You And Me And Our Boys

by SkaterSince2004

JAX & TARA AU LOVE STORY (focus on them & not the club)! Will Tara make a full recovery? Will they be able to rebuild their relationship again? Or will secrets, lies, and misconceptions keep them apart? ***Spoilers for the S6 Finale, AU after that*** Warning: Slow Burn. Rated M/R for strong language/violence/adult themes/smut. Please review.

61. Chapter 61

Warning: (some) Smut!

X

After taking photos with the wedding party, and of course, with their boys too, Jax, and Tara, along with their photographers Shannon and Sandra, head for the nearby beach, where they take most of their wedding pictures of the couple alone, just like Tara had wished for.

It is no surprise that by the time they return to the chapel, all of their guests have been ushered to the reception and are undoubtedly enjoying the open bar

After taking a couple more pictures in and around the breathtaking chapel, Shannon, who's local to this area and is hired for weddings here quite often, suggests just a couple more romantic locations within the park itself that she swears will be perfect for a few more quick shots, while Sandra already head to the reception to start taking picture and videos of their guests there.

The photos seem endless. Tara could swear they've taken about a million, or so it seems, but she's not complaining because she'd rather have a million too many this time.

But nonetheless, when the photographer finally frees them to make their grand entrance at the reception, her face literally hurts from smiling so much.

As expected, the party seems to already be in full swing when Jax and Tara arrive outside the doors of the reception hall, yet everyone stops amid their conversations, their eyes roaming toward the doors when the couple is announced and walk inside to join the festivities.

The reception is just as beautiful as the wedding ceremony has been, and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. Mingling and talking, laughing and reminiscing.

Even the kids in attendance are having fun, chasing and pushing a few of the white decorative balloons back and forth to each other. Off to the side of course, under the watchful eyes of Mrs. Ellie and her daughter Allison, and far enough away from any of the lit candles on the tables to avoid an accident.

Tara is in a conversation with her aunt, her cousin, and Margaret, while Jax is busy shooting the shit with SAMCRO, sipping on his first beer, when the background music slowly begins to fade just as one of the singers steps up on stage.

The female singer of the band they hired, which came highly recommended by Bobby, steps up on stage, followed by her band members taking their rightful places as well. She steps up to the microphone and gathers everyone's attention as she makes the announcement that it is now time for the bride and groom's first dance.

Jax and Tara's eyes connect across the room, before he makes his way over to Tara, all tall and broad shoulders in his suit, and yet with that familiar swagger of his that so easily captivates everyone's attention like it does this very moment. His blue eyes flash as he holds out his hand to her, "Ready for our first dance, wife?"

"Yes." She smiles and takes his hand, and a sizzling sensation ripples through them. Even now, they still have this effect on one another.

He leads her into the middle of the dance floor and wraps his hands around her waist drawing her near.

The musicians have already started to play the slow beginning beats to the song Christy and Rayna chose for Tara and Jax's first dance song. Tara instantly recognizes it as one of the songs she likes to listen to at home, 'Never Leave' by Bailey Zimmerman.

She looks surprised, but also a tad bit relieved by the choice they made, because it was the one decision they'd offered to take off their hands, but had from then on been teasing Tara relentlessly with the worst possible ideas they oughta be dancing to.

Her arms instantly wrap around his neck, as they always do, but this time, that's not enough for him. He pulls her in even closer, his palms roaming over her lower back possessively, and her widened eyes finding his in surprise.

What he sees in them takes his breath away. There's so much lust shimmering in her beautiful hazel-green irises, and for the life of him, he can't bring himself to look away first.

"So no Gangster's Paradise?" She points out to him, in part to defuse the sudden rush of heat she's feeling by obviously referring to the ongoing joke they've shared with their friends over the last month about which rap, hip-hop, or heavy metal song they were going to choose for them. Coolio's Gangster's Paradise just so happened to be the latest contender Rayna had mentioned during their little pre-wedding celebration at the bar downtown last night.

He laughs, playing into the familiar banter, all smiles and amusement sparkling bright in his eyes, and without losing eye contact he's jutting his chin in the direction of the singers that are standing ready at the microphone as the beginnings of the lyrics are approaching, "Can't imagine them rapping, so they probably had to make a last-minute change."

"Right," she smirks and nods along with her reply, but the words are heavily dripping with sarcasm in their delivery. "That makes total sense," she adds as she shoots Rayna and Christy a grateful look.

Jax and Tara are as caught up in each other as they've been during the ceremony. Already moving together like they are one, with a love-drunk expression on both their faces. The way they stare into each other's eyes makes it seem like they might as well have been alone.

He clears his throat then, still smiling but his demeanor seems more serious for a second. "Besides, I think this fits us much better," he says as his eyes still hold her unwavering gaze. And she could swear for a moment her heart chugged and sputtered inside her chest, like some kind of failing engine right before it finally turned over and worked correctly again, making her first gasp and then sigh all within a second.

They finally lose eye contact when she leans in closer to him, embracing this beautiful moment with him and resting her head against his shoulder as they keep dancing. Inhaling the mixed scent of his cologne and just him, the man she's never stopped loving, yet had doubted for so long she'd ever get to have a moment like this with.

Jax releases a soft sigh as if he's trying to stay in this moment too, holding her tight as the singer begins with the lyrics of the song.

Tara's taking it all in as they start dancing close, and even though she already knows the lyrics to the song by heart, she tries to focus and listen to them, because she knows they must've found meaning in the words to have chosen it for her and Jax's first dance.

Wrapped in each other's arms, with his body leading hers, they sway to the music, and all she can think is that today turned out more beautiful than anything she could've imagined.

Outside, dusk has begun and it makes their first dance feel truly magical, with sparklers, the fairy lights draped along the ceiling above, even fog that swirls around their feet, and last but not least with the perfect song chosen by her husband.

Even in her heels, he towers over her by an inch or two. Her head still rests against his shoulder and she feels his hard body against hers as they hold each other and gently move to the beats of the love song.

This wedding has had so many emotions rolling through her as dreams and wishes from the past have been crashing with their present, but this -slow dancing with Jax- feels truly like a dream come true. And she wants this moment, this dance, to go on forever.

During the ten years they spent apart after she moved away from Charming for the first time, she often wondered if she'd somehow amplified her feelings way beyond what had been the reality. But being in his arms right now, she's instantly reminded that it has always been like this. Her intense feelings for him have always been real, even when they were practically still kids. Jax has always been the one!

And any darker thoughts, those ugly doubts that on rare occasions still hover sometimes on the far edge of her memory, they've completely vanished over the last few weeks. Pushed away by her husband's devotion to her, and not to forget his determination to make today happen, all while holding her like she is his biggest treasure.

His strong hands are still encircling her waist, as he presses his palm flat to the small of her back to nudge her even closer against him.

Not for the first time today, Tara feels the goosebumps skitter over her skin and a wave of arousal hits her hard, twisting inside her with a burn that intensifies with each passing second they're moving together.

Between the romantic love song Jax chose, his touch, and the heat from his body, it's all clearly affecting her. It certainly doesn't help that the scent of his cologne evokes vivid memories of them both losing control last night, and it's making her feel almost dizzy with want for him all over again.

She steals a glance at his profile as they dance and her heartbeat quickens to an unnatural speed. His lips are just inches from hers. He is close enough to kiss, but without looking to check she has no doubt they have a captive audience. She's pretty sure she can hear the shutter of one of the hired photographer's cameras going off too, so she suppresses the urge to kiss him, and wills her out-of-control libido to put on the brakes again too.

Instead, she shamelessly nestles further into the protective cage of his strong arms, feeling safe, loved, and cherished. It's moments like these, she's thanking her lucky stars that she's the woman who won Jackson Teller's love. There's no better feeling than to know that every morning and every night, he truly belongs to her now. And of course, that she belongs to him in return.

When the end of the song nears and the last beats begin to play out, instead of leading Tara off the dance floor, Jax pulls away and breaks the proverbial sentimental ice as he spins her slowly around one time to show her off, garnering some applause from their guests who are still watching on.

Tara laughs out loud then, completely carefree and it's making him lose his train of thought for a second. His mind is overwhelmed as he wonders what shocks him more, the way she has somehow become even more beautiful than she was just a second ago, or the way the sound of her carefree laughter buries itself deep inside his chest and warms his heart like nothing else ever has.

They're standing face to face now, and her eyes raise up to meet his, widening a fraction for just a split-second as his hands reach out to cradle her face, but then she smiles when his long fingers slip into her hair because she knows exactly what he's doing.

He always does this right before he kisses her, but even now it still makes her heart speed up with anticipation of the kiss to come.

"I love you, Tara," he says only loud enough for her to hear, his voice cracking even on the near-silent whisper.

"I love you, Jackson," she replies, feeling equally choked up, her voice instantly matching the emotions she has just heard so clearly in his.

And then he leans in and kisses her, deeply, but slowly and lovingly for a long minute, that doesn't feel long enough to either of them.

They reluctantly end the kiss when more applause along with whoops and hollers erupt around them just like earlier at the chapel. Both of them smile and laugh before Tara hides her face in the crook of his neck as he pulls her into him. She's not sure she'll ever get used to making out with him in front of an applauding audience.

X

Jax holds his beer up to Tara for a moment, getting her attention as his eyes seemingly tear her dress off and suggestively run over her skin all the way from across the room.

In turn, she can't help but let her eyes take in his unusual attire again. He looks so sleek and powerful in his suit, it's goddamn ridiculous, and it certainly doesn't help that she knows exactly what he looks like underneath it too. Nor does it help to know what he's capable of. But the truth is her handsome husband can be quite the devil in between the sheets. She knows it, and he knows it too.

And as much as she tries to bat these thoughts away for the moment, it doesn't change that they're true. Because in any of her previous relationships during the ten years, while Jax and her had been broken up, she's never once felt the need to press her thighs together at the thought of what was to come when they'd finally be alone. And she's certainly never felt like she couldn't wait to be touched by them, or felt lightheaded and drunk with lust the way she does when Jax takes her any way he pleases.

"I swear, he's purposely torturing me with these looks," Tara halfheartedly complains, but with her words, she's drawing Christy and Rayna's attention to Jax across the room too.

Just then, Jax pushes off of the table he'd been leaning against and stands up to his full height, before he slips out of his jacket, draping the garment over the back of one of the chairs. Seemingly lost in conversation with Chibs and Bobby, he unbuttons the cuffs on his dress shirt and then rolls the sleeves halfway up his forearms before leaning back against the table and crossing his arms over his chest.

Even though it's barely spring, against the stark white of his dress shirt, his bare forearms look tanned and corded. Not only showing off his tattoos but also the juicy veins running down to his wrists and hands that pop like another straight invitation to sex.

"Yeah, he's totally doing that on purpose," Christy murmurs, nodding her head in agreement. "He's so fucking hot and he knows it … Christ, just look at those arms."

Tara bites her lip trying to contain her smirk because Christy isn't wrong. Her man has some serious arm porn going on, and she's sure he's doing that on purpose too.

But Rayna can't help but chime in too, "It's almost amazing considering the life he's lived that he still got that bearded but well-groomed, just a little sun-kissed, but excessively healthy look going on. He's like sexy-handsome, but with a hearty dash of misogyny built right in too. You know, just enough that'll make you listen when he's ordering you around in the bedroom, … or any room for that matter." She laughs at her own words, then waves her hand in the direction of Jax when she adds. "Even when we were young, he's always had that whole big-dick-energy vibe or whatever going on."

"Thanks, I hadn't noticed." Tara replies sarcastically in response, before she lets out a little laugh as she meets Christy and Rayna's gaze and feigns fanning herself with her hand, "You guys are so not helping."

But by the time she looks over at Jax, she finds him already staring back at her again too. His eyes shine more midnight blue now that the sun has set and he's smirking at her as if he knows he's the subject of their current conversation. Come to think of it, it's totally possible he's been reading their lips this whole time and enjoying every word.

X

Across the room, Jax continuously seeks out Tara's familiar figure in the breathtaking dress, standing beside Rayna at the bar waiting for their drinks.

Rayna is busy chatting away as Tara looks in his direction just as his head twists her way again, catching his eye and he tosses her an acknowledging nod.

He winks at her, smiling wide, then swigs his Miller Lite, enjoying how the ice-cold beer is cooling his throat.

He's singularly focused on Tara now, and she seems to be focused on him too, judging by the way her penetrating gaze stays anchored to his, he can't bring himself to look away from her, and doesn't want to either.

And just like that, his hearing, vision -everything- is getting muted to the outside world, and he no longer listens or participates in the conversation about what is happening with the Club either.

It's the same old invisible force that was always pulling them together, usually only broken by their sense of duty. But the kids are busy playing, and no hospital is calling, or staying late to finish a repair at the garage, and above all else, there is no more Club business he needs to put his focus on either. Not ever again.

