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She Will Be Loved

Chapter 53: Harder

By Love Ink

When Juice woke up the next morning, it took a minute for the memories of the night before to hit him. He'd kissed Angela. Multiple times. Each kiss better than the one before. He'd kissed her and told her how he felt, and she'd...she'd said she felt the same way. Had for a long time. It was surreal. All the years he'd waited for her hadn't been in vain. He was finally getting his chance, and he was not going to screw it up. The smell of coffee and bacon wafted towards him, and he grinned; she was awake. He got out of bed before quickly making it and heading to his bathroom to shower. He shaved down his mohawk again, making sure the sides of his head were perfectly smooth and applying some aftershave to his freshly shaven face. He wanted to look and smell his best for her. He put on a fresh pair of boxers with a pair basketball shorts over it, forgoing his shirt and heading towards the kitchen.

Angela was humming to herself while she washed something in the kitchen sink. Her hair was wet as if she'd just gotten out of the shower, hanging down her back and starting to curl just a little at the ends as it dried. He'd seen this sight before when he'd stayed the night at her place back in New York. He'd wake up, and she'd be making breakfast for him and Raj. He used to watch her cook, wishing he could wrap his arms around her and kiss her cheek. Except, for the first time, he could actually do it. This time she was wearing his sweatshirt and cooking just for him.

"Mornin', goof," she said without looking up as if she'd sensed his presence.

"Mornin', beautiful," he replied. He took a few steps closer, leaning against the counter beside her. He resisted the urge to wrap his arms around her, trying to figure out where their boundaries were. He didn't want to overwhelm her the first day after they'd kissed. He didn't even know if she liked that kind of affection. Didn't know what she liked other than what he'd seen with her and Raj, and their displays were limited at best. Simple kisses and respectful touches. Nothing overtly passionate. Was that her preference or had it been Raj's?

There was a bit of flour on her face, and he lifted his hand to brush it off, letting his fingers linger on her cheek for a moment before he leaned in and kissed her, a soft, sweet 'good morning' kiss. Her lips molded to his in the most perfect way. He pulled away slowly, loving the little smile on her face, the dazed look in her eyes. She connected their lips again, her arms moving around his neck and pulling him in closer. He slid his arms around her waist, one hand sliding up her back. Turning, he pressed her against the kitchen counter, his tongue moving into her mouth to taste her. Fire spread through his skin as her hands roamed all over his bare torso, leaving licks of heat in their wake.

The oven timer went off, pulling them both into reality. She pulled away, breathless. "Damn," she murmured.

"Yeah," he agreed on a little nod.

She reached up to frame his face with her hands and kissed him. Quicker this time before she pulled away with a happy sigh. "My scones are gonna burn."

"So we'll have burnt scones," he stated, kissing her once again just because he could. He made a mental note that she was okay with kissing as she hadn't shied away from his kisses. Not once. In fact, she'd pulled him in closer. Maybe she was more affectionate than he realized.

She broke the kiss with a laugh, shaking her head at him. "No, we can't because Kozik told Gemma I make the best scones, and last night, Koz told me I had to bring them to the clubhouse today for the post party brunch to prove it to her," she explained on a frown. He stepped back, allowing her to go to the oven. She pulled out the baking sheets and set them down on the counter. The sheets had over a dozen awkwardly formed scones, lightly browned on top. They smelled heavenly, and his stomach grumbled. She gave him a warm smile, breaking a piece off one she'd already made and offering it to him. "Tell me what you think. They're maple and bacon, Koz and Quinn's favorite."

He grabbed the piece of scone from her, putting it in his mouth, and groaning at the taste of it. It was salty and sweet. "Koz wasn't lyin'. You do make the best scones. That why you're up so early?"

"Kinda. It's not that I want Gemma's approval or whatever, but I kinda want her to stop glaring at me every time I see her," she rambled, breaking off the corner of one of them and tasting it. "Think she's gonna keep glaring 'cause she thinks I'm after Jax, so until she finds out I'm with you, then it'll be glare city. Which is fine. I get it. She's protective, and I'm foreign. I'm just tired of having these ridiculously awkward conversations with her and the judgement and the glares and...stop laughing at me!"

