Two days later - Friday - Valentine's Day …
"Five years, possible parole after three."- The plea deal that had been offered to Gemma, - which she'd accepted after continued urging from her lawyer and Unser, - felt like a slap to the face to Jax, but he dared not even think of what it must've felt like to Tara.
At first, they'd both been relieved to hear that his mother had accepted the offered deal, because it meant there wouldn't be a trial and neither Tara nor anyone else would have to take the stand, only to be stunned a few moments later after hearing the actual 'deal' she'd been given.
Jax had been furious, unable to hide his anger in their phone conversation with Lowen. After the call had ended, he'd still been so riled up, ready to even verbally fight Tara, ready to yell at her ... "I told you so ... this is what you get for playing by the rules ... you should've let me kill her"- but those words got stuck in his throat the moment his furious blue eyes connected with her disbelieving hazel-green ones. The hurt and tears in her eyes reflecting back at him shut him right up, and so he'd literally shut his mouth, unclenched his fists, put aside his own emotions, and instead wrapped his arms around the love of his life to console her in a strong embrace.
This is their reality, what's done is done, and no amount of fighting is going to change that. The only bright side is that they'd have guaranteed peace of mind for the next three years, if Gemma actually managed to make parole, which he highly doubts.
Gemma Teller was a lot of things, but being a model citizen or model inmate certainly wasn't one of them, and Jax doubted that she'd be able to stay out of trouble to make any reasonable person grant her an early release. After all, the Club hadn't arranged for any kind of protection inside, so she'd truly have to fend for herself, and that wasn't exactly possible while playing nice, at least not for someone with her temperament and attitude. The next three to five years were certainly going to be hell for his mother, and at the moment that knowledge seemed to be the only comforting thought to him.
That had been yesterday when they'd found out, and since then he and Tara have made a silent vow to let it go, to move on, and focus on the good that was to come for them, like the move into their new home and of course the baby. But it was easier said than done when he found himself sitting alone in one of the hospital waiting rooms, with too much time on his hands to think back on it all again.
A conversation he'd had with Greg earlier this week comes back to his mind:
- I'm telling you, man, there are still times I can't stop thinking about all the horrific shit I did, especially what I did to Tara. Some days when I've got too much time to think, all that bad shit just runs on a loop in my head.
Bro, we all carry shit like that around with us. You just gotta remember that redemption isn't a one-stop destination, for most of us it doesn't just happen overnight, it's more like a journey, you know, one step at a time.
I know. And I'm holding on, mostly because I promised her that I would, and I'm done breaking my promises to her.
Speaking of our lovely ladies, how are those Valentine's Day plans coming along? Time's a tickin'.
Still working on that, but I've got a few ideas of where I might take her. Tara's pretty easygoing, she's never been one for big gestures.
Yeah, neither's Claire but, dude, here's your chance to make up for some of that shit you just cried to me about, and replace some of those bad memories with happier new ones. I mean it's Valentine's Day, the one day a year nobody will bat an eye if you decide to embrace the fucking cheese factor.
Embrace the cheese factor, huh? That's what you do?
Hell yeah, that's what I do. And it's pretty damn easy too. All you gotta do is make a mockery of your manhood for one fucking day, you know? Serve up the romance on an outrageously overpriced platter for her! I'm not one to kiss and tell, man, but that shit works like a charm! Trust me on this one, even if you think your old lady ain't into all that, deep down they all dig it.
"Make a mockery of your manhood"- He smiles a little at Greg's words, and he surely hopes it works and Tara will like what he's got planned for them tonight.
In an attempt to divert his attention elsewhere, Jax digs out his phone, scrolling through his messages, rereading the last text he'd received from Christy just yesterday evening, - 'This isn't going to work. One of us has to tell her' , before he quickly deletes it right along with his response, not liking how it might sound out of context should Tara stumble across it. At least after tonight, he won't have to hide shit from her any longer.
Just then Tara walks into the waiting area near her office, pulling the scrub cap off of her head and letting out a sigh when her eyes land on Jax, who's been waiting for her to finish up. "One of the nurses said you're in here."
"Hey, Babe." Jax blurts out at once, clicking the screen on his phone off, and tucking it away as he stands up from his seat. He steps closer and leans in to give her a quick peck on the lips in greeting, the sterile scent of the OR still lingering on her, filling his nostrils at once, the smell familiar and oddly comforting to him after all this time.
"Hey," Tara replies when she pulls away again after the kiss, rolling her shoulders to shake off some of the tension from the surgery she's just performed before she meets his eyes apologetically. "I'm so sorry, surgery ran late again, but I'll get changed real quick and we can head out."
"No worries, it's barely six, we still got all night." Jax smiles at her, grabbing his leather jacket in one hand and pulling the door open again for her to walk through with the other, before falling in step right beside her to make their way to her office.
Tara hurries to unlock the door, and doesn't waste a minute to grab the black garment bag, with the outfits she'd picked out this morning and brought here with her - just in case she'd be running late -, off of the chair, right along with the shopping bag with the things she'd bought on her lunch break earlier. She walks on through to the adjoining bathroom, already toeing off her comfy sneakers, and begins to strip out of her scrubs.
Jax leans against the door jamb, his arms folded across his chest, his eyes skimming over her from head to toe, drinking in the image of her in just her mismatched bra and panty as she hurriedly washes up a bit, splashing water in her face, dabbing a wet towel under her arms.
