Chapter Nineteen

Allie poured herself another cup of coffee the next morning and inhaled that sweet aroma inside her mug. This was her third cup already, and it was only 10:00. Sometimes, she really believed she wouldn't make it through the day without it.

She smiled at Juice, who was hovering off to the side, careful to give her space but always never too far away. He nodded back to her with a tight smile, and after he eyed her coffee mug, she didn't miss a beat.

Allie poured him his own cup, pausing only to ask, "You need creamer or anything like that?"

Juice shook his head with a smile creeping across his face and gingerly took the coffee mug from her when she offered it out to him. "Thanks, Allie. You didn't have to do that."

"No worries," she shrugged. "You look like you need it."

"Well, takes one to know one."

"Definitely," Allie laughed back.

From the corner of her eye, she saw her dad's greying head walking down the hallway toward his office. He usually rolled into the studio at around this time - she'd always been more of an early riser than he ever was, and at some point, she'd stopped wondering where she got that from. But, now that he was in for the day, Allie knew she had to rip off the band-aid and bring him up to speed.

Jimmy was not going to be happy when he learned what his ex-wife had been up to, but there was no way she could keep it from him either. Not that she really wanted to. So, she carried her coffee mug down the hallway with Juice a careful distance away. He leaned against the wall as she knocked on her dad's door, waited a few moments, and then poked her head through and closed the door behind her.

His eyes lit up when he saw his daughter at the office. "Morning, honey. How's it going today?"

"Morning, Dad," Allie smiled back at him. "It's going okay."

In a lot of ways, it was better than okay. She had a date with Jax Teller tonight.

But then she remembered the reason she'd popped into his office right now and decided to just get on with it. "So, Dad, I need to -"

"You know," Jimmy wagged a finger at her as he walked around the side of his desk to get closer to her. "I think I know what you're gonna say."

"What do you mean?" Allie frowned.

"I got a phone call from our partner this morning," he informed her with a small smile.

Allie felt a sharp pang in her chest. God, Dan was right - she really was in trouble. Just one mention of him, in the absolute wrong setting and the worst of circumstances, and her heart decided to stutter in her chest like an idiot.

"I see," she offered in as measured a voice as she could manage.

"He didn't go into the details, Allie," her dad told her somberly. "But he told me enough. He mainly wanted to explain why the club was going to have two guys on patrol here, instead of just one."

She swallowed hard and nodded tightly. Her dad shot her a sad smile as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders to pull her against his chest.

"I'm so sorry that happened, honey," Jimmy murmured into her hair. "And I'm so glad you're okay."

"Thanks, Dad."

"I bet you're glad we partnered up with those guys now too, huh?"

Allie huffed out a laugh as Jimmy released her and put a hand to her cheek. "Yeah, I guess."

"I'm really proud of you, you know," he told her with a grin. "You stood your ground with her. You were clear and direct with her. I know it was hard, but trust me, I know from experience that that's the only way to get through to her. I'd like to think her and that guy she's with figured out pretty quickly to leave well enough alone now that they know the MC is involved."

"Well, she knew that before. And she came back anyway. I don't know, Dad...Jax and Opie are pretty convinced they'll come back."

Jimmy's forehead creased into a concerned frown. "What do you mean she knew that before?"

"The last time she came over, before last night," Allie sighed, and tucked some dark hair behind her ear. "Jax was there," she saw the way Jimmy's eyebrows lifted and jumped to explain it away, "Opie didn't want me to be home by myself if she came back, especially if she was with that guy, and that particular time, Jax was the one who was able to be there. So, Mom saw him at my house. Definitely knew who he was. What he was. They still came back, Dad."

Jimmy's eyes dropped to the floor in thought, his forehead still crinkled into a disturbed frown. Then, a moment later, he nodded to himself before tearing his eyes away from the floor.

"Alright," Jimmy allowed hoarsely. "If they have reason to believe your mom isn't gonna go away anytime soon, I'll defer to them on that. They're probably right anyway."

Allie pushed out another heavy sigh as Jimmy put a hand on her shoulder again, giving it a supportive squeeze.

"I gotta say, Allie," Jimmy started again. "Our partner seems very taken with you."

Her heart leapt into her throat, and her eyes flew to her dad in a panic. "What do you mean?"

Jimmy eyed her slyly before wagging a finger at her. "He didn't come right out and say it. But I think, somewhere between him saying he wasn't willing to risk your safety and that it was non-negotiable, I figured this was more...personal for him than he was really saying."

She had to bite down on her bottom lip to hide her smile. Her stupid heart fluttered in her chest uncontrollably...she definitely needed to get a handle on that before tonight. There was no telling what she might do if she couldn't.

"So," Jimmy grinned at her. "I take it my assumptions were correct? You two are..."