Juice couldn't help but laugh at her rambling. It was something she did when she was nervous, and he secretly loved it. He could listen to her ramble all day since it usually gave him insight to what she was feeling. This time was no different. "I'm not! I'm not," he said, doing his best to stop. There was another reason he was smiling, though. Through her rambling, she'd said something that made his heart skip a beat. "I just...you said you were with me."

Her brows furrowed in confusion before her cheeks got red. "Oh. I um...shit, I'm sorry. That was...you're right, we just kissed or whatever. I guess after all that I assumed...but we never established what we were, so I guess...I..."

He kissed her again, cutting off her stammering. "You're with me. I'm with you," he told her with a smile before he backtracked, "I mean, that's what I want...but if you want to move slower, we can move slower too and just be...whatever the in between thing is. Friends with benefits, I guess."

"I don't want that," she answered with a scowl. "I want to be with-with you...which sounds so silly and high school to say, but…that's what I want."

His heart did a stupid little flip at her words. She wanted to be with him. It still blew his mind that he was the one she wanted. He didn't deserve her, but he was going to hold on to her as long as he could. "Good," he said, taking the rest of the scone from her and kissing her again. He bit of another piece of scone before asking, "We gotta go to the clubhouse soon, then?"

Angela nodded, frowning just a bit. "Yeah. Apparently, Gemma told Wendy to tell me to be there by ten with the scones and the prospect," she said, starting to put some kind of icing on the scones.

He checked the clock on the oven and grimaced. They only had about an hour until then. "Shit. We should get ready to go then, huh?" he asked, already excited to have her on the back of his motorcycle again since she'd left her car at the clubhouse the night before.

"Yeah. I gotta get changed," she replied on a nod. To his surprise, she kissed his cheek as she walked by. He followed after her at a slower pace, enjoying the view of her ass.

He got dressed quickly in his usual attire, adding a touch of cologne before putting on his rings and his cut. He walked out of his room at the same time she walked out of hers. She was wearing a pair of tight jeans, short motorcycle boots, and a tight burgundy beater. Her leather motorcycle jacket was in her hand, one he'd seen her wear dozens of times in the past. She hadn't put much make-up on, and her hair was starting to dry in soft waves. She must've put something in it to tame it because it was less frizzy than it'd been before, and he could smell something stronger than just her shampoo. Black mirrored aviator sunglasses were pushed back into her hair, keeping it out of her face and showing off small gold hoops dangling from her ears. The whole look was Angela at her most comfortable. Simple. Beautiful. He loved it. "Ready to go, pretty lady?"

Angela rolled her eyes at him but nodded, reaching out to play with the snap on the little pocket of his cut again. He wondered if it was a nervous habit. Something to do with her hands like when she twisted her rings when she was anxious. It felt intimate almost. Like a wife fixing her husband's tie. She looked up at him with a little smile, and he leaned forward, gently tapping his forehead against hers. Her eyes fluttered closed as she rubbed her nose against his, her lips parting just a little before they met his. She let her jacket fall to the floor as she looped her arms around his neck. He slid his arms around her waist, pulling her in closer to him until she was flush against him, the curves of her body seemed to fit perfectly against him. He lost himself in the feel of her, his hands acting on their own accord as they slid under her top, enjoying the silky smooth feel of her skin against his palm. She shivered against him, a soft moan escaping her hold as the tips of his fingers brushed against the lace of her bra. He wondered what color it was, if her panties matched. As well as he knew her, this was a piece of her he had never gotten to explore. She gasped as his hand cupped her breast, breaking away from the kiss just slightly, and he kissed his way across her jawline, down her throat, nipping and sucking at her soft skin.

He knew they'd agreed to move slowly, but he couldn't stop himself; he was entranced by the taste of her skin, wanted to kiss every inch of her. Her soft sigh of pleasure spurred him to keep going, and he kissed his way down her chest, nosing the fabric of her tank top out of the way to kiss over her clavicle, surprised when he felt the smallest bump in the bone where it'd been broken months before. He could've lost her that day. Lost her, and they would never have had this moment. He nipped at the spot, moving his tongue over it and smiling when she whimpered his name. He lifted his head to kiss her lips again, knowing if he went any further, he wouldn't be able to stop.

He pulled away, putting his forehead to hers once again and smiling as he watched her chest rise and fall with heavy breaths. The spot on her clavicle was slightly red, but it'd be hidden underneath her jacket and the thicker strap of her top. Her eyes were sparkling as she looked up at him, biting at her lower lip.