Tara turns and is just about to unzip the bag a moment later, but then stops, glancing over at him when she asks. "Can you at least give me a hint about where we're going, so I'll know what to wear?"
"Nope," Jax replies, popping the P, and smirking at the way she rolls her eyes after he's shut down her question the same way he's been shutting them down since yesterday afternoon, when he'd first informed her that for the first time in a very long time, he's actually made plans for a Valentine's Day date with her. "Told you, it's a surprise."
"I've brought nice jeans with a cute top, and a knee-length dress." She explains, gesturing to the garment bag all the while searching his face, hoping this question might lead to a clue from him. "What do you think is more appropriate?"
"Both will work. Nice try though." Jax replies, smirking, though suppressing the urge to laugh at the eye roll she's giving him yet again.
Tara stops then to really take him in for the first time, looking him up and down in hopes that his outfit might give her a clue as to how she should be dressing tonight. He's wearing the blue Henley that she loves because not only does it match the color of his eyes, but it so delectably shows off his muscular arms, his biceps straining against the fabric, and not to forget how it fits across his sculpted chest. He's paired that with the dark blue jeans, she got him, which aren't tight by any definition of the word, yet they fit a little tighter on him than his usual style and consequently show off his perfect ass - and other assets - more, along with the pair of his black motorcycle boots he's started to wear lately instead of his usual white sneakers. All in all, he looks a whole lot more dressed up than most times, and utterly gorgeous if she is being honest with herself. Damn this pregnancy libido!
He gives her a knowing smirk when he notices her lingering look along with the way she's biting her lip in thought, and his voice is teasing when he asks. "See something you like?"
She meets his eyes again at last, not even embarrassed that he caught her looking, yet oh-so-tempted to give in to the urge, but then she remembers that he made plans for them, so she shuts her own dirty thoughts down again as quickly as they've appeared. She sighs in sexual frustration while giving him another scrutinizing look, realizing that they'll never make it out of there if he continues to loom over her in the doorframe, and so she tries to shoo him out the door. "I'll need some privacy, please."
"Privacy, really?" Jax chuckles, raising his eyebrows in amusement, yet not budging even an inch when she gestures for him to leave.
"Yes, privacy, Teller. So I can change." Tara's not letting up, literally pushing him out of the way, before she hurriedly closes the door in his face.
"Nothing I haven't seen countless times before, Babe." He laughs, leaning against the door to carry on this conversation, but then mumbles under his breath at the ridiculousness of her kicking him out. "... or have been balls deep in."
"What?" Tara asks, almost yelling from behind the closed door now.
"I said I've seen it all before." He answers loudly, smart enough to not repeat his actual last words.
"You haven't seen the lingerie I bought on my lunch break today." She replies teasingly, and even without seeing her, he can practically hear a smirk in the tone of her voice alone.
Jax smiles at that, liking the thought that she went out and bought something just for this date, but he still replies a moment later. "You know you don't need all of that, Babe, because that lingerie is gonna come right off anyways."
He can hear her chuckle at that on the other side of the door, but she doesn't actually reply, and instead just carries on getting ready for their date.
Barely fifteen minutes later Tara finally steps out of the bathroom and back into her office, and she can't deny the boost it gives her self-esteem when she finds Jax looking slack-jawed back at her from the seat he's taken near her desk.
"How do I look?" She asks, longing for him to put words to his stunned expression.
"Like you won't be wearing that dress for very long." He teases with a devilish smirk as he pushes himself up and stumbles to his feet.
"No, I'm serious." She laughs, taking a step back as he's approaching. "Do you like it?" She demands an actual answer, smoothing her hands over her ruched red dress, which clings to her just enough to show off her curves, sexy but still classy too.
He's looking her up and down again, more for show, since he's already taken it all in. "You look amazing. I love it." Jax replies while closing the distance between them, and his eyes are full of suggestive need when he lets his hands slide down her back to the curve of her ass and pulls her close against him with a firm tug. He leans in, to pepper her neck with small kisses, breathing in the scent of her perfume this time. We're in no rush, we've got some time!- He tells himself, and so his fingers begin to pinch and tug the fabric around her thighs upwards when he demands with a suggestive whisper in her ear. "Lemme get a look at the lingerie you were talkin' about, Babe."
Despite the needy heat that his look, his lips, and his hands roaming over her body ignite in her, Tara somehow manages to quickly swat his hands away, even takes another step back and braces two firm hands against his chest to create some distance, because she knows if she doesn't she'll likely give in herself and their date will end right here before it even has a chance to start.
"Nope." She says trying to sound convincing, popping the P as he had earlier, and shaking her head, but when she sees the surprise in his eyes at her denial, she smugly adds. "It's a surprise."
Jax can't help but laugh out loud at that. "Touché." He replies, at last, meeting her eyes for just a second before he cups her face, his fingertips disappearing in her dark hair, holding her in place for a quick but near-bruising kiss against her lips.
He grabs her black leather jacket from the back of her chair and holds it out for her to push her arms through before he pulls on his own, and moments later they're on their way out the door.
Between after-work rush hours and Valentine's Day, traffic is a nightmare. To kill time they begin to share some of their workdays with each other, but at last, Jax decides to at least tell Tara where they aren't going tonight. "So, at first I was gonna take you to Porter's."
"Porter's? Really?" Tara looks back at him in surprise, knowing what a high-end place Porter's is, it didn't exactly seem like either of their styles.
