The banging on the front door woke her up. It had to be way past midnight, and for the most part no one should have known where she was. Wary, Arianne pulled the side table drawer open and grabbed her handgun. Then she walked over to her dresser, pulled out a tank top and hastily threw it on. "I am not dying naked," she thought to herself. The banging grew louder. More desperate. "What the fuck?" She whispered.

She hurried to the door and tried to see through her peep hole, but it was too dark to make out who was making all that noise. Ari turned off the safety on her gun and slowly turned the knob with her left hand, making sure she stayed hidden behind the door while keeping her right arm raised and ready to shoot her would be attacker.

Jackson Teller casually strolled into her home. He turned his head and saw her locked and loaded. Ari relaxed immediately and shut the door behind them. She eyed Jax, trying to gage what mood he was in, but he just stood in the middle of her living room staring at the surroundings and then back at her. He gave her a small grin. She noticed a hint of grief peeking through the facade because when he truly smiled, his eyes would light up. There was definitely something wrong and she could feel it.

Ari walked over to the mini bar and set her gun down. She reached for a couple of shot glasses and poured them generous shots of Jack. Ari downed hers quickly and refilled her glass. She turned and held out the second to Jax and said, "Here, have a drink. You scared the shit out of me. What are you doing here?"

She gulped down the second shot. The warmth was starting to go through her body as she waited for him to come forward. But all he did was stare. "What the fuck am I getting myself into?" She asked herself. "Jax?" Ari said out loud.

Hearing his name snapped him out of whatever trance he was in. Jax shook off his kutte and threw it on the nearest couch. His eyes were locked on her. Like he was undressing her in his mind. "This is bad..." She thought. In the haste of his untimely arrival, all she had on was a white tank top and a pair of lacy navy blue boy shorts. Ari was a fit chick. She took pride in being a gym rat who had a body that could hold her own against the guys. And all that hard work was on display. In front of him. "Oh shit! He's coming! What the fuck?" Her mind raced in anticipation.

Jackson Teller...Jax...The Prince...Jackie Boy... Arianne's world was starting to spin and it wasn't from the alcohol. She turned her back on him and downed the shot that was supposed to be his. He was behind her in an instant. His body was pressed against her backside as he reached over her to grab the liquor bottle to take a swig. He slammed the bottle back down and brought his hands down to her hips.

Shivers ran down her spine as Jax's hands felt around the elastic bands of her underwear and started to pull them down. She could feel his breath on her shoulders as his palms touched her bare ass. "Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck...Here we go again..."she screamed internally. He pulled her panties down until she was able to shake them off on her own.

Jax grabbed her by the hips again and turned her to face him. She looked up and asked, "Where's Tara?" He stared back at her with a pained expression but did not say a word. He pulled back a bit but then decided to continue to undress her by grabbing the bottom of her tank top and pulling them up.

Ari offered little resistance as she raised her arms to let him finish. She stood against him, naked, with Jax looking down at his handiwork. She maintained eye contact and asked him again, "Where is Tara?" His response was his hands finding her ass and lifting her up to straddle him. "Where's the bedroom?" Was all that came out of his mouth, but the pained expression returned.

She and Jax have been at it for a long time so she knew better than to ask. Jax was Jax and he would take what he wanted. But for him to come to her meant something was wrong with him and Tara. Ari was trying to live out the rest of her life knowing the man she loved had already found his soulmate. Well, so much for that. This one night stand only brought sick satisfaction of knowing he would always come running back to her. What a fucked up consolation prize. She turned her head towards the hallway as Jax carried her back to bed.

When Jax reached the bedroom, he threw her on the bed. Ari frowned at him but made herself comfortable by spreading her limbs out to expose herself more to her lover. Jax loosened a few buttons off his plaid long-sleeve then pulled it over his head. She heard his shoes hit the wall as he kicked them off and then all that was left was his jeans. "This man only ages better with time" she thought as she licked her lips. Jax stood at the edge of the bed as he unbuckled his belt and undid his zipper.

His jeans fell, and the boxers followed. He grabbed her ankles and pulled her body down to meet his. She was as ready as he was. No foreplay required. This was Jax and Ari. Everything he couldn't say, she felt through his thrusts. He was so angry. She could feel his loneliness, his hurt. It was so sickening. As he fucked the pain away, Ari got that sinking feeling of knowing she would forever be the after-thought. He would only be hers if Tara was gone.

He was crushing her in his urgency and Ari met Jax thrust for thrust. She missed him terribly. Like a dumbass. The stars exploded in her eyes and Jax came with her. He kissed her deeply. But Ari knew he was thinking of HER.

Arianne ended the kiss and asked Jax one last time. "Where is your wife?"

Rage replaced the pained expression she saw earlier as Jax simply replied, "Tara was murdered."

"Fuck!" she remarked coldly.