7

Chapter 76 Hallmark Jax

"

Ava wondered where this nice version of Jax had been hiding. He wasn't the cocky, smirking, arrogant asshole that he was when they had started on this honeymoon. He was nice, kind and considerate. He was a lot of fun to travel with and she loved riding on a motorcycle with him even if it meant she had to press her body against his and wrap her arms around his strong, hard muscled body.

Despite having been to Hawaii several times, this had been the first time she'd really experienced it because she'd actually left the resort's grounds. It was completely different seeing things from the back of a motorcycle versus the inside of a car too.

She was still touched by how kind and gentle he'd been with her when she'd gotten drunk and thrown up all over both of them. He hadn't been mean or angry something she'd expected. He'd even been respectful of her boundaries when he watched the vomit out of her hair.

Best of all, he wasn't always trying to get her to have sex with him. She was pretty sure that he still wanted to have sex with her because he was male, virile and hadn't had sex in a long time, but he wasn't talking about it all the time. It was a relief to not have to deal with all that relentless sexual pressure from him.

Today being in New Orleans brought back such happy memories. When they got caught in a sudden downpour, Jax grabbed her hand and ran with her through the rain, pulling her into an alcove. She'd suddenly remembered getting caught in a similar rainstorm with her mother. It was funny that she'd forgotten all about that until Jax grabbed her hand today. She held that memory close to her heart now that it had come back to her.

When they were crushed together in that little alcove that sheltered them from the rain, she'd looked into his eyes and felt something that wasn't revulsion. Her heart almost beat out of her chest when he lowered his head and she realized he was going to kiss her. She hadn't had the slightest desire to push him away. She'd actually wanted him to kiss her. There was something going on there, but she didn't want to think too much about it.

That kiss was perfect from the start when he kissed her softly and with great tenderness before kissing her harder and more passionately. It was romance novel/movie perfect. She normally never kissed like that in public but this was the one exception. And best of all, he didn't kiss like a dog. Her drunken memory had been right.

When he told her that her dress was transparent, she'd been embarrassed. He immediately stripped off his shirt and given it to her. It was so sweet and gallant. She liked when he looked after her. That was the kind of thing that happened in a rom com.

When she shyly told him that she thought the kiss was nice, she expected some smart ass suggestive comment, but he'd stayed sweet and agreed. She wasn't sure about this change in Jax but she hoped this version of Jax stayed around. She could like this Jax and that's all it could ever be. He still wasn't her type, but she could see how women might find him sexy.

They found a clothing shop and Ava got a pair of dark black denim jeans that wouldn't go see through if they got wet and a purple blouse with a ruffle around the bottom that also wouldn't turn transparent in rain. She returned Jax's T shirt to him.

"Thank you for the loan."

"I knew you would be embarrassed walking around looking naked. I'm not used to girls that get embarrassed, but I'm learning," Jax said.

Jax had gotten noticed when they were walking around but the attention was starting to lessen—that was until he took his shirt off. He caught the eye of every woman that saw him and his tattoos became a source of a lot of curiosity.

Ava was relieved when she got new clothes and Jax could put his shirt back on so they could appear less conspicuous. He was always gracious to the people who recognized him and answered questions patiently. Ava was beginning to like the easy, friendly way he had with people. She always felt nervous and awkward around strangers.

Louisiana is five hours ahead of Hawaii time, so they went to their hotel room and planned their vacation in New Orleans. Ava had picked up brochures for various tours that they could take both from the hotel's concierge and from a booth on the street.

Ava was sitting on the bed, her legs crossed in front of her while Jax sat in an arm chair next to the bed looking at a brochure for a swamp tour.

"A swamp tour sounds great," Jax said enthusiastically.

Ava looked horrified. She'd seen a program about people who made their living from the swamp. It looked like hell and she admired the people who seemed to love such a horrible place and enjoyed earning a living from it. People were always whining about how hard they worked, but those people who made a living from a swamp really did work hard for their money. She might not have much of a work ethic herself, but she admired it in others.