"Yeah." He admits, but then explains a moment later. "But turns out for Valentine's Day they've got these two preset six-course menus, with like seafood, that I wasn't sure you can have, and steak, which you'd have to order well done, and all of them paired with different wines and other alcoholic drinks, so ... I figured we might do that next year when you're probably not knocked up."
"Probably?" Tara repeats staring back at him in confusion, her focus wholeheartedly on that one word he'd just so casually thrown in there.
"Don't give me that look." Jax glances over at her when he pulls his truck to a stop at a red light, looking completely serious. "I told you we'll keep trying if this one ain't a girl." He reaches over and runs his hand across her lower abdomen to bring more emphasis to his words.
"And I don't get any say in it, huh?" Tara scoffs a little, shaking her head at him in disbelief, but the twinkle in her eyes lets him know she's amused more than anything. "It'll already be hard enough to fit three car seats into one backseat. What would we do with four?" She says as a way to explain herself. "You and I aren't exactly van-people."
"We could be van-people." He replies, trying to sound earnest, but fails when he can't contain the smile that crosses his face.
"We'll work out those details when we cross that bridge, Babe." He adds dryly a moment later, then reaches for her hand and raises it to his lips to press a little kiss to her knuckles, his eyes focused on the road ahead though now that traffic's moving again.
Almost ten minutes later he finally pulls his truck into a parking spot along a busy road in the more touristy part of town. Tara glances out the window, still trying to figure out where they are and what he's got planned for their date, a list of restaurants in the area is popping into her head.
Jax quickly rounds the truck to her side, hiding away her purse for her, before he grabs her by the waist, helping her get out in her dress and red high-heeled stilettos.
"Where are we?" Tara finally asks, looking around, but Jax simply shakes his head no at her, still not ready to tell her yet, and intertwines their hands, tugging her along with him, down the street, and eventually around the corner.
That's when Tara suddenly takes in the multi-story red brick building, with its name - The Edge - in neon-green halogen lights above the doorway, and the people waiting in line to get inside, along with the sound of a bass line's heavy thud, which makes it unmistakably clear to her what this place is.
"We're going to a club?" She finally looks up at him in obvious surprise, because they haven't done anything like this since they were teenagers. "Dancing?"
"What? No good?" He tries to read her facial expression as they get in line to get in as well.
"No, ... I like it." She nods her head, smiling and feeling strangely excited about the idea. "It's just not what I expected, ... and we'll probably be the old couple surrounded by nothing but college kids in there." She adds as an afterthought but still smiles from ear to ear despite her assumption.
"I doubt that," Jax reassures her, wrapping his arms around her from behind to warm her up as they take a few steps forward in line, and that's when Tara notices that most of the people ahead of them seem to be close to their age as well.
When they finally reach the front of the line, the bouncer barely glances at their IDs before waving them in. The theme for Valentine's Day at the Edge tonight is 'The Nineties'. And that's not just obvious by the streamers hanging about, or the other people who are mostly close to their age, but even more so by the music videos on the oversized screens that are scattered around the club, along with the corresponding songs blasting through the speakers, and the continued announcements by the DJ, or in this case VJ.
They stop along the bar, getting a virgin cocktail for her and, after she insists that she can drive them home later, he ends up ordering a whiskey double for himself. They sip their drinks on the way to the booth Jax had reserved for them and shrug out of their jackets, taking in the scene around them for a little while, and although the plan had been to eat first, they quickly get sucked into the nostalgia of the music they've grown up with, bobbing their heads and mouthing lyrics to songs they haven't heard in over a decade.
Before Jax can even ask her if she wants to dance, Tara's already put down her drink and is nudging her head toward the dance floor, leaving no doubt what she's got in mind. He watches her as she raises her arms to cut a route through writhing bodies, and he quickly finishes the last gulp of his drink and hurries to keep up with her.
'No Diggity' starts playing and even more people are pouring onto the floor, and it's getting crowded, but neither of them seems to mind. They find a spot somewhere in the middle, but even here the bass is so loud Jax swears he can feel it thumping in his sternum, wondering for just a second if this is okay for the baby and he can't help himself but lean down and practically yell in her ear to ask her just that.
"It's fine." Tara mouths the words, then smiles and nods up at him in response, clearly not worried and it eases Jax's sudden second-guessing on his date night idea.
Despite the air conditioning blasting in the building, it's warm in the midst of the crowd, but it doesn't deter either of them from dancing. In fact, they're dancing very close despite the heat, her breasts brushing against his chest, she's smiling, biting her bottom lip, and the sight of her so carefree after the news they've gotten about Gemma brings an easy smile to his face as well.
He takes her in, watching her as she furrows her brow while she mouths the lyrics. Dancing with the same confident rhythm she had back in high school when they'd been dating over a decade ago, back when they were just love-drunk kids. Eyes on him the whole time too, egging him on, telling him 'Keep up if you can, Teller' with just that look, and he can't help but laugh a little as he begins to mouth the lyrics right along with her. Both of them getting caught up in the moment, in a memory.
Suddenly Tara catches him off guard when she turns around and grinds her ass into his groin. "Jesus Christ, Babe." He groans against her ear, but apparently loud enough for her to hear, because she shoots him a mischievous look over her shoulder and it leaves no doubt that she knows exactly what she's doing to him.
"Too much?" She twists halfway back around to yell the question in his ear in reply, trying to appear innocent now, but he isn't buying it.
