9
Little Toy Bikers and a Woman on the Run
Chapter 225 Payback's Bitch
Jax called Scarlett to ask her if she wanted to walk at the track with him. He suggested he stay overnight because she had an early physio appointment in the morning and they would have to leave very early. She agreed.
It was as though nothing had happened. Her mind quickly began to work out the possibilities.
The eyeshadow could have adsorbed into his skin the way it did her eyes leaving little or nothing behind. There still should have been traces of the eyeliner. It was the 24 hour smudge proof stuff. That didn't really mean it would last for 24 hours or not smudge. That was just wishful advertising.
It could have worn away leaving some smudges but it would look like dirt. If that was how it played out, she could be off the hook and he would never know what she'd done to him.
It wasn't likely that it would work out like that. He probably had discovered what she'd done. It was possible he would just pretend like nothing happened. Was it realistic to think that Jax Teller MC badass would just let her off the hook? No, she was going to face some kind of retaliation.
What could he really do to her? He wasn't going to shave her eyebrow. He wouldn't beat her or slap her around. Tara said he'd never been violent with her. Nothing much was going to happen. Probably.
What the hell was wrong with her? There was a part deep down inside that was kind of or a lot excited by the prospect of Jax Teller, the unknown and punishment.
She shook her head chuckling to herself. Maybe there was a bit of a masochist in her like that girl in those horrible 50 Shades movies. Jax was so much sexier and hotter than that guy. He always looked like he needed a laxative. Even during the sex scenes, the guy showed a marked lack of enthusiasm. She was sure Jax would always be an enthusiastic lover.
She'd never believed much in sexual attraction before Jax, but he could melt an iceberg with just a look. He oozed sex. When she'd lifted his shirt and seen his abs, all she could think of was how much she wanted to touch those amazing ripples.
She never would have been brave enough to have touched him when he was awake because that would have led to him touching her. She wasn't sure how much resistance she had left.
Reminding herself that he'd probably screwed every available girl in a thirty mile radius was beginning to lose its power to repulse her. He'd told her he was falling in love with her. She believed him. It just didn't seem like he would lie to her to sleep with her. There was a strong sense of honor in him.
That was all future thinking. Nothing mattered now except getting herself out of the mess she might be in with Jax. She could think some more about whether or not Jax was falling in love with her later after she was safely out of this mess.
He had a black sports bag with him when he came into her room. He left it inside before driving them to the track at Charming High. He was wearing a pair of dark blue sweat pants and the same T-shirt he'd been wearing when he left her motel room that morning.
Oh, hell, Scarlett thought. Jax may not have discovered her art project. She was hoping that he'd found it and had a chance to experience whatever emotional reaction he was going to have and she would be spared that.
How was she going to get out of this? Maybe this would be OK. He'd take a shower and never know what she'd done. Perfect. That was how things were going to work out. She was completely and possibly dangerously delusional.
She really needed to work on her impulse control. She could try to blame it all on him. If he hadn't shown up drunk to her motel, it wouldn't have happened. She was watching over him very carefully and that's why she'd needed to lift his shirt to make sure he was still breathing and she had only painted him as a way to stay awake. That might work. No, it wasn't going to work.
They got out of the car and Jax walked next to her as part of his warm-up before running.
"Do you want to know what kind of a day I had at work?" he asked his voice soft, but to Scarlett's ears there seemed a little menace in it.
He was going to confront her now with what she'd done to him. It was a good place. Out in public. Sort of public. There were maybe eight to ten mostly guys on the track. This wouldn't be so bad.
"Of course I do. What kind of day did you have at work?" she asked.
Her voice might be a little too sweet. She was trying too hard. He'd see right through her act and know she was hiding something.
"It was busy. The whole heroes thing has been good for business. The MC has a good reputation in town except with a few diehards who don't always like the way we do things. Even a lot of those people are coming around."
"Sounds like a parade in SAMCRO's honor is just around the corner," Scarlett said.
Jax laughed.
"I wouldn't go that far, but the positive attention is nice."
"I almost forgot. David Hale called me with a message to pass on to you. He said the ATF was packing up and leaving. They couldn't get anywhere in their investigation of some building that got blown up."
"That's interesting news," Jax said.
Scarlett was resting her hand on Jax's arm helping make her walking easier, but it was still a struggle. Every step sent jarring pain up her spinal cord, but her muscles ached from sitting so much that she didn't mind the jarring pain.
"I have more interesting news. I had dinner with Tara."
"Now, that's surprising."
"I like her a lot. She said that she's glad she came to Charming because she needed to get over her fantasy of a life with you."
"I don't want her to waste her life dreaming of a life with me."
He looked at her with such sincerity, Scarlett's heart beat faster. For a moment she forgot all about her painting of Jax's abs and the trouble that might be brewing.
"You really don't love her."
"I hated her for awhile, but even that's all in the past. I'm at the place where I'd like to see her happy—just not with me."
Scarlett squeezed his arm.
"I'm going to start running now," he said.
"I think I'm going to sit down. If you do a cool down lap, I might do that with you."