Allie inhaled slowly, keeping her bottom lip firmly between her teeth. This was new territory for them in their father-daughter relationship, especially given that this was the first time in her adult life that she'd really had to confront real, true, and honest feelings for a man that wasn't her father, her roommate, or her former step-brother.

Because that's what this was. There was no point in playing dumb - that wasn't a role she was interested in playing and she wasn't stupid. She could meet this challenge head-on and make space for it in her life because the alternative wasn't an option for her now.

She had real, true, and honest feelings for him. Those feelings had always been there. They'd never gone away. And they'd changed too - she knew that now. They'd somehow shifted into something deeper, something tangible, something strong and true. And they'd somehow weaved their way into every fabric of her life to the point where there was just nothing left to do.

If her options were being with Jax, and not being with him, then there really wasn't a choice.

"I"ll take that as a yes," Jimmy smiled softly and squeezed her shoulder. "But, I always thought you didn't even like him, let alone...I don't know, you just seemed more likely to douse him in gasoline and light him on fire than, well...you know."

The reality was that she'd never hated him. Her feelings had manifested themselves as more of a strong dislike than anything. He was an annoyance. A thorn in her side that enjoyed ruffling her feathers at every turn, but without any real substance behind it. That defense mechanism was the armor she pulled on every day she had to be around him - both recently and years ago in school. But had she known then what she knew now, that armor would've fallen to the side, one piece at a time. All her defenses were useless against a Jax Teller who had real, true, and honest feelings for her.

That helplessness would've terrified her before. It probably should've terrified her. But now, she found herself running toward it with both arms wide open.

"I was wrong about him," Allie offered simply. "He's different than what I thought he was."

And he was what she wanted. And, deep down, she knew he was what she needed. She still hadn't quite recovered from the way he'd just slid into her life, taking over when he needed to but also giving her space when he sensed she needed it, giving her such clear signals, being so direct about what he wanted from her...her heart still didn't quite know what to do with all that. All she knew was that it had been over for her the moment he pressed his lips against hers last night, then again when he'd told her, under no uncertain terms, that she was the one he wanted.

She also still couldn't believe she was standing here, in her dad's office, having these thoughts. It still felt surreal...how had this become her life?

"Alright," Jimmy smiled. "Well, I'm happy for you, honey. I really am. If this is what you want, and if he makes you happy...treats you right...then I'm in your corner, Allie."

Her heart continued its annoying backflips in her chest. This was all happening really fast, it seemed, and while she was still playing catch-up, she also wasn't afraid of it. As completely crazy and reckless as it was...she wasn't scared, at least not yet.

"Thanks, Dad."

And then she remembered.

"Just so you are aware," Allie started hesitantly. "We're trying to keep this sorta quiet for now. It's new and..."

Jimmy was nodding before she even finished. "I get that. Makes sense, given your relationship with the club. But, I gotta say, you're not stupid and neither is Jax. I can't imagine either of you would risk the work you're doing for them if this wasn't serious between you two."

She nodded with a small smile. Yeah, that was true too. This was serious. She wouldn't have let herself drop headfirst into it if it wasn't - she liked to believe she had more self-awareness and common sense than that. Jax's commitment to the club and his position within it also spoke volumes - there was just no scenario where he would sacrifice how badly the club needed her help for something casual with her. It wouldn't be worth it in the long run.

So, she thought with a smile, she must be worth it.

"Well," Jimmy grinned, squeezing her shoulder again. "Good luck keeping it quiet at the wrap party tomorrow. You're gonna need it."

Allie huffed out a laugh and shook her head at him. He might be right about that, but they could try.

"Hey, speaking of that," Jimmy was saying now. "I wanted to run the menu by you for tomorrow night. What do you say?"

Allie grinned. And just like that, they were back in work mode.

***Allie glanced at the time on her phone for about the 15th time in the last 10 minutes. It was 7:44 and she still had 16 more minutes. She'd been ready to go for the last half hour and now was just killing time by triple-checking her makeup, brushing her teeth again, doing a deodorant check, re-curling a few strands that had fallen a little...all the fun pre-date girl stuff. After purposefully locking Dan out of her room when she got home from the studio, she'd still been grateful to find he'd set out a sheet mask and an assorted collection of makeup that he recommended she use in her preparations for the evening.

Dan, to his credit, had only pounded on her bedroom door for a few minutes before giving up and leaving her to own devices. But, the thing was, she didn't need his help in getting ready for this night. She knew what she wanted to wear and how she wanted her makeup and hair to look just as much as she knew what she wanted from this night.