But two can play that game and so Jax just shakes his head at her, puts his hands on her hips, and grips her hard, before giving her a rough yank back toward his body and starts guiding the sweet roll of her ass as he begins to move in rhythm against her. "Never." He practically growls in her ear at the same time, and he knows there's no way in hell she can't feel his dick growing hard against her, which she confirms when she shoots him yet another look over her shoulder, biting her lip to contain the grin stretching over her face. What a tease!
He's got both his and her phone on vibrate in his pocket, just in case something's up with the boys and the sitter, Mrs. Ellie, should need to get a hold of them, but at the same time, he makes the conscious decision not to think about them, not to think about Gemma's outrages deal, or any of the other countless things he still finds himself regretting daily. Instead, Jax decides, much like he does during sex, not to think at all and just focus on the feeling of her in his arms.
Between the whiskey, the music, and the gorgeous woman pressing against him, he just lets himself go. He just goes with the beat, losing himself in the feeling of Tara's body grinding against him, along with the beat of his own heart inside his chest, embracing their much-needed night out and letting the feeling of true freedom hit him all at once.
They continue to dance with youthful abandon to song after song, the music truly eclectic tonight, from rap and hip-hop to grunge, pop, and rock, with even the occasional ballad of heartbreak, because it wouldn't be Valentine's Day without a sappy love song to allow them all to catch their breaths during a few minutes of.
When the beginning beats of 'Whatta Man' by Salt-N-Pepa begin to play, the female crowd erupts in excitement, even Tara, and Jax can't help but laugh out loud at her reaction.
She laces her fingers behind his neck, eyes never leaving his when she starts to really move, curling her curvy hips side to side, front to back, in tight arcs. The way she'd move those hips while on top of him, riding him. Rolling and swaying, slower, then faster, and making him that much harder than he already is.
At the same time though, he tries not to think too hard about the fact that sadly he's no longer the man described in the lyrics she's quietly singing along with. He's betrayed and hurt her, but at the moment it doesn't seem to matter, at least not to Tara. At this moment they're both sixteen again and haven't made the mistakes their grown-up versions will surely continue to regret until their dying breaths.
At least that's what he tells himself when he's grinding against her as well, both his hands cupping the delicious curve of her ass while he's trying to mimic her rhythm. She turns him on and yet amuses him all at once, has him biting his lip now and smiling at the same time, because her sexual energy is fucking infectious, and stirs up countless dirty thoughts in his mind. And when she looks right at him, singing along with the words "You're so crazy, I think I wanna have your baby", Jax finds himself throwing his head back, laughing out loud, and instantly forgets about all his regrets again, instead.
She reciprocates with a laugh, a genuine carefree laugh, and it has him continuing to laugh too, because it feels so good to move like this, to have fun like this, outside of the bedroom, so much so that he regrets not taking her out dancing much sooner. This is the opposite of going through the motions, and they both needed this badly. This is good, unclean fun in public, and they haven't had nearly enough of this in their life.
Over the years everything had become so dark and serious. They used to work hard, but they used to have plenty of fun times too. It was a good balance, ... well, at least for the short while it had lasted. Somewhere along the way, things with the Club became harder and harder, and that hard part of their life chipped away at the fun part until there was none of it left.
But tonight, they're undoubtedly reclaiming it. Their bodies throbbing, pressed against each other, all over each other, Tara's fingers gliding into the hair that's damp with sweat at the nape of Jax's neck, when 'I Wanna Sex You Up' comes on next. They're both immediately grinning because the song couldn't possibly be more fitting.
This time Jax takes the lead though, still palming her ass, loving the way it feels soft, yet muscular too. It firmly fills his hands in such a satisfying way that it makes him want to come. He lets his thumbs caress over the small of her back, where the crow tattoo that he'll never get tired of seeing is hiding beneath the fabric, as they continue to move against each other. He keeps pressing her against him, holding her, keeping her right where he wants her, seeing the flicker of lust in her eyes that surely matches his, all under the disguise of dancing.
One song turns into another and another, and they continue being lost in the playful way they're dancing and touching and moving. Their eyes locked on each other, hearts pounding, pressing their bodies more firmly against one another. Asking for more contact, the simmering desire ignites with every roll of their hips, like a match set to a mile-long swath of gasoline, leading to an inferno if they'll keep this up.
But some of that heat begins to simmer when Sinead O'Connor's 'Nothing Compares to You' begins to play, changing the tone in the club completely. Tara sighs and Jax pulls her firmly into his arms for this slow dance, his hands drifting up to the small of her back now, while they're both instantly bombarded with the memory of the first time they'd danced to this song, at least judging by the wistful smile and look they're now sharing.
What he wouldn't give to go back in time, back to that night when their love story was just beginning, ... he'd do everything so differently. He'd never hurt her, he'd never let her go!
Nostalgia fills them both at the heartbreaking lyrics of the song. Tara rests her head against his shoulder, her face nuzzled into the crook of his neck, but Jax takes her by surprise when he repeats the same words he'd whispered in her ear all those many years ago. "You're my girl, Knowles. Everybody knows it now. There's no going back."
Tara pulls back just enough to look up at him and meet his mirth-filled eyes, smiling reflectively, yet shaking her head just a little in disbelief too when she says. "I can't believe you remember that."
Jax raises his eyebrows in disbelief right back at her when he poses a question in return. "How could I forget?"
"Well, ..." She starts. "It's been a very long time, and we had both been drinking that night?" She's quick to remind him further. "Playing that stupid game, remember?"