So he could easily allow himself to drown out the ongoing conversation his former brothers are having about the Club business they've had to deal with earlier this morning, and grant Tara his full and undivided attention, just watching her. The only thing better than staring at her from across the room though would be having her right by his side, and close enough to have his hands on her. On second thought, he can easily think of something even better than that.

Jax's ocean-blue eyes on Tara as he strides toward her cause a flutter to erupt deep down in her belly. More goosebumps break out across her skin for what feels like the hundredth time today. It is just one of many familiar reactions her body has every time he looks at her like this.

But whatever it is that is always drawing them to each other, it is tugging heavily on her consciousness right now. She just can't seem to help herself, and seems to possess the self-control of a toddler when it comes to this man, all too eager to have him near.

However, when the bartender places her Shirley Temple in front of her, it causes her attention to be diverted away from him for a moment as she stirs her drink with the little straw before taking a tentative sip.

Quietly, Jax steps up right behind her before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back tightly against him, murmuring "Hey, Mrs. Teller" in her ear before he acknowledges Rayna with a subtle nod and smile too.

"Hi," Tara giggles in a way that almost makes him wonder if she might've indulged in something alcoholic after all, but he knows she'd never risk it. She puts her glass back down on the counter, and then shamelessly leans back into him, her hands covering his that are holding onto her when she adds with a content sigh. "This feels nice."

They cling to each other like this for a moment, but eventually, he turns her around in his arms and draws her even nearer when an idea comes to him. He sweetly kisses her temple and nuzzles her neck to whisper, "Let's go someplace alone for a minute."

They both glance over at Rayna for a second, who's stepped away a few feet and is busy flirting with the bartender, before they share another quick look that seems to say everything without actual words needing to be uttered.

After a quick kiss to her cheek, Jax releases Tara and walks away without looking back, careful not to draw any attention to himself in the process either.

Tara watches him grab his jacket from the back of the chair before he slips outside, only then does she turn back around to get Rayna's attention. "I need a favor," she whispers into Rayna's ear as soon as she reaches her friend's side.

"What's up?" Rayna replies in an equally low voice, easily playing along with the conspiratory vibe she's getting, before she takes another quick sip from her drink.

"Jax is waiting for me outside," Tara gets straight to the point, meeting Rayna's eyes when she adds, "We just want a few minutes to ourselves."

"Bow chicka wow wow," Rayna answers way too loudly, bumping Tara's hip with her own, but then without missing another beat, she adds, "A few minutes though? Never took Jax for a minute man."

Tara can't help the little giggle that escapes her at Rayna's joke, but she's not feeling up to a lengthy back and forth with her, so she simply whispers back, "Could you -"

"Cause a distraction so nobody will notice you slipping out that door?" Rayna interrupts and finishes her question for her, before replying, "Of course, what are best friends for."

"Thank you," Tara side hugs her quickly, all the while glancing around the room to see if she can actually pull this off without anyone noticing.

But before Tara can position herself to head straight for the exit, in typical Rayna fashion, Rayna leans in with a wink and a smirk, and adds in another whisper, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, T."

X

As soon as Tara steps through the doors, she feels the cooler night air sending a chill over her skin, but for a moment it was a welcome reprieve from the overheated feeling that lingered after Jax had wrapped his arms around her inside.

Tara's not surprised that Jax is instantly there, stepping out of the shadows and reaching for her hand at once.

His eyes sparkle, alive with mischief, and meet hers for a moment when he links their fingers together and grips hers tightly, pulling her along as they start walking down the path that connects the reception venue with the chapel again.

"Where are we going?" Tara wonders out loud, looking back over her shoulder to see if anyone noticed they've both left and is following them outside, before she looks up at her husband beside her, who's trying his best to exhale the smoke from his already lit cigarette so it won't drift back in her direction.

"Somewhere to be alone for a minute," Jax answers, tightening his fingers around her hand some more as if he's worried she might change her mind at his vague reply.

With every step they take, the music from their wedding fades away more and more, getting replaced with just the sound of her high heels on the concrete pavement, the faint sound of waves crashing against cliffs off in the not-so-far distance, and not to forget Jax's inner roar of satisfaction. Because after all the shit they've been through, the hell he's put her through, not only has he managed to win her back. But he got her to marry him. Again!

Still holding her hand, Jax suddenly veers off the paved path, still wordlessly pulling her along, and Tara instantly knows where he's taking her at the same moment her heels begin to sink into the soft grass, not even surprising her because it happened much the same earlier while they'd been out here taking photographs too.

"Need some help," Jax asks, his voice soft as he's looking down at her with a knowing smile.

"Yeah, I do … but aren't you getting tired of carrying me around yet?" She wonders out loud because he's carried her a few times earlier too, for example, to get down to the beach for their pictures, and then back up again, and around this park every time her heels got stuck in the grass like they did just now.

But he's already grinding his almost finished cigarette into the ground with the tip of his black dress shoes, when he answers her with a reassuring, "Never, Babe." And before she has a chance to say much else, he leans in, wraps one arm behind her back and the other behind her knees, and just like all the countless times before, lifts her into his arms with ease.

Jax's body feels so strong against hers, and when his tight grip on her signals he's got her, and her achy feet get a much-needed break, she can't resist the urge to truly let herself relax, resting her head against his broad shoulder.

Not for the first time today Tara blames his different attire, her overabundance of hormones, and of course, the way he carries her as if she weighs next to nothing, for doing all kinds of things to her. She's getting seriously hot and bothered by this repeated blatant display of masculine strength from him.

He made it look so easy to trek up and down and around the beach earlier, and now here through this park too, somehow not even breathing hard, all while lugging her around like some dead weight, in this ball gown-like dress no less. Once more reminding her that he affects her in a way no one else ever has.

Being in his arms like this makes her feel protected, and loved, and even after all their time together still a bit flustered, but most of all he makes her feel very aroused. A bad combo when you have a reception hall full of people probably already wondering where you've disappeared to.

They've long lost the light of the old-fashioned lamp posts that are strategically placed along the paved path throughout the park, and only have the full moon scattering through the treetops lighting the way ahead of them now.

But Jax marches on to the gazebo they've taken pictures at earlier in the day, and Tara sighs, so very tempted to let her lips brush over his neck just to see what he'd do.

Up close like this, she swears his natural scent mixed with his cologne is even more intoxicating than usual. Lifting her head off of his shoulder and looking him over as well as she can from her position in his arms, her mind is back on his attire.

She's always known Jax would clean up nice if he tried, but now she's rethinking that assessment. Because he is far more than just nice, he looks perfect.

He's never bothered to dress to impress anyone ever. His lean but muscular body and tall frame do that on their own. He's a man who needs no window dressing to make him stand out in a room, because his mere presence easily commands respect, which has always made him a natural leader.

And he's always been attractive too, with that too pretty, yet masculine face and those eyes like the ocean, and not to forget the overabundance of natural charm he practically oozes … well, when he wants it to. But this suit … it brings out a whole nother level of attractiveness in him. Turns out he just as easily pulls off looking distinguished and sharp, as well as the rugged badass biker look. Because damn, the suit really suits him.

She wasn't ever the kind of woman that would go for the suit-and-tie-business-man type but she can't get over the fact that she really likes this look on Jax like … a lot. If she had to figure out how to describe it best she'd say this suit does for Jax, what lingerie does for a woman, it accentuates his sexuality and masculinity and makes you eager to see what's beneath.

Of course, she will always love his biker look above all else because that's who she fell in love with. And she also loves him at home, just chillin' in gray sweatpants and nothing else. Loves him in the comfy tees and hoodies he still likes to wear, and she likes to wear after because they smell like him.

But she can't lie. Seeing him so put together, it makes all the difference knowing that he made an effort for their wedding today. That he made an effort for her.

Suddenly, Jax turns his head, glancing down at her in his arms, his deep blue eyes meeting her hazel-green that's been watching him. Tara knows he must've caught the hint of heat in them, at least judging by the sheepish smile that stretches across his face as if he can read her naughty thoughts. But honestly, who could really blame her? He wore a suit for her and now he's carrying her around the woods to a secluded romantic location.

So she's got no doubt Jax knows exactly what he's doing to her, because he knows better than anyone that she has always been a total sucker for these kinds of romantic gestures from him.

She instantly feels her skin break out in goosebumps, tingling a little more with longing and lust the longer he looks at her. While she absorbs once more just how attractive he looks, she squeezes her thighs together when she sees the unmistakable hint of mischief and heat in Jax's beautiful blue eyes too.

The octagon-shaped gazebo with its bright countless twinkling lights wrapped and lit around every aspect of the smallish structure interrupts their moment and draws both their attention to the beautiful sight not too far up ahead of them.

Even though they'd been here earlier with their photographer and spent some time taking several cute pictures in and around the gazebo, which Tara has no doubt would turn out looking dreamy, at the time the sun had still been out and it certainly hadn't looked this romantic during daytime hours.

Both of them smile at the sight, and Jax walks right up to the wooden steps before putting her down gently.

She reaches for him for a moment until she finds her footing, and then steps further into the gazebo, looking around in complete awe.

It's so beautiful. It's almost like she stepped right into a dream with the way it is illuminated by hundreds of little lights all around them, looking like something straight out of some romantic comedy or one of those cheesy Hallmark movies that have always been her guilty pleasures.

And the fact that it is surrounded by countless azalea bushes already in bloom, which much to Tara's delight are still pleasantly fragrant even this late in the day, only adds to the awe-inspiring moment.

"It's even more beautiful than earlier," Tara admits her thoughts out loud. "Did you know it would look like this?" She wonders, looking over at him.

But Jax just shrugs, leaning against one of the thicker beams framing the entrance, "Figured once it's dark those lights would come on, but honestly, the pull was that I wanted to be alone with my wife for a moment, and no one besides the photographers know about this place."

"Oh, very smooth of you, husband," Tara replies teasingly, but still smiles at his admission, and then reaches up to cup her own cheeks when she admits, "My face hurts from smiling so much today, but I can't seem to stop."

It's true, because her face adorns another truly happy smile yet again, and with her wearing this princess-like white dress, standing beneath those shiny twinkling lights, illuminating her from all angles like she's wearing a halo on her head, it makes her look so damn pure and angelic. Like a perfect, flawless angel. And she's gotta be just that, because how else could she have found a way to love him despite all the fucked up shit he's done. But here she is with him, heart and soul, and he's silently basking in the knowledge that she's forever his now as if that had somehow been in question before she said I do again today.

He keeps thinking there's no way he could possibly love and want her more, but every day she seems to find a way to prove him wrong. His heart feels like it might burst, unable to contain the ever-growing love he has for this woman. And his mind goes to all the ways he wants to show her that love. All the ways he wants to make love to her.

Right now though, contrary to Tara's imitation of an angel, the way she looks him up and down as he's still standing in the entrance of the gazebo, is a look full of lust and heat.

All he can do is quirk an eyebrow into a sharp arch when he asks, "What?"

"I still can't believe you're wearing a suit," she's gesturing to his outfit and there's true surprise still in her voice as she says those words. Despite the way she's been openly ogling him since the ceremony, the countless pictures, mingling with their guests, and a dance or two later, she hasn't had another chance yet to talk to him truly alone. To comment that this is so unlike him, so unlike her badass biker. But she knows without a doubt he's done it wholeheartedly for her sake, and she wants to acknowledge that this incredibly sweet gesture of his has not gone unnoticed.

Jax shrugs his shoulders again at her reaction like it's not that big of a deal. But then he surprises her a second later when he steps away from the entrance, his arms spread wide as he's making a show of slowly turning around for her so she can get a good look at him from all angles, only to blatantly fish for a compliment from her when he asks. "How do I look, Babe?"

Despite the overly confident and very cocky display he just put on for her, for a moment she could swear by the expression on his face that he looks almost embarrassed as he waits for her to actually answer him.

"You look very handsome." She says, loving the way it makes him relax and smile at the same time at her chosen word to describe him. Although the moment the word handsome has left her lips she already knows it doesn't do him nearly enough justice. He looks flawless. Perfect. Hot!

She swears Jax looks like he was born to wear suits just as much as he was born to ride a Harley. That being said, she knows the suit doesn't make the man. It's the way he's built, the body that's filling out the suit. This man in particular could walk around stark naked and pretty much get anything he wanted. Come to think of it, she's actually seen him do that a few times … well, when it was just the two of them.

"Handsome?" He asks, bringing her out of her dirty memories when he teasingly questions her choice of words after all. "Do people still use that word?" He wonders out loud, yet he smiles even wider as he says it, his perfect, even teeth on full display. And God, he's got such a great genuine smile too.