Scarlett made her way slowly and painfully to a nearby bench. As Jax ran, it seemed as though everyone was talking to him and shouting words of thanks for putting a beat down on the would-be child rapists. Scarlett focused more on the natural wonders of Jax Teller in motion his blonde hair bouncing as he ran the track lights turning his hair into bright gold. Maybe he'd put his hair up in a man bun later. The idea made her smile.
Jax was working up quite a sweat his skin glistening in the light. Beads of sweat rolled down his face. Scarlett imaged taking a tiny taste of his sweat maybe around his lips. She was sick and twisted. It wasn't like her to think about sex, but she'd never spent time with a man just so bursting with virility.
Jax reached up and wiped his face with the bottom of the front of his shirt. It was so quick, Scarlett couldn't tell whether or not her artwork was still on him. Her heart pounded hard and she was nervous. She didn't want to be around when Jax discovered she'd decorated him.
This is exactly what happened when she didn't think stuff through, she scolded herself. What the hell was she going to do when Jax discovered what she'd done? Of course, she'd try to talk her way out of it and hope like hell it worked.
Jax had slowed his pace to a walk. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. Finally, he took off his T-shirt and wiped his face. His perfectly sculpted abs were clean and drawing free. Not even the faintest of black smudges. His eyes met hers and she thought there was a small smile tugging at his lips.
She was just going to quit thinking now. It hadn't helped the situation. It might even make it worse. She wasn't sure how things could get worse, but there usually was a way.
Jax walked up to her. He'd put his damp T-shirt back on. It clung to his damp skin outlining those chiseled abs.
"You want to do a cool down lap with me?"
"I think I'll pass. My back is very unhappy tonight."
"I don't really need to do a cool down either. Let's go."
On the way to her car, Scarlett thought she saw a white car similar to the one she and Tara had seen at the Mexican restaurant. She couldn't tell if it were the same guy.
On the short drive back to her motel, her brain forget it wasn't supposed to work and switched itself back on and she began to think.
He knew what she'd done to him. Was he biding his time waiting for the perfect moment to exact his revenge? She was betting on that. She hoped it would be soon because if she had to wait, she'd be a nervous wreck.
"You mind if I take a shower first?" Jax asked once they were back in her motel room and the door bolted safely behind them. "I'm just so . . . sweaty. I wouldn't want to get between your . . . sheets like this," he said.
His sweaty hair clung to his head just like his damp T shirt clung to his body. He was inches from her and so damned male. One man should not be that sexy. It should be against the law, but he was an outlaw.
"No," she whispered.
Jax grabbed his bag and went into the bathroom. Scarlett began to breathe again.
She decided she could at least make good use of her time. She sent a text to Tara telling her about the white car and guy she'd seen at the track. She asked Tara to send her a picture of the psycho ex.
A few minutes later, Tara sent her a picture of Joshy Kohn. Scarlett studied the picture carefully, trying to memorize it in case she saw him again. She just couldn't tell if the man she'd seen earlier was the same guy.
She sent Tara a text telling her she couldn't be sure if it were the same guy, but she would keep her eyes open and if she saw the guy, she'd text her. Tara immediately replied thanking her.
The door to the bathroom opened with a rush of warm moist air and a clean Jax wearing a lightweight pair of sky blue sweat pants and a navy blue Sons T-shirt emerged. His wet hair was scraped back in a high ponytail, the ends tucked under. It was a man bun.
She met his eyes and he seemed to be daring her to laugh at his man bun. Scarlett bit her lip, grabbed her clothes and fled into the bathroom. She leaned against the locked door, wrapped her arms around her waist and laughed.
She didn't know what it was about the man bun that made her laugh, but it just struck her as funny. Maybe it was more the outrage on his face when she called it a man bun.
By the time she finished her shower, she'd returned to worrying about what Jax was going to do her. Maybe nothing. That was a possibility.
No, it wasn't a real possibility. It was going to be something and it would be embarrassing and humiliating.
"Do you want to watch TV, DVDs or just sleep?" Scarlett asked pretending that nothing was wrong. "It's a little early for sleep, but we do have to get up early."
"You pick."
Jax was walking around the motel room behind her and it was making her nervous. She was practically trembling with fear and . . . anticipation.
He was standing near the door. He lifted his shirt. She locked eyes with him. There was writing on his stomach. It looked like her Kohl black eye crayon. It was hard to read without breaking eye contact with him. Finally she was able to read it:
Scars—You're in trouble.
Too late to run.
He lowered his shirt, crossed his arms over his chest, a wolfish grin on his face.
"Time to pay the price," he said in a husky growl.
Was the fun of touching Jax's abs worth the price she was going to pay? She was about to find out.
"******************************************************"
What kind of punishment will Scarlett face? Can she talk her way out of it? OK. No. No matter how fast she talks, she's in trouble and it is too late to run. Who wants to be in Scarlett's place?
I spent a lot of time writing this chapter because it was just so much fun. This is when I am so grateful I can write. The joy is indescribable.
I would appreciate some reader feedback because I need to know if this is coming across as sexy or silly. And I have heard you and made this a nice long (for me) chapter.