She had to stop looking at him like that, or he wasn't going to be able to control himself. "Angel..." he started, unsure of where he was going with it but just wanting to say her name.

She took his face in her hands, kissing him again before kissing his nose. "Damn. You're really good at...that," she said, breathlessly.

Now that was something he hadn't heard before. He grinned proudly. "Yeah?" he asked. His hand was still on her breast, thumb trailing over the lace bra, aware of the hardened bud of her nipple underneath.

He heard her inhale sharply as she nodded. She set her hands on his chest, pushing just a little. "We should get going," she stated, playing with his pocket again and making no move to leave. "Don't want to be late."

He swallowed hard, bobbing his head as he moved his hand away. He really didn't care about being late to the clubhouse, though he knew he should; it would look bad to his brothers if he didn't respect Gemma's requested arrival time. "Yeah," he said on a breath. He kissed her again. "Can't have that."

"Uh-uh," she agreed, shaking her head. Her eyes met his, and a blush colored her cheeks. "Stop looking at me like that. You're making it harder."

He grinned at her; he'd just been thinking the same thing. "That's what he said."

Her head fell back as she laughed at him, pushing him away. She grabbed the front of his cut and tugged him down the hall. "Come on, goof. Let's go! Maybe we can resume this later."

He laughed with her, stopping at the door and waiting there while she put the scones into a tupperware container he knew she'd stolen from her Aunt's house. Once she was done, she carefully placed them into the large bag on the couch and slung it over her shoulder before going to the door. He blocked her from leaving. "One more kiss. Just to hold me over 'til we're alone again?"

Angela nodded, pulling on the front of his cut and connecting his lips in a sweet kiss. "There," she said, before grabbing his hand and moving her fingers between his. "Now let's go 'fore we both get in trouble."

Angela's heart was still racing as she took Juice's hand. That shared kiss had been...amazing. The way his lips felt on her skin was intoxicating. She found herself getting lost in his touch, in his kisses. She'd wanted more. So much more. To feel every part of him against her. Feel him inside of her. The feeling was intense, overwhelmingly so, so she'd pushed him away. They were supposed to be taking things slow and jumping into bed with him the day after they'd kissed was definitely not slow.

He grabbed an extra helmet from the back of his bike, placing it on her head and doing up the strap as he'd done the night before only this time, he leaned in and kissed her quickly. That one more kiss he'd asked for back in the house was total bullshit. Clearly, he was going to kiss her any moment he could, and she didn't mind it one bit. Just the simple kiss made her heart flutter. "Ready, baby?" he asked, caressing her cheek lovingly.

There he went calling her 'baby' again. The common nickname sent a thrill through her. Had ever since the first time he'd done it even when she'd been struggling to fight for consciousness after her car crash, hearing him say it had pulled her back to reality. It made her heart skip a beat every time. "Ready, goof."

The ride to the SAMCRO compound was far too short in her opinion. She loved riding behind Juice and found herself clinging as tightly to him as possible. She knew he'd taken the longest route to get there, but it still wasn't enough time especially since they had to act like nothing had changed between them the second they walked into the clubhouse.

He backed the bike in beside the others, waiting for her to get off before dismounting himself. Quickly, she removed her own helmet, aware of Gemma watching them from the door of the clubhouse. Juice took the helmet from her, his eyes lingering on hers for a minute before darting to her lips. She smiled at him, smacking his chest playfully before nodding towards the clubhouse.

Juice noticed Gemma standing there and got the hint; no sneaking kisses in front of the eagle-eyed matriarch. He sighed heavily as she walked around him, though she couldn't resist letting her finger trail over the smooth leather on the back of his prospect's cut. She knew he felt it by the way he shivered a bit, the smallest smile turning up the corners of his mouth. She grabbed the scones out of her bag as she approached Gemma. "I um...Kozik said you wanted scones?" Angela said, offering the container to her.

Gemma looked at her down her nose, arms crossed over her chest. "Said you made good ones."

"I did my best," she replied on a shrug. "These are um...bacon and maple syrup. Sounds weird, but I think they came out all right."

"Bacon and maple. Sounds caloric."

"Oh. Yeah, well...they are, but what scone isn't?" Angela replied awkwardly. What the hell was Gemma getting at with that comment? "Should I have made like...blueberry or somethin'?"