Drawn to him by an invisible force, she steps closer, reaching up to smooth a hand over the shoulders of his new black suit, brushing away invisible lint, and then straightens his tie that looks just a little crooked, she assumes from carrying her over here, before she playfully bites her lips right before she says, "Beautiful then."

"Beautiful?" He repeats, his tone even more playful, with that quirky brow shooting up again, and even that seems to ignite another flame deep within her and has wet heat pooling low in her core.

"Jesus, Teller," she scoffs sarcastically, trying to ignore her body's reaction to him, and be playful in return when she adds, clearly amused, "What's wrong with beautiful now?" But at the same time, she takes a step back from him again to create some distance too before she does something stupid, like jump in his arms or tackle him to the ground to have her way with him. "It's what you said to me," she adds for good measure, reminding him of his whispered words earlier that had her almost melt into a puddle on the floor of the little chapel.

Contradicting his thoughts from just moments ago about how angelic she looks, he admits, "Only 'cause fucking hot as hell would've been inappropriate, but trust me, Babe, I was thinking it." He neglected to tell her that at the ceremony, but he makes up for it now, letting his eyes roam over her again, taking her in from the top of her head to the bottom of her fancy dress, then adds, "And I still am."

Under the twinkling lights, she can see the usual ocean blue of his eyes seem to be a darker and more heated but still just as mesmerizing shade of blue. And for a moment she returns his gaze, getting completely lost in him all over again.

But trying to snap herself out of it, she shakes her head at him and suddenly demands, "Don't, Jax. Don't look at me like that."

He doesn't bother to even feign innocence by asking what she means, because it's obvious by the way the air between them crackles.

The unmistakable electricity seems to be pulling them together despite her attempt to break the spell, and has her step a bit closer toward him.

There's a little shimmy in her hips when she's contradicting her own words just now, inviting his roaming eyes on her, and asks, "So you like the dress?"

"The dress?" Her question brings him out of his thoughts if only for a few seconds, making a show of looking her up and down again. He takes her off guard when he grabs her hand and twirls her around one time. The skirt of her dress flares softly, before he tugs her back against him, holding her tightly in his arms.

Arms strong enough to carry her with ease down a rocky terrain to get pictures at the beach. But also arms gentle enough to hold her and soothe away all of her fears. Arms that will never let her go again. He's promised her as much.

If this was a cartoon, the pupils of her eyes would be bright red and heart-shaped right now, because damn, he sure knows how to still woo her even after the nuptials are over and the deal's done.

Jax interrupts her thoughts as he quickly adds, "You look hot as hell in this dress. Can't imagine anything better, Babe." A lopsided smirk curves his lips as he continues to observe her intently with his expression-filled blue eyes, then adds, "Well, except you out of it."

She tells her inner self to get her libido in check, that this is neither the time nor the place, and forces herself to step out of his grasp.

But she doesn't miss the way his eyes keep wandering leisurely over her body, his deep exhale of breath, nor does she miss another wolfish grin that spreads across his face once more, leaving no doubt that he isn't just trying to flatter her, and his approval is wholeheartedly genuine.

No other man but him has ever looked at her with this kind of desire, and it has an instant thrill igniting yet another spark of excitement shooting straight to her core. Slightly unnerved by his intense scrutiny, she glances around, biting her lip as she smiles, obviously happy with his compliment, yet folds her arms close to her chest for a moment.

Part of her knows this is a bad idea, but her reckless side seems to be the one that's clearly winning out after all. Because she laughs, and internally blames the hormones when she steps up to him, slides her hands around the back of his neck, and presses a quick kiss to his lips. "Well, I could say you look good enough to fuck, but that wouldn't really be appropriate right now either," she says against his lips in a low seductive voice.

Christ, he loves it when her naughty side comes out to play, but lately it always does at the most inopportune times. "Don't fucking tease me, Babe," he warns her. Looking so much like trouble that it makes her retreat until her back hits one of the gazebo's pillars, but her retreat is utterly pointless because he follows her step for step.

He places one hand above her head, crowding her in with his much bigger frame.

Even after all their time together, the way he keeps looking at her makes her belly flip over, and more than a slither of excitement courses through her body. When he looks at her like this, her heart races, and she has to clench her thighs again because of the way her poor attention-starved pussy aches some more. It's like he's set out to drive her insane with his unrelenting flirting today, and truth be told, she's more than halfway there.

Tonight, more than ever, she wishes she could not read his thoughts like an open book, because they mirror her own way too much and she feels another shiver of longing go down her spine.

"They're probably wondering where we are," she points out like a prim and proper bride would and should, though her voice sounds soft and way too breathy, and not at all convincing that she's overly concerned about their waiting guests.

Jax smirks at her, his gaze exuding nothing but mischief as he reaches for her, the back of his fingers brushing tenderly over her cheek, before he intimately sweeps her long hair behind her ear.

Another small thrill shoots down her back, making her shiver, and has her inhaling sharply at his too-gentle touch. On instinct, she leans further back against the pillar to create a little distance again, while her eyes are still on him. Damn … he looks very dangerous tonight, even in this very unthreatening outfit, or maybe it's because of it. Giving off some serious James Bond vibes, only much much sexier.

Jax, encouraged by her reaction, sweeps the rest of her hair behind her shoulder with the back of his hand, exposing her neck, but letting his hand linger there.

A quick burst of adrenaline unexpectedly erupts within her and instantly ignites even more feelings of desire. Her mind is still determined to ignore how her body is reacting to the tender way he's touching her. But contrary to her mind, her heart feels as if it is about to explode in reaction, and has her wanting to lean into his hand for a more tangible connection.

With a soft but knowing smile it's clear he's getting a kick out of driving her insane with lust. His gaze rolls leisurely up her neck, tracks across from her ear to her lips, and his tongue immediately licks his own.

She feels his weighted gaze until she can barely breathe and wet heat pools at her core. Her breathing is staccato as if her heart has missed a beat, and more than ever she struggles to control the desire her husband's actions are stirring up in her.

His body brushes against hers as he gets closer. Taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger, he tips it up as she stands completely still, seemingly hypnotized by his undivided attention. All the while tiny vibrations of anticipation collect at the apex of her thighs, drenching her.

"Let 'em wonder." He surprises her when he finally acknowledges what she pointed out to him moments ago while scoring the rough pad of his thumb across her lips. He slides it down to her lower jaw, dragging her lips apart a little before he traces his fingers up her cheek and back into her hair again.

As he cradles the back of her head in the all too familiar way, her focus clears a little from her mesmerized state, and she notices his pulse beating rapidly in the hollow of his neck too, realizing she's not alone in anticipation of what could be happening out here between them.

In those few seconds, while they continue their trance-like stare, the air grows heavy as pressure builds between them, and nothing else seems to matter.

When his hungry eyes drop from her eyes to her lips, his Adam's apple bobs in his throat as he swallows, and instantly her already fast heartbeat races even more. The pace is so rapid it makes her feel dizzy and her mouth immediately dry.

Fascinated, and admittedly a bit frustrated too, by his deliberate way too slow moves, she can't help but stand transfixed, small bursts of desire running through her while his other hand casts a tempting trail between her ear and her collarbone now.

Anticipation mixes with pleasure and slowly gives way to even more lust and desire, which seeps into every cell of her body.

Jax moves closer, breathing her in as he brings his mouth to her ear, and his warm breath ghosts over it. "Damn, you smell good enough to eat," he mutters, inhaling deeply, and her thighs ache when she squeezes them together as his suggestive words fall from his hot heavy breath that seems to linger over her skin.

Tara can't deny that she desperately wants him to explore her body right now right here, hidden away from everyone, but simultaneously Jax's slow seduction feels so amazing she can't find the will to move a muscle to make a move of her own. She wants him to do it. Wants him to be the one who makes the decision for them, yet at the same time, she never wants him to stop the way he's seducing and teasing her either. It's a catch-22.

Closing any remaining space between them, he presses his soft, wet lips against her neck in several deliberately placed open-mouthed kisses, slowly licking and teasing her, and she is instantly covered in goosebumps. "Mmm, you taste good too, Tara," he mutters aloud against her skin between kisses, his beard tickling her as he speaks.

Hearing her actual name on his lips with such a seductive tone somehow excites her even more, and she feels another pool of desire further dampening her core and panties. These days she all too easily blames these kinds of moments on her hormones, but the reality is that Jax has always had the uncanny ability to make her feel needy for him no matter the situation.

He abruptly pulls his lips away and then frames her face with both his warm hands for a second, before his fingers disappear right back into her hair until he's holding her the way he always does right before he kisses her.

She waits with bated breath as he tightens his grip on her hair and tilts her face up toward his, leaning in more again, but instead of the highly anticipated kiss, he simply presses his forehead against hers.

"Fuck, Babe," he murmurs seductively in a low raspy, and slightly frustrated tone. That promising dirty word along with the familiar term of endearment creates more instant shivers of need that ripple down her spine. Her heart pounds in her chest like when she was a teenage virgin, about to experience her first intimate touches from him.

She closes her eyes for a second, too stunned by the non-kiss to react, but still all too willing and ready and eager to accept anything Jax has to offer. Christ, it should be outlawed for any person to have this kind of sexual pull over another.

By now, her whole body aches and trembles, like she needs this, she needs him right this very second.

His face is so close to hers that his breath has become her air. She is more aware of him than she's ever been of any other person in her life. And even though their bodies aren't pressed together anymore since he pulled away, every inch of him is radiating heat against hers.

Just a little closer and his lips will be on hers, and it's crazy to think that after all the kisses they've shared, this would still feel so damn exhilarating, but it does. Her heart beating ridiculously hard and fast inside her chest proves it, and she could swear she's never wanted any kiss so badly in her whole damn life as she does right now.

Her hands reach up, his chest beneath her fingertips is hard and strong, but she can feel his heart pounding erratically too, furthermore reassuring her that this excitement is anything but one-sided.

She desperately curls her fingers around the lapels of his jacket, standing up on her tiptoes until less than an inch remains between their mouths. And her fingers are practically itching to reach up and glide over the hair on his chin, to guide his lips down to hers, because nothing else matters at that moment but capturing his lips with her own.

Fuck it! She gives into the urge, reaches up, and grabs his face, but it's Jax who groans and immediately closes the last bit of distance between them, before she can. His lips brush against hers as he threads his fingers tighter into her hair and closes his eyes too as he begins to kiss her.

His mouth feels tentative and tender against hers at first, but it still has her heart thudding wildly in her chest as blood rushes through her ears and drowns out all other sounds around them.

One of his hands drops away from the nape of her neck, his arm binding around her waist instead, and crushes her to him, fitting their hips together, and the last remnants of her resolve crumble as she melts into him.

Lust and regret wash over him simultaneously as he realizes what a fucking mistake that action is. He's wanted to be this close to her since the first time he laid eyes on her today as she walked into the chapel. Actually, that's a lie, he always wants to be this close to her, but today has been especially challenging. And now, after hours of waiting, for the first time today, they're alone and he has her wrapped in his arms with nowhere for her to go and no one to interrupt them, but of course, it only leads to him wanting even more.

Pressing his probing tongue, it teases her already open lips even wider apart until it becomes demanding as it sweeps greedily within her mouth. This time it's a grunt of pleasure that falls from his throat, joining the echoing "Oh," from hers, the smallest sound of desire she hasn't been able to stem as their kiss grows hungrier between them.

She shivers as her body melts against his, the heat of his skin and the rippling power of his muscles beneath that suit turning her into a puddle of need as she completely gives into the kiss. Flames of passion soar through her veins in her need for intimacy of any kind from him, as she kisses him back with equal passion.

Grabbing his tie almost violently, she holds him close, not allowing him to go anywhere, and wanting even more of a taste of him.

In return, he groans, his hand pressing firmer on the back of her head, taking the kiss deeper and deeper until she loses all sense of where she is and what they are doing.

Their kiss at the altar earlier was as if Jax was trying to make a point. A very sexy point of claiming her as his one and only again in front of everyone, and signaling their fresh start. It was a breathtaking, make-you-weak-in-the-knees kind of kiss, and just thinking about it makes her heart skip and her pulse run even hotter again too.

But as his greedy tongue continues to delve past her lips tangling with hers, that chapel kiss doesn't hold a candle to this kiss right now, turning her blood to fire and her toes curling inside her pointy high heels as Jax makes her feel like the world is exploding around her. Because this one isn't about proving a point. This one is pure, possessive, consuming, and utterly indecent need.

Their mouths move together, exploring each other with their tongues as if this was their first time, and unlike in the chapel, she doesn't hold back from moaning.

And goddamn, that little moan of hers is ruining his resolve, and he tilts her whole body back a little to deepen the kiss even more, determined to coax another sound like that out of her.

Tiny kaleidoscopes of bright little orbs from those surrounding little lights burst behind her closed eyelids as they keep on kissing, adding to the romance and creating another surge of heat low in her belly.

