Chapter Twenty

The party was already in full swing by the time Allie pushed through the small crowd to join Dan by the bar. He had two pieces of pizza in one hand, and a glass of champagne in the other, and she laughed as he delicately passed her one of the slices, careful not to spill any of his precious champagne.

"I still don't really agree that pizza and champagne are the best combo," Allie told him good-naturedly.

"Who cares what you think?" Dan batted a hand at her, leaning against the bar to take a sip from his champagne flute. "You're not drinking it and neither is Lyla. So, I think the rest of us can do whatever we want."

"Point taken," Allie laughed.

Although, she was still on the fence about her dad's menu choices. In his efforts to assuage the needs, and the tastes, of his typical party-goers and the studio's still-newish partnership with the club, Jimmy was definitely still feeling his way through it. But, she couldn't imagine that his efforts weren't going unnoticed either - that, and, Lyla had specifically requested pizza. Pregnancy cravings, apparently.

"This is all a pretty good deflection, you know," Dan leaned in conspiratorially. "I know how nervous you are. Don't even try to protest. I know the thoughts you're gonna have before they even pop into your head. Just be cool. And hey - you could just pretend you hate him like you used to. I'd say a frosty indifference should do the trick."

When the next song started blaring through the speakers, Dan's eyes flashed a little recklessly. He started swiveling his shoulders to the beat and bopped her with his hip, and then he leaned in to sing along with the words, "Workin' all week, 9 to 5 for my money, so when the weekend comes, I go get live with the honey..."

He waggled her eyebrows at her, gesturing with his head toward the dance floor. Dan held out a hand, and she took it easily, letting him lead her out onto the dance floor, which was already pretty packed full with a mix of actors and crew members.

"I can't believe you know all the words to this song," Allie laughed, even as she moved to the beat alongside him.

Dan just snarled at her to sing along with another line, "Be my queen if you know what I mean, and let us do the wild thing."

Her head dipped back in a laugh as he made a show of grinding down to the floor at her feet, waving his body in the air like a flag.

"Tone-Loc is my jam," Dan grinned, taking her hand and giving her a little twirl, before pulling her back into his chest and snaking an arm around her waist to move her hips along with the music.

"You're getting handsy tonight," Allie narrowed her eyes at him a little.

Dan just grinned down at her, his dark eyes flashing mischievously. Two seconds later, Gemma materialized right next to them on the dance floor with Lyla right on her heels. Without missing a step, Gemma raised her arms high over her head in greeting before Dan all but leapt into her arms. They embraced like old friends - or was it old lovers? - and then Dan took Gemma's hands, lifting them in the air as they moved their hips to the music together.

Allie shifted her focus to Lyla, who was swiveling her shoulders on the dance floor next to her with a happy grin on her pretty face. She threw an arm around Lyla's shoulders to greet her, grateful for the distraction from her pounding heart. If they were here, then that could only mean one thing.

"You look amazing," Allie leaned in to tell Lyla over the music. She gestured to Lyla's form-fitting silver-sequined dress that fit snugly over her tiny baby bump.

'Thank you," Lyla laughed in her ear. And then she looked Allie up and down with a grin. "You're looking pretty hot tonight yourself."

Allie glanced down at her dress, and shrugged, careful not to let too much heat flush to her cheeks, as difficult as that was. This time, she'd allowed Dan to select her outfit for this particular evening, having given up after about an hour of trying to decide. Dan had plucked a slinky black dress with spaghetti straps and a gentle sweetheart neckline from her closet, something she'd forgotten she even had. The last time she'd worn this dress was for a New Year's Eve party at the studio a few years ago and hadn't worn it since because the short hem and slim, tight fit wasn't typically her style, at least not around the studio. Tonight, Dan had reasoned, she deserved to wear a skintight and almost obscenely short dress.

"Thanks," Allie grinned back at her.

Once it was clear Gemma and Lyla were too preoccupied with dancing to notice much else, Allie finally let her eyes drift around the room. She zeroed in on him almost instantaneously - well, the back of his slicked-back blonde head. Allie inhaled sharply at the sight of him, even if his back was to her.

Her lips lifted in a tiny smile, wondering if maybe he was purposefully keeping his back to her while she was on the dance floor.

Now, Lyla had her by the hand, lifting it high in the air as they danced together to the music. From the corner of her eye, she saw her dad approach the group of Reaper cuts that had congregated near the dance floor. Jimmy reached out a hand to Jax with a twinkle in his dark eyes, and Allie's mouth lifted at the corners again.

Jax didn't hesitate, shaking her dad's hand and then pulling him in for a bro-hug to clap him on the shoulder. Then he leaned in to murmur something in Jimmy's ear. Her dad tilted his head closer to listen, with half a smile playing on his face. When Jimmy's gaze drifted out to the dance floor and settled on her, he winked at her from over Jax's shoulder. Allie just shook her head at Jimmy before lifting her eyes to the ceiling. Jax leaned away from Jimmy then, gesturing with his head toward the bar. The two men started moving toward the bar a moment later, and Allie followed their movements for as long, and as discreetly, as she could until she could only see the tops of their heads next to the bar. From what she could tell, Jax and her dad were huddled by the corner of the bar, with Jax's head dipped low as he spoke to Jimmy.

Those butterflies were back, wreaking havoc on both her heart and her nerves tonight.

When the next song came on, she felt Gemma wrap an arm around her shoulders to pull her in tight against her side.

"Hey, sweetheart," Gemma grinned at her.

"Hi, Gemma," Allie laughed, despite the new kind of nerves that flushed through her. "I'm glad you decided to come."

"Me too!" she exclaimed happily, taking Allie by the hand so they could dance together a little bit.

Okay, so that wasn't nearly as awkward or as difficult as Allie had been mentally preparing herself for. Gemma seemed like she was in a great mood, laughing and dancing without a care in the world - and that was good for so many reasons. Gemma deserved to have some fun tonight the same way she deserved to wear a skin-tight, almost obscenely short black dress.

The next few songs passed by in a blur, with their little group of four holding it down in the middle of the dance floor for a while. She was acutely aware that, wherever he was, Jax was watching - even if it was only for moments at a time, she could feel his eyes lingering every time like little pin pricks moving up and down her body.

And then Jimmy stood up on a chair, effectively cutting the music, and brought the microphone in his hand up to his mouth: "Hey, everyone - thanks for being here tonight. This is a very special night, as you all know, because tonight means that we've officially wrapped on our first film under this new partnership," he paused, tipping the beer in his hand to the group of Reaper cuts hovering off the side, and they responded by lifting their beers high in the air and hollering through their excitement.