"I was far from drunk, Babe, and I still remember everything about that night." He replies, the corners of his lips turning upward in a devilish smile, right along with the quirky way he raises his eyebrows at her.
Everything that happened that night comes back to her in an instant too, right along with the way she'd felt back then dancing in his arms while he'd whispered in her ear that she was 'his girl'. It had made all the doubt disappear, and all the whispers went silent, making her feel safer being right there with him. But it's been so long and so much has happened, that it feels like it was a whole other life ... somehow.
She settles her head back down against his shoulder, slowly swaying to the music, when he voices out loud what she'd just been thinking. "Seems like a million years ago now, doesn't it?"
"Yeah." She answers, nodding along without lifting her head, and presses a sweet kiss against his neck in reverie. "It feels like it."
X
They sit side by side in their booth, instead of across from each other, longing for closeness even as they're eating.
The food is nothing fancy like what would've been served at Porter's on any given night, but both couldn't be more content with the simple burgers and fries they are devouring like they haven't eaten in days. All the dancing has certainly ramped up their appetite.
Tara is still working on her fries, forgoing the fork and using her fingers instead when she notices the amused look Jax is throwing her way. "What?"
Without any explanation, he reaches over, swiping the pad of his thumb across the corner of her lips, wiping away a smudge of ketchup, and licking the red substance right off of his thumb, before he finally adds. "I always thought you're only a messy eater when you're a little drunk, ... but you haven't had a drink all night."
"Hmm." She nods as she swallows the bite in her mouth, then explains. "I'm also a messy eater when I'm having way too much fun to care."
"Is that right?" Jax teases, before he further inquires just a moment later. "Is that your roundabout way of saying this date night is a success?"
"Absolutely." She nods her head, before leaning closer and pressing her lips against his in a quick little kiss. "I had so much fun." She adds, but there is something in her eyes that tells Jax she's not telling the whole truth.
"But?" He prompts instantly without missing a beat.
"No 'but'." She replies just as quickly, her hand sliding across the width of his muscular jean-clad thigh, stopping less than an inch from where he'd like her fingers to further explore before she adds to explain with a naughty glint in her eyes. "I think I'm just ready for the part where I get to have you all to myself, Mr. Teller."
The fire that had first started in her office and then continued earlier on the dance floor is roaring to new heights now as their eyes connect and remain locked on each other for a long quiet filled moment, before Jax reaches for her hand still resting on his thigh and pulls is further up to let her feel the effect she has on him as he replies huskily. "If this is what you're ready for, I can definitely make that happen, Mrs. Teller."
She grins at his words, and so does he a second after, both unable to hide their amusement from their faces despite the sexual tension brewing between them, and then they're nodding at each other in a wordless agreement that it's time to go.
The drinks and food have already been paid for, but Jax finishes the last of his beer with a quick few gulps, then throws a couple of bills on the table for the server, grabs both their leather jackets in one hand, before he gets up, grabbing ahold of her hand and pulls her up and out of the booth with him.
Fingers intertwined, weaving their way through the crowd in a hurry, they only make it as far as the hallway before Jax pins her against the wall with the weight of his body, cupping her face with his one free hand and leans down for an urgent kiss he can no longer hold back from.
Between the still thumping beat of the bass and their quickening heartbeats pounding in their chests, they're feeling like they've felt on that dance floor earlier, completely lost in each other and utterly unaware of everyone else around them.
The kiss grows needier, more passionate with every swipe of their tongues, and so do their bodies as they're once again grinding against each other just like before, but when they hear the crowd roar with excitement as yet another favorite nineties hit begins to play, they're both suddenly jostled out of their trance.
Tara bites her swollen kissed lip, her cheeks flushed with arousal, her breaths coming in quick spurts as if she just ran a mile or two without stopping, and the man still standing right in front of her, with one of his legs now pressed strategically against her center, seems to match her labored breathing, but at the same time, he's shooting her a grin that spells nothing but trouble.
Both of them dare a look around them, her looking to her right, him looking to his right twisting his head over his shoulder in the opposite direction, for the first time wondering how they must look to other people passing by, although it seems that nobody pays them any mind. It's Valentine's Day after all!
Yet even though this goddamn hallway is busy, there are still people showing up now to dance, while others are already leaving, there's a line around the bar to order drinks and food, and of course, there's a line right outside the women's restroom too.
Both their eyes seem to land on the restroom doors at the same time, obviously noticing that there isn't a line for the men's room at all before they look back at each other with an unspoken question, and Tara would be lying if she said she doesn't consider it for just a fraction of a second.
But that thought disappears just as quickly again, because as much as her core is throbbing for him, and as much as she can feel his hard length pressing against her right now that lets her know that he feels very much the same, she is just way too freaking sober to get fucked while pressed against a flimsy divider of a bathroom stall in an even filthier men's room.
What she does want is to take her hot as fuck husband back home, light some candles, put on some soft music, undress each other, and make love until the sun comes up and the birds start to sing.
"Not gonna happen." Jax interrupts her thoughts, his voice and the expression on his face full of amusement even as he shakes his head no at her.
"What's not gonna happen?" She can't help but ask, curious about what he's referring to.
"The men's room." He quips back, cutting a quick glance back over his shoulder in that direction. "Not gonna happen." He repeats while shaking his head again before he adds an explanation. "I get that the whole nineties theme brought back all kinds of memories, but this place is too damn crowded tonight and I'd rather have you someplace to myself."