The only instruction she'd given to Dan was that, under no circumstance was she allowed to let Jax in the house when they came back from dinner. If that happened, it was more likely than not she wouldn't let him leave. Well, there was almost a hundred percent certainty she wouldn't let him leave. So, that decision had been an easy one. Jax just couldn't come inside the house.

She let herself look in the mirror one more time, and smiled. It wasn't just that her hair, makeup, and outfit was on point. This felt different because it was. She felt different because...well, because she was. And for the first time in a really long time, the person staring back at her in the mirror looked a little more like someone she recognized. Someone who was happy. Someone who was excited about her life. Someone who was eager to see where it would take her.

Now, it was 7:51, so she pulled her leather booties on and walked out of her room to head down the stairs. Dan, of course, was perched expectantly on the couch with his phone in his hand. The second he saw her, he leapt up from his seat and practically skipped to her with a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Well," he exhaled as he took her hand and gave her a twirl. "Look at you. Hmm, yeah, you definitely know what you're doing."

He gestured to her form-fitting, silky purple dress with its tiny blue and red flower pattern and his mouth twisted into a knowing smile. The hem had some flouncy gathered layers and hit right in the middle of her thighs, showing off more leg than she'd ever dared to around Jax before. She'd topped it off with her leather jacket, which was just as much of a statement, given the leather cut he'd be wearing, as it was for warmth.

She looked good. She knew that. Maybe she did want to drive him a little crazy just because she could. What was so wrong with that?

And then the tell-tale rumble of a motorcycle engine bounced off the street.

Dan's eyes flashed with excitement, and he raced to the window, slapping a few of the blinds down so he could get a better look at the driveway.

"Oh my God, he's here," Dan murmured under his breath. "He is here. And he's early. Can I take your picture before you leave? Please, please, pretty please with sugar on top? It's for my scrapbook."

"Dan," Allie laughed, despite the nervous butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. "If you take my picture right now, I'm smothering you with a pillow tonight."

"Okay, fine," he snapped back as he stepped away from the window. And then his dark eyes flashed again. "He looks good. But then again, so do you. And you," he bopped her on the nose as he spoke, "my friend, are completely and utterly fucked."

Allie inhaled shakily and then swallowed back her nerves. "Yeah, I know."

His mouth twisted into another sly grin and then he gestured with his head toward the door. "Go get 'em then."

Those butterflies in her stomach took flight as she bit back a light laugh. Then, with a deep breath, she reached for the door handle and pulled it open.

Jax was already in her driveway when she stepped out onto her front porch. As he swung his leg over the side of his bike, her eyes drank him in. He was wearing his typical uniform - baggy jeans, white sneakers, black and bright blue flannel, his Reaper cut, and slicked-back dark blonde hair. He was the most beautiful man she'd ever seen in her entire life. And then that beautiful man looked up, and he smiled at her, sending those butterflies soaring.

His lips curled up into a sexy smirk as she walked toward him. Jax didn't move, letting her close the distance between them, his gaze flicking up and down the length of her as she drew closer. A surge of power rolled through her, confident in the path she was taking. She'd never been more sure of anything.

When she was about three feet away from him, Jax shoved his hands in his pockets, rocking back on his heels as his eyes started their trail at her leather booties, flashing a little when they skimmed up the bare skin on her legs, and finally settling squarely on her face, lingering dangerously on her lips. His chest was rising and falling a little more rapidly now, and he sucked in a harsh breath when she felt her own lips lift at him.

And then she kept right on walking, brushing past him and his bike to head down the driveway.

"Hey," Jax called out behind her. "What are you doin'?"

"What does it look like?" she laughed over her shoulder. "I'm heading to the restaurant."

"Allie."

She dared a glance over her shoulder, biting back a grin, and found him staring back at her with his helmet in one hand and the other thrown up in the air in frustration. He pointed to his bike, his eyebrows lifted high into his forehead, confusion and agitation written all over his beautiful face.

"Allie, get on the bike."

She just laughed and called out: "No."

"What do you mean, no?" Jax shot back incredulously. "Get on the bike."

"No."

Now his eyes glinted a little dangerously as he took a step toward her, his lips curving into an annoyed smirk. "Allie. Get on the fucking bike."

Another laugh rumbled in her chest as she just shook her head at him, grinning evilly when a hard line ticked down his jaw in response. He stared back at her for a beat, his blue eyes narrowing ever so slightly, and then he took off after her, bounding toward her like some kind of predatory panther. She shrieked right through another laugh, turning on her heel to sprint to the sidewalk, but he was too quick.

He scooped her up by the knees, tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and then jogged easily back to his bike, where he dumped her unceremoniously on the seat.

Even though she was still laughing, her arms worked their way around his neck and into his hair as he stepped in between her legs as if it was the most natural thing in the world. His hands dropped to her hips, adjusting her on the black leather seat and shifting her legs so they moved away from the muffler, and then he finally settled those blue eyes on her with an exasperated smirk playing on his lips.

