5

Little Toy Bikers and a Woman on the Run

Chapter 30 Track

Scarlett was having doubts about her plan to save herself by bringing down SAMCRO. She wasn't sure she had what it would take to get closer to Jax and then betray him and put him, SAMCRO and a big chunk of SOA in prison.

Before she met Jax, it hadn't bothered her that she would have to get close to a man and then betray him. It would be revenge for some of the hell men had put her through. The trouble was she hadn't expected to like him as much as she did.

She still thought it was disgusting that he'd slept with hundreds of women, but now she was justifying it. The hundreds of women had been consenting adults and he was just doing what every man wanted to do—have lots of meaningless sex with as many women as he could.

If he met the right woman, would he be faithful to her or would his need to have sex with every woman that crossed his path be too strong? Could a woman ever trust him? Why does this even matter to her?

Quit it, she told herself sternly. Thinking about Jax as anything more than a means to an end was foolish and dangerous. He knew exactly how to get a woman to sleep with him. She was more of a challenge than most, but once they had sex, she'd never see him again. He was playing her just as much as she was playing him.

Her back injury had brought out a side to him she didn't expect. He was patient, kind and gentle with her. It was behavior from an outlaw biker that she couldn't have imagined. He knew from her physical condition that she wasn't going to sleep with him, yet he continued to see her.

Damn Jax Teller. Why did he have to be so handsome, hot and charming? He thought he was irresistible. He might be right about that.

No, she was stronger than that. She needed to stay focused. There was no future for the two of them.

He drove her car to the high school and parked it near the track.

"You're worse today," Jax said as he helped her out of her car.

"Yeah. I'm stiffer and my pain level is higher. It's normal to have setbacks though."

"Maybe you shouldn't walk."

"I'll do one lap."

"I'll walk it with you to warm up."

"You're hot enough already," Scarlett said with a grin.

"It's about time you noticed," he said drily.

She liked the way he didn't take himself too seriously.

"I can't walk as fast as I did yesterday. I have to walk a lot slower."

"Great. I'll have more time to look at your beautiful face."

"Very funny," she retorted tartly.

She'd sort of combed her hair, but skipped make-up. She thought women looked silly when they wore a ton of make-up to workout.

"You should hold on to me," he said offering her his arm.

"I have a feeling no woman can hold on to you."

"My soon-to-be ex-wife would agree with you there."

"I can't believe a woman actually got you to the altar."

"I kind of hit a place in my life when I was tired of being alone. I was ready to get married; I just picked a crank addict."

"How did you not see that was going to go wrong?"

"I thought she used occasionally. It turned out she was an addict."

"I didn't think you could use crank occasionally. I thought that if you tried to use it occasionally you would end up addicted."

"You may be right there."

"So when are you going to be back on the marriage market?"

"Less than two months. Want to put in an application?" Jax asked giving her that killer grin.

Scarlett sucked in her breath. The combination of looks and charm was just an unfair advantage. How could any woman be expected to resist?

Hundreds of women, her brain chanted. He's been with hundreds of women. He knows how to use his looks and words to seduce. She wasn't any different or special. It was part of the chase. He'd do and say what he needed to get her into bed.

"I'm going to have to pass on the application. I have no desire to get married. I love my freedom," Scarlett said coolly.

"How sure are you that you will never fall in love?"

"Were you in love with your almost ex?"

"No. I was in love with Tara, but that's dead and in the past."

"If you're looking for applicants, I'm sure Tara will apply. I'd bet large sums of money that she's still in love with you."

The good-natured façade dropped for a moment. Scarlett saw regret on his face.

"Unfortunately, I think you're right about Tara. I don't know whether I should just tell her bluntly that I'm not in love with her and that isn't going to change or if I should just say nothing and let her figure it out on her own. What do you think?"

"For me, I'd rather know, but I don't know which she would prefer. Are you sure that the two of you can't rekindle your love? You may think that's impossible now, but with time, that could change."

"It isn't that I don't love her. I just don't have any feelings for her."

"You don't have to make a forever decision immediately. You've got two whole months before you can get married again legally. I don't think you're going to have a shortage of eager women wanting to take you off the marriage market."

"I'm hoping to upgrade the applicant pool this time around."

Scarlett wrapped her arms around her middle as she laughed.

"I hate it when you make me laugh. It pulls the muscles and hurts."

"You shouldn't laugh at me," Jax said and then he laughed.

He helped her move from a standing to a sitting position so she could sit on the bench while he ran. A dozen people were running around the track. Jax set out beginning slowly building his pace as he ran and then slowing down when he ran the final couple of laps.

"What are your plans for the day?" Jax asked as he drove them back to her motel.

"Take a hot shower, take some medication and sleep. I'm hoping that will help calm the muscles. I also plan on calling some property rental places and get an idea of what commercial rents run here. What about your day?"

"A hard day fixing bikes and cars," Jax said. "It might be a long and crazy day. I should come by this evening and take you for a walk, so you can stretch out your muscles before you go to sleep."

Scarlett was surprised by his thoughtfulness again. He was pretty sweet and kind. Damn him and damn her if she fell for his smooth seduction routine. She should know better especially after all she had been through.

"Just call first to make sure I'm in my room. I think I'll just send out for pizza, but I might walk to the diner for food. I tend to eat at odd times."

"That works for me because I work at odd times."

As he helped her out of the car, she clenched her teeth to keep from groaning at the additional pain that getting out of the car caused.

"I swear I'm getting rid of this car. It's so hard to get in and out of."

"You do look incredibly hot getting in and out of the car."

"Very not funny. I know I look like a ninety year old lady with the way I move."

"Hottest ninety year old woman in the world," Jax said laughing.

"Damn you, Jax," she said. "Quit making me laugh."

"OK. I won't make you laugh anymore."

She slid her room card into the door, opened it a couple of inches and wedged her foot into it so it wouldn't shut.

"How about I scare you instead?" Jax suggested, his voice husky and sexy.

"How are you going to scare me?"

"I can scare you with one word."

"Tell me."

"Loofah."

Scarlett laughed and groaned.

"Damn you, Jax Teller. I told you to quit making me laugh."