5

Little Toy Bikers and a Woman on the Run

Chapter 211 Love Coward

Scarlett hoped that the memory of having a deep emotional discussion about falling in love was a dream, but she knew that it had happened. On the rare occasions when she got drunk, she made sure she kept her mouth shut to avoid embarrassing conversations.

She should have applied what she had learned about drinking to taking pain medication. That conversation she'd had with Jax had been too honest. Emotions scared the hell out of her. Somehow after a second round of pain meds and sleeping pills, relationship discussions seemed like a good idea. No more talking to Jax after taking medication. She would just close her eyes and wait for sleep or watch DVDs and not say anything. She'd just keep her lips together and then she couldn't talk.

Jax said more or less that he was falling in love with her. That was kind of good. At least she wasn't doing it alone. He'd said falling in love works best when two people are doing it together.

Her heart was practically beating out of her chest with fear and excitement when he said that last night. It wasn't the same kind of fear she got from a roller coaster. With a roller coaster, the heights and speed were frightening. She could make herself go on the ride despite feeling terror because she knew that it was safe. It wouldn't lead to her plummeting to her death.

With love, she might not fall to her death, but her heart could get shattered. She wished that she could be more like her friends in high school and college. They could be in love one week with a guy and in love with another guy the next week. Or, they would be with one guy and look for his replacement because to them love was never being without a guy.

She'd read too many romance novels in junior high and high school. She'd also seen too many Hallmark movies. Those girls were lucky to get a kiss before the movie ended. Sex made things more complicated. She needed to just take it a step at a time and quit thinking about the future.

Jax was enjoying swimming in the lake. Scarlett was sitting outside under an umbrella that Jax had adjusted to keep the sun off her so her fair skin didn't fry in the sun. She was beginning to relax. When disaster happened, she'd deal with it. For now, she was going to stay in the moment and enjoy this time.

For dinner, Jax played cook grilling chicken, microwaving Southern style green beans with bacon and onions and twice baked potatoes all from the house's well stocked freezer. Scarlett thought after the big relationship discussion things would be awkward between them, but it wasn't; conversation flowed effortlessly between them.

They had just finished eating when he got a call from Clay telling him that there was another interview with the local Fox station. They wanted to do it from inside the clubhouse. The story of rough, tough, outlaw bikers saving a kid from rapists was picking up traction on social media and the internet. Clay had gotten the interview scheduled so that Jax would be back in Charming to participate.

"I'm sure Gemma will be ordering around the crow-eaters to clean the place up."

"I don't think people expect an outlaw biker's clubhouse to be clean."

"She'll still want it clean. The good publicity is a nice change from the usual "bikers busted in barroom brawl."

"Have you ever been busted in a barroom brawl?"

"A time or two," Jax said chuckling. "Sometimes you just need to have a brawl to keep your fight skills current."

Sometimes Scarlett didn't know when Jax was joking. This was one of those times. She liked knowing that he could take care of himself unlike her psycho ex who depended on a security detail disguised as assistants. That confident masculine side to his personality was irresistible to her. Damn him. Why did he have to be so sexy?

"Maybe I should get your autograph now before you and the guys get famous. Who knows maybe you could get a reality show out of it."

Jax shook his head.

"I don't understand this insatiable need people have to be on TV or share every moment of their lives on social media," he said. He began to walk slowly towards her. "I have only one insatiable need."

Scarlett's face flushed and her heart beat hard and fast in her chest.

"I know like those people that posted that picture on the internet."

"What are you going to do about it? I thought you would be more worried."

Scarlett smiled.

"No. My dad and I came up with a plan a few months ago. We've taken a bunch of pictures of me and of girls that resemble me. I'll go or he'll go to a library to use their computers and post some pictures. Some we swap out their head for mine. We'll post a few and that way there's a better match to me. If my psycho ex's seen the picture despite how briefly it was up, we'll give him better leads on my location to follow."

"Clever. Damn you might be a better outlaw than me. Last night when you told me that other guys made your skin crawl, does that mean you like it when I touch you or do you just tolerate it?"

Jax took a step forward and Scarlett automatically took a step back. Her heart pounded harder in her chest.

"I've been dodging guys' hands since I was twelve and grew breasts. If I didn't want you to touch me, you wouldn't have touched me."

"I remember the first time I kissed you and how you put your hand on my chest. It was a very smooth move."

"Are you saying I outmaneuvered you?"

"I'm letting you set the pace."

Scarlett's eyes automatically looked for a door. She felt like they were headed into a minefield. Be brave, she scolded herself.

"I can't kiss standing up for long because it makes my back hurt and it's hard sitting because of the twisting."

Jax took a couple more slow steps until he was practically touching her. There was something about that self-assured swing of his hips that melted her insides.

"I have an idea. We could go to the couch. You could lay down with your back supported by the cushions."

Scarlett's eyes went back to the door.

"I'm not going to have sex with you."

"If I'd wanted sex, I would have suggested the bedroom," Jax said. "I was thinking of making out on the couch. We could even put a pillow between us."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. I meant it when I said you are setting the pace. I'm not with you for sex. It isn't that hard to find. I'm with you because I want to be with you. Now what do you say?"

Scarlett's brain was screaming at her to say no and runaway, but this time her body might be in charge.