Allie had to stand up on her tiptoes a little to get a better look at the group, her eyes landing on the back of Jax's slicked-back blonde head. He had his beer lifted high in the air as he clapped Opie on the shoulder with his free hand. And then she sucked in a harsh breath when Jax turned his head just enough to meet her gaze head-on.

His sharp blue eyes held hers for a moment, near-expressionless, but his lips lifted at the corners, forcing her to bite down on her bottom lip to keep a stupid grin from slipping across her face. Her entire body warmed at the attention, even if it had to be fleeting, and she felt a thrill shoot through her when the side of his lips curled up even more at the sight of her.

Then, Jax turned back to Jimmy when he started speaking again.

"This partnership has been more impactful and more fruitful than I could've anticipated," Jimmy went on, and Allie shot her dad a wary glance from her spot among the crowd, "I suspect it will be for many years to come."

From the corner of her eye, Allie saw Gemma step up beside her with her eyes locked on Jimmy ahead of them.

"And now, for the ladies of the hour, Lyla and Tina, the beautiful, talented, fuckin' sexy stars of Sweet Productions' latest soon-to-be released bestseller," Jimmy paused again to allow for the whoops and applause for the stars of the evening, "Ladies and gentleman...I give you, Boardroom Bitches 3: Full Disclosure!"

Jimmy stepped to the side as the movie's poster was unveiled with thunderous applause shaking the entire building. Lyla and her scene partner were perched on twin desks in matching two-piece suits with their...assets on full display, and their arms wrapped around each other in a passionate embrace. The storyline was something about a high-powered businesswoman (Lyla) who developed an unhealthy obsession with her rival at the company (Tina), that manifested itself in lots of girl-on-girl scenes in various boardrooms, offices, and storage rooms. Allie usually didn't pay too much attention to the actual films themselves, beyond how their sales performed, since the creative end really wasn't part of her job, but even she had to admit - that poster was hot, and pretty tastefully done too.

She turned to Lyla and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "It looks amazing! That thing is gonna fly off the shelves!"

Lyla grinned brightly at her before dipping her head lower to murmur in her ear, "Don't tell anyone, but this is it for me, Allie. I haven't even told Ope yet, but...that's it. I just wanna focus on writing now. Maybe move into directing, if everything goes well."

"Lyla, that's great," Allie pulled her in for a tight hug. "Don't worry about anything. We'll get it all figured out."

"Thank you," Lyla murmured, her eyes glistening a little with unshed tears. "You have no idea how much your help has meant to me. I never would've been able to do this if I was still with Luann."

"I know," Allie smiled sadly, and then shook that off. This was much a cause for celebration as anything, even if they were the only ones who knew. She took Lyla's hand and squeezed it, only letting go when Opie stepped out onto the dance floor to pull his wife into his arms.

Allie felt a hand brush her waist, momentarily freezing at the contact, and then just about fell out of her skin when she realized it was her dad, not someone else, who had his hand on her side. Jimmy grinned knowingly, and bent down to mutter lowly in her ear, "Just so you know, your boyfriend and I had a chat before."

"Dad," Allie glanced around anxiously, needing to make sure no one was paying attention or within earshot.

Jimmy's grin just widened, and he wrapped an arm around her to pull her into a quick hug so he could whisper, "He wanted to make sure I understood where things stood between you two. And now I understand."

He winked at her as he stepped back, and then his eyes flashed when he saw Gemma lingering a few feet away. Jimmy swept out a hand for her to shake, and she slipped her hand into his with a curious smile. Allie stepped in then, gesturing between the two of them.

"Dad," Allie gestured to Gemma, "this is Gemma Teller-Morrow, Jax's mom."

"Pleasure," Jimmy winked at her.

Allie pushed out a heavy sigh, and started to introduce her dad, "Gemma, this is -"

"Oh, I know who he is," Gemma cut in with a sly smile, still shaking Jimmy's hand.

At this point, Allie figured it was best to excuse herself from the conversation, and she stepped away with an awkward wave. She moved through the crowd on the dance floor to find Dan again, her eyes searching around the gyrating bodies for his familiar, perfectly-coiffed dark hair. As her gaze drifted around the room, she found the back of Jax's blonde head. So, he was still keeping his back to her, lingering a good 10 feet away from the dance floor with a beer in one hand, as he brought a cigarette to his lips with the other. That actually wasn't a bad tactic. If he couldn't see her, then he couldn't look at her. Which, she had to admit, was a little disappointing. She hadn't worn this dress for nothing tonight.

She found Dan a few moments later, joining him and a few of the other actors in the middle of the dance floor. Dan twirled her again before grinding down to the floor, almost as if he was aware they had an audience. So, Allie decided to keep her attention right on Jax's back, waiting for it.

She didn't have to wait long. Jax's head turned, even though it was clear he was still saying something to Bobby, and her heart leapt into her throat as Jax's eyes moved subtly around the room. He was looking for her, seeking her out in the crowd - it was too bad for him that she was too far off to the side to find her at that exact moment, but he was looking.

After a few more songs out on the dance floor, Allie was ready to take a break. Her stilettos were really starting to pinch her toes, and by now, Dan was too preoccupied with grinding up on one of his new scene partners to notice. Lyla had gotten pulled off the dance floor by Opie awhile ago now, and Gemma had just disappeared. Now seemed like as good a time as any to take that breather and get something to drink.

Allie weaved around the crowded floor to sidle up to the equally-packed bar, elbowing her way to a few free inches of bartop, and leaned onto the counter. She lifted a hand to try to get one of the bartender's attention but got nothing. Allie huffed a little - and then soft fabric brushed against her bare arm.

Her heart disappeared into her throat, and those butterflies kicked into high gear, tightening and squeezing around her chest. She didn't have to turn her head to know who was standing next to her, and her hands curled around the edges of the bar to keep herself from looking at him. When someone jostled her from the side, her hip flew right into Jax's side, her bare shoulder knocking with his flannel-covered one. She inhaled shakily at the contact, burning from her head down to her toes at the way such a fleeting physical contact could set her aflame around him, and she stiffened when his fingertips brushed the side of her hip.

Her chest was rising and falling faster now, and she had to bite down on her bottom lip, fumbling for a little bit of control. His closeness was so all-consuming that she barely registered that the bartender was standing expectantly in front of them.

"I'll take a Bud," Jax's low voice called out above the music, and then he glanced down at Allie with a sly grin playing on his lips. "And the lady will have a Diet Coke, right?"

Her lips lifted around the edges, feeling like everything around them had become a little hazier now. Jax's blue eyes sparkled at her, glimmering with everything they couldn't say, at least not here.