Gemma shook her head. "No, no. I'm sure the boys will love 'em. Sound like a good treat for a hangover," she said on a sigh. She nodded to Juice, who was standing behind Angela. "You try one, sweetheart?"

Juice nodded enthusiastically. "They're amazing, Gem. Ang is a great baker! Better than Bobby, that's for sure."

"And I'm sure you don't put hash in all your shit so you can eat more than one," Gemma teased on a smirk.

Angela nodded quickly. "Oh yeah, no weed in these. I don't usually cook with it. I mean, I can, but...where's the fun in eating like a quarter of a brownie so you don't get too zonked?"

"Indeed," she replied on a sardonic smirk. "Take 'em inside, undertaker. One of the girls'll give you a plate to put 'em on. They already have most of the food set out. Juice, I'm sure Sack could use some help taking out the garbage."

Angela dipped her head before walking by Gemma and into the clubhouse. The place was a lot less exciting during the day. In fact, it looked a little sad with its dirty tables and mismatched chairs. The ground was still slightly sticky, the felt on the pool table was stained, and there was a broken table still on its side. A long folding table had been set up with heating trays that were covered. One of the blonde Croweaters was fixing something behind it. Angela approached her slowly. "Hi. I um...I have scones?"

The blonde looked up, and Angela recognized her as Hannah, the girl Juice had kissed, multiple times. The one who called herself his girlfriend at the rally. Her mouth went dry; she didn't know what to say to this girl. Hannah gave her a friendly smile. "Hi! Angela, right? Juice's girl? Here, I got a couple plates for you."

Juice's girl. Angela blinked at the title. How could she know already? Were they that obvious? "No, I'm not...I mean, he's my best friend..."

"Oh, I know," Hanna assured her with a wave of her hand. She handed her a couple paper plates and gestured to an empty portion of the table. "He's just so cute when it comes to you. Always worried and sweet. Must be nice to have a guy friend like that. He's a good one."

She nodded slowly, arranging the scones on the plate. "He most certainly is."

Hannah's face grew serious after a moment. "If he's something you want, you better move in on it, 'cause he's gonna get snatched up real quick once he earns that top rocker. He's too sweet and baby-faced for me, but a couple of the younger girls are already eyeing him."

"What? Why would you..."

"Look, I don't know you, but I like Juice. He's sweet and nice, gentle, experienced. Much rather see him with a normal girl knowing they like him for him than with one of the girls that would chase after him just for the Old Lady title," she explained on a shrug. "Just giving you a heads up so you get that stick outta your ass and do somethin' about him."

Angela gaped at her as she walked away. What the hell had just happened? Had she just called Juice 'gentle' and 'experienced'? What would Hannah know about that? Had they...she stopped that train of thought before it left the station. It was unfair for her to judge Juice's past partners. They hadn't been together then, and she'd been with someone else. She certainly had not stopped fucking Esai because of her feelings for Juice. How could she expect Juice to not have sex with anyone while he waited for her to finally give him a chance? It was stupid. So stupid. Still...it stung a bit to have it rubbed in her face. And with Hannah of all people? She had to have some kind of STD since Angela had seen her flirting with multiple Sons in various states of undress.

"Look who it is, back at the clubhouse she hates so much," Jax's teasing voice said from behind her, pulling her from her acerbic thoughts.

Angela smiled a little at him. "Hey VP. Have a good night?"

He shrugged a shoulder, rubbing at his temples. "Think I'm still livin' it," he said, grabbing a beer from the ice-filled bucket on the table. He popped the top off easily and took a long sip. "You look like you're gonna be sick though. Too much tequila with Piney?"

She snorted, shaking her head. "I'm fine," she lied, waving off his concern. She really didn't want to talk about Juice's sex life with Jax. She had a feeling the VP would be a little too honest with her, and she'd rather hear it from Juice himself. "Wendy here too?"

He nodded, gesturing down the hall. "In the dorm room, still sleepin'," he explained, rubbing the cold bottle against his head. "Wendy asked if we were fucking."

"Yeah, saw that one coming," Angela said, her eyes on Juice as he walked in carrying a box of beer. The muscles of his arm bulged with the weight of it, and she found herself picturing those arms wrapped around her, holding her close. She bit her lip. Damn.

