A/N - It's sexy time in Charming! Well, it's more tactical-time for Jax, those Jax/Tara fans might want to look away...
Chibs rubbed the towel up and down over his head, shaking out his shaggy grey hair and sighing as he looked at himself. She was right, as usual, he felt much better for a shower. He wrapped the towel around his waist and walked out into Nina's room. She was lying on the bed in her yoga pants and the tight, black vest top she had been wearing beneath her hoodie. Chibs could see the edges of the reaper peeking out from beneath her top.
"Was there enough hot water?" she asked sitting up and self-consciously wrapping her arms about herself. "I always worry I use it all up."
"Aye, you're fine," he said, coming to sit beside her on the bed. She smiled as she nuzzled him, he smelled of soap and her lemony shampoo, it made her feel comfortable with him in that instant. "Thank you for letting me come up here."
She blinked up at him with a sweet smile that made his heart melt a little. This was what he wanted, her. Fiona was like a bad dream, unwelcome and something he'd rather forget.
"I'm sorry for what she did to you," he said, rubbing his hand through her hair and caressing her scalp. Nina laughed darkly.
"That's the third one of your friends who really doesn't like me," she joked, thinking back on Tara's harsh assault as well as Tig's. "I'm beginning to think I should never have come here."
"Hush, don't say that." He entwined his fingers with hers gently. "I wouldn't have met you if you hadn't."
It was such a simple thing to say but it made her chest feel tight as her pulse increased exponentially. She blushed and looked away as she admitted, "Daddy'd be mad if he knew how much I liked you."
Chibs laughed softly. "I think he'd be mad if he knew how much I liked you too," he murmured. "Nina, I..." He swallowed. "I think you're great. Like, really great." He sounded like an enormous dork, he could just tell. He wrinkled his nose and shook his head, this was silly. "Never mind."
"No, what?" She sat up on her knees behind him and threw her arms around his neck, hugging his bare back. Chibs felt how warm she made him feel inside, like she was filling him with a special kind of energy as she hugged him.
"Sons, we don't really... date." He laughed at himself. "We drink, and we ride, and we fuck. But you, I want to, I don't know, I want to just, I want to, like, cuddle you. Be around you. Hold your goddamn hand," he added as her fingers squeezed his affectionately.
"We can do that," she murmured. "I'd... I'd like that."
"Really?" His eyes popped open, he was sure he must sound like a mad man right now but she was agreeing with him. She nodded as she slid down beside him and kissed slowly along his arm to his shoulder and neck. Her lips were like silk against his skin, she sent shivers through him, the good sorts of shivers.
"Make love to me," she whispered. "Gently," she added, nervous at her request. "Is that okay?"
It was more than okay. Chibs pressed her down to the bed, his fingers eagerly tugging her pants off. His towel fell off as he climbed over her, kissing her fervently as their bodies connected with each other. Nina felt so perfect in his arms, their bodies fit so well as he lifted her hips and pulled her to him. He watched as her lips parted and she gasped as he filled her.
"Gentle," he whispered, knowing she must still be hurting from what had happened before. He wished he hadn't thought of it, it made him panic in the back of his mind. He moved carefully, wanting to give her everything but knowing that the damn thought would nibble at him now as they moved. It was like she wasn't just his any more.
He had to shake it off. Seeing the pleasure sweeping her face helped, he sighed contently as he already felt her growing hotter and wetter and tighter with every movement. Tig was a mistake of the past, he had to be. If he wanted to move forward with her, that was the only choice.
"Well this is a nice surprise."
Ima pursed her lips as she saw Jax leaning on the doorframe of her little apartment. Jax was chewing on the end of a cigarette, he flicked it away as she welcomed him in, holding the door with her foot.
"Haven't been here in a while," he muttered, taking off his sunglasses as he looked around the apartment. It was the same old ramshackle place, filled with pictures of the girls, stills from their movies. Pink fairylights and childish decorations littered the ceiling and walls.
"Marriage does that to a guy," she shrugged as she popped a piece of bubble gum into her mouth. She offered him one but he declined as he moved around. "Even the great Jax Teller."
Jax smirked at that, stopping to look at her before he sat down on the couch. Ima hesitated and sat down on a beanbag opposite him, lighting up a cigarette. She offered it to him, he took a drag and handed it back.
"How's work?" he asked. She shrugged.
"Good, business keeps coming. Diosa's got a nice pay packet, Nero, he's good to us." She tilted her head to one side. "Are you checking up?"
"I'm... re-evaluating." Jax smiled at her like a wolf, Ima was an easy pawn to play with. "Wondering about starting up a new place."
"Why?" She pouted. "It's a nice set up."
Jax nodded. Sure, the girls were happy but he wanted Nero to be destitute, it was the only damn thing on his mind. Nobody threatened SAMCRO, nobody, especially not some washed-up OG. He played with the rings in his fingers as he looked at her.
"What do you get? Twenty-five percent? Of your fees?"
"Forty," Ima said. "Rest covers room charges, entertainment, rent. Clothes, beauty. Nero's pretty generous."
"How'd you like to take home sixty?" He could see her eyes light up, she was greedy, she always had been. "The new club. I'll cover your room, rent, budget on clothes. You get to have more at the end of the night."
"Do you want a drink?" Ima suddenly asked, getting up and fetching a couple of beers. She handed him one and dropped down again on the seat. Jax clinked his bottle against hers. "Does Nero know about this?"
"We're old friends, having a private conversation," Jax smiled. He could tell she wanted something more, but his determination to win made him far more persuadable than usual. "Do you think the Cara Cara girls would be up for it?"
Ima shrugged. "I can talk to Lyla..."
"Not yet," Jax said firmly. "Lyla, I know she and Nero are close, I don't want to ask her yet. I need to get an idea of numbers, how many Diosa girls would come to the new house. Six month start up and go from there."
Ima smiled and toyed with her gum on her finger. "How many do you want, Jax? I can be very... persuasive."
There it was, he could see the glimmer in her eyes. "So can I," he responded coolly, putting his beer on the table. He grabbed her hand and tugged her to come sit on his lap, he knew what her next demand would be, she was like an open book. "I want all of the Cara Cara girls out."
"All of them?" Ima could feel her heart beating faster, something about Jax Teller just filled her with a rush she couldn't explain. "That would take some work. And keeping it from Lyla..."
"I can compensate you for your time," Jax murmured, his lips brushing her shoulder as he spoke. "Just tell me what you need."
She looked at him, he could tell what she wanted. His hand was already playing with the edge of her skirt even now as he spoke. She smiled a little as she murmured,
"You won't give me what I need."
Jax grinned, that was a gauntlet he'd take. "Oh, yes, I will," he said with a smirk. "You make this work for me, I'll give you anything you want." She looked at him skeptically and he dragged her roughly to straddle him. They would both be kidding to not know how turned on they both were as he bit her lower lip tenderly, his tongue sweeping over it to soothe the sore on her mouth. "Let me give you a down payment right now."