Allie smiled politely at the bartender and nodded, mainly just so he would leave them alone. From the corner of her eye, she watched Jax shift a hair to his left, putting a tiny bit of space between them, and he kept his eyes firmly on the bartop as he dug in the pocket inside his cut for his cigarettes. She watched with morbid fascination as he brought his lighter up to the cigarette between his lips, lit it quickly, and then puffed on it anxiously for the next few moments. He shifted so both elbows were resting on the bartop, careful to keep the nearby ashtray within reach.

They were so close...his elbow was just a few inches away from hers, and the distance between them physically hurt. Everything burned a little more than it had before with the knowledge that he was so close, but still so out of reach. Judging by the tension rolling off his shoulders, she guessed he felt the same.

And then he dipped his head down so he could murmur lowly, "Question, Attorney Levy."

Those butterflies threatened to lift her right off her stiletto heels, but somehow, she found her voice again.

"What's that?"

His head tilted toward her a little more, but he kept his eyes on the bartop as he spoke, "Are you trying to kill me tonight? Because if you are, you should know I'm sufferin' a slow and painful death."

"I don't know what you mean."

Then he tore his eyes away from the countertop to cock a wary eyebrow at her, letting his eyes drop down to the exposed skin on her thighs for a moment before slicing them back to the counter. "Sure you don't."

She just lifted a shoulder, smiling at the bartender when he set their drinks down in front of them. "I'm having a good time tonight."

"I can see that."

And then, all caution flew out the window. While she'd not-so-subtly hinted she wanted him to come over to her house later when they'd been at dinner last night, that suddenly seemed like far too long to wait. There was a way they could make this work tonight so that they could have a moment, or two, alone without anyone else being the wiser.

"You know," she leaned in just enough to brush her bare arm against his shoulder again. She nearly took off running right then when he dipped his head lower to hear her better. "I just remembered I left this very important thing in my office."

His lips curled into a sexy smirk and he nodded slowly. "I see."

"And, well, the thing is, I'm not sure I'll be able to find it without your help. It's very important, Jax."

"Well," his eyebrows quirked into his forehead. "We can't have that. I think we need to go find this very important thing in your office then."

"I think I should go ahead and start looking for it first," Allie told him, unable to hide her smile now. "And maybe in, I don't know, 10 minutes or so, you could come help me?"

His eyes slammed into hers, and the heat she found there had her knees quaking right where she stood. She sucked in a shaky breath, muttering, "Maybe five minutes."

Jax's mouth twisted into a playful smirk and then he quickly rubbed a hand over his mouth to mask his reaction from view. "Five minutes then."

"And," she leaned in a little more, empowered by the way he stiffened at her closeness, "it's imperative that, while we look for this very important thing, we do it with all our clothes on."

He caught her meaning almost immediately, huffing out a light laugh before catching his bottom lip underneath his teeth. "A'ight. I'll be at your service in five minutes, darlin'."

Allie let herself lock eyes with him one more time, just long enough to shoot him a small smile and see his lips lift at the corners again, and then she backed away from the bar with her soda in hand. It took nearly all the willpower she had left not to glance over her shoulder as she left him standing at the bar, and weaved in and out around the crowd again to make her way toward the hallway.

She left her drink on a nearby table as she stepped onto the hallway, her heels clicking softly on the tile floor as she passed a few of the actors and crew members with their arms wrapped around each other, probably headed to one of the nearby dressing rooms for a hook-up. Allie chewed on her bottom lip anxiously as she closed the distance to her office. In the past, she'd always looked the other way when people at these parties disappeared suspiciously, and now, here she was, with the tell-tale click of her heels bouncing off the walls, disappearing suspiciously into a dark room.

And, with a smile, she knew there was absolutely no shame in that.

Just as she reached out to turn the handle on her office's door, warm hands skimmed around her hips and pulled her against a familiar leather-covered chest. She leaned back for a moment, momentarily distracted from the task at hand, and then she remembered:

"I said five minutes, Jax," she laughed breathlessly. "Not 30 seconds."

"Couldn't wait," he murmured in her ear and then pressed his lips into her neck. "You were walkin' away, so I followed."

She barely got the door open before he shoved it shut behind them, whirling her around and pinning her against the door. Their mouths crashed into each other as his fingers slipped up her thighs to prop her up against the door so she could hook both legs around his waist. When his tongue slipped inside her parted mouth, she sighed against his lips and shivered when his fingertips skimmed underneath her tight dress. His calloused fingertips splayed around her ass, jerking her hips away from the door so he could grind himself between her legs, groaning into her mouth. Then he slipped a hand around, letting it travel alongside her hip until his index finger dipped dangerously inside her panties.

Allie pressed her head against the door, sighing at the sweet torture, and spurring him on to brush his fingertip against the slick skin he found inside her panties.

"Fuck," he muttered hoarsely against her lips. "You always this wet?"

"Just for you," she whispered.

His eyes darkened, his jaw clenching as he pressed two fingertips against her skin, moving them up and down and sending her flying to new heights.

"Is this okay?" he murmured.

Allie laughed against his lips, acutely aware that he'd slowed his movements between her legs and she needed him to go faster now.

"I love how you ask me if this is okay after you're already doing it."

"Shit," he muttered.

Jax swallowed hard, and he pushed out a rough breath against her neck. Then he tore away to meet her in the eye, his blue eyes pinning her with a little bit of desperation. "I don't wanna fuck this up, Allie. And I don't wanna do anything you don't want me to do."

She lifted a hand to his cheek, running her thumb over his skin, and leaned in to press a kiss into his lips. "You're not fucking this up. And I'll tell you if you're doing something I don't want you to do."

His lips curled with a new sensuality that hadn't quite been there before, and his eyes were hooded with desire and pent-up frustration, like he had an itch that needed to be scratched and the only way to scratch it was to pin her against this door until her eyes rolled back in her head.

"What do you want me to do then, Allie?" he asked her hoarsely, his eyes darkening dangerously.

She didn't hesitate. "I want you to make me come."

Jax's chest heaved at her words and his lips parted, like he wanted to respond but flailed around for the words first. His nostrils flared as his fingertips pressed into her again. On reflex, she wrapped her arms around his neck, ready to cling to him for dear life as he picked up the pace, his ministrations becoming more focused and intense. He knew exactly what he was doing - knew just how fast to go, how much pressure to apply, and when to up his speed.

Her head fell back against the door as he swept her away into the waves. It was the best kind of falling, this black hole that she never wanted to crawl out of. Could they just stay here like this forever with her legs wrapped around his waist, pressed into the door, and his hands up her dress?