Still gliding his mouth and tongue over his bride's, he flexes his hand at the small of her back, fingers exploring the intricate woven lace binding of her corset there as though he's desperate to strip her out of her dress to touch her bare skin.

Not finding what he needs, his hand travels lower, and gives her perfect, round left cheek a hard squeeze, making sure his grasp is firm enough that she feels it through all the layers of white fabric.

Tara gasps another moan against his mouth, and he's not sure if it's because he gripped her too tight, or if she wants him to do more of the same. He'd bet money on the latter, and so he does it again, and sure enough, that same sexy little sound vibrates between them, from her tongue straight to his.

"Christ, Tara." His voice is a rasped grunt against her mouth in reply, because between this kiss and those little sounds of hers, it's nearly enough to make him come in his pants like he's a goddamn teenager again.

But Tara's no better off herself, her chest heaving as she's breathing hard and fast. She should've known she has way too many hormones running through her body to be alone out here in this secluded spot with Jax, and not anticipate exactly this to happen.

Yet it feels like every ounce of rational thought has left her brain and she squeezes her eyes shut in deep concentration while they're kissing, because all she can focus on is the build happening between her legs.

Perhaps it's the romantic location, the vows they took earlier, or the fact that they are actually truly alone for the very first time since last night. All she knows as she's tightly squeezing her legs together, is that she's on the verge of an orgasm, without Jax even touching her there. Oh, God. She wants him ... so much.

One of them needs to be the voice of reason here and put an end to this before it escalates any further, which Jax can tell it is about to.

The funny thing is, he's just never imagined it would end up being him pulling the plug while he has her all hot and bothered for him in his arms. He knows without a doubt that she wants him as much as he wants her. And he'd love nothing more than to ease the ache between her legs, and his own along with it.

But damn it, they already took some unnecessary risk sneaking off last night at the bar. And Tara deserves better than this. More than this.

Having this elaborate wedding was all about him wanting to do it right this time around, giving her the best of everything. And the best includes a magical wedding night with flowers, chocolate-covered strawberries, candles, and the works. An all-night affair where he declares his love for her over and over again, with his body and with his words. And apparently with his actions too, because he's already decided a hurried quick fuck in a park gazebo won't do.

Ultimately, it's the combination of all those reasons that have Jax finally get a goddamn grip on his needs, and he's able to pull back from her tempting luscious lips, although he instantly misses them.

After breaking the kiss, Jax exhales raggedly, a little breathless it seems from almost getting too carried away, and it makes her feel validated that he appears just as affected by their kiss as she is.

"Mmm," he mutters and brushes his nose against hers, still holding her and so fucking tempted to dive right back in.

His eyes are full of lust when he looks down at her beautiful face, meeting her heated gaze. Right away, he notices how her cheeks are flushed and have turned an even deeper shade of pink, along with the unabashed lust for him sparkling in her eyes, but he also can't miss the confused expression that slips over her features about him stopping their kiss so abruptly.

Despite his aching cock, the sight of her so clearly turned on, brings a small smile to his face and a satisfied twinkle to his eyes. He can't help but rub his thumb along her full bottom lip again, loving how it's swollen and still slick now from the kiss they just shared.

Oh fuck, bad idea!

Dropping his hands from her, he can't blame her when she looks downright shocked as he pulls back a little more. And the same disappointment that has been registering in her eyes is there in his eyes as well.

But how's he supposed to tell her that he's only doing it because the temptation to yank up this dress and find out how swollen and slick her pussy lips are is too overwhelming at this very moment.

"Jax," Tara murmurs, her tone betraying her surprise. "What's wrong?" She asks, because this isn't like Jax at all. He takes whatever he wants, and if the way his jaw clenches tight and the pulse on the side of his neck is ticking down to an explosion is any indication, it's obvious that they both want the same thing.

"Nothing's wrong, Babe." He decides to feign ignorance at first, because he tells himself it's easier that way to instantly cool things down a couple of notches between them.

Bringing her out here to this secluded romantic spot was obviously a huge fucking mistake on his part. Idiotic, really, because they've both been so starved of intimacy lately, that he should've seen this coming. He needs to take her back to the reception, where he's less likely to maul her like the sex-starved animal he's feeling like right about now.

But not liking the unsure and somewhat hurt expression washing over her features, he tries to give her an actual explanation first. "Look, ..." He grips her bare upper arms in a tight grip and tugs her closer to him again, "Fuck, Tara, I want you. So much. But we've already done it like this the last time around."

Tara knows instantly what he means. Knows that he's talking about the first time they got married, and how they ended up consummating their marriage -if you wanna call it that- in his old dorm room at the Clubhouse of all places.

There's no denying that it had been hot and that she loved every minute of it, but at the same time, it was also over too fast and not anywhere near the magical wedding night she'd envisioned they'd share one day. It had simply been them wanting to make love at least one time as husband and wife, and so they did, trying to make the best out of an already shitty situation.

Jax brings her out of her thoughts of that night when he adds, "Believe me, Babe, I've got a very long list of things I want to do to you. Want to do with you. And this right here," he pauses, gesturing around the little gazebo for a split-second before he finishes his thought, "this won't do this time."

What the hell is the matter with me? -Tara thinks to herself because everything he just said makes perfect sense. She's a grown woman, not a horny teenager anymore, unable to control her urges. But apparently, her slutty little pussy hasn't gotten the memo, because she got even more hot and tingly all the while Jax explained that this isn't the place for all that.

She can feel her cheeks heating, surely blooming a deep pink again, and there's no mistaking the look she shoots at him for anything other than embarrassment while biting down hard on her lip to stop herself from uttering any kind of response.

She's surely leaving teeth marks for a little while on that lower lip of hers if she doesn't let up soon. He reaches up, freeing her lip for her, and his mind instantly thinks of other things he wants to do with those plump, pouty pink lips of hers. Christ, don't go there again, Teller!

At last, she groans in embarrassment as she steps into his broad chest to hide herself away from his gaze, but it's not enough and she raises her hands to hide her face behind. She's shaking her head to herself about yet another lapse in judgment on her part. Then begins to giggle a little at her own antics, remembering her massage this morning. She's pretty sure she wasn't this hormonal when she was pregnant with Thomas. At least not that she can remember.

He peels her hands off her face and takes hold of her chin, tilting her head up until their eyes are locked on one another again, but before he can ask out loud what's funny, she's already elaborating, "I think the salty air is seriously messing with my brain."

He looks down at her with quizzical brows, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, somehow I'm the one ready to jump your bones out in public two days in a row, while you're suddenly all … all Mister-playing-hard-to-get."

"Playing hard to get?" He repeats right as an amused chuckle rumbles from his throat this time, and he's pulling her back against his chest for a moment.

But he's releasing her again just as quickly, the tip of his tongue slides across his bottom lip as a grin creeps up his cheeks, when he forcefully takes her hand and moves it across the front of his pants, following the outline of his rigid cock and says, "This right here is the only thing hard about me, Babe."

"Christ, Jax. You're so not helping," she sighs and pulls her hand away as if his dick just burned her palm, but then can't help the instantaneous giggle that escapes her throat at the same time he starts to laugh too.

He adjusts himself again in his slacks, taking her in as he's still chuckling, shaking his head, and wonders out loud, more to himself than to her, "Damn, how did I get so lucky?!"

Tara's not sure if she'd call any of this lucky. She cocks her chin up at him, sounding both sarcastic and a bit flirtatious when she gives him an amused look, and says as much, "Spending the rest of the reception with blue balls? Yeah, how did you get so lucky, do tell?"

The feistiness in her words has his head falling back as another bout of laughter from him fills the quiet night air around them.

But once Jax's laughter dies down, he enjoys teasing her some more, reaching out and rubbing his thumb across her lips, "As much as I love kissing that smart mouth of yours, my balls are used to waiting a bit while I'm busy kissing your other set of lips."

She gasps at his words and the images they bring forth as another jolt of lust travels south again, and swats his chest while she shakes her head, "You aren't playing fair."

He wraps his arms around her waist, tugging her close enough that she can feel his erection even through the copious amounts of fabric that separates them, and grins down at her, before he's brushing her ear with his lips. "Fuck fair."

"Jackson ..." Tara murmurs his full name in both chastisement and longing, but he doesn't let her finish.

His name dripping from her lips like this is enough to push him over the edge to give in to making out with his hot wife a little more after all. He lowers his face to capture her lips with his and kisses her as his hands slowly and possessively leave her face to rove over all the curves of hers again too.

Nothing's changed though, his mind is made up. He won't deny her the opportunity to celebrate their union with their friends and family for a second time, nor will he ruin their proper wedding night by screwing her out here, no matter how badly he wants to right now. But that doesn't mean he can't enjoy thoroughly kissing her without an audience for just a little while longer either.

Eventually, it's Tara who's the voice of reason and pulls away from the kiss first this time. "We should probably head back," she murmurs even as she tips her head to the side to expose her throat to him. "It is our party, after all. Everyone's here to see us."

Jax obliges for a moment, placing several deliberate kisses against the side of her neck that he knows drive her crazy. She moans just as he pulls back enough to look down at her. Christ, she's so damn beautiful, both inside and out. But … she's right.

"You're right. We should head back." He suddenly agrees, stepping away from her and giving her room to breathe, and she instantly shivers at the lost contact.

"You cold?" He asks, but he's already begun to unbutton his suit jacket. Internally scolding himself for not thinking of it and offering it to her much sooner. She must've been freezing.

But she hasn't been cold during this back-and-forth with him, the opposite really. Although now, as she's rubbing her hands up and down her bare upper arms to warm herself up, she quietly admits, "A little."

Jax instantly steps forward, wraps her in his jacket, and pulls her close enough to kiss again by the lapels. "Better?"

She gives him a quick peck on his lips. "Yes," she says, the scent of him engulfing her again as he helps her push her arms through the sleeves of his suit jacket, and then shoots him a loving and grateful look, "Thank you."

"I really do like this dress," he murmurs against her ear leaning in, and bringing her back out of her thoughts.

Her lips curve into another bright smile. "You already said that."

"Yeah, but that was before I really got my hands on you in it, so I hadn't fully appreciated it yet." As if on cue, he let his hand slide very low on her back again, resting it shamelessly on the curve of her ass, right below the spot where her crow tattoo is etched into her skin.

"Feels like you're appreciating it fully now," Tara smirks in reply.

X

They're back on the paved path and Tara's back on her own two feet again too.

After he's lit up another cigarette, she takes his offered hand. It's rough and warm and steadying. That's what he's been for her lately, steady, someone to truly rely on. It's amazing how much has changed since he left the Club.

The moment they start walking hand in hand just like before, he glances back down at her and his expression speaks volumes. There's unmistakable love there, but there's also mischief and not a trace of apology about driving her crazy with longing the way he has.

Eventually, the doors that lead to the reception come into view again, and Jax hooks a finger under his collar, tugging a little and slowing his steps when he says with a cigarette wedged between his lips. "Think all that's left is cutting the cake at this thing."

She lets out a little laugh at his description, peering up at him when she repeats amused. "This thing? You mean our wedding reception?"

"Cutting the cake. That's all that's left, ain't it?" He wonders out loud, as he's internally checking off a list of things you're supposed to do at weddings. They did the first dance, they mingled, a few of their friends gave a toast, and dinner's been served. So cake should be all that's left.

"There's still the bouquet toss too," she adds to his list as if she can read his mind.

"Right," he replies with a nod, exhaling a cloud of smoke. He'd forgotten about that.

But before he can say anything else, Tara quickly adds, "Oh, and the garter thing."

"We're doing that?" He asks as if this is the first he's heard or thought of it, his voice and eyebrows raised in obvious surprise that she'd want to do that.

"Are we not?" She wonders in return. Truthfully the thought alone makes her feel embarrassed, but she just assumed they were going to do that. As a matter of fact, Chrisy and Rayna have been teasing her relentlessly since the reception started, saying they couldn't wait to watch the old-fashioned tradition play out between Jax and her.

He stops walking, turns toward her then in the same instant he tosses the rest of his smoke to the cold ground. His hands disappear under his jacket she's wearing and find the small of her back, he pulls her to him, close enough that his hot breath mingles with hers as the cool wind blows right past them.

Holding her against him, he looks down at her, shaking his head while flashing her a boyish grin, "Hmm, Babe, I don't know. If I go face first under your dress, can't promise I'll make it back out before the sun comes up."

A little laugh escapes her at what he's implying. "Promises promises," she teases him back, and judging by the expression on her face she's thoroughly enjoying herself, but then her expression sobers, "All jokes aside though, I do wanna put the boys to bed ourselves, so we can remind them again that they're staying with Mrs. Ellie until Friday. And as much as I want to be alone with you, Jax, everyone came so far to spend time with us. We can't just bail too early."