"You look beautiful," Jax murmured in her ear. "You always look beautiful, but tonight, you look..."

Like yours, she thought.

He trailed off to press a soft kiss into her neck and then he dropped his forehead onto her shoulder. When he pulled his head away to meet her in the eye, his expression was more determined now. Almost desperate.

"Will you please get on my bike?"

Her lips lifted into a smile and she slipped her hands from his hair, sliding them down until they rested lightly on his chest. "I am on your bike."

Jax pushed out an exasperated sigh. "You know what I mean."

"Why does it matter so much to you?" she narrowed her eyes playfully at him. "I don't see why we can't walk. The restaurant is only two blocks away, and it's a beautiful night for a walk."

He tore a hand through his hair, flashing some tattoos on his forearm that made her mouth water a little.

"I want you on my bike, Allie. There's nothin' more to say."

"Well," she told him simply as she gripped the edges of his cut to pull him in. "I'll get on your bike when I'm good and ready. Now, you really just have two options here. You can get on your bike and drive over there by yourself and sit at the restaurant for," she shrugged, "ten minutes or so while you wait for me to catch up. Which, I think might be a little difficult for you anyway, considering you don't know where you're going."

Jax's lips curled into a resigned smirk. "What's my second option?"

"Oh, I think you know."

He exhaled roughly as he pulled his lips to the side of his face, his jaw working around an irritated grin. "You know, babe, I think you just might be the death of me."

"Oh," she jutted out her bottom lip a little and pressed her hand into his cheek, crinkling her nose at him. "Jax, we're not doing babe. Sorry...that's just not happening."

Jax narrowed his eyes, leaning in to push his hips against the inside of her thighs. A rush of heat flushed right between her legs, and she had to bite back a low sigh. Yeah, he knew exactly what he was doing too.

"Tell ya what," he grinned down at her. "If you don't get on the back of my bike, I'm gonna call you whatever the fuck I want for as long as I fucking want. How do ya like that?"

Allie stared back at him, momentarily disarmed by the turnabout. Then she recovered just as quickly with a shrug, pushing back lightly against his chest so she could slide off the leather seat and step onto the driveway, only to be pulled back by the strap of her purse. Before she had a chance to protest, Jax slipped her purse right off her shoulder, unsnapped it, and started rifling through it.

"Hey!" she laughed in disbelief. "What do you think you're doing?"

He just shrugged and continued rummaging through her purse until his eyes flashed victoriously, and then he held up her keys with a bright grin. "We're takin' your car, babe."

Her lips parted to argue but the words died in her throat. There was really no good reason why they couldn't take her car. And, the more she wrapped her mind around the idea, the more it seemed like a natural compromise. Still, she could not allow his use of that particular term of endearment to go unanswered.

Allie narrowed her eyes at him, stepping forward so that her breasts brushed up against the leather covering his chest. His nostrils flared, and his blue eyes darkened hungrily at the sudden contact.

She reached up to take him by the neck and lower his head down so she could murmur in his ear, "If you call me babe one more time, I will never get on the back of your bike. How do ya like that?"

Allie turned her head so their noses were almost touching, their chests heaving as Jax's eyes dropped to her lips. He swallowed hard, his jaw working a tight line across his mouth, and then he took a step back to put some more space between them.

"Well," he murmured hoarsely. "I guess we'd better get going then."

He swung her keys around his index finger playfully as he handed her purse back to her and backpedalled toward her garage door, gesturing with his free hand for her to punch in the code to open the door. She rolled her eyes at him, but obliged him by entering the code and opened the door.

"The code is 9544," Allie told him over her shoulder as she moved to the passenger side door. "You know, in case you ever need it for something."

Her eyes flicked up to him from over the top of her car and found him staring back at her, his movements momentarily halted. Then his mouth curved into a lop-sided grin that made her heart ache.

"9544, huh?" he told her, putting a hand on the top of the driver side door as he spoke. "Good to know. I'll make sure to commit it to memory, darlin'."

He winked at her, even as she narrowed her eyes, and then he slid into the driver's seat, shutting his door behind him. Allie eyed him warily, watching as he ran his hands along the steering wheel and took a quick inventory of the black leather interior, from the touch screen in the middle of the dash, to the center console and all its little compartments.

"Nice," he commented easily as he pushed the start button to his right to rev her BMW to life. "I've been itchin' to get behind the wheel of this thing for awhile," Jax shifted his eyes in her direction to waggle his eyebrows playfully, "I think I'm really gonna enjoy this."