She considers telling him that for once he's read her all wrong, that she too isn't up for getting it on in the bathroom either, but instead, she just pulls his face back down to hers and kisses him slowly and sweetly, before she breaks the kiss again to agree instead. "Yeah, okay. Let's get out of here."
He steps back, at last, holding her jacket open for her again so she can slip her arms into it, then quickly slipping on his own, before curling his arm around her neck as they head for the exit side by side. Just as they make it outside, he pulls her closer, chuckling in her ear when he says. "We can always come back on a not-so-busy night to reenact some of our teenage bathroom escapades. I promise."
He presses a kiss against her temple, leaving her smirking as she begins to remember some of those escapades way too vividly.
X
Jax hurries to finish off his cigarette while Tara's already settling in behind the wheel of his truck, blasting the heater to warm up the cabin and adjusting the mirrors to her height, but then her eyes are trained on him again just standing there and his eyes are focused on hers in return, winking at her playfully through the cloud of smoke he's just exhaled.
He's so ridiculously handsome, and she knows she isn't the only one thinking that, because it doesn't go unnoticed by her how every female that passers-by can't help but give him not just one, but usually a second and some even a third glance, despite their guy - boyfriend, fiancé or maybe even husband - walking right beside them. And somehow, the fact that his eyes never stray from hers for even a second, combined with the knowledge that he's all hers to enjoy as soon as they make it home, is making the need for him that much more intense at the moment, and has her squeezing her thighs together in a rather fruitless attempt of trying to temper that longing down a bit.
But as much as they still want to devour each other right then and there, they've agreed to keep it cool out here in public and try to restrain themselves until they're behind closed doors because getting caught quite literally with your pants down, especially on Valentine's Day, seems like a very bad idea. Hence his need for a quick cigarette instead, and her seeking a little distance by already sitting inside his truck, not that either of their coping mechanisms seems to do them any good at the moment, because she still wants him something fierce and if the look he's giving her, combined with the way he keeps adjusting himself in his jeans, is any indication, he feels very much the same about her too.
Jax finally extinguishes the last glimmer of his cigarette and climbs in beside her, quickly shutting the door behind him to not let the cold air in as their eyes are connecting in mischief, before Jax taps his hands against the dashboard, urging her to start driving. "Let's roll."
She forces herself to look away, quickly turns on the blinker, and a moment later begins to pull out of the parking spot to merge into late-night downtown weekend traffic.
Tara begins on the path home, but in an attempt to distract from the obvious sexual tension between them, she and Jax reminisce about some of the songs they'd danced to earlier, along with other songs that weren't playing tonight, yet they used to listen to all the time back in the day. It's fun and carefree and for a moment in time, it once again seems like they don't have a care in the world.
"Take a left at the next light." Jax suddenly instructs her, nodding his head in the aforementioned direction as they're approaching an intersection.
Tara's looking back at him in question, pointing out the obvious. "That's not the way home."
"I know." He says, unable to keep his lips from curving into a smile yet again when he adds. "I've got another surprise."
"You do?" Tara replies, and even though she follows his instructions and is already merging into the left turning lane, she still looks over at him with imploring eyes while waiting for the light to turn green. "It's pretty late, Jax." She adds, but it's the longing look in her eyes that does the real talking, making it clear that she doesn't want to take any more detours, she just wants him, the sooner the better.
"I know." He simply replies, trying his best not to tease her about the fire in her eyes, instead, he reaches over and takes her hand in his to press a quick kiss against it. He winks at her just before she has no choice but to focus back on the road when the light turns green, and she has to drive again. He intertwined his fingers with hers, tugging lightly to gain her attention. "Trust me, you'll like it."
X
Jax is still exasperatingly tight-lipped about what exactly they were doing here since she followed his instructions, pulled into the hotel parking lot, and is now giving him a WTF look.
"You did not get us a room here," Tara states as if it couldn't possibly be true, looking over at him in surprise, but then her look turns questioning a second later. "Did you?" She asks, which despite their current location is a fair question in her mind, for several reasons.
One, they didn't pack so much as a toothbrush, let alone an overnight bag. Two, she can only think of very few times in their entire relationship Jax has spent money on a room someplace when their home was within driving distance, and those particular times were under extraordinary circumstances. And three, Mrs. Ellie is watching the boys at their apartment, waiting to be relieved of babysitting duty sometime tonight.
"It's a surprise." He repeats for what seems like the thousandth time tonight, and he almost feels bad for being amused by the hint of frustration in her eyes that he notices reflecting back at him when he said it this time.
"You know I love surprises, and going dancing tonight was so much fun." She states instantly in reply, but then smirks at him when she reaches over and rather forcefully palms the outline of his dick through his jeans right as she teases him with her words as well. "But what happened to; 'If you're ready for this, I can make that happen'?" She repeats his words from earlier at the nightclub back to him.
Jax is completely caught off guard, seemingly rendered speechless by her action since all that escapes him is a groan in response, but almost on reflex places his hand over hers to keep it just there cupping his manhood, before leaning closer and curling his other hand around the back of her neck to pull her in for a heady kiss.
Tara is the first to pull away just a few seconds later, retrieving her hand from his cock as well to try to reason with him more rationally now. "Whatever surprise you've got planned here, can we just ... skip it? Let's just go home, Jax, where it's just you and me." She pleads because the thought that he actually got a room here is quite literally the furthest from her mind.