His warm breath kissed her neck, and then he murmured in a tight voice, "You'll come when I say you can come."

Jax pulled his head back so he could look her square in the eye, new determination and fascination clouding his blue eyes as he watched her take what he was giving her. She couldn't look away from him if she tried.

And then, he slipped a finger inside her, his eyes flashing when her lips parted in ecstasy. He only needed to pump inside her twice before she was right there, on the brink of tumbling over the edge.

His mouth curved in anticipation, and then, with his eyes still locked on her face, he leaned in to murmur against her lips, "Come for me, baby."

Her whole body stiffened as the orgasm ripped through her, rolling down to her toes, arching her back off the door, jerking her hips against his waist. That was it. She'd never get enough of this. Would never be able to go a day without having this, without having him tucked in between her legs, pressing against her, filling her anyway he wanted to.

"That was the most beautiful fucking thing I've ever seen," Jax breathed against her lips. His mouth curled around her, drinking her in, consuming her, and then she dropped her hands to his belt buckle, letting one of her legs slip to the floor to get her balance again.

Just as she unbuckled his belt, undid the button on his jeans, and reached for his fly, he called out hoarsely, "Allie, you don't have to. I can wait."

Her eyes flicked up, grinning at the quiet suffering written on his face. He was in literal pain right now, and she knew exactly what would make him feel better.

"Maybe I wanna know what your cock feels like in my hand," she whispered as a surge of power rippled through her when his eyes widened at her words. "Is that okay?"

Jax recovered quickly, huffing out the laugh that rumbled in his chest, and his mouth twisted. "Thank you for asking me before you were already doing it."

Allie grinned brightly. "You're welcome. Now, what do you want me to do, Jax?"

He leaned in so he could seal his mouth around hers and whisper, "I want you to make me come."

She didn't hesitate, unzipping his fly, and reaching inside his boxers to wrap her hand around the hard length she found inside. But that wasn't enough. She wanted to see it too, and felt a sort of desperate need to pull it all the way from inside his boxers so she could really see what she was working with. And when she unearthed it from underneath his clothes, it really shouldn't have been surprising that this big, beautiful man also had a big, beautiful dick. But the sight of it just about stopped her in her tracks - it was bigger, and thicker, than what she was used to, and for a fleeting moment, she worried that he might never be able to fit inside her.

"You gonna stare at it all night," Jax smirked down at her, "or you gonna do somethin' with it?"

Allie huffed out a laugh, gripping her hand around him more tightly just to see his nostrils flare. "I was just thinking this thing might rip me in half sometime soon."

Jax's thumb brushed across her cheek and his breath warmed her lips. "No worries, darlin'. I'll make sure you're good and ready when we get that far."

That was all she needed to hear to get her head back in the game, and she palmed him more tightly, stroking up and down around his soft skin, feeling a rush of adrenaline when their eyes locked. Jax's eyes never left hers, his mouth parting and his chest heaving against his leather cut as her movements quickened and tightened up and all the way down to the base of him, then back up again until he squeezed his eyes shut.

"You'll come when I say you can come," she whispered.

His eyes flew open at the sound of her voice, and she had to marvel at the experience of watching Jax Teller fall apart in the palm of her hand. So, she decided to put him out of his misery, and gave him permission to let go when she murmured, "Come for me, Jax."

His forehead dropped to her shoulder, and his entire body tensed around her until his warm release filled her hand. With his chest still heaving, he pressed his face into her neck, pressing his hands around her head against the door as he came back to himself a little more. He shifted so he could rest his forehead against hers, leaning in to find her lips and cover them with his mouth.

Then, he tore himself away, winking at her as he tucked himself back inside his boxers, zipped his fly, and buckled his belt again. His eyes dropped to her hands, and he held up a finger, backpedalling through her office to search through the mess on her desk before opening a few drawers.

By now, she followed him to her desk and called out, "There's some kleenex in the bottom drawer."

He grinned back at her, making quick work of opening the drawer and tossing her the kleenex box as she hopped up on her desk. After she'd cleaned herself up and gotten rid of the evidence, he moved around the side of her desk to stand in between her legs again, leaning in to put both hands around her face so he could kiss her deeply.

"It's a good thing we were able to find that very important thing in here," Jax hummed against her lips.

"I know. I was so worried we wouldn't find it."

He chuckled, brushing his lips against hers again. "Maybe we should do another check. You know, just to be thorough about it."

With that, he gently shoved her shoulders backward until her back hit the surface of her desk. Before she could protest, he leaned down and swung one of her legs over his shoulder, sliding her dress over her hips, and dipping his head lower and lower until he pressed his mouth against her panties.

"You think you're up for it?"

A laugh burst from her throat, and she tore a hand through her already tangled hair, unable to believe this was happening to her right now. "With you?"

Then he lifted his head to glance up at her with a smirk. "Who else? We've already established that we don't share, darlin'."

Allie's lips parted, her breath coming in and out in short bursts until she found her voice again. "With you, Jax...I think I could come all night."

Jax stared back at her, his eyes glazing over into heated sapphire pools. Then he took a few measured breaths before he spoke again.

"I know we should probably get back to the party," he told her, his eyes pinning her into the desk, "but I'd really like to test that theory. I have a feeling I'll be pretty successful from this vantage point."

Allie squeezed her eyes shut when he dipped his head between her legs again, this time to press his nose against her underwear and inhaling deeply.

"So fucking sweet," he muttered under his breath, only to kiss her over the thin fabric separating his lips from her bare skin.

It would be so easy to just lie back and let him have his way with her. She was desperate for it right about now, desperate to know what this was going to feel like, desperate to let him pull her panties down and press his hot mouth against her. But, somewhere through this fog, she knew they'd probably been gone way too long already, and if they'd already taken a risk by being gone this long - although she couldn't quite be sure how long it really was because time had seemed to stand still the moment Jax closed the door behind them - then they should probably call it before someone came looking for them.

"I can't believe I'm gonna say this," she told him breathlessly, "but I think we should get back to the party before it's too late."

He sighed heavily, dropped one more kiss over her panties, and then gently tugged her dress back down her hips so he could pull her off the desk. They kissed one more time before going their separate ways for the time being - Jax headed back down the hallway, and Allie went the opposite way so she could step inside the bathroom for a few moments to both clean herself up a little and to stall so that Jax had some time to blend back into the party before she showed up again.

By the time her heels clicked down the hallway again, she'd let a little less than 10 minutes pass before going back out onto the dance floor to find Dan, who was grinding away with the same guy he'd been with when she'd left him.