Allie just rolled her eyes at him as he put the car in reverse and backed down the driveway. About three seconds later, her sound system kicked in, blaring out the podcast she'd been listening to through the speakers. After listening for another few moments, Jax cocked an eyebrow at her, even as he put his hand on the back of her headrest to look behind him and pull out onto the street.

"What?" she laughed. "You mean to tell me a podcast where every episode is about a different Supreme Court case doesn't have you on the edge of your seat?"

"Not particularly, but hey, if that's what you're into..." he told her warily. "So where am I headed?"

She pointed down the street. "Take a left at the stop sign, and then another left at the end of that street. The restaurant's right on the corner."

"A'ight," Jax grinned, chuckling as she reached up to pause the episode on the screen. Then he caught her hand in his, bringing it up to his mouth so he could brush his lips against her knuckles.

She inhaled shakily, completely thrown off balance as he intertwined their hands and rested them on the console between them.

"So," he turned his head to smile softly at her before shifting his eyes back to the road. "How was your day?"

There it was again...those butterflies were going to wreak havoc on her heart tonight.

"Busy," Allie exhaled. "As usual. Things were pretty bustling around the studio with the wrap party tomorrow. How about you?"

He just lifted a shoulder and flashed her a grin. "Same old, same old. Though, I did get a very interesting report from the prospect who was sitting outside your house."

"Oh yeah?" she laughed. "And what was that?"

"Apparently," he smirked at her as they rolled up to the first stop sign. "You showed up in your driveway at 5 am, all decked out in running gear with your earbuds in, and then you proceeded to run, non-stop mind you, for about 6 miles or so. The prospect wasn't really sure because, apparently, you tried to lose him a few times too."

"I don't remember trying to lose him exactly," she frowned. "Do you have any idea how awkward it is trying to exercise, and actually focus on said exercise, when you have a truck driving right next to you? It sucks, Jax. It really sucks. So, maybe," she allowed with a smile. "Maybe I might've cut through a yard or two to put a little distance between us. You know, for appearances sake."

"For appearances sake?" he barked out a laugh, shaking his head ruefully. "Alright, fine. I can understand why you might not want someone right on your heels in a truck like that. What if he ran with ya next time instead? Then would you let him stay close?"

"Please," she just batted a hand in the air. "Like that kid could keep up with me."

He shot her an exasperated glance. "I'm not sure anybody could keep up with you. But my point, Allie, is that you gotta just let him do his job, alright? He's there for a reason. I know it's inconvenient, and I doubt we're gonna have any real problems at five in the morning anyway, but that's not a risk I'm willin' to take. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you."

Her heart pounded in her chest. When he said things like that, sometimes she wondered how she remembered her own name.

It took her a little while to figure out how to form a coherent sentence again, and by the time she got around to it, Jax was pulling into a parking space in the restaurant's parking lot. She got out of the car, readjusting the skirt on her dress a little and noting how light Jax seemed on his feet as he sauntered around the side of the car and tucked her car keys into his pocket. He draped an arm around her shoulders as he swung the restaurant's door open with the other.

The restaurant was pretty busy for this time at night, with the few tables inside pushed to the sides and filled to the brim. Someone was setting up for a live performance in the small stage by the corner, and the bar was packed full with hardly an inch of space free.

"I thought you said this was a little hole in the wall?" Jax leaned in to murmur through the noise.

"It is," she just shrugged. "Or at least it was. I told you I haven't been here in forever...do you want to try somewhere else?"

"Nah," he grinned down at her. "I don't mind this place at all. Let's hang for a little bit and see what happens."

They waited near the waiters' tiny booth to put their name on the waitlist, and then hovered off to the side for a bit, with some more hand holding in between, until Jax spied an even tinier opening on the side of the bar. He led her through the small crowd by the hand, weaving in and around the cafe tables until he sidled up to the empty spot, grabbing hold of the empty barstool before anyone else could take it.

He gestured for her to have a seat, but she just shrugged, leaning in to explain, "I've been sitting all day. I really don't mind standing for a little while."

Jax lifted a shoulder, then dropped down onto the barstool, resting an elbow on the bartop to wave one of the bartenders over. His free arm snaked around her waist to pull her in so that she was all but straddling his right thigh as she stood at the bar. Allie shot him a wary glance over her shoulder, but swallowed tightly when he just sat his chin down on her left shoulder as he gave his order to the bartender. Then the bartender tipped his chin to her for her order.

"Diet Coke, please," she told him. Then she pushed out a long exhale - it felt really good to be standing at a bar with someone and not feel like a freak for ordering soda instead of alcohol. The warm hand around her waist tucked her in even closer so that he was practically hugging her to him with his chin still sitting lightly on her left shoulder.

"When can we do this again?" Jax murmured in her ear.

She shivered a little, turning her head so that their noses were almost kissing. "Well, there's that wrap party tomorrow night."

