CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN

Website where all photos of all outfits mentioned is on my profile.

Pushing the hugely loose sleeves up to my elbows I lean against the bar next to the nervous prospect biting my tongue to stop from asking what it is that he wants, the way he's twirling the empty beer bottle in front of him proof that he managed to work up the nerve to talk to me, but hasn't gotten past that yet.

Smiling softly at him "What's up Miles?"

Miles jumps a little "I don't know how to ask what I need to."

I shrug and pull the empty bottle from his hands, pushing it away from his reach "Words normally help; as long as it has nothing to do with Club business you'll be fine. What's on your mind?"

Miles takes a deep breath "Lyla."

"What about her?"

"I asked her to give up working for Caracara and she told me she would, but once she's done with the movie she just started she's going to have no income, I don't make enough from TM to support her fully." Miles starts babbling and I just let him go, knowing that the real reason for talking to me will come out "So, Jax was saying that you'd brought some businesses and I wondered if maybe you'd be able to hire her when she was finished at the studio."

I shoot a look over at Jax and smile brightly which causes the frown to fall from his face. Picking up his dinner again he eats while Al and Cam talk.

"Miles, I don't know how long it's going to take for either of the stores to be ready to open, let alone if I'll be in a position to hire anyone full time."

Miles looks at me and I can see the hope in his eyes "But there are two shops and there's only one of you, so you'd need someone for the other one."

I shrug "I know. Look, let me talk to her and see what she thinks, that way it can come across as my idea. I'm guessing by the fact you've asked me this before she gets here that you didn't want her knowing?"

Miles nods silently "Yeah, she accepted my request for her to leave Caracara easily enough, but I don't know that she'd want me finding her a job as well."

"Lyla is getting away from porn to keep you happy, I am sure she would appreciate that you're doing this to keep her happy. How long is she tied to the studio for?"

Miles shrugs "They only just started on the new movie, about another 8 weeks probably."

I work forwards "So end of August?"

Miles nods and I sigh "I'll be in New York around then. But I'll talk to her tonight and see what I can do."

Miles smiles at me and moves to hug me but I shake my head once "I wouldn't. Jax may have been okay with me coming over here and talking to you, but until you get that top rocker I wouldn't bet that he'll be okay with you touching me. He's very protective of his toys."

"If you had toys that wrapped themselves in skin tight leather you'd be just as protective." Jax growls from right behind me, causing my heart to speed up again.

Spinning on my barstool I slap him in the chest his sleeve falling to cover my hand "I already told you once not to scare me, and besides, you picked this."

Jax narrows his eyes at me "And I told you we wouldn't be leaving the room, yet here you are." Jax jerks his head at Miles and he practically jumps off the stool and hurries away Jax sliding onto the stool in his place.

I move to slide off my seat "Well then I'll go and hide in our room like a good little girl shall I?" I snap sarcastically at him, my hearts still racing in my chest at him sounding so furious so close to my ear.

Jax grabs my hand before I can walk past him and pulls closer to him his inner thighs pressing against my legs "Oh hell no. You're not leaving when you're pissed off at me. What did shithead want?"

I scowl at him "Miles wanted to find out if I could give Lyla a job when she's finished at the studio. I said I'd see what I could do. When is he finished his prospect period?"

Jax shrugs "Another 5 months or so, but that all depends on how he does. He's not my prospect so I don't know, and why is it your problem if the porn star has no job."

I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him "He's worried about her having an income seeing she's giving up porn cause he asked her too. And besides that, she's my friend."

Jax's eyes drift from my face and land on my cleavage, pushed together by the corset folding my arms under them has pushed them closer together and further up, the upper swells bulging out of the corset, the top buckle straining a little over the zipper. Cocking one of my eyebrows I wait while he stares at my chest for several long seconds before he blinks and looks up at me "I know she's your friend babe. But just promise you won't try and save every in need case."

I shake my head "Glad to see I got your attention back. I won't try and save everybody that's in need, but Lyla is connected to this Club now so she's our responsibility. Miles is in deep already. Anyone with two eyes can see that."

Jax nods his eyes dropping to my chest again "I know, but as long as he doesn't let pussy come before the Club he'll be fine."

I move my arms and plant my hands on my hips "Do I come before the Club?"

Jax looks up at me "Babe, you are so much more than pussy. You're my Old Lady, the mother to my son, my other half, the reason I breathe and the leather wrapped vision of sin that keeps my pulse pounding hard in my ears."

I lift my hands slowly and slide them around the back of Jax's neck, leaning into his body his entire face lights up when he ends up pressed to my leather covered chest "It's only your pulse that gets hard?"

Jax shakes his head, his goatee making a scratching noise over the buckles "Oh fuck no." Nuzzling his face into my exposed cleavage I giggle when he groans low in his throat, his arms coming up my back, holding me tightly to him.

Clay's voice breaks into my thoughts of how long it would take to get him back down the hall and out of his clothes when he calls "Jax, get your face outta her tits. Where the fuck is your Old Lady?"

Jax pulls his head back and looks up at me grinning as he runs a hand up my back to my neck using the pads of his fingers he pulls my face to his and kisses me hard, his other hand sliding down my back and landing on my ass. "Jax!" Clay's voice is almost furious as he tries to get the attention of the man currently examining the inside of my mouth with his tongue.

Pulling back with a groan he looks over my shoulder "What?"

Clay's footsteps echo through the suddenly silent room, the only thing I can hear is Gemma's soft laugh. "Where the fuck is your Old Lady, you know my niece. The woman you swore you wouldn't hurt?"

I smirk at Jax and twist around in his arms "I'm right here Uncle Clay."

Clay shakes his head looking around the laughing Sons in the room "You all knew and let me make an idiot of myself. Thank fuck there's no one other than you bunch of stooges here yet. And you." He points his finger at me "You need to go shopping and buy some clothes that don't look like they're painted on."

I narrow my eyes at him stepping out of Jax's arms "Uncle Clay, with all due respect. I am currently wearing more on one calf then most of the women, who appear here on a nightly basis wear in total, so while I appreciate that you are suddenly interested in fashion, please don't attempt to make me your model. Maybe you should look at your wife, you know, the other woman in this room who is currently wearing skin tight pants."

Gemma holds her hands up "Leave me outta this baby. You're on your own."

I roll my eyes and cross the few steps to Clay wrapping my arms around his waist in a way I wouldn't if there were more people than just the charter members and their Old Ladies present, Old Ladies who happen to be my best friends. "And if you really want to have a shit fit over my outfit, maybe you should talk to your step-son; after all he's the one who picked this out."

Clay's eyes narrow on Jax and he frowns then surprises me completely by laughing "Pumpkin, I was just worried that you were gonna walk out the door and be pissed off and break more bones. I don't have enough for bail."

"Just as well I do, and who the fuck in here would call the cops?" I pull out of Clay's arms and walk back to the table where Ope, Donna, Al and Cam are still sitting and sit down on the empty chair.

Waiting till the noise level around us goes back to normal volume I smile at Cam "Cammy…you know how you love me?"