From the corner of her eye, she easily found Jax again, who'd rejoined the group of Reaper cuts off to the side with his back to the dance floor and his lips wrapped around a cigarette. Which gave her a little thrill, considering she knew exactly where those lips had just been less than 10 minutes ago. Seeing as how both Gemma and her dad were standing right at Jax's shoulder, she pulled her gaze away, not necessarily needing either of them to catch her looking.

Dan grabbed her hand then and pulled her closer to him, spinning her around, so he could mutter, "Where the hell have you been?"

'The bathroom?"

He cocked an eyebrow at her even as his hands moved to her hips to give them a little shake to the beat. "For a half an hour?"

"I don't think it was that long."

"Hmm, I think it was," Dan's eyes flashed as he leaned in. "I noticed your boyfriend was gone for a similar length of time, although he popped up again not that long ago. You got some, didn't you?"

Allie didn't really know how to respond, so she just didn't. Apparently, that was all the confirmation Dan needed, and his mouth twisted into a sly grin.

"Uh huh. And did he get some too?"

This time, Allie let her eyes flick to Dan pointedly, giving him his answer. A slow, shit-eating grin spread across his face and he pulled her into his arms, picking her off the floor to swing her around a little.

"It's about fucking time. I'm so proud and so jealous at the same time...I can't even right now."

His eyes darted to something over her head, and then he leaned down to whisper conspiratorially, "Don't look, but your boyfriend's looking over here right now. Just act cool, or, as cool as you can be. I know it's hard for you, Alexandra, considering what you were just up to."

Against her better judgment, Allie turned her head, finding Jax again through the crowd. This time, his head was turned just enough to meet her in the eye. He winked at her, and then turned back to listen to whatever story Jimmy was telling the group.

"Ooo," Dan practically purred in her ear. "I saw that. You know, I think I really like this let's-keep-it-a-secret thing. This is good. And super fun to watch."

Allie just shook her head at him and took him by the hand to turn his attention back to the music and the dancing she needed to distract herself from everything that had just gone down in her office. If she thought about it too much, she might find herself grabbing Jax by the back of his leather cut and dragging him back there so he could test her theory about him once and for all.

And, when Dan spun her around again on the dance floor, the entire room exploded in a cacophony of breaking glass and loud pops of gunshots. Screams mingled with more pops, as Allie yanked Dan lower so they could duck to the floor. With another round of gunshots piercing through the air, coupled with screams of terror, she looked up in a panic to see Jax charging right for her from across the room.

"Get down!" he shouted, waving his arm frantically to signal for her to drop to the ground.

Jax ducked again when another round of bullets ripped through the room, but he didn't stop moving until he grabbed her by the shoulders, pushed her flush with the dance floor, and covered her body with his. She shrieked a little when more gunshots rang out. Jax moved his hands around her head protectively, pressing himself closer against her into the floor.

"You okay?" he asked frantically.

All she could do was nod, and then turned her head to find him. "Are you okay?"

"Don't worry about me," he barked back, tilting his head up so he could scan the room. She could see him doing a quick inventory of the damage, of any injuries, and she followed his movements, seeing that Opie had his body protectively over the top of Lyla across the floor, and that Gemma was tucked securely underneath Jimmy. Then she turned her head again to make sure Dan was still okay on the other side of her, pushing out a breath of relief when she saw that he was in one piece next to her.

After waiting what seemed like an eternity, Jax finally pushed himself off her. When he was standing, he reached down to pull her off the floor, and then shifted on his heel to help pull Dan back up to his feet too.

Jax put a hand on both of their shoulders, checking them over before pushing out: "You okay?"

And then she saw that the flannel on his bicep was torn, with some red soaking through the fabric. She reached out frantically to grip his arm so she could get a better look.

"Jax, your arm!"

He glanced down at the tear in his shirt distractedly and then just shrugged. "It's fine. It's just a graze."

Now, he slipped back into work mode, waving the other club members to gather at the studio's exit. He turned on his heel to point a finger at her and order, "Stay here. Don't move."

She watched him jog over to where the other Reaper cuts were congregating, with Jimmy joining in the huddle. Then she turned to Dan, found him covering his face with both hands, and pulled him into her arms. He dipped his head onto her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding onto her for dear life. Allie jumped a little when she felt another pair of arms around her, turning to see Gemma's stricken face as she wrapped both Allie and Dan in her arms. Lyla appeared next to them a moment later with tears streaming down her face, and Gemma made room so she could envelope all three of them in her arms.

"Everybody's okay?" Gemma's voice called out as she looked each of them over in her arms, touching their faces and their shoulders to make sure everyone was in one piece.

"Are you okay, Gemma?" Allie asked with a little laugh, in spite of everything.

Gemma just huffed out a laugh. "I'm fine, sweetheart."

They waited as the club did their due diligence, sending a few of the members outside to survey the damage and make sure nothing and no one was in the parking lot that would be a danger. Once that was taken care of, Jax, Opie, and Jimmy made their way back over to their little group. Jax put a hand on his mother's shoulder and then she pulled him into a hug, holding him even tighter when she realized he had blood on his arm.

"It's just a scratch, Ma," he told her when she started to fuss. "I'm fine."

Jax shifted his focus away from his mother so he could address the rest of their group. "We're gonna get everyone to the clubhouse. Make sure everyone's accounted for and okay. None of us should be stickin' around here for much longer, just in case."

After that, it was sort of a free-for-all. Opie grabbed Lyla by the hand to pull her toward the parking lot, Jimmy and Gemma took off for the exit as Dan grumbled about driving himself home. Somewhere between all of that, Jax took her by the hand and gestured with his head for her to follow him to the parking lot. He kept her hand in a firm vise grip, like he was terrified to let her go, and when they got to where his bike was parked in the parking lot, there was no hesitation.

While she was acutely aware that everyone who'd been inside the party was now in the parking lot, and that Opie and Lyla, and Gemma and her dad were somewhere around her, she snatched the helmet out of Jax's outstretched hand and snapped it on over her head. Then she let Jax grip her by the hips to lift her onto his bike, settling her against the leather seat. Jax swung his leg over the side of his bike a moment later, pulling his gloves on, and then revving the engine to life.

Allie wrapped her arms around his waist, not even caring that her dress was rolling up around her hips as she tucked herself against Jax's leather-covered back and held on as tightly as she could. She wished she could say she enjoyed her first ride on the back of Jax's bike, but with the speed he used to barrel down the streets to get them to the clubhouse, and the way the night air nipped around her exposed skin, she found herself shivering against his back, more from adrenaline and the cold, than anything else.