Jax snickered at her, dunking his hand in the bucket of beer and flicking some of the ice cold water in her face. "Down girl."

"Asshole," she muttered, wiping at her face. She sighed, turning her back to Juice to keep from ogling him more. "What'd you tell Wendy?"

"Told her you made it perfectly clear that you did not want to fuck me, and you only liked brown boys."

Angela smirked at him. "Wow. Actually told her the truth, huh?"

"Lyin' to her ain't gonna make it easier for us to be friends. Told my mom the same thing."

"Are we friends now?"

"Hell yeah. Best buds," he told her with a charming grin as he took a seat on the couch. " 'bout to make you a friendship bracelet."

Angela rolled her eyes at his sarcasm, though she would love to see Jax Teller, VP of the infamous SAMCRO, make a friendship bracelet. "I'll expect mine next week. Red, orange, and yellow."

"Got it," he said, tapping his temple. "Get right on it later."

"On what?" Happy asked as he walked into the room, a Croweater following behind him slowly.

Angela tried to ignore the sight of teeth marks on the girl's neck. Had her cousin literally bit the girl? "Don't worry about it," she stated, slightly amused by the way the girl was now doing her best to loop her arm through Happy's to show some kind of ownership. Happy wasn't having it though and kept moving away. When Happy took a seat on the couch beside Jax, the girl went to sit on his lap, and he all but shoved her off. Spurned, the girl headed back into the crowd slowly forming at the entrance of the clubhouse. Angela nodded to her cousin, taking a seat on the arm of the couch beside him. "You know, if you're hungry, I made some scones you could sink your teeth into like a normal person."

Happy smirked in response. "Different kind of hungry. She was too."

Jax laughed, knocking his fist against Happy's while Angela wrinkled her nose; that's what she got for teasing him about his sex life. "Gross."

Juice headed their way, a paper coffee cup with a plastic lid on top of it in his hand. He handed it to her with a small smile. "Just made a fresh pot. Figured you'd want some before it sat there all day."

Angela took the cup of coffee from him with a smile. She wished she could kiss him, right then and there in front of everyone, but she held off. "Thanks, Juice," she said, taking a sip and fighting the urge to moan at the perfect taste of it. When had he learned to make her perfect cup of coffee?

Happy's eyes narrowed a bit as he looked between them. "You got somethin' else to do, idiot?"

"Sheets in the dorms need changing," Jax suggested with a wicked grin. "Got a lot of use last night. You can wake up my girlfriend while you're at it."

"You want me to wake her up?" Juice asked, eyes wide.

Angela stood up with a sigh. "I'll go wake her up. Make it less awkward."

She headed back towards the dorm rooms, sipping on her coffee as she went. Without knocking, she opened the one she knew Jax had used and took a step inside. The bed was a crumpled mess of sheets, but Wendy was no longer in it. "Wendy?" she called out, closing the door behind her. She heard something clatter in the bathroom followed by a string of curses. "You okay in there?"

The door to the bathroom was slightly opened, so Angela nudged it open a little more. What she found made her blood turn to ice. Wendy was seated on the floor beside the toilet, a drug kit open in front of her on the closed toilet lid. "Holy shit," Angela gasped.

Wendy's head whipped up to meet her gaze. "It's not what it looks like."

"Like hell it isn't! Are you insane?" she exclaimed, eyes wide. Her thoughts immediately went to Kozik. He couldn't be near this shit. If he accidentally stumbled on Wendy's kit or her stash when he was drunk, as he usually was during club parties, their years of hard work to get and keep him sober would be over. "I thought you were done with this shit!"

"I am," Wendy insisted, quickly rolling the kit back up. "You can't tell anyone! If Gemma finds out, she'll end things with me and Jax and I...I can't have that happen. It was just last night, Ang, I swear! Just celebrating Jax's new gig! And there's just a lot of pressure on me right now to be a good Old Lady, and I just...I wanted to feel good again! Enjoy the night with him!"

Angela set her coffee down and grabbed the pack from her, pulling out the drugs and dumping them into the toilet. "Fuck that," she said, flushing it. A sick part of her understood what she was feeling; had she ever been into hard drugs, she definitely would've turned to them after losing Raj. She got why Wendy would search for a high just to feel something. She felt her anger subside a bit. "I won't tell anyone, but you gotta go back to those meetings. If I don't see you there next week after my grief meeting, I will tell someone.