"Hm mm. But we can't do this there," he tightened the arm wrapped around her waist to emphasize his point.

"I know," she sighed. "Do you think it's gonna be really hard not to...do this tomorrow?"

He nodded against her shoulder. "Yeah," he whispered hoarsely. "Real fuckin' hard."

"Yeah," she smiled softly. "I think so too."

When his eyes dropped to her lips again, with their faces so close, she knew she needed to pull them out for a little while, at least until they weren't surrounded by people in a crowded restaurant.

"You should probably know that you gave yourself away to my dad this morning."

His forehead dipped into a frown, but there was still a smirk playing on his lips. "Oh really? How'd I manage that?"

"He said something about you telling him my safety was something you weren't going to risk and that it was a non-negotiable. After that, he pretty much figured it out."

"Ah," Jax nodded in understanding, and then he just shrugged as the bartender set their drinks in front of them. He shifted them against the bar for a moment so he could dig his wallet out of his back pocket and toss some bills onto the bartop. "Well, I can't say I'm sorry about it. He's gonna find out eventually anyway."

"That's true," she nodded before taking a quick sip of her soda. "And I guess, it's not the worst thing in the world that he knows. He was actually pretty supportive about it."

"What do you mean actually pretty supportive? You say that like it's a bad thing, darlin'," he laughed, pressing his chest against her back a little more as he spoke. He reached around her for his beer bottle and took a long pull from it.

"Well," Allie grinned as she shifted in his arms so that she could lean her elbow on his shoulder, effectively forcing his chin off her shoulder, but giving them easier access to talk. "I was more surprised than anything. He's my dad. And you're...you. If you were him, how would you feel?"

He seemed to take a moment to consider that, rolling his head from side to side in thought. "I guess I see where you're comin' from. If I were him, I'd probably be comin' after me with a baseball bat and a shovel. So, I guess I should be thanking my fuckin' lucky stars that Jimmy isn't me. And maybe, from what you're sayin', I should take a moment or two, if I can get it tomorrow night, and set him straight? Make sure he understands what this is?"

"I'm not quite sure I understand it myself," she laughed in spite of everything. "So, if you wanna give it a shot, you're welcome to try."

His lips lifted in a knowing smirk and he tightened the arm around her to pull her flush against his side. "You know, Allie. Just because we haven't said it out loud yet doesn't mean we don't know what this is."

Allie sucked in a shaky breath and swallowed tightly. If she spoke out loud right now, she felt like she couldn't be held responsible for what she said. Or what she did after that. So, she opted to just nod, keeping herself silent until the bartender asked them if they just wanted menus to order something at the bar.

Jax just shrugged, leaning in to murmur, "I'm good like this if you are."

"Sure," she smiled softly.

After they put their food order in, Allie finally felt like she had her bearings under her again. So, she leaned back, prompting his attention and he set his chin on her shoulder again to listen.

"I never answered your question before about when you want to do this again. I think we've established that tomorrow doesn't really count."

"That's right," he chuckled.

"What about Friday then?"

His eyes flashed a little with something she couldn't quite place. "Friday nights I'm at the clubhouse. Can't get around that one, darlin'. People would definitely notice I was missing. And I have a feeling we're not quite there yet, right?"

Allie swallowed tightly, not quite sure just how much she wanted to know what about he'd be doing at the clubhouse on Friday night. "Right."

Jax's lips lifted knowingly before he dropped a kiss onto her shoulder and then shifted his gaze back to her. "You remember what I said, right? I told you I wasn't with anyone else and that I didn't wanna be. That's not gonna change just because I'm at the clubhouse on Friday nights."

"Okay," she smiled softly. "That's good to know. I don't like to share."

His eyes flashed possessively and the hand around her waist tightened its grip. "Neither do I."

And then those butterflies took flight again, tightening and squeezing around her heart in a way she couldn't quite reconcile.

"How about Saturday then?" she laughed. "My weekends are a little more flexible anyway."

"Saturday works," he grinned. "What do you wanna do?"

"I don't know," Allie eyed him warily. "You pushed it off on me this time, so next time you're on your own."

"Hmm, I guess you're right. Maybe a movie? I haven't done that in -"

"No!" Allie cut in abruptly, definitely more abruptly than she'd meant to.

"Shit," Jax laughed as their bartender put their tacos in front of them. "What you got against goin' to a movie? Whatever," he batted a hand in the air and then reached for one of his steak tacos. "No big deal. I'll think of somethin' else."