By the time Jax pulled into T-M's parking lot, which was already filled to the brim, her teeth were chattering and her skin chafed red from the wind. He sprung into action the second he shut off his bike, swinging his leg around the side, and holding out a hand to help her off the back. The second her stilettos hit the pavement, his arms were around her, pulling her in close to his chest as his hands rubbed up and down her arms to warm her up a little.

"I'm sorry, Allie," he grimaced down at her. "I know, I know...there was just no other way."

"It's okay," she tried to smile but her teeth were chattering too much to really allow for it.

He nodded tightly, keeping his arms around her for warmth as he shuffled her through the parking lot as quickly as her stilettos would let him get her inside the clubhouse. When he pushed them through the clubhouse's double doors, he immediately started barking out orders to the prospects who were scrambling around the makeshift triage area on the clubhouse's main floor.

"Prospect! Get some blankets - move your ass!"

He gently pushed Allie toward Lyla, who was standing near the bar with a blanket around her shoulders. Lyla's eyes widened when she saw Allie, and immediately held her arms out to envelop Allie in the blanket. Allie laughed a little, settling into the blanket as she wrapped her arms around Lyla's small frame so she could wrap the blanket around her shoulders. Jax grinned at the sight, not hesitating to wrap his arms around both of their shoulders to pull them both into his chest.

Then he glanced down at Lyla, "You alright? You need Chibs to check you over?"

She just shook her head with a small smile. "I'm okay, Jax."

He nodded tightly, before putting a hand in her hair and pressing a quick kiss into Lyla's temples. Then he shifted his focus back to Allie with a tight smile on his face.

"You two stay here," he told them firmly, before tearing his focus away to scan the room. "You seen my mom anywhere?"

"No," Allie frowned, standing up on her tiptoes a little to get a better look around the clubhouse. It was just too crowded right now to really find anyone. "I think I saw her leaving the studio with my dad though."

Her eyes widened as soon as those words dropped from her mouth, and Jax's eyebrows quirked into a frown too before he just shook his head. Clearly, he needed to move on if Gemma was accounted for somewhere. He nodded to them one more time before starting his rounds, checking in with everyone who was crowding inside his clubhouse from the studio. Chibs, too, moved from person to person with Juice and Bobby right on his heels, as they took inventory of the injuries around them, starting with the more serious ones first. And there were at least two that she could see who most definitely had bullet wounds.

By now, a prospect stepped up to her to offer a big black Samcro sweatshirt and she took it gratefully, sliding it over her head and wrapping herself around the extra warmth. Within a few minutes, more of the feeling returned in her fingers and her toes, and she started to feel a little more like herself again.

As she watched the prospects moving around the room, offering blankets and sweatshirts, she leaned into Lyla to ask, "Do you think we should help them?"

Lyla's eyes darted around the room, and then she nodded immediately.

"I'm thinking coffee, some water, beer for whoever needs it," Allie suggested as she wrapped her arms around herself for warmth. "They have to have some food around here somewhere, right? I think if people just get something in their hands, some of the shock will wear off."

"On it," Lyla grinned and then they separated, Allie in that baggy sweatshirt she was swimming in and Lyla wrapping the blanket even tighter around herself.

Luckily enough, one of the prospects already had the same idea, and he had a pot of coffee going in the kitchen. By the time Allie found her way to the kitchen, she grabbed as many cups as she could fit in her hand and took the coffee carafe from the prospect, giving him quick instructions to get as many pots going as he could, and then she stepped back out onto the clubhouse's main floor. She smiled a little to herself when she saw Lyla passing out bottles of water with the prospects, a few people already had beers in their hands, which was good. That was one step closer to getting behind all this.

Allie made her way over to one of the tables, setting the coffee cups down so she could put a hand on one of the crew member's shoulders, "Hey, Nate. You okay? Need some coffee?"

He nodded gratefully as she poured him a cup, her hands still trembling a little from the cold. Then she moved onto the next crew member huddled around the table and poured him a cup of coffee too and then carried on to the next table.

From the corner of her eye, she could see the Reaper cuts huddled near the bar, their heads all dipped low as they talked through everything that had just happened. Jax turned his head, looking right at the spot where he'd left Allie and Lyla, his forehead creased into a deep frown when he realized they were gone. He quickly scanned the room, finding Lyla on the other side of the room with bottles of water in her hand as she passed them out to those who reached for them. Jax continued his search, seeking her out again, and this time, it seemed like he didn't care about being discreet anymore, that he didn't really give a shit who was watching or wasn't watching.

And when he finally found her, balancing three coffee mugs underneath one arm and a half-empty pot of coffee in the other, his blue eyes softened and his mouth quirked up into a small smile as his gaze trailed to the giant sweatshirt she was wearing that had to make her look like a 12-year-old wearing her dad's clothes.

Jax pushed off the bar, moving around the tables and the crowd of people inside his clubhouse, until he was standing two feet away from her, watching with sparkling eyes as she poured someone a cup of coffee.

He tipped his chin to her with a grin and shoved his hands deep in his pockets. "You seen your dad anywhere? We're ready to bring you guys into all this now."

Allie frowned, setting the coffee pot down on the table as her eyes scanned the room for Jimmy. She momentarily lost focus when he stepped a little closer, dipping his head lower so he could move his lips to her ear.

"In case I don't get a chance to tell you later," he murmured. "I'm gonna have a prospect drive you home after we're done talking some things through. I gotta hang around here for a while to keep an eye on things, but I'll be over as soon as I can, a'ight?"

She bit down on her bottom lip to hide her smile, allowing herself to send him a tight nod in response. Then she gripped the coffee pot with one hand to offer it up to him, "Coffee, Jax?"

His lips quirked, and his eyes studied her carefully for a moment before he spoke again, "Sure, darlin'."

Allie made quick work of pouring him a cup and handing it to him. He had his ringed hand wrapped around the mug when a prospect materialized beside him.

"Prez, I -"

"Little busy right now, prospect," Jax dismissed him as he brought the mug up to his mouth with his eyes still locked firmly on Allie.

The prospect dragged an anxious hand through his curly hair, swallowing hard before trying again. "Prez, I found Mrs. T-M."

That got Jax's attention, and he dipped his head lower to hear what the prospect was telling him in his ear. At first, his forehead creased into a frown, like he wasn't quite sure what he was hearing. Then his eyes widened a little as the prospect cut a hand anxiously through the air to explain whatever it was he needed to explain.

"You sure?" Jax pushed out roughly, and when the prospect just nodded a little shakily, Jax's wide eyes flew to collide with Allie in disbelief.

Some movement from over Jax's shoulder caught her eye, and she tilted her head to glance around where Jax and the prospect stood to see Gemma push through the clubhouse's double doors, running a hand through her mussed hair as she ventured deeper inside. Allie's eyes widened a little when Gemma adjusted the vest she was wearing, and then her mouth dropped open completely when her dad pushed through the doors behind her.

