"I appreciate the offer Jax, but I can't."

"You're not a dinner person? That's cool. There's always breakfast or lunch."

Evie smiled, looking down at her scoffed back and white converses.

"That's not what I mean. I just think we should keep our relationship platonic."

"I'm not askin' you to marry me, darlin.' It's just dinner."

"I'm about to finalize my divorce. I'm not ready to jump back into the dating pool."

"I understand. You think one date with me will make you fall in love with me."

Evie started to laugh, shaking her head.

"God, do those pick up lines really work?"

"You'd be surprised, but they do."

"Plus, it's you I worry about. One date with me will make you fall in love with me."

"Do you hear me arguing with you?"

Before Evie could reply, Abel and Andre ran up the driveway to both of their parents .

"Dad, can Andre sleep over after we come home from the wedding?"

"Yeah, it's cool with me. It's up to Andre's mom," Jax adverted his eyes over to Evie.

"Please," the two boys said in unsion, Andre sticking out his bottom lip.

"Okay, you can sleep over. But, only if you unpack some of the things in your room. Deal?"

"Deal."

Jax rested his hand on a sweaty Abel's shoulder.

"Abel, go in the house and get cleaned up before we leave."

His son nodded, taking off to the front door while Andre did the same.

"Looks like our boys really hit it off. How old is Abel?"

"Going to be five in two weeks. What about Andre?"

"He just turned five last month."

"Fortunately, he looks like his mom."

"You're just saying that. Everyone says he looks like his father."

"They're probably saying that to boost the man's confidence. Does anyone say that when he's not around?"

"No, actually."

"See, I told you."

"Okay Dr. Phil, don't you have a wedding to get to?"

He smiled, nodding his head. He had a fiesty one on his hands.

"I should be home 10:30 the latest. You can just send Andre over."

"Yeah, no problem. Wish your friend congratulations for me."

" Will do. Is there any allergies I should worry about when it comes time to feed the little monster?"

"You kidding? That kid is a human vaccum. As long as your food isn't laced with Penicillin, he will be fine."

"Noted. Have a good night, Evie."

"You too, Jax."

Evie walked into her home, closing the door behind her, leaning her whole body onto it. It should be fucking illegal for one man to be so hot. It was downright frustrating that he was that good looking.

Attempting to shake Jax from her thoughts, she decided to check on her son to see if had gotten started on his unpacking. She leaned on the doorframe, watching her son pull his basketball posters from one of the boxes, looking around the room to see where he wanted to hang them.

"I think you should put them right next to your bed. They will be the first thing you see when you come into your room," Evie came up behind her son, placing a kiss on his newly shaved head.

"I like that idea," he was ready to climb up on his bed when she stopped him in mid movement.

"Uh, uh, no shoes on your bed."

He kicked off his shoes, standing on the bed, laying the first poster against the wall.

"Mommy, I need tacs."

She rummaged in the box, pulling out a small transparent case with multi colored tacs inside.

"I think I'm going to like it here, mommy."

"Yeah, I think I will too, baby."

Evie helped Andre tac up the posters he had on the bed behind him. Her cellphone began to ring from her back pocket.

"Can you hold these a second Dre without dropping them?"

He nodded, taking the tacs from her. Evie took out her phone, shaking her head. She hit the answer button, holding it to her ear.

"You're late, Eli."

"Late for what?"

"You said you and a few of your friends were going to help me move in today."

"You said that you were moving in Thursday."

"It is Thursday, big brother."

"Oh shit," she heard Eli sigh heavily into the phone. " I completely forgot, Evie. I'm so wrapped up in work. I'll be able to be there first thing in the morning."

"No, you don't have to. My next door neighbor helped move me in," she smiled as she thought about Jax.

"Next door neighbor, huh? Is he good looking?"

"Why does that matter?"

"Because I don't want some player breaking my little sister's heart. Speaking of which, Ben better watch his ass. I still haven't given him the serious beatdown he deserves for hooking up with that slut from his job."

"Eli, that shit is in the past. You shouldn't dwell on it. I'm not."

"Because of your handsome next door neighbor, right?", he teased.

"I'm hanging up now. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Alright Evie. Love you."

"Love you too, Eli."

Evie smiled to herself as she finally finished unpacking the whole kitchen. It was starting to already look and feel like home. There was a knock on the door, making Evie head to the door.

"I got it! ", Andre raced past his mother, opening the door to Abel and his dad standing there.

"Hey, you're back early. It's only eight," Evie glanced at her watch for confirmation.

"This one begged me to leave early so he can hang out with Andre," Jax touched the top of Abel's head.

"Abel, come see my room," Andre motioned with his hand with Abel excitedly following behind him, leaving Evie and Jax standing there alone.

"Did your brother and his friends ever show up?"

"No, they didn't. My brother is working. He's a police officer. He completely forgot that I was moving in today. It's not like his wife could come over and help either because she is out of town. Her mother isn't doing so well. I just told him that my helpful neighbor moved me in."

" I don't wanna take all the credit. Who the fuck am I kidding? I'd love to take all the credit."

Evie gave a playful roll of her eyes.

"You want to come in? I'm sure Andre is showing Abel every inch of his room."

"Sure, " he stepped over the threshold, looking back at her as she shut the front door.

"The place is looking good. "

"Thanks. The only room I fully unpacked was the kitchen though."

"I know.. Sorry, it's really hard to hold a normal conversation without throwing some kind of flirtation your way."

"You don't give up, do you?"

"Never been one to give up. Not gonna start now."

"I admire that. "

"Yeah? What else do you admire," Jax quickly closed the distance between the two of them, pushing her body up against the kitchen table, his eyes falling to her lips. Her chest began to rise and fall dramtically as her heart rate sped up like a car's engine.

Jax was ready. He was ready to take her right on this kitchen table, willing to risk their children catching them in the heated and sinful act. He wanted her, needed her. He's gone without sex for over a year. It was time to break the dry spell that prison had put on him.

" Jax, I..."

Evie looked away from Jax, seeing her son and Abel coming down the hallway, moving closer to the two of them.

She pushed Jax away, smiling at Andre.

"You have everything to sleep over Abel's?"

"Yup," He slid one of the straps of his bookbag he was using as an overnight bag onto his shoulder.