Allie eyed him carefully, studying the rings on his hand as he lifted his food to his mouth, watching the way his lips wrapped around the taco shell, then her eyes dropped to the tattoo on his forearm, the taut muscles hidden underneath his worn flannel shirt, wondering about the way they would feel underneath her fingertips, what it would be like to reach down and unbuckle his belt and slide her hand inside his jeans, and...then she was sunk. So much for holding out as long as she could.

"You know," Allie told him with a sly smile. "I changed my mind. Let's go to a movie."

At this point, it made very little sense to deny herself what she was sure would be the best trip to the movies in her entire life.

"Okay," he grinned back at her with a nod. "A movie it is."

She bit down on her bottom lip to hide her smile, not wanting to give herself away. He had no idea what he'd just agreed to for Saturday night, but she had a feeling he'd come around to the idea pretty quickly. Then she busied herself with her dinner, eating those street tacos - which were as delicious as she remembered - while perched against Jax's right thigh. He kept that hand wrapped around her waist firmly in place, needing only his left hand to finish his dinner and drink his beer.

They finished up their tacos and Jax paid the bill right around the time the live music started. The crowd seemed to instinctively shift closer to the makeshift stage in the corner of the restaurant, giving them a little more room at the bar. They turned around, with their backs pressed up against the bar, and Allie slid into the now-empty barstool next to Jax to get comfortable for the show. He draped an arm around her shoulders, tucking her in close underneath his arm so she could rest her head on his shoulder.

"So," she started softly, her heart fluttering a little at the way he dipped his head lower to hear her. "At the wrap party tomorrow, I'm guessing we'll just keep our distance?"

He nodded tightly, his jaw clenching into a taut line.

"I probably won't go home in between work and the party. Dan and I usually get ready together in one of the dressing rooms before the parties start anyway, so I'll already be at the party when you get there with the rest of the club."

Jax nodded again, listening carefully. "Alright."

"Do you think Gemma's gonna come?"

His eyebrows lifted a little at that. "I don't know for sure. I think Dan might've talked her into it when they were hangin' out together at the carnival last weekend. So, I guess we'll just have to see."

"Okay," she smiled. "I hope she does come. She deserves to have some fun."

"Yeah, I think so too."

She was grateful for the heads up that Gemma was probably going to be at the party tomorrow. She needed to make sure she was in the right headspace tomorrow, and prepare herself for anything, especially coming face-to-face with Jax's mother in light of the way her relationship with her son had just shifted. Still, Allie really did hope that Gemma decided to come to the party, if even just to let loose and enjoy a night out again. She really did deserve that.

"I'm sure you've figured out by now that I tend not to linger at the studio's parties for too long for obvious reasons," Allie told him with a small smile. "So, after I leave, I think the smart thing to do would be for you to wait, oh, I don't know, maybe an hour or so, and then, if you wanted to, you could swing by and test your memory."

His eyebrows quirked. "On what?"

"On my garage door code."

Jax eyed her for a moment before a slow smile curved up the side of his face. He leaned in to press a soft kiss to the side of her neck, letting his lips linger along her skin as if he was tasting her and breathing her in. She had to suck in a harsh breath - going to a movie was for Saturday. That didn't mean they couldn't, say, get some popcorn first. Maybe some Twizzlers. Or a big box of Junior Mints. But the main attraction was this Saturday. She could wait that long.

She hoped.

"You wanna get outta here?" Jax murmured against her neck.

Allie pushed out a deep breath. Saturday, she chanted to herself. Saturday.

"Sure."

They didn't say much else as Jax took her by the hand, helped her slide off her barstool, and led her through the crowd toward the parking lot. They still didn't say much to each other when they got back inside her car, and Jax sped them down the street, nearly blowing through the two stop signs on their drive back to her house. They still didn't say much when Jax hit the garage door opener on her visor and pulled her car into the garage, put the car in park, and shut it off.

She hesitated for just a moment. She knew what was going to happen next and was mentally prepared for it. She just needed a moment to take a deep breath before she completely let go and let herself fall.

Allie turned her head to find Jax already watching her, his blue eyes darkening hungrily the second their gazes made contact. Then they moved at the same time, meeting in the middle at the center console, their lips colliding like their lives depended on it. Before she knew what was happening, Allie found herself crawling over the console to get to him. Her left leg got caught in the crossfire, and Jax laughed against her lips as he gripped her by the hips to help pull her body over the rest of the way. With both thighs straddling him now, Allie weaved her hands through his hair, pulling his face closer to her so she could push her tongue through his parted lips.

She moaned breathlessly against his lips when his fingertips slipped underneath the hem of her dress and skimmed along the bare skin he found there until his fingers splayed firmly around her ass. Then his fingers drifted even further to slip along the silky edge of her thong, and he groaned against her lips before tearing his mouth away to drop his forehead onto her shoulder.

"Oh, fuck," he muttered hoarsely. "Fuck."