"Y-yeah, totally. I'll get right again, promise," she replied, nodding enthusiastically. "It was just this once. Don't tell Jax. We're barely holdin' on a-and this is the first time I've used in a-a really long time, I swear. Just for the party. Won't happen again."

"Whatever. Just...keep that shit out of the clubhouse," she stated, backing out of the room, feeling sick to her stomach as she did so. She knew she should tell Jax, but she also wanted to give Wendy a chance. During Kozik's recovery, he had slid back a few times too, and she knew Wendy would need some kind of support to get right again. She'd give her a few weeks, and if she suspected she was still using, she'd tell Jax. Slamming the door closed behind her, she turned around to find Kozik walking out of another room. It was another reminder of how close he'd been to the drugs they'd work so hard to keep him clean of. If Wendy was responsible for him sliding back into them, Angela would kill the girl herself. "Hey kiddo," he greeted with a hungover smile.

"Hey," she replied. She studied his face, looking for any indication that he may have used. He looked fine. Tired, but fine. Pupils normal, no fidgeting. He had on long sleeves, but it was slightly colder outside so it wasn't out of the norm. "Koz, I um...you're straight, right?"

His smile disappeared, brows drawn together in confusion. "Y-yeah. Been clean for years, kid. You know that. Why? What's going on?"

She bit her lip, glancing down the hall to make sure they were alone. "Wendy."

She didn't need to elaborate, he picked up on what she was going to say right away. "Shit. Kid, I'm good, I swear," he promised, rolling up his sleeves so she could see the crook of his arm, the normal place he shot up. "See? Nothin'. I'm clean, kiddo. I promised you I'd stay clean, and I am."

Angela let out a breath of relief as she nodded. "Good, good. I mean, I trust you. I just saw it and I remembered when you used to... She...she said she's going to stop, but just..."

"Steer clear. Got it," he assured her. He pulled her in for a tight hug, dropping a kiss to her forehead. "Love you, kiddo. Don't worry so much."

"I know, I know. I just...I almost lost you back then, and I don't want to go through that again," she said as they started walking back to the main room.

Kozik moved his arm around her shoulders. " 'ppreciate it. Now, tell me about you and Juice."

Her brows furrowed in confusion as she looked up at him. "Koz, he's my best friend, we've been over this," she lied with a roll of her eyes.

His blue eyes told her he wasn't buying it, but he was cut off from saying anything when Wendy reappeared in the hallway. Angela tensed at the sight of her, glancing up at Koz nervously. With a sigh, he moved an arm around her shoulders, pulling her down the hallway with him. "C'mon, killer. Ease up a bit," he told her with a reassuring grin. "Not your problem."

She sighed, nodding slowly. He was right; Wendy's drug use was a hundred percent not her problem, and she wasn't going to be the one to save her. "She's playing with fire."

"Not your problem," Kozik repeated, squeezing her shoulder. "What is your problem is the way you're lyin' to me about you and Juice."

"There is no me and Juice, Koz. Let it go," she insisted, wondering how on Earth he could've possibly found out about the two of them. Thankfully, they entered the main room before he could keep hounding her on it.

Clay called his name, and Kozik pulled Angela in close. "This ain't over, kid."

She watched him walk away, feeling the urge to flip him the bird behind his back. With a frown, she glanced around the room to see if there was someone she could talk to for some kind of distraction. She saw Juice heading into one of the backrooms and smirked to herself. Taking a quick look around the room to make sure no one noticed, she followed after him.

He was muttering to himself as he went to pull down one of the larger boxes on the shelf, his arm muscles flexing as he did so. A rush of heat flowed through her as she watched him. She waited until he set the box on the ground before approaching him from behind, standing on her toes to cover his eyes. "Guess who?" she whispered in his ear, before pressing a kiss just below his earlobe.

Juice shivered slightly, turning around in her arms and grinning at her with a smile that practically knocked her socks off. "Hey baby," he greeted, softly. His eyes moved around the small room quickly before he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers.