"Holy mother of shit," Allie exhaled.

Jax's head whipped around, and she saw the moment Jax realized what, or who, she had been staring at. His shoulders tensed, and he seemed to freeze right where he stood, clutching his coffee mug with white knuckles. The prospect quickly realized his presence was no longer necessary, and he quietly stepped away just as Jax shifted his shoulders back to face her.

"So, apparently my dad has zero boundaries," Allie muttered under her breath.

"No shit," Jax huffed out a laugh. He shook his head as he brought his mug back up to his lips, then he dipped his head lower to inform her, "The prospect caught them in T-M's office with their pants down. Literally."

Allie's eyes widened, her lips parting in disbelief, but what could she say? There were so many ways this was just...maybe the most shocking thing her dad had ever done. Sure, he'd been a porn star in another life and knew his way around sex, but this? With Gemma? When he was well aware that her and Jax's relationship status had literally just changed days before? Literally days before.

"I can't believe this," she exhaled exasperatedly. "He's lost his ever-loving mind."

"Well," Jax grinned good-naturedly and lifted his shoulder, casting a quick glance over his shoulder to see Gemma headed straight for them. "Considering they're not the only ones who snuck away to run the bases tonight, I'm not sure you have a leg to stand on here, darlin'."

Allie lifted her elbow onto the table so she could press her hand over her mouth to hide her reaction. Her eyes flicked to him slyly but she just shook her head. Jax shifted then to put some more space between them, acutely aware that his mother was directly behind him.

"There you are, Jax," Gemma called out to him a little breathlessly and put a hand on his shoulder as she stood next to him.

Jax quirked an eyebrow at his mother, bringing his coffee mug to his mouth with a grin playing on his lips. Gemma made the connection instantly, hitching both hands on her hips, her dark eyes darting between them in exasperation before rolling her eyes to the ceiling.

"That fuckin' prospect," Gemma muttered under her breath. Now her eyes drifted around the room to search the poor kid out. "I'm gonna kill him the next time I see him. I told him to keep his damn mouth shut."

Jax's mouth spread apart in a playful grimace as he shrugged his shoulders at her. "Come on, Ma. You know that prospect was never gonna keep that from me - I sent him to look for ya because I was worried about you. I guess I didn't need to be worried."

Gemma blew an exasperated sigh, glancing between the two of them before lifting her eyebrows expectantly. "What? I haven't gotten laid in almost ten months. So sue me, okay? Besides, you," she jabbed Jax in the shoulder as she spoke, "were the one who said I should have some fun tonight. And, guess what, Jackson? I did."

Jax lifted both hands in defense, coffee cup and all, and huffed out a laugh, his eyes darting to Allie with amusement. "A'ight. A'ight. Glad you had some fun, Ma."

Gemma narrowed her dark eyes at him, grabbing him by the chin, and swinging an arm around Allie's shoulders to bring them in closer. "Don't get me started on you two. If either of you think you've got me fooled...let's just say," she grinned a little diabolically at her son, "your eyes just about fell out of your head the second you saw this one," she gestured toward Allie, "in that dress, on the dance floor tonight. You were sunk before you even started."

Jax, to his credit, played it cool - despite the fact that Allie's face was on fire - and he brought his coffee mug back up to his lips as expressionless as possible. Then he shot Gemma an easy grin, "Don't know what you're talkin' about, Ma. The relationship between me and my lawyer is strictly professional."

Gemma eyed him for a moment with narrowed eyes before squeezing Allie's shoulder and clapping her other hand to Jax's cheek to give it a little shake. "Alright. Have it your way."

Then she turned on her heel and slinked away, weaving around the tables and packed room until she disappeared among the crowd.

Jax leaned down to murmur to her, "That doesn't bode well for keeping this quiet too much longer, does it?"

Allie could only lift her eyebrows at him. She'd lost her ability to speak a long time ago. Jax slyly held out his coffee mug to her, gesturing for her to top him off, and she obliged him with narrowed eyes. He winked at her, and then gestured with his head for her to follow him toward the bar.

"Come on, we've got some business to take care of."

***Jax glanced over his shoulder long enough to make sure Allie was following him, and then he sauntered through the clubhouse's double doors to head into the parking lot, careful to position himself so that Jimmy and Opie were standing between them. Gemma's not-so-subtle warning rang in his ears, and he immediately busied himself with his coffee, rather than risk giving away any more than he obviously had tonight.

Not like he'd meant to, but Gemma had been right. The second he saw Allie dancing in the middle of the dance floor, with that black dress hugging her tight curves...well, Gemma had been wrong actually. His eyes hadn't fallen out of his head. They'd rolled back in his head.

And, as they waited for Chibs and Juice to join them out in the parking lot, Jax allowed himself one more look, smirking at the sight of her in that massive black sweatshirt that hit her right below the knees. She was drowning in the thing, and her dark eyes narrowed at him as if she could read his mind.

His lips pulled to the side in amusement, prompting him to bring his coffee mug back to his mouth to hide his reaction.

Given the way their date had progressed last night, he hadn't exactly expected her to be shy, at least not when he finally got his hands inside her panties. But he had not anticipated how responsive she'd be, how direct, how blunt. And the dirty talk...he still couldn't quite wrap his head around that particular surprise.

She was a handful, in more ways than one, and she definitely gave as good as she got. And somewhere in between her all but ordering him to make her come, and staring at his dick like it made her mouth water, the spark between them fanned out into a full-fledged wildfire.

Now that Chibs and Juice had joined their little pow wow in the parking lot, Jax brought his coffee mug up to his lips one more time to give himself a moment before jumping into business. And now that the whole party was here, everyone standing around in this circle - the club, and Allie and Jimmy included - looked to him for direction.

"Alright," he pushed out a heavy sigh, his lips lifting a little when all attention shifted to him. "I think it goes without saying that we got lucky tonight. As far as we can tell, two people got hit, but Chibs was able to patch them up. Everything else was just pure luck. I know there's a whole mess at the studio that needs cleaning up, but we'll work through that tomorrow."

Jax paused there, letting a round of nods pass around the group before he pushed on.

"We know who this was, and we know what he's after," then he tipped his chin to Jimmy, who quirked an eyebrow at him. "Caruso wants us to escalate this, but we're not gonna give him what he wants. I think we can do him one better."