"Yeah, alright." He can easily agree with her there, then winks at her when he says, "Let's do this thing." He nods toward the doors before his brow arches slightly again when he adds, "Entertain these knuckleheads for another hour or two, and then let's get hell out of here."

"Okay," she agrees with a nod, but before he can turn away she quickly puts a hand on his chest, stopping him with the lightest touch so she can tell him one more thing before they head back inside and are pulled in a million different directions by their guests. "Christy and Rayna already moved all our things to the honeymoon suite, so that's all taken care of."

He decides now is as good a time as any to fess up, shaking his head. "Actually, they didn't."

"Yeah, they did," she insists without missing a beat, looking and gesturing with her hand in the direction of the party for a second, where Rayna and Christy are presumably at, as she adds, "They said it's all taken care of."

"It is all taken care of," he agrees with her there, but then elaborates when he adds, "But we're not staying here for the honeymoon."

"We're not?" She repeats confused.

"I booked us a little place right down the road from here, and while we were getting pictures taken earlier, they brought all our stuff over there instead."

Tara would've been just as happy staying at this beautiful resort for their honeymoon, especially after hearing that the honeymoon suite was on the top floor with a lovely oceanside view. But there's no denying that she is close to tears at the thoughtfulness Jax has displayed over the last month to plan all of this, only to make it even more special by surprising her with a little honeymoon place too. Swallowing down her emotions she smiles but shakes her head at him, "You didn't have to do all that."

"I know," he easily agrees, knowing she would've been happy either way. But she deserved more, so he earnestly adds, "But I wanted to."

"Thank you," she replies at first. At a loss for what else to say without breaking down in tears. But thinking back on all the things he's done to not only make today happen but to make it special, like convincing Linc to be here and walk her down the aisle or surprising her with the ring from their past … just to name a few, she forces a mixture of disbelief and amusement over her expression when she teasingly says, "Who are you and what have you done with my husband?"

"Trust me, I'm still me," he chuckles, grinning incredibly wide when he adds, "Just upgraded, baby. You're looking at Jackson Teller 2.0."

"Jackson Teller 2.0?" She laughs as she repeats his words in amusement, and even though she's well aware of all the ways he's already changed, she decides to play along, "And how exactly is this version different than the last?"

"This version is reliable," he replies without having to think about it, but then his facial expression turns serious out of the blue when he adds earnestly, "and very fucking sorry and still trying to make up for all the shit the first version did."

This admission has Tara's eyes well up with tears after all. Her emotions have been all over the place today. Trying to redirect said emotions to stop the tears from actually spilling, she surprises him when she grabs his tie and rather forcefully yanks him down to meet her lips.

Pressing her lips onto his, she kisses him hard, and instantly his lips and tongue begin to move with hers.

Jax moves his hand to her waist, tightening his grip as he pulls her to him, and she moans into his mouth, her body melting into him like soft butter.

She feels those same kinds of tingles move up and down her spine again, igniting another fire within her, heating her from the inside out as the world around them seems to fade away. All that she can feel, all that she can see is Jax.

Butterflies go into a frenzy inside of her stomach as they continue their kiss, their tongues moving together in perfect sync.

Then Jax cups the side of her face, but instead of deepening the kiss even further, he surprises her by pulling away again. Breathing heavily he rests his forehead against hers, and groans in frustration, but then bites his lips to stifle the noise, before he says. "You're trying to kill me, woman. I'm trying real hard to be a gentleman right now."Jax reminds her with a strained voice, even though he's pretty sure she knows exactly what she's doing and enjoys torturing him like this, as if he wouldn't already be thinking about finally having her. How could he not when she wears a dress that hugs her perfect tits like a vice grip, and she keeps kissing him like that?

There's something oddly satisfying and reassuring knowing he's just as crazy about her as she is about him. That he wants her just as much. And it has her giggling a little even though she too is trying to catch her breath after that electrifying kiss they just shared. Again. Fighting the temptation to throw herself at him again, she accuses him instead with the words "You started this" and is not surprised by the instant shocked, yet amused expression from him.

"I started this?" Jax points a thumb at himself in disbelief, and because he couldn't have possibly heard her right he adds, "How the fuck did I start this?" Did she really just accuse him, like it wasn't her idea to spend last night apart? Fact is, neither of them would be this ridiculously wound up if she had just spent last night in his bed, where she belongs.

"Yeah, you. Don't act all innocent." She shakes her head at him in the same instant she raises a hand between them, counting off as she explains, "Asking for phonesex. That kiss in the chapel. And all the countless whispers, touches, looks, winks, and kisses during the photoshoot and since the reception started." She gestures back in the direction where they just came from, adding, "Oh, and the gazebo."

Alright, she might've got him there. It's true, he might've been a lot more handsy and flirtatious than usual, but in his defense, it's been four fucking weeks since they've had an entire night to themselves. After four exhausting weeks of working full-time jobs while simultaneously planning a wedding and a move across town, with two restless boys needing feed and entertainment and demands of sleeping in between every single night … that shit took a toll. So can anyone -can she- really fault him for enjoying himself a little at his own wedding? And what better way to do just that than trying to drive his bride as crazy with lust as she's been doing to him by … well … merely existing.

"You know I'm right. You started this." Tara interrupts his inner dialogue. She has no idea where her next words, this quote, even comes from, but it popped into her head and it's more than fitting, "So maybe don't play with fire if you don't wanna get burned."

"What are you saying?" He looks guilty, yet amused.

"I'm saying two can play that game, baby. If I wanna kiss you, I'm gonna kiss you. Fair is fair."

Fair is fair? As you wish. On that thought, he buries his fingers in her hair at the nape of her neck, then pulls and tugs to angle her face up, and dives in for another heated kiss. Only to pull away again just as quickly and force her to meet his eyes when he promises, "Fair is fair, huh? You better remember that when I'm taking out several weeks' worth of pent-up frustration on you after we leave here later tonight."

This right here, these wordy declarations aren't normally their thing. At least not what sex is concerned. Sure, they like to tease and banter and neck one another a little bit here and there, but they don't usually have this level of drawn-out verbal foreplay. It's usually a lot less talking and way more doing between them.

That said, with the cold breeze in the air, she can quite literally feel the heat spreading up her neck and over her cheeks, because of the scandalous night he's threatening her with.

After the craziness that was this last month, she can only imagine how intense it will be when they are finally alone. She's already spent too much time thinking and fantasizing about how it'll all play out tonight. Will he be gentle and sweet? Or rough and demanding? She alternates her fantasies between both, but from the sounds of it, the latter might be the case and she's more than ready for it.

Naturally, she can't bite back her sarcastic reply that comes out in a breathy laugh. "Gee, Teller, don't threaten me with a good time."

So yeah, this might not be their usual style, but she's thoroughly enjoying this back-and-forth with him. At the same time though she knows … God, she knows she's in serious trouble now. At least judging by the glint in his eyes and his wicked grin that follows her sarcastic words. It's making her knees literally go weak again, the way the tip of his tongue appears to wet those full, gorgeous lips before they lift a little higher on one side as they curve into a secret promise of something dirty. Something very very dirty but oh-so-good.

Then he steps back, and takes her hand firmly in his, drawing it toward that tantalizing mouth of his, and presses a kiss to her knuckles.

His lips are still hot, their warmth spreading through her entire body again as his eyes hold her gaze. And then, when he turns her hand over in his to place another kiss on the soft skin of her inner wrist, she has to look away, because damn him … it's like she can feel that kiss being placed right between her legs instead.

"Let's go cut that cake," he says, sounding way too innocent for what he just said and done as he's intertwining their fingers.

How can he do that? How can he change the subject so easily, all while leaving her panting and breathing hard?

Tara shakes her head slightly, trying to force herself to ignore the tight knot of lust and longing in her belly and pretend it's nothing, like he seems to be doing. She raises her other hand to rest it against her stomach for a moment, focusing all her attention back on the reception, his words about the cake, and the fact that they'd eaten shortly before she wandered out here with him, "I'm not sure I can eat much more tonight, or I might bust out of this dress."

"Yeah, that food was worth every penny," Jax agrees and mimics her patting his stomach as well, only to then throw her a wink and a smile, "But don't you worry, Babe, I'll help you burn those calories tonight."

"You're so thoughtful," she answers sarcastically in return.

He doesn't reply but merely chuckles, and begins to pull her along toward the building and back inside where it's warm.

But as they step through the door they both freeze for a moment and take in the party surrounding them; the decorations, the long overdue celebration, the boys getting spoiled by Tara's relatives and Margaret, and all of their guests who seem to be enjoying themselves. It really is a memory that they'll remember and cherish forever.

X

"You and the Doc seem real good. She looks real happy," Bobby muses out loud, drawing Jax's attention back to him and away from his blushing bride across the room.

"We are," Jax easily agrees, but something -maybe it's the beers he's already had- makes him elaborate a bit more. "I'm trying, man. Trying to be a different person for her, you know? Different from how I used to be, how I was brought up. Trying to atone for the bad decisions I made."

"Everything in your life has led you to this moment, brother. The good, the bad, and all that's in between. You can choose to be who you want to be right now, and see things differently. That's your prerogative. But the best part? You can always choose again."

Jax instantly knows where this is going and what Bobby's trying to hint at. Gemma's locked up, Charming and Stockton have been quiet, and SAMCRO is pretty much out of guns for good, putting all their money in porn and escorts instead. It all sounds good in theory, but even at its best, the Club life simply isn't what he wants his boys and this baby to grow up around.

"Look, I love you, brother." He cuts Bobby a disappointed look as he shakes his head "But there's no going back. My mind's been made up since I almost lost her … Christ, I first wanted out when Abel was taken, when I almost lost him. JT didn't want this for me. And I don't want it for my family either. There's no going back." He claps Bobby on his shoulder as he walks away, making his way back to Tara, where he belongs.

He's not really surprised that Bobby doesn't get it. The Club is all he has. Even though he's been married in the past, Bobby's never felt about a woman the way Jax feels about Tara. The Club, SAMCRO, has always been Bobby's one true love.

So Jax isn't sure he could ever make Bobby understand what Tara means to him, because the older man has never experienced that deep of a connection with someone of the opposite sex. To Bobby, pussy is just pussy. Sex is just sex. Nothing more nothing less. He'd never understand the pleasure you get when you sink into the lavish body of the woman you love with all your heart. The woman you'd fucking die for. It sounds sappy as fuck, but it's true. And he'd be wasting his breath trying to make Bobby understand, which is why he walked away when he did.

Jax easily finds Tara in her white dress, and is met with her sultry gaze and those captivating curves that always draw him in like he's a goddamn addict and she's his fix.

When he reaches her side, he curls his arms around her, and leans in for a quick peck. He should've known though that her velvety lips would make him crave her even more.

A slow song starts to play and it gives him the excuse he needs to keep her in his arms, nodding toward the dancefloor. "Dance with me," he murmurs, before pulling her against him, not ready to let her walk away and share her with their guests again. Not when she's looking at him like he's her whole world.

"Another dance?" She asks, her tone conveying her surprise, but then follows him along to the dancefloor.

As he begins to lead her on this dance, the connection between them simmers. It's hot, vibrant, and powerful, all of which radiates through her body. Nothing compares to slow dancing with Jax, and the effect he has on her.

She'd just danced with one of Jax's new friends not too long ago, and in comparison with this, it felt downright clinical. But that might've been because of the glances Jax kept throwing their way from the sidelines. It hadn't exactly been a jealous look by any means, but there had definitely been some kind of unspoken warning in Jax's gaze directed at his new friend and coworker.

Tara feels so intoxicating in his arms, that it's hard not to let his hands roam even more. If simply holding her like this feels this fucking good, he can only imagine how incredible it will feel having her in his bed tonight. And that thought momentarily leads to him fantasizing about all the different positions he's going to take her in.

But for her benefit, he forces himself to play it cool for now in front of their family and friends, leaving his hand simply sitting atop her curvy ass instead of downright groping her again like he really wants to do. And he's using his words instead of his hands to let her in on what's on his mind when he leans in closer to her ear and whispers, "Can't wait to make you come."

She falters in her steps for a fraction of a second, but he quickly tugs her even closer to break her fall, fast enough that she doubts anyone else even noticed. Yet she can feel the instant vibration in his chest and knows even before she looks back up that he finds this funny and is silently chuckling that she tripped because of what he said.

She shouldn't feel so rattled by a simple dance and his dirty words, but ever since they got back from the gazebo, and she made the mistake of giving him the whole fair is fair and don't play with fire speech, he's been playing dirty. Turning the proverbial heat up a notch or three with even more little touches and looks, and not to forget these naughty whispers in her ear.

She both loves this mix of playful and downright caveman from him, but hates that the timing is literally the worst. "You're evil," she answers, glancing up at him, and they share an amused look, before they both give in and share a little laugh, garnering a few curious glances from everyone else who's dancing nearby.