A thrill went through her at the feel of his soft lips against her own. They were playing with fire kissing in the clubhouse, but she felt that fire flowing through her and didn't want it to stop. She melted into him, enjoying the way his strong body fit against hers, lost in the feel of him. She wasn't sure who pulled away first, but loved that when he did he nuzzled his nose against hers for a minute, his forehead pressed against hers lightly as he tried to catch his breath. Those little touches and nuzzles surprised her every time. She hadn't pegged Juice for the affectionate type, but he was proving her wrong. It seemed he loved to be touched, loved touching her, sought out the physical contact. It was something she honestly loved. Raj had never been one for public displays of affection, and Esai usually took things too far, but Juice's touches felt innocent, loving. She couldn't get enough of them. A part of her wanted to tell the world just to see how he'd act when they weren't trying to be discreet.

"You should go back," he told her, tucking a stray hair behind her ear and moving his hand around the back of her neck, thumb grazing over her jaw.

Angela nodded, a little drunk off his kiss. She made no move to leave, and he made no move to let her go. "This is a lot harder than I thought it would be," she said on a breath.

He leaned in to kiss her forehead lovingly, his mouth lingering there as he murmured, "That's what he said."

She laughed, smacking his chest as she stepped away from him. "Goof!" she exclaimed, kissing his cheek quickly. "See you later."

Angela could feel his eyes on her back as she walked away, so she made sure to swing her hips just a little more. She glanced over her shoulder quickly before she walked all the way out, catching the lustful look on his face as she did so. She winked at him, and he just shook his head at her, biting his lip as he did so. It took all her strength to keep walking and not turn around and attack him right there. She let out a long breath. "Slow," she reminded herself, though the thought of having Juice take her right against the shelves of the storage room passed through her mind. She exhaled again. "Slow."

"Somethin's up with the kid and the idiot," Kozik told Happy, eyeing the way Juice and Angela were casually talking to Half-Sack by the bar. Juice had a plate full of food in front of him and Angela was picking off his plate.

Happy shrugged a shoulder, walking around the pool table to study his shot. "Somethin's been up between them for months. Idiot won't make a move."

He shook his head in response. "No, this is new. Look," he urged. Happy glanced in the direction he nodded. Angela and Juice were currently smacking their forks against each other as they fought over the last bite of eggs. She ultimately ended up winning, but Juice didn't seem to care; he was grinning like a fool. Juice leaned in just a little closer, their eyes locking for a moment, and if Koz wasn't mistaken, it almost seemed as though they were about to kiss. She pulled away though, winking at him as though there was some shared secret between them. Juice winked back, and her cheeks went red. Kozik glanced back at Hap, who had his eyes narrowed. "See?"

"Uh-huh," Happy nodded, though he didn't look angry. "Think he finally made a move?"

"Probably."

"Why they hidin' it then? No one gives a shit."

Koz shrugged, wondering the same thing. "Dunno. Hey, you think your Ma's gonna invite us over for dinner soon? Think it'd be fun watchin' 'em sweat in front of Lena."

Happy smirked, bobbing his head in agreement. "See what I can do."

"We okay with this?"

"Think so. Better with him than that Mayan. Least he's gonna be one of us," he answered, lining up his poolstick and taking his shot. The ball he wanted went into the pocket with a satisfying clack. "She looks happier."

Kozik nodded in agreement, grinning widely. "Right?" he asked on a chuckle. He studied the pool table with a frown. "How come I always fuckin' lose to you?"

Happy smirked, lining up his show. " 'cause you're too busy being a nosy little bitch to pay attention. Eight ball. Right corner pocket," he said before sinking in the shot. He held out his hand to Koz. "Pay up."

Grumbling to himself, he pulled out his wallet and put a fifty in Happy's awaiting hands. "That's the last time I tell you anythin'. Rack 'em up again, I'll win this time."

Angela checked her phone and smiled at the time; it was time for her to go to work. Skeeter had told her it was okay for her to come in later than usual so she could go to the brunch, but he texted her to ask her to come in as soon as she could since there were a few cases for her to prep. She headed towards Juice, tapping his opposite shoulder and chuckling when he turned in the wrong direction. He turned back to her with a huge grin. "Hey ba...Angel," he said, correcting himself before he said 'baby'. "What's goin' on?"

"I gotta go," she said, showing him the text on her phone. "Work."

"You don't gotta look so happy about having an excuse to leave," he teased, leaning into her just a little.