Instead, she fears that they're headed to some kind of Valentine's Day party, because she has heard of suites or conference halls getting rented out for exactly that. And then there's also the other possibility she's quickly considered, that he might be taking her to the popular bar that just so happens to reside on these hotel grounds, which has local bands performing live music on weekends, so surely they've got something special going on for Valentine's Day, which to her sound equally unappealing at the moment when all she truly wants is to have him all to herself. She turns more toward him, deciding to try yet another angle to get him to see reason, and giving him a quizzical glance when she asks. "And isn't Mrs. Ellie waiting for us to relieve her anyways?"
Jax doesn't know why he gets so much enjoyment out of still keeping her in the dark, but he does and because of that, he has to fight to keep the constant smirk from his face. At the same time though he doesn't like the displeased look in her eyes at the moment, and so he decides to finally put her out of her misery and is ready to give in. He links their hands together again, before raising them to his lips, pressing a quick kiss against her knuckles once more. He does shake his head at her though, feigning frustration on his part, yet his voice is teasing, and there isn't a trace of real anger in it when he reprimands her. "You, Mrs. Teller, are such a fucking spoilsport. For your information, Mrs. Ellie's keeping the boys all night. At her place, not ours."
"You didn't tell me that." Tara wonders out loud, having been under the assumption that they'd return home, the boys being fast asleep and relieving Mrs. Ellie so she can get some sleep as well, and the two of them would spend the night behind a locked door, in their own bed.
"That's usually how surprises work, Babe." He replies jokingly and quickly leans over to cup her cheek, holding her in place to press his lips to hers in a sweet and lingering kiss. He pulls back just enough to meet her eyes again and finally tells her part of the surprise. "Look, I did get us a room here."
"You did?" Tara replies, searching his face for just a second. "Really?"
"Yeah, really." He breathes against her ear, eliciting a shiver to run right through her and has her stifling a gasp in response. He's pulling her closer to him, pulling the collar of her jacket away enough so he can kiss his way from below her ear, across her neck, all the way to her collarbone, and back again. Expertly lingering longer at all those sensitive little spots he knows will drive her crazy.
At the same time, Tara's hands disappear in his hair, holding him close while she lifts her chin to give him better access to her bare skin. But that doesn't last very long before she frames his face and pulls him up so she can press her lips to his lips again instead. They kiss for a few long minutes, the windows beginning to fog up since Tara had already shut the engine off when they'd first gotten here, leaving them not just shrouded by the darkness of night, but perspiration on the glass all around aids in their much-needed privacy.
"Jesus Christ." Jax curses against her lips when he finally gathers his wits enough to pull away and break their kiss again. His hands are framing her face, because he's afraid if he lets them wander south and roam over her body, they might never make it up to the hotel room after all. And what a shame that would be, since he's got one more surprise for her up his sleeve tonight. He dips back in, so fucking tempted to keep going with the kiss, but then thinks better of it and instead is merely nipping at her plump bottom lip for just a second, before he says. "Let me show you this room, Babe." His gaze locks on hers when he adds, sounding breathless and intrigued himself. "And you can finally show me what's under this dress. Deal?"
She just nods in reply, with her arms still wrapped around his neck she pulls him in once more for yet another quick kiss before she finally lets him go so he can slip out, come to her side, and in a very gentleman-like fashion help her to climb out again.
They're walking hand in hand into the lobby of one of the most upscale hotels in the Medford area, and she can't help but pause in her step for just a second to take in the amazing interior design before their attention is pulled toward the live band playing at the hotel bar she suspected he was taking her to, which even at this late hour is still full with people, laughing and drinking and dancing.
Jax tugs her along, right past the front desk, right past the bar, undeterred in his step toward the wall of elevators instead, pushing one of the buttons to go up as soon as they get there, undoubtedly eager now to show her to their room.
A group of three elderly ladies appears beside them at the same time, also waiting for the elevator while chatting among themselves about the fun night they've shared.
Tara turns to him then, wondering out loud. "We didn't even bring a change of clothes or anything."
But before Jax can reply to her the elevator dings, one set of doors opens to their left, and Jax allows the three women to step ahead of them, before he quickly ushers Tara inside with him.
Everyone selects their level, the doors close, the elevator starts moving, and Jax wraps his arms around Tara from behind, pulling her back against his chest, before he finally replies to her comment with a whisper against her ear. "We won't be needing any clothes for what we'll be doing, Babe."
The three women share a look and a little chuckle with each other, but before they exit the elevator they meet Tara's eyes with a smirk and a wink, making it clear that Jax's whisper wasn't quite quiet enough, and has Tara's face heat up just a little in embarrassment.
As soon as the doors closed all the way, and it's just the two of them, they instantly erupt in laughter themselves, before Tara shoots Jax a look over her shoulder and mumbles. "Still a class act, Teller."
X
It never even crossed his mind that Tara might not like his last surprise, he's sure that she'll love it, but somehow he's still feeling oddly nervous and uncharacteristically fumbles with the key to the room, the damn light turning red instead of green for the third time after he's swiped it and not allowing them access.
"Maybe that last beer was too much after all." Tara teases, winking at him for a change as she's shrugging the strap of her purse higher up on her shoulder and pulls the keycard from his grasp, which suits him just fine since he wants her to step in ahead of him anyhow.
And sure enough, Tara's steadier hand gets the lock to cooperate on her first try, has him pushing the door open with his palm flat against the surface, and allowing her to step on through ahead of him.