For a moment she's very tempted to answer him with the exact same words, that she can't wait to make him come either, just to see how he'd react in return. But she bites those words back, because the more they talk dirty like this, the wetter and achier she feels in her neither region, and she's not sure how much more of this delicious torture she can take from him. Instead, she leans in closer to whisper back, her voice breathy, and sounding full of dirty promises too, "You know what they say, baby, anticipation is the greater part of pleasure."

Leaning back to get a good look at her when he confesses in a quiet voice, "Trust me, I know. That anticipation has had my cock aching for you since first thing this morning."

But before Tara can react, he suddenly spins her out before tugging her right back into his arms, making her skin prickle with goosebumps all over again.

"You need to stop," she scolds him, swatting his chest, yet smirking and blushing at the same time.

Between this and his previous comment, he's not surprised her cheeks have rapidly turned rosy, and all it does is make her even more enticing and has him staring at her, committing yet another moment from today to memory.

"Alright, I'll behave." He finally ceases fire and tugs her back against him. Focusing on what's right in front of him, like her warmth, and her laughter, and the two of them just swaying in rhythm to the music for a little while longer.

X

Jax uses the keycard Mrs. Ellie gave him and pushes the door to the room open, letting the boys and then Tara step inside ahead of him.

After the cake had been cut and served, and after taking a few more pictures with Thomas and Abel, Tara and Jax insisted on putting their boys to bed themselves since they wouldn't be seeing them for the next few days.

As soon as they're inside the room, Tara slips out of her high heels, letting out a sigh of utter relief that brings a smirk to Jax's face as he slips out of his jacket, draping it over a nearby chair.

She finds the boys' little pajamas, laying them out on the bed, while they strip out of their clothes and Jax ushers them to the small ensuite bathroom to help them wash up a bit and get their teeth brushed.

"I want Mommy to help me," Thomas whines, shaking his head in refusal when Jax tries to help him with the nightly task.

"Mommy's wearing a pretty white dress, and she'd be sad if she ends up with your blue toothpaste all over it," Jax answers without missing a beat just as Tara appears in the doorway of the bathroom, watching the little spat between son and father play out.

"I can do it," Thomas protests next, reaching to grab the toothbrush out of his father's hand.

"Yeah, alright," Jax concedes rather quickly and hands it to him, knowing it's been a busy day for everyone and that their youngest was undoubtedly overtired and halfhearted brushed teeth for once truly wasn't worth arguing over tonight.

Tara folds her arms as she leans her shoulder and head against the doorframe while she's curiously observing how it all plays out.

Today, every little moment has felt surreal in some way or another, and this right here, watching Jax trying to wrangle their two boys to get them ready for bed was no different. Although Jax helping out with the kids has been such a usual sight at home, tonight with SAMCRO downstairs in attendance, it feels like an odd scene in the sense that it is so completely ordinary -so normal- in comparison to just two years ago, when Jax was carted off to County the night of their wedding day.

It fills her heart with such relief knowing that this is their life now instead. And it makes her silently thank God to have given her the strength she'd needed to look past all the heartbreak she'd endured because of Jax, and to give this relationship with him another shot.

After their sons' teeth are brushed and faces are wiped clean again, Thomas allows Tara to help him into his pajamas to speed the process along, while Abel hurries to put them on all on his own.

Then the boys climb willingly into the queen size bed, scooting into the middle, so both mom and dad can climb in beside them on each side to cuddle for a moment. And even though they've explained all of this over the last week and a half so the kids wouldn't be completely caught off guard at the last minute, they discuss the next few days to remind them once again.

"Like we talked about before, you'll stay the next few nights with Mrs. Ellie, and Uncle Jason or Aunt Christy will take you to school and daycare every morning, so you won't miss any more time with your friends there. And we're gonna talk on the phone every day, and before you know it, all of us will be back home again, alright?" Tara explains in a soothing voice, and to her relief, both the boys emphatically and happily nod their heads in agreement.

"Mrs. Ellie said you'll go on a honeymoon." Abel quickly pipes up, looking from Jax to Tara, before he asks, "What's a honeymoon?"

But before they can even get a word out in reply, Thomas' little blond brows scrunch together in confusion too when he adds to his older brother's question, "Are you gonna eat honey without us?"

Jax and Tara let out a laugh, meeting each other's eyes in amusement from opposite sides of the bed, all while trying to figure out how to answer their questions in a way that wouldn't lead to a hundred more, because that's usually the boys' tactic to hold off bedtime for as long as possible.

Tara speaks up first, choosing to go with the simplest truth, "After a couple gets married, they take a few days off work to spend time together, and it's called a honeymoon. But I'm not sure why they call it that, because it doesn't have anything to do with honey … or the moon either."

"Ohhh," the boys reply in unison as if it is the most interesting news they've heard all day.

"What do you do on your honeymoon?" Abel inquires next.

Jax meets Tara's eyes for a second at the question, mischief sparkling in them, but to Tara's relief, he simply quips back, "Same thing you should already be doing, buddy. Sleep." Jax is ruffling his hand through Abel's and then Thomas' hair.

"But I'm gonna miss you," Thomas whines for a moment, sticking his bottom lip out in a little pout.

Tara feels his words and the look Thomas shoots them both like a physical ache inside her chest, instantly reaching back out to him to reassure him, "We won't be gone for long, I promise, baby."

"Yeah," Jax chimes in, slightly worried Tara might call this whole thing off if the boys guilt trip her too much. "You'll have so much fun with your friends and sleepovers at Mrs. Ellie's place, time will fly by super fast."

"How many sleeps?" Thomas asks out of the blue, looking from his mom to his dad and back again.

And Abel chimes in too, sitting up straighter beside his little brother, "Yeah, how many?"

Jax does the quick math in his head, "Just six, … you go to sleep tonight and then five more sleeps at Mrs. Ellie's apartment after that, and your mom and I will already be back to pick you up and take you home, alright?"

The boys nod in agreement, muttering "Alright" and "Okay" but Tara's guilty conscience weighs heavily on her when she vows, "And when we're back, we'll think of something fun to do. Just the four of us. I promise." Her gaze meets Jax's across the bed again, when she adds, "Let's take a picture together. We'll send it to Mrs. Ellie and you guys can look at it every time you miss us."

Jax leans toward the chair, searching for his phone in the inside pocket of his jacket, but finds Tara's instead. He's been holding onto it since Rayna handed it to him earlier because Tara didn't have a purse or pockets tonight.

He quickly opens the camera app on the home screen, switches it to selfie mode and the four of them scoot even closer together as he takes a few quick shots with an outstretched arm. He quickly looks and swipes at the pictures he just took, before showing them to the boys and Tara for approval.

He puts the phone down on the nightstand, before reaching for one of the books sitting right beside it. Holding it up for the boys to see, he asks, "It's way past your bedtime, so do you wanna go straight to sleep, or do you wanna hear a story first?"

"Story, Daddy," Thomas shouts, sitting up and pumping his little fists in the air, "Story. Story. Story."

And Abel mimics him as he chimes in too with his own chant of "Story, story, story."

"Alright, settle down," Tara says and raises a finger to her lip to shush them before she explains, "Some people in the rooms beside us might already be sleeping. We gotta keep quiet, alright?"

The boys giggle a little, but thankfully they don't argue and settle down in their spots in bed again.

Tara tugs Abel back into her side and Jax does the same with Thomas next to him.

Jax shoots her a wink and a smile before he places a quick kiss against the top of Thomas' head and then begins to read the story out loud. "Congratulations. Today is your day. You're off to great places. You're off and away. You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose …"

Moments later, when Jax is barely past the halfway point of the book, Tara reaches over the boys' heads to nudge his shoulder and direct his attention to the two kids snuggled into bed between them, who've already fallen fast asleep.

Slowly and carefully, both Jax and Tara slip off of the bed, before tucking the blankets securely around their sleeping kids again.

Jax sends a quick text to Mrs. Ellie from Tara's phone he'd just grabbed from the nightstand again, letting her know the boys are asleep, while Tara folds their discarded clothes up and sits them in a neat pile atop one of the dressers.

And then Jax puts his jacket back on just as Tara slips her feet back into her heels too.

He steps up behind her, wrapping his arms around her, kissing her cheek before he rests his chin against her temple, snuggling together as they just stand there in silence and watch their boys drift further into a deep, peaceful slumber. Something they've barely done over the last four weeks.

A few minutes later their quiet moment is interrupted by a soft knock at the door, and Jax quickly lets Mrs. Ellie inside, who smiles gratefully when she sees the boys seem to be fast asleep already.

Tara leans over Thomas to give him a quick kiss on his forehead, while Jax does the same to Abel, before they switch sides. But just as Tara pulls away from Abel, Abel opens his eyes one more time, squinting back at Tara with sleepy eyes when he murmurs, "You look like a princess, Mom."

"I do?" Tara wonders in return, a bit flattered but also surprised by his words, to which Abel just nods. She smiles sweetly back at Abel, quickly explaining, "Mrs. Ellie's here now, okay? We'll see you in a few days. I love you, Abel."

"Love you, Mommy," then squints at his dad for a second as well when he adds, "Love you, Daddy."

Jax leans back down, brushing Abel's hair back as he's giving him another quick kiss, "Love you more, Monsterman. Look out for Thomas while we're gone, alright?"

"I will, I promise. But Dad, don't forget the picture." Abel answers in a near whisper, before his eyes droop shut again and he drifts back off to sleep.

Mrs. Ellie turns her attention to the bride and groom, speaking in whispers when she's repeating what she'd already told them earlier at the reception, "The wedding was beautiful. I'm so happy for you both."

She's embracing them both, one after the other, "You two enjoy the honeymoon. Allison will be staying with me this week to help out with them, so don't you worry, the boys will be just fine."

"Thank you so much," Tara replies, hugging the older lady one more time as she says, "For everything."

"Yes, thank you. We appreciate it," Jax adds, then he remembers the picture and digs out Tara's phone once more and explains, "Promised the boys I'd send you this picture."

"For when they miss us," Tara chimes in, to which Mrs. Ellie quickly nods in understanding and pulls her own phone from her small clutch-type purse.

"Speaking of photos, " Mrs. Ellie says and quickly opens up her phone, stepping up beside Tara to show her some photos she took today at the wedding. "I'll send all of these to you," she says, swiping through her camera roll, showing off some close-ups she took of the boys earlier, "Aren't these just precious."

Tara beams with pride at the adorable and undeniably photogenic shots of her two sons. They are smiling, and laughing, and apparently having the time of their lives earlier at the reception, the moments forever captured in these photographs. She nods, smiling, and gushes, "Yes, please send them to me. They're so cute."

And just as she looks up, turning her attention back to Jax, she's confused by what she sees. His jaw's clenching for a moment as he's swiping and typing away on Tara's phone, and she's met with an indecipherable look from him that has her silently mouthing the word "What?" behind Mrs. Ellie's back, because naturally, she assumes it has to have something to do with the older woman.

"Did you get the pictures I sent, " Jax asks, focusing his attention back on their usually trusted babysitter.

Ellie glances back at her phone, the screen lighting up and making a faint ding sound just as Jax's text from Tara's phone arrives, and she nods her head at the younger man with a, "Got them," before her eyes flicker back to the images on her screen and she adds, "Would you look at this perfect little family. These are adorable."

"Call us if they're giving you any trouble," Jax says as he steps up beside Tara, his arm curling around her waist, and fingers digging possessively into her hip in a way that has Tara shooting him another curious look.

"I will, but don't you worry about a thing." Mrs. Ellie nods toward the sleeping boys on the bed, "I love those rascals like my own. They're keeping me young."

"We'll head out then," Jax replies with an appreciative nod and smile, before Tara and he make their way out the door while adding in unison. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Mrs. Ellie replies, walking them out.

The door to Mrs. Ellie's hotel room has barely shut behind them when Jax tugs on Tara's hand until they've rounded the corner into a more dimly lit hallway that seems to lead to a utility room or closet of some kind, and is otherwise a dead end.

And just as Tara turns toward him, to ask him what's going on with him, he's already framing her face with his hands and pulls her in for a long and passionate kiss, which she reciprocates almost immediately.

All Jax can think about right now is Tara's curves encased in tempting white lace, because a few moments ago he'd made the mistake of scrolling just a bit too far through the pictures on Tara's phone and found some he truly hadn't expected to find.

He obviously should've predicted that she'd be wearing a fucking set of bridal lingerie, something hot and sexy, and picked out especially for him. What he however hadn't predicted was to find some hot as fuck photographs she'd taken while posing seductively in said lingerie on her phone.

