as he eyed the food. "Look, I've had enough of my dad's cooking, plenty of Chibb's half-assed attempts at food," he sat back in his chair with a challenge on his face, "and don't get me started on Tig, because he counts Cheetos in beer as breakfast. So excuse me if I'm not in a big hurry to try some of..." he tilted his beer toward the plate and raised a brow, "whatever it is you made. I'm a bit gun shy now when any of the brothers tell me they know what they're doing in the kitchen. I guess other than scrambling an egg or grilling some meat most men I know just need to learn to stick to things that come from the freezer or cans."

Venus blinked back her disappointment, she was used to be classified as a man when things suited the person she was with. She nodded and swallowed as she held her fork up and leaned toward the cocky ass across from her. "I agree with you on all counts Jax, but you're forgetting something baby."

"Oh really and what's that sweetheart?" His lip quirked up at the corner.

"I'm not a man." She held the fork closer to his lips, her breasts pressed against the table putting her cleavage on full display to Jax and she didn't miss when his gaze dipped and stalled below her chin. She blinked slowly and licked her lips. "I'll make you a bet?"

"Hmm?" Jax's eyes slowly rose back to hers. "Bet?" He smiled almost drunkenly.

She nodded, "Mmm-hmm, a bet." The fork touched his lower lip and she watched his tongue dart out, but she pulled the fork back. "You hate my pot pie and you don't pay me for sitting for the boys."

His eyebrows drew together and his eyes swept up to hers. "If I like it?"

She sat up, gave him a sultry smile and ran the top of her foot up his calf. "Well then you eat it, pay me and I get to fulfill a fantasy I've had for a while."

He shook his head. "Hell no." He started to stand up, his bruised hand fisted as he did. "I should shoot you where you stand..."

"Hey there, I didn't even tell you what it was." Venus slid quickly from her own chair, put a hand on his chest and pushed firmly. Jax plopped back into his chair. She shook her head and threw a leg over his lap. She smiled as he fussed. "You're getting me excited Jackson." She pouted at him and rocked herself against his lap to prove her point. "Now sit still and listen to me."