But as soon as Tara enters the room, she stops short in her steps, both her hands flying up to cover her mouth in shock when she takes it all in.
The room is dimly lit, giving it a romantic vibe, with red heart-shaped balloons floating along the ceiling, vases with several dozen roses placed randomly across the room, along with red rose petals on the floor arranged in a path, which is leading the way to even more rose petals spelling out the words 'marry me again' in big capital letters across the creamy white linens of the luxuriously looking king-sized bed.
"Oh shit," Tara exclaims a fraction of a second later, turning toward Jax who's smiling down at her although he's not sure what to make of her cursing, but it all makes sense when she speaks up again. "I think there's some kind of mix-up, they must've given you the key to the wrong room or something."
But before Tara can push him back toward the door they've just stepped through, he's stepped in her way and is already gripping her by her shoulders to stop her in place, meeting her eyes with unbridled amusement when he smiles down at her and clarifies for her so there's no mistaking what this is. "There is no mix-up. This is the right room, Tara. This is our room."
Tara pulls back, her eyebrows drawn together in utter confusion, glancing back over her shoulder for just a split second when she says. "Yeah, but ..." She looks back toward the bed again, then back at him, noting the smile on his lips that has now turned into a full-blown smirk, and that's when everything finally seems to click into place for her.
Tears are forming in her eyes, but at the same time she smiles so fucking brightly back at him, he swears it could light up the world. Before she can so much as say another word though, Jax is doing the one thing she'd once told him never to do again, and it has her shaking her head at him in disbelief.
Like a scene straight out of some romantic chick-flick, he gets down on one knee right in front of her, holding out a plain white-gold ring, and is rather expectantly looking up at her when he says. "Will you marry me again, Babe?"
She's choked up for a second, unable to make a sound let alone form a word for a moment, but then she's finally wiping the tears away from under her eyes and is tugging on his arms, scoffing, yet chuckling at the same time. "This is too weird, please get up."
Jax comes to a stand right away, grinning at her reaction, and she quickly reaches up now to frame his face with both her hands when she smiles and nods her head back at him in reply while peppering his lips with one kiss after the next.
"Is that a yes?" He asks, chuckling between kisses.
And she nods yet again before she answers him breathlessly at last. "Of course, it's a yes, Jackson! Like there was ever a chance I'd say no." She muses out loud.
Her verbal reply is all the encouragement he needs to pull her firmly into his arms and lean in to commemorate the moment with a passionate kiss, stopping only when she starts wiping more fresh tears from her eyes, willing herself to stop crying.
That's when Jax holds out the ring to her again, really showing it to her this time. It's not another engagement ring, which she's glad about because she truly loves the first one he'd gotten her, but it's a wedding band instead.
It's plain, a bit wider than the one she's wearing now, but just as pretty, and before she can wonder out loud why he's decided to get her a new wedding band, he's already pulling off her old one, then wetting his knuckle between his lips to pull his own wedding band off as well, and finally begins to explain. "These were JT's and my Mom's." He reminds her as he discards the old pair of rings on the dresser beside them. "And knowing what I know now I can't help but feel like they're tainted somehow."
Tara's speechless, not sure what to say, mostly because for a while she's felt the same way, so she simply nods her head in agreement with him, before Jax begins to push the new ring onto her finger in its place. "This'll be a fresh start for us." He says, then digs into the pocket of his jeans, retrieving the matching one for himself, holding it out to her, and watches almost mesmerized when she pushes it onto his finger too.
She stares at her outstretched hand, admiring how the new ring compliments her engagement ring, before she focuses back on him, who's watching her curiously. "It's beautiful." She states, and steps into him at once, wrapping her arms around his neck while gazing up into his steely blue eyes, the tears have stopped falling but her voice is still heavy with emotions when she says. "I love you."
"And I love you." He answers her, wrapping his arms around her in return, then glancing over at the alarm clock on the bedside table, noticing that it's close to midnight already when he adds. "Happy Valentine's Day, Babe!"
"Happy Valentine's Day, Jax!" Tara quickly replies, smiling up at him, still in disbelief at this rather out-of-character gesture from him, and as much as she loved every second of it, she can't hold back from pointing that out. "I really can't believe you did all this."
"Yeah." He sighs and lets his eyes drift across the room, taking in all the different ways he's followed Greg's advice and has truly made 'a mockery of his manhood' and 'embraced the cheese factor' tonight for her. "Cheesy shit like this isn't usually my style."
Tara glances over her shoulder, taking it all in herself like he just did and nodding when she's chuckling while agreeing with him. "I love it, I do, but, yeah, it's not really your style at all."
"You know what is my style though?" Jax asks with a smirk in the same instant he grabs her and throws her over his shoulder in the most literal sense, eliciting startled shrieks from her in surprise. "Caveman is more my style." He declares instantly, squeezing her curvy ass right before slapping it repeatedly in some kind of primal show of ownership, causing her to both scream and laugh out loud this time all the while he's spinning her around on his way to the bed. "Time for me to unwrap your surprise for me."
X
Author's Note: I'm a romantic at heart, I love a cheesy-over-the-top gesture of love, I love a good rom-com, be it a movie or a book, etc etc, but despite all that, I seem to struggle tremendously with "happy chapters" like this one. If you're still here and are still reading this, please leave me a few words with your thoughts. I would love to hear what you guys thought of it? Thank you.