Assuming this was meant to be a surprise for him of some sort, he'd tried not to look, he really did, but there was no goddamn use. He couldn't unsee what he saw, nor does he truly wish he could, if he is being honest with himself.

As a matter of fact, the steamy images of his sexy near-naked bride seem to play on repeat behind closed eyelids as he devours her mouth in this heated kiss. Between the strapless bustier made up of ivory lace that frames and rests flush against the skin of her tits and waist, just barely hiding the rosy buds of her nipples from view and making his cock twitch, the matching thin lacy panties, and the sheer stockings with the white band but baby blue garters sitting high on her thick thighs, there's very little left to the imagination.

In that lingerie, those lush, thick curves of hers are just begging to be touched. She looked like the most delectable dessert, flooding his mind with visions of laying her out before him on a bed, taking his time to unwrap her like the pretty little gift that she is, before he spreads her open to have a taste.

The only thing holding him back has been his master self-control, which now that they've found themselves alone again and away from prying eyes is seriously slipping.

Getting lost in the kiss, he's trying to force himself to let his body relax before he snaps a goddamn muscle because of being wound up so tight. He takes a step back, leaning back against the wall behind him, pulling her along with him, before letting his hands slowly travel down her body.

First slowly down her slim neck, over her bare shoulders and arms, then curling around her slim waist for a brief few seconds until they finally come to a rest on the curve of her voluptuous ass. Feeling for the undergarments along the way, but the material of her wedding dress is too thick and heavy, making it impossible to discern anything beneath.

They remain like this, kissing and holding and groping, getting lost in one another for a long couple of shameless, reckless minutes, before the sound of a door falling shut somewhere brings them out of this too-heated moment and somewhat back to their senses again.

"What was that all about?" Tara finally gets to ask, although the smirk on her lips suggests she very much liked the way Jax just mauled her again out of the blue.

His lips twitch when he replies, "You, Mrs. Teller, are trouble!"

"Me?" Tara chuckles, placing her palm flat against her sternum in surprise at his statement. Are they back to this again? Comparing notes as to who is driving the other one more crazier tonight?

Her voice is full of questions and rises an octave when she wonders out loud, "What the hell did I do now?"

"Really?" He answers rather skeptically at the same moment as he tightens his grip on her ass, yanking her to him again, and making her gasp in the process.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Jax."

"Those pictures on your phone," he suddenly explains.

At first, her eyebrows draw together, looking back at him quizzically like she has no clue what he's even talking about.

But the way his lips stretch into a wicked smirk as he sharply arches just one brow, it quickly dawns on her what pictures he's talking about and her eyes widen in shock for a split second.

"Oh," she replies, sounding almost innocently, but then bites her lip in a not-so-innocent kind of way, and fails terribly at suppressing a naughty little grin from stretching across her face when she says, "You weren't supposed to see those … yet."

"Yeah, see …" Jax mutters, looking like he wants to laugh but instead just grins and lets go of her long enough to raise a hand between them and point an accusing finger at her, "… that right there." Tara giggles, grin spreading wider as Jax adds, "Like I said, you're fucking trouble, Babe."

They hold each other's gaze for a long silent filled minute in the dimly lit space, and with a shaking head, Tara can't help another giggle that escapes her at the absurdity of their teenagelike behavior. She could only wish that ten or twenty years from now, they'd still be this crazy for each other.

Her giggle begins rather quietly at first, but the expression on his face has it quickly turn hard enough to have her whole body shake against his.

His hand has returned back to her backside and he's still holding her tightly to him again when he says, "Fuck, don't do that." The words are said in warning, even though his voice doesn't sound like a warning at all because he's trying so hard not to laugh out loud himself. He does however take a much firmer grip on her backside again to stop the way her body is wriggling against him with her laugh.

Another door clicking shut somewhere nearby has her snapping her head toward the sound as she's abruptly trying to stop. She presses her lips together in some semblance of a sober expression, all while her eyes are still sparkling full of the humor she's trying so hard to suppress right now.

Jax just bites his lip to keep himself in check, then takes a deep breath to also suppress the sudden urge to kiss her again. He shakes his head in disbelief but instead of kissing her he presses his forehead back to hers and works on getting himself under control. "Let's get back to the party, make one last round, and say our goodbyes."

"Goodbyes?" She repeats in a tone that is both questioning and humorous as she pulls back enough to meet his eyes in confusion, "You don't think it's too early?"

"I need to be alone with you." He admits out loud, his choice of words is a heavily, heavily censored version of what he wants to say, about what he really wants to do … with her.

But it's no surprise that she knows the words he didn't say, knows the look in his eyes that is surely matching hers once more tonight, as they continue to stare at each other, breathing hard.

When they eventually arrive back at the party, hand in hand, they're more than ready to call it a night. The only thing left on the wedding to-do list is Jax taking off her garter and the tossing of Tara's bouquet.

But before Jax or Tara can discuss their plans with Jason and Christy to get this show on the road, Rayna interrupts them, curling her arm around Jax's when she says, "I didn't get a chance to dance with the groom yet."

Shit! So much for getting away!

Tara shares an amused glance with Jax, right before releasing her hold on his hand and nods her head at her friend from high school, giving her a stern look, "One dance, then I want him back. And don't put any more dirty ideas in his head."

"I would never," Rayna feigns innocence, raising her hand to her chest in faux shock.

"Yeah you would," Tara suppresses her smirk, knowing her friend all too well.

"Alright, I'll behave," Rayna replies with a pointed look, followed by a quick and sharp salute, a clear indication that she's already had way too much to drink, but it still makes both Tara and Jax laugh out loud in response.

A slow song starts to play and Jax and Rayna disappear into the middle of the dancefloor, which Rayna deems as the perfect opportunity she'd hoped it would be.

She's wearing high heels, but just like Tara, she still has to look up at him to meet his eyes when she admits, "Who would've thought you and I would ever slow dance, huh? At yours and T's wedding, no less. Gotta admit," she pauses, giving the large romantic decorated room around them a glance to emphasize her point, before she adds, "I sure as shit didn't see this coming."

Jax can't fault her, because truth be told, when he'd followed Tara and his boys up here to Oregon last year, he'd counted himself lucky when she'd agreed that he could stay, sleeping on the couch at the time. So yeah, he hadn't pictured anything like this either, but he still can't help but raise his eyebrows in surprise at her pointing it out so bluntly. Although he should've expected no less than the absolute truth from someone like Rayna.

But before he can even think of how to respond, Rayna rests her head against his shoulder, for no other reason than she's feeling a bit tipsy already, but nonetheless, she hurriedly rambles on before she loses the nerve to say her piece, "Listen, Jax. As one of Tara's besties, I gotta get some things off of my chest, so here it goes. First, you not reaching out when Tara was in a coma, was bullshit. I shouldn't have found out about all that after the fact. Second, I hope by now you've fucking realized the universe, or … or God, or whatever has sent you one of the kindest, most amazing women that has ever lived. And over the years she's been hurt in small, but also in very big fucking ways, and some of that hurt she's been through was caused by you …" She pauses to pull back and give him a pointed look, "But as strong and badass and amazing as our girl might be, there's only so much a person can take, Jax. You get what I'm sayin'?"

Rayna's words strike a painful chord and Jax can't help but glance in Tara's direction, relieved and glad to see her so carefree, smiling and laughing out loud at something Margaret or Lyla just said.

"I know, and … you're right," he admits, because there's no use in playing dumb or trying to downplay her words, because he knows that Rayna, unlike Christy and Jason, has been someone Tara's truly confided in about his fuck-ups in more humiliating detail.

And, man, there's nothing like a dose of ugly truth to temper down one's libido. He'd be lying if he said that owning up to his mistakes doesn't still hurt like a motherfucker, but it is what it is. He can't change the shit he's done, he can only vow to never make the same mistakes again moving forward, and to vow to be Tara's safe place. To be the one that protects her from anything and anyone that'll try to hurt her, himself included. "Look, Ray, I know I sound like a broken record, but I promise I won't ever hurt her again. I love Tara. More than … more than anything."

"Of course, you love her, I know you do, but you know what they say. Actions speak louder than words."

"I left SAMCRO," he explains, then gestures to their surroundings before he adds, "And gave her this wedding."

"I know leaving your dad's Club and leaving Charming was a huge fucking deal for you, so I'll give you that, biker boy," Rayna nods, but her momentary agreement is short-lived when she quickly follows it up with a patronizing little laugh and adds, "But sweetie, throwing her the wedding she should've had all along, that's just … that's average fucking Joe shit. Hate to be the one to break it to you, but people throw weddings all the fucking time. You ain't special."

The way she delivered that last line could've almost coaxed a little smile out of him, but instead, he couldn't stop his lips from twitching in distaste, because everything else she said rang too true and left too sour a taste in his mouth. He's known all along that when it comes to what Tara truly deserves in the husband department, he's been scraping the bottom of the barrel, but it hits on a whole other level when someone else is daring to point that out so bluntly. But hey, Rayna wouldn't be Rayna if she didn't set him straight and tell him like it is.

Still swaying to the music, they meet and hold each other's gaze for a moment, and truthfully Rayna starts to feel a little bad for what she said after noting the expression that has crossed over Jax's face, so she decides to wrap this up. "Tara always thought that if she just stood by you and loved you enough, you'd choose her. And so she kept waiting for you to step up and be the man you tricked her into believing you were."

Jax's eyes widen in silent outrage, but again, Rayna's still on a roll, somehow simultaneously shushing him and rattling on so he can't even get a word in in his defense. "Yeah, … shhhh, you heard that right. I said you tricked her. Because let's face it, Jax, you did. For the longest time you were stringing her along with promises of leaving Charming together, after stepdad steps down, or after this deal, then after that blah blah blah. And Tara? God, I love her, but when it comes to you, it's like she's lost all common sense. She's just … I don't even know, but she ate it all up. All the bullshit you fed her, she believed it, because all she wanted was to get her whole family out, you included. And she thought if she'd just stick by you, that you'd change for her, until it almost landed her in prison, and nearly in a goddamn grave. See, the thing I learned a long time ago is, a woman can't change a man no matter how hard she tries, or how much she loves him. The only thing that can change a man is a man wanting to change. For her, and not because she loves him, but because of how much he loves her."

"Yeah," Jax agrees, at last finding his voice, and nodding his head, because Rayna's not lying. She's right. Tara loved him as much as any human could possibly love another, and it should've been enough, but the truth is it wasn't what made him change. He changed when he finally listened to his heart.

It's that age-old saying, about not knowing what you've got until it's gone. That fateful day, during those heartbreaking minutes after he'd found her and he'd thought she was dead, his entire world and his existence in it had crumbled into ruins around him. It was a pain he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy, and yet in the most cruel and twisted way it is what needed to happen for him to say fuck it what his loyalty and legacy of the Club were concerned, and to finally prioritize who he loved the most. It was the push he needed to put his love for Tara first, above all else. But he also knows he still has a long way to go to make up for the past in which he'd made her second on his list of priorities, and to now give her the beautiful life he'd once promised her they'd have one day.

Rayna takes a deep breath, looking up at him, resting her hand on his chest, over his heart, when she meets his eyes and says, "So don't you dare fuck this up again. Love her like you fucking mean it. Don't hurt her anymore, 'cause I swear to God, Jax, this is your last fucking chance."

When he nods in agreement, she pauses, but then throws him one of her infamous smirks that are always followed up with her sayings something outrageous, and she doesn't disappoint when she says, "What I'm trying to say is, be the reason she needs to rub her pussy, not her temples."

Although he'd expected it, her words still manage to take him off guard and he can't help but throw his head back in a little laugh, before he pulls her in for a hug and replies, "I'll try my best."

"Yeah, I've heard you've been trying all day," she replies with a little wink, and they share another laugh before eventually falling silent, trying to focus their attention back on the music they're still swaying to.

But the silence doesn't last long, because Rayna just can't help herself, looking up at Jax when she bites her lip and asks, "So, on a completely different note, and of course totally hypothetically speaking, but out your group of friends, unattached friends I mean … who do you think is the right guy to bent a girl over and properly bang her like a screen door in a Florida hurricane? You know, if a girl was looking for that sorta thing?"

"Jesus Christ, Ray," Jax blurts out, another laugh escaping him at the same time.

Rayna just grins, then nudges her chin in the direction of SAMCRO, sitting around a table, shooting the shit, and taking advantage of the open bar, "The tallish bald guy with all the ink. I noticed he didn't bring a date."

"You talkin' 'bout Happy?" Jax wonders, looking back and forth between the woman he's dancing with and the man in question, because based on his own observations he for sure thought Rayna had her eyes on someone completely different.

"Right, that was his name. Happy." Rayna recalls last evening's introductions at the bar, then nods approvingly, "Happy looks like he could make a girl real happy, if you know what I mean?" But when her eyes land back on Jax, he seems anything but thrilled at the idea of one of Tara's best friends hooking up with a former Club brother, and naturally it has her asking out loud, "What? You don't approve?"