"It's going to be hot, even more humid and there are all kinds of bugs, snakes and alligators. I saw it on TV," Ava said.

"Sounds like fun. I've always wanted to see the swamps. Aren't you even a little curious?"

"I was curious. That's why I watched a TV program and that's as close as I ever want to get. It's going to be miserable. I'd really like to check out the historic houses. I love to imagine how people lived in different times."

"Walking around looking at houses and furniture doesn't sound very interesting to me. Look, there's no point in either of us being miserable. We don't have to do everything together. I'll go on the swamp tour and you go on your house tour."

"Why don't we go day after tomorrow so I can make reservations? It's too late now. Tomorrow, we can explore more of the French Quarter. Jeeves reserved a table for us at Brennan's. I'll confirm that in the morning. That's where Bananas Foster was created."

"What's that?"

"It's this dessert prepared with brown sugar, butter, bananas, rum and ice cream and they light it on fire."

"Sounds good."

As they figured out what they were going to do in the city, they worked together to come up with a plan on how they were going to spend their week in New Orleans including going Zydeco dancing that Jax wanted to try.

"There's no time to do a bike trip," Ava said.

"You want to do another bike trip?" Jax asked surprised.

He still couldn't get over how enthusiastic Ava was about riding on a bike. He thought she would take a few pictures of them on a bike, send them to her father to annoy him and that would be the end of the bike trip, but she honestly enjoyed riding with him. The fact she brought the subject up proved that.

"Not around New Orleans because we can walk or take street cars to where we want to go, but I'd like to get out of the city and see the other parts of Louisiana while we're here."

"I'd really like to see more of the state too. Who knows when we'll have another chance to visit?"

"I'll text Jeeves and tell him that we're having so much fun and we're going to extend our trip four or five days and he can change our airline tickets."

"Your father gave us a three week trip as a wedding gift. We can't expect more."

"He won't mind."

"I mind. I'll pay for the additional days," Jax said. He had money left from the sale of his house that he'd planned on using for his appeal. He didn't need it anymore for that. He didn't want to touch the money Ava had given him. That money didn't feel real to him.

Other than a motorcycle run or club business, he had never travelled. He discovered a love for getting out of Charming and seeing and experiencing new things. Despite the heat and humidity, there was something about Louisiana that made him want to know more and there was just so much to do. He had the money and he deserved a little extra time off from Charming. If he didn't see more of this great place, he would always regret it.

Ava seemed different here too. She seemed happier and more relaxed than she'd been in Hawaii. This honeymoon wasn't just his best chance at sex with Ava; it was their best chance at building a relationship that needed to get them through the next three years. He didn't want the kind of marriage his parents had those last six months before JT's death where every day was a screaming fight.

"OK if you want to pay. My father wouldn't mind though. Maybe while we're looking around the French Quarter tomorrow, we can talk to the concierge about getting a bike and get them to help us figure out our trip."

"I'd like us to plan the trip. We could make that part of tomorrow."

"Why don't we talk to the concierge since it's easiest to have them help with renting a bike and then have them put together suggestions and we can put together information and make choices."

"That's a good idea."

Jax was just being too nice. She remembered the horrible Jax that had been stretched out in her bed when she'd returned from the spa demanding sex. He had been completely different then and now he was being so not just normal but nice.

Which version of Jax Teller was real? The smug, arrogant, conceited, sex crazed, asshole or the charming, considerate, not sexually aggressive, rom com caliber man?

There was only one way to find out; Ava was going to ask him.

"

Author's Note: I just wanted to mention that I also write a big huge story called Little Toy Bikers and a Woman on the Run. There's a lot of plot and it's filled with short chapters that are supposed to be like the TV show. If you haven't tried it, give it a try. It's got a crazy plot and there's a great love story at its core.