She wished she could kiss him, just quickly. A quick little peck because he was making the cutest face. "I'm not happy. Not at all. See," she said, doing her best to stop smiling and look serious. Juice placed his hand on her lower back, an innocent enough touch that set her blood on fire.

He leaned in even closer to her. "You gotta stop lookin' at me like that," he murmured, his thumb moving across her lower back.

Angela bit her lip, holding his gaze for a long moment. His eyes warmed her to her very core, and she wanted to throw herself at him right there. "Could say the same to you."

Juice pulled away, letting out a long breath and shaking his head at her. "This is going to be hard."

She winked at him. "That's what he said," he said on a laugh. "But I do have to go to work, so you gotta tell whoever that we have to go."

"Got it," Juice said, flicking her nose before walking away from her towards where Clay and Gemma were standing.

Much to her surprise, Gemma got up and headed her way. Angela steeled herself for what was to come next. The matriarch crossed her arms over her chest. "Those scones weren't half bad," she stated, nodding towards the table where the plate the scones had been on was completely empty save for a few crumbs. "Can you make cornbread?"

Angela furrowed her brows in confusion. "Y-yeah. With peppers or without?"

"Peppers?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. Kinda gives it a little kick, but not everyone likes spicy so...I can make it both ways. I um...I like experimenting flavors and stuff. I can put bacon in it too. Or make it sweeter with like honey or something," she rambled, nervous under Gemma's scrutinizing gaze. "But that's beside the point. I get the feeling you want me to make cornbread."

Gemma smirked, nodding her head. "You catch on quickly, undertaker. We got a Charming community day comin' up in a few weeks. I'm makin' chili. Usually do the box cornbread, but if you can make somethin' better, have at it."

"Oh. Right. Charming community day," she repeated, remembering Skeeter mentioning it before. She didn't love the idea of making trays and trays of cornbread, but she got the feeling Gemma wasn't asking. "Guess, I could make some cornbread. Might need a couple of extra trays though."

"I'll give you some of mine. Maybe make a couple of the spicy version too. We'll see how it turns out."

Angela nodded slowly. "Sure thing. Just let me know when you need them by."

Thankfully, Juice came over to save her, his footfalls loud even in the noisy room. He was anything but stealth. "Hey Angel. Ready to go?" he asked, his hand on the small of her back again. He seemed to like that spot, and as simple as it was, it never failed to make her feel warm and fuzzy.

Gemma's dark eyes swept over both of them for a moment before she smirked. "Cuttin' out early?"

"Yeah, I got work," Angela explained, grateful for the excuse.

"Dead can't wait?"

"They can, their families, not so much," she answered, on a sigh. "Meaning, I gotta go and get these dead people casket ready for some viewings."

Gemma didn't look pleased with her. "Do whatever you gotta do, Little Miss Undertaker," she said, brushing her off. "I'll be in touch about the cornbread."

Angela watched her walk away, feeling frustrated as hell. She glanced at Juice who looked like he was fighting against a laugh. "Don't you laugh at me, Ortiz."

He nodded, pressing his lips together as he followed her out to the parking lot. The second they stepped outside, the laugh escaped, and he was snickering at her. She smacked his arm, and he grabbed her wrist, pulling her into him. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, baby, but, c'mon, that was funny," he said, glancing around the outside to make sure no one was looking before reaching out and tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "Little Miss Undertaker."

"Stop!" she said, smacking his chest again, though she couldn't help but laugh along with him. "Let's go before we're forced to stay any longer."

"Whatever you want, Little Miss Undertaker," Juice said on a chuckle, moving his arm around her as he pulled her towards her car, which she'd left there the night before.

She elbowed his side, hard, in response, and he doubled over, pretending to be injured. She rolled her eyes at him. "You're fine! You're fine, goof! Want me to kiss it and make it better?" she teased, rubbing at his side over his cut. Juice's smile disappeared, his eyes growing dark at her looked her over, biting at his lip. Her cheeks heat up at the lustful look in his eyes. "Don't look at me like that."

He smirked, in response, opening the driver's side door for her. "Makin' it harder?"

Angela nodded, letting out a long breath. "Oh yeah," she said, getting into the car.

He dipped his head into the car, kissing her cheek discreetly and winking at her. "Now you know how I feel."

Fluff-galore! :)

Let me know what you guys think!

~Love Ink