Jax sighs, unsure if he can say what he needs to say without sounding like he's somehow bad-mouthing Hap, so he's trying to keep his response on the vague side. "Look, I'm not so sure he's the guy for you. He's not really what you're looking for, darlin'."

"Awww, that's weirdly sweet of you being all protective … or whatever this is. And I appreciate it, I really do, but I swear I ain't looking for flowers and romance and shit. And let's face it, all that romance shit is for men who don't know how to fuck, 'cause men who know how to deliver solid orgasms on the regular, usually don't need to bother bringing home flowers, if you get me drift. I'm literally on the first flight out tomorrow afternoon. Back to Tampa. Back to reality of still having to deal with my asshole ex on a daily basis until I can find a new job. So trust me when I say I'm just looking for one night of mindblowing sex with some rando I'll likely never ever see again."

Jax gets what Rayna's saying, he really does. She's a bit drunk, and from what Tara's shared with him, she's freshly single and ready to prove to herself that she's over her dick of an ex. And normally he'd abide by the damn guy code, keep his fucking mouth shut, and let Rayna shoot her shot with Hap, which would then surely lead to the meaningless one-night stand she claims to be after.

But damn … not only is Rayna one of Tara's best friends, he'd dare to say he considers her his friend as well, and because of that, he feels like he's got no choice this time but to throw Hap under the bus, so to speak. Jax overheard the guys talking earlier about Hap's unfortunate 'ailment', and therefore he knows what he knows and can't hide the hint of concern from his face any more than he can keep his mouth shut. Because if Rayna comes on too strong, which she's been known to do, Hap will likely say fuck it and fuck her, to hell with the possible consequences for her. "Look, no doubt Hap's a sure bet for one night, but Tara would rip me a new one if I didn't tell you the truth."

She laughs, still assuming he's trying to warn her off because of some overprotective big brotherly type of feeling for her, so she sarcastically urges him on to say his piece, "Alright, big bro, let's hear why I shouldn't take Happy for a test drive."

Jax shakes his head, smirking despite himself, but decides he might as well fill her in, "There's really no good way to say this, but … let's just say Hap's currently on his second round of some very strong antibiotics, if you know what I mean? That's why he didn't hook up with anyone last night at the bar, and why he brought no date here either. He's trying to get all that cleared up first. So you do with that what you want, but you've been warned."

"You're not just saying that to spare my feelings or something, right? 'Cause you think he wouldn't go for me or something?" Rayna questions him, taking him by surprise by the unusual doubt he can so clearly hear in her voice. Her fucking ex must've really done a number on her.

"Christ, no, of course not. You've always been a smoke show, darlin' … just figured you don't want shit to actually burn down there."

"Ewwww, that's gross," she blurts out, disappointment written all over her face as she lets out a loud sigh, before she goes on to explain, "See, this is all your fault."

"My fault? How?"

"The perk of being a bridesmaid is you get to hook up with one of the groomsmen, but you fucked that all up for me by choosing two guys that are already married, or about to be."

That brings a little chuckle out of Jax as he smiles and shakes his head, "Didn't realize when I picked the guys to stand up for me, I was really picking the guy you'd be trying to screw."

Rayna chuckles for a moment at his dig, but then raises a curious brow, squinting comically at Jax before jutting her chin in the direction of his friends from work he'd invited when she asks. "What about your new guy friends? They're all mechanics, right? Working with their hands every day?"

"Yeah, why?" Jax wonders, yet sounding amused by the question.

"Well, you know what they say, the hands are the windows to the dick," Rayna explains as she looks back around at the possible candidates again.

"Come again?" Jax laughs, amazed how Rayna can go from sounding so serious when she was lecturing him about Tara, to now sounding completely out of it, and it has him furrowing his brow when he can't help but ask. "Who says that?"

"Well, maybe it's only me who says that, but you know how they say the eyes are the window to the soul? Yadi yadi yada … I believe that the hands are the window to a man's dick." She explains very matter-of-factly, like it's a validated scientific fact that can't be disputed.

Jax chuckles and shakes his head. "Pretty sure that whole distance between forefinger and thumb or whatever's been myth-busted, darlin'," he chimes in, knowing full well there's no truth to that old myth.

"Obviously." Rayna agrees, but she wouldn't be typical Rayna if she didn't elaborate, "Your hands are big, Teller, but they ain't that big!"

"How the fuck would you know?" Jax instantly pipes up, clearly amused by this whole exchange, but also seriously curious if Tara could've actually talked about the size of his dick with one of her friends. It just doesn't sound like something she would ever do.

"You don't remember?" Rayna asks back, but when Jax just gives her a sharp yet quizzical look, she adds, "I walked in on you and Tara once." She glances down between them, before meeting his eyes again to add, "Like I said, your hands ain't that big, because that thing should've had its own birth certificate."

They both laugh at that, but she then shakes her head when she adds, "Anyway, I wasn't even talking about size. I'm purely talking about ability, baby. What I mean is, if a man has good hands and knows how to use them, like, let's say, a mechanic, it directly relates to his abilities in the bedroom." She shoots Jax a knowing glance, "You know what I'm sayin'?"

Jax shakes his head, choosing to ignore what she said, but unable to hide his smirk as his eyes drift from Rayna back to his friends from work, only to pause on Linc for a second before he looks back down at her. "Yeah, they're all mechanics, and some of them are single, … but honestly, I would've bet money you had your eyes on someone else already."

"What are you talking about?" Rayna looks back at him confused, but then follows Jax's gaze as it lands on Tara's cousin Linc across the room again. And to his surprise, Rayna instantly lowers her gaze and he'd swear she's blushing.

But Rayna doesn't blush. Nope, usually it's Rayna that'll make other people blush with the unfiltered shit she says and does! Therefore seeing that visceral reaction of her cheeks turning pinkish has Jax blurt out in something akin to shock, "Holy shit. You really fucking like him. You have a thing for good ol' Linc."

Rayna swats him playfully on the chest, letting out a little laugh that comes out more forced than genuine when she admits in a way that's supposed to dismiss Jax's keen observations, "Duh, genius, … everyone knows I've had a thing for him since we were kids."

Thinking back, he might vaguely remember Rayna flirting with Linc on occasion way back when, but that's beside the point, although it only makes his next question that more obvious, "Then why the hell aren't you doing something about it? In case you didn't hear, he's newly single too."

"Are you fucking crazy, Teller? I can't hook up with Tara's cousin."

"Why the hell not?"

"Well … I don't know … what if shit ends badly?" She mumbles her words, surprising Jax with such an earnest answer.

"What happened to just one night of fun?" Jax counters, looking back in the direction of Linc standing now, chit-chatting with one of Jax's coworkers who used to also be in the service, before returning his gaze to Rayna, giving her a wink and a smirk.

Rayna's chest heaves as she sighs deeply, giving him a rueful look that he's not used to from her as she explains, "Not sure I could leave it at just one night with someone I actually care about, you know?"

Ain't that the truth, Jax thinks to himself as his gaze flicks to Tara for a split-second. "I get that," he nods in agreement, but then quickly adds, "But you'll never know if you don't shoot your shot. And who knows, maybe one night could turn into more."

"Right," she snaps. "This coming from the guy who slept with hundreds of women, who were probably all hoping for the same." She can't help the scoff nor the skeptical look she's giving him when she adds, "Fact is, unless a man is emotionally attached to you, you know, like, has genuine fucking feelings for you ... your cookie is no more special than the rest in the cookie jar."

"Point taken," he admits, but still has to chuckle at the analogy, "Never heard you shying away from calling a pussy a pussy."

"Well, pussy and pussy jar don't work with the metaphor I was using, dum-dum."

Just then, the song comes to an end, and Jax lets go of Rayna's hands, draping his arm around her shoulder instead as they're heading off the dancefloor side by side, "But just FYI, all cookies are so not the same."

"Guess you would know."

X

Tara has tossed her bouquet -Rayna caught it. Jax managed to take off her garter -without disappearing under her dress. But no, he didn't throw it. He stuffed it in his pocket instead. And they've jointly and separately said their numerous goodbyes to their friends and family still in attendance.

Still though, with their guests busy talking and dancing, the reception feels like it's still in full swing, even as the waiters begin cleaning up the dessert dishes and countless empty glasses.

Tara is taking another drink from her alcohol-free champagne, when she can feel his stare from across the room again.

When she sets her glass down she sees him as he's coming her way.

He almost looks relaxed with his hands casually in the pockets of his slacks, but his intense blue eyes seem to sparkle brighter than the thousands of little lights around the room, watching her with the same intensity he's been watching her with all night.

She feels her cheeks heat a bit again at his longing gaze, because from the looks of it, they're sharing the same thoughts again. And the honeymoon is about to start.

He approaches the table and drops into the empty chair next to hers, leaning in for a kiss. His hand tenderly caresses her cheek, and she feels the electricity travel in the form of the familiar goosebumps across her skin, feeling the peach fuzz at the back of her neck stand on end.

One corner of his lips quirks up in a knowing smirk. "Let's get out of here, Babe." He must've called her that term of endearment thousands of times by now, but it somehow still sounds so genuinely affectionate all these years later. She can't imagine ever getting tired of hearing him say it.

He looks around. "Let them party on if they want to, but it's time for you and me to hit the road," he explains right before he gets back to his feet and extends his hand for her to take.

She places her palm in his and lets him pull her up, pulling her right into his chest, and against his mouth for a quick kiss.

X

"Any more surprises you've got in store for me?" Tara wonders out loud, looking curiously at Jax and then back to Jax's black bike again.

The familiar Harley is parked right in front of her, right in front of the entrance of the resort, looking nice and polished, and most notably embellished with the whimsical yet traditional 'Just married' sign that's been mounted to the back.

Apparently, Greg and Claire had brought the bike up here with them on a trailer, and had it parked out of sight, without Tara, or anyone aside from Jax himself, knowing. Just another little surprise from him for her, one she's not so sure he's thought all the way through though.

Thinking back, she probably should've gotten a clue when about a week ago, while they were packing up things around the bedroom for the upcoming move, he'd asked her out of the blue which one of the few leather jackets she'd kept was her favorite. Yeah, in hindsight, that unusual question from him that night makes total sense now, now that he's just helped her slip said black leather jacket on and handed her helmet to her for the ride.

Of course, they've already taken a couple obligatory photographs with the bike in their wedding attire. But posing for some cute pictures with a big flowy skirt is one thing. Actually driving off to their honeymoon while she's wearing this dress, that's a whole other story.

"Naw, this was the last surprise," Jax reassures her as he holds onto her elbow and forearm on one side, while Chibs has stepped up and holds onto her other arm, helping her mount the bike in her sparkly high heels while she has bunched up her skirt with her hands to not trip over it.

Finally in her seat, testing out the new backrest Jax has installed for her, she tries to gather and bunch up any excess fabric from her skirt more securely, making sure none of it could somehow get caught by the chain or the drive sprocket once they'll start driving off.

Jax mounts his bike with the same confidence as ever, and quickly straps his helmet on.

He straightens the bike, kicks up the kickstand, and starts the engine, Tara instinctually leans forward and wraps her arms around his middle, settling in the comfortable familiar position.

Tara's dress is hiked up to her thighs, so when Jax reaches back to pat her leg out of habit, he's just now realizing how cold her bare skin feels under his palm.

He twists his upper body in her direction to say, "It's not far. A minute tops." His voice is loud enough that she can hear him over the engine noise, but not loud enough for anyone else to hear when he adds, "I promise to warm you right up when we get there." He throws her a dirty smirk, and she grants him a conspiratorial smile in return.

His hands return back to the handlebar, revving the engine, and secretly enjoying how she's tightening her arms around him even more.

"You ready?" He asks over his shoulder, and she nods just as several party poppers explode around them, raining sparkly confetti into the night air, accompanied by hoots and hollers from their guests that instantly bring a bright smile to both their faces while one of the photographers continues to take another couple of quick shots of them.

This day's been filled with so much love and joy and she'll forever cherish that he's given her this. That's her last thought before Jax finally releases the clutch, and slowly veers out of the parking lot and onto the main road.

X

Author's Note: I'm sorry for the long wait between chapters, but I hope you liked this latest update. Please leave me a few words if you did (or if you didn't).
Writing a believable Jax in a traditional wedding setting has proven to be extremely hard for me, so my default is to turn things more smutty instead of romantic, because it's just easier for me to write. I really hope none of the characters (Jax in particular) seem too out-of-character considering what has happened this far into the story. Wishing you all a belated Happy New Year! Thank you for reading.

P.S. I took some creative liberty with the song for their first dance, knowing it wouldn't have been released yet going by the original show's timeline. But it was just too nice of a song to pass on.