Something snapped in her in that moment, and she felt frenzied, feverish with the need to just be closer to him in any way she could. She leaned back, keeping their mouths connected, and hurriedly started to pull off her leather jacket. Jax's hands shot out from underneath her dress to help her get her sleeves down, and then she tossed the jacket haphazardly onto the passenger side, bringing her hands around Jax's face to kiss him more deeply. His hands found their way under her dress again, sliding up and around until they hit the thin strip of fabric underneath, and he groaned into her mouth, pressing their foreheads together before capturing her lips again with his mouth.

Now, she found herself pressing her hips down and deep, desperately seeking some friction and some relief from the ache in between her legs. She knew she would find it there, and that he would give it to her if she asked him to. She ground her hips down, feeling a thrill shoot through her entire body all the way down to her toes when her warm center found the hardness in his jeans. That was all for her. And she wanted more.

She reached for his belt buckle in a haze, acutely aware that his fingertips had moved aside her thong and were now sliding down and down until - he abruptly pulled away, and gently shoved her into the steering wheel, his chest heaving rapidly against his leather cut. His blue eyes were so dark they were practically black as he panted, keeping his hands firmly at her hips, but on the outside of her dress.

"I'm sorry, darlin'," Jax murmured hoarsely. "But the first time I get to have you is not gonna be in the front seat, or the back seat, of a car. I don't care if it's a fuckin' BMW or not."

She huffed out a laugh, taking a moment to lean back and run a hand through her mussed hair and push some of it out of her face. "And what would you prefer then?"

Jax's eyes glinted dangerously as his grip on her hips tightened. "A bed. Preferably."

He pulled her against his chest, pressing himself deeper against her so that she had no choice but to let him deeper inside between her legs, sinking deeper onto his lap and wrapping an arm around his neck. She sucked in a shaky breath and swallowed hard, completely unprepared for what he said next.

"Can I come in, Allie?"

Allie swallowed tightly, needing a moment to get her bearings, and she answered shakily, "And where would we go if we went inside?"

His lips curved into a roguish smirk, and she couldn't help but grind herself against him again. That only spurred him on to murmur, "Your bedroom. Preferably. Where I would assume you have a bed."

She pressed their foreheads together, lost in the way his body felt against hers, in the way that, despite their size differences, they still seemed to fit perfectly together. She squeezed her eyes shut, and gave him the only answer she could give.

"Not tonight."

Jax exhaled roughly, nodding almost at the exact same time. Then he blew out another heavy breath, his chest still heaving underneath his leather cut. And then his lips broke apart into the sexiest smile she'd ever seen. He might as well have reached out and taken her heart in his hand right then. He owned it now. He might as well take it with him when he left tonight.

"Alright, darlin'," he grinned. "I can wait."

His hands cupped her face to bring her in closer, and so he could press a light, sweet kiss into her lips. Then he gave her a light smack on the ass as his arms started to haul her back over the other side of the center console. Once she was deposited safely back onto the passenger seat, Jax blew out another heavy breath and passed her the keys.

"Thanks for lettin' me take your car for a spin," he winked at her. "I knew it would be fun and it didn't disappoint."

"I'm glad you had a good time," Allie laughed as she worked to untangle some of the knots he'd weaved in her hair.

"I really did," Jax told her, his eyes seeming to burn right through her. And then he wagged a ringed finger at her. "But sooner or later, you're gonna get on my bike. Mark my words, Allie. It's gonna happen. I haven't figured out how yet, but it's gonna happen."

"If you say so," she laughed again as she slid out of the car and shut the door behind her. He followed her lead, getting out of her car, and shutting the door just as she walked around the side to wrap her arms around his neck.

He held her against him for a few moments, wrapping his arms around her waist to draw her in even deeper. And when she finally let herself pull away from him, she kept a hand on his neck, letting the other slide down to his chest. The way he was looking at her right now, his blue eyes so full of everything they weren't quite ready to say out loud...he looked like he wanted to devour her and hold her all at the same time. There was just no denying it and no defending against it.

"You were right," she whispered. "I do know what this is, even if we haven't said it out loud yet."

Jax studied her for a moment, his eyes moving around her face, drinking her in, memorizing her, and then his lips lifted at the corners of his mouth as his eyes sparked back at her.

"Good," he murmured, leaning down to kiss her one last time before pulling away and heading for the garage door.

"I'll see you tomorrow night, darlin'," Jax called out over his shoulder, waving at her with a cocky smirk on his face as he punched in the code to close her garage door.

He winked at her as the door closed, cutting off her view of him as he disappeared down her driveway and headed toward his bike.

Yeah, she had a feeling she'd be getting on that bike sooner, rather than later. And now, after the night they'd just had together, she was looking forward to it.