He'd never been more grateful that, immediately after the shooting, and as the dust began to settle, the club had been unanimous without needing to take it to the table and without needing to push a vote. They all understood what he'd already known - if they really wanted to take this new path seriously, if they really wanted to change, then they couldn't approach this the same way they would've before. They couldn't answer violence with violence. Not this time. If they did, they really would be leaving more bodies in their wake, whether they were directly responsible or not.

Caruso had made it clear tonight that he was ready to go to war and roll out the heavy artillery, collateral damage be damned.

The club was going to beat him at his own game. His idea had been out of the box. But then again, he thought as his eyes drifted to Allie, he'd been learning from the best.

Jax tipped his chin to Jimmy again. "You think you can pull the security footage from the parking lot tonight?"

Jimmy's eyebrows lifted into his forehead, but he nodded immediately. "Sure. I can do that first thing tomorrow morning."

"Good," Jax nodded to him. He was not going to think about what Jimmy had just been doing with his mother in T-M's office about 10 minutes ago. Considering what he'd been doing with Jimmy's daughter a little over an hour ago, he figured they were square.

Then he schooled his expression, and let his eyes settle on Allie. "And we need you to do some digging. Work your magic. Anything you can shake down about how Caruso runs his business, any documentation you can find, we need it as soon as you can get it to us."

Allie frowned back at him, and he could see that smart brain working overtime as she worked through everything he'd just asked of her. Then she nodded to him with a small smile.

"What are you guys gonna do?" Jimmy was asking now.

Jax flashed him a grin. "The last time we saw Caruso, I told him we'd burn his studio to the ground if he tried anything again. I'm a man of my word, and I think Caruso is countin' on that," his eyes flicked to Allie again, "you told me once that Caruso was as shitty a boss as he was a businessman. So, we're gonna burn his studio to the ground. Just not the way he's expecting."

Jimmy rubbed his chin in thought, his eyes drifting down to the pavement before lifting his gaze back up to Jax with some new appreciation spreading across his face.

"Alright," Jimmy nodded. "I'll defer to you on this. We trust you," and then Jimmy's gaze flicked to his daughter, "don't we, Allie?"

Jax's head turned to find her, schooling his expression into a cool, impassive one when their eyes met. His chest might've squeezed more than a few times when Allie's dark eyes flicked to him, and her mouth turned up just enough to make his chest heave a little bit.

But this was not the time or the place to advertise to the entire club that the feelings he had for their lawyer went beyond the professional.

Besides, he needed to get Allie on board with a few things first before he could do that.

"We do," Allie nodded with a smile.

Then he jumped right back to it. "Alright. It's been a long fucking night. We still have some shit to take care of here at the clubhouse before we can all go pass out somewhere, and then we'll touch base tomorrow."

There really wasn't much left to say, and he watched, feeling more than a little anxious, as Jimmy put an arm around his daughter to lead her through the parking lot, presumably to take her home.

Well, at least it looked like Jimmy wasn't planning to take his mother home tonight too. Thank God for small favors - at least at this point.

Allie glanced over her shoulder just long enough to catch his gaze, and she smiled at him briefly before turning back to continue walking with her dad toward his car. Jax watched her slide into the passenger seat of Jimmy's car, and shook his head. Jesus, the guy had driven his mother over here in a fucking Maserati. He didn't let his thoughts linger too long on how long it must've taken, or not taken, for Gemma to pull Jimmy into T-M's office and start taking off her clothes.

He shuddered a little at the thought, grimacing as he took another sip from his coffee mug before turning on his heel to head back inside the clubhouse only to stop right in his tracks.

His vice president stood in front of him, his hands casually pushed inside his front pockets, and a good-natured grin on his face. But that hard glint in Opie's eyes?

Yeah, that wasn't good.

"Hey, prez," Opie threw out lightly, rocking back on his heels as he spoke. "You got a minute?"

Jax swallowed hard, and pressed a grin to his face. "Sure, Ope. What's up?"

Opie's eyes narrowed just a touch, and then gestured with his head for Jax to follow him deeper into the parking lot, away from the clubhouse, and away from the people, and the witnesses, inside of it. Jax could only follow his lead, trailing after him and clutching that coffee mug like his life depended on it with a sweaty palm.

He'd gotten lucky with Jimmy tonight. When he'd pulled Jimmy aside at the party earlier, and set him straight about what, exactly, was going on between him and his daughter, Jimmy had been genuinely accepting, if not even more than a little cordial about it. He'd slapped Jax on the shoulder, told him to treat his daughter right, and that had been it.

But that was nothing compared to what was about to go down between him and his vice president.

When Opie hopped up the steps to T-M's front door and grabbed hold of the door leading to the office, that was more than Jax could stomach.

"Hey, Ope," Jax shook his head at him with a wince. "I wouldn't go in there if I were you."

Opie cocked an eyebrow at him. "Why is that?"

"Gemma and Jimmy were in there about 10 minutes ago. We should probably get a prospect to scrub the whole place with bleach before any of us step foot in there again."

Opie's eyebrows flew into his forehead, his eyes wide and more than a little disturbed. "You shittin' me?"

"I wish," he grumbled. "Prospect caught 'em in there, pants down, asses out, apparently."

His VP ran a hand over his face and then he huffed out a laugh. "Jesus."

Jax just shook his head again as he folded himself down on the steps in front of the office. He set his coffee mug down next to him before digging into the front pocket of his cut for his cigarettes, his thumb fumbling anxiously with the trigger on his lighter as he lit one up and took a long pull.

He waited, a little sense of dread creeping through his chest, as Opie mimicked his movements, dropping down onto the stairs next to him and lighting up his own cigarette. They sat next to each other with a heavy silence between them before Opie's voice rumbled through the empty space.

"So," Opie started roughly and then he exhaled a long trail of smoke through his nostrils before continuing, his eyes fixed in a hard line on the pavement at their feet. "This thing between you and my sister."

Jax swallowed hard. He kept his gaze straight ahead and draped an elbow over his knee, trying to seem as nonchalant as possible before Opie's voice called out to him again.

"Is it casual?"

He hesitated at that. While he knew exactly what this was between them, he'd never spoken it out loud before now. Even with Jimmy, he'd purposefully skirted around the blunt truth, and had spoken to him in generalities as he assured Jimmy his daughter wouldn't be treated like a croweater. That had been easy to do. It was the truth, but it wasn't the whole truth. Now, with Opie settled next to him on these stairs, coiled up like a rattlesnake, generalities weren't gonna cut it.

Feet to the fire, gun to his head, he knew what his answer was to any question his VP might ask him right now.

"Look, Jax," Opie told him roughly, flicking some ash from his cigarette and then taking another pull from it just as quickly. "Any other time, your business is your business unless you wanna bring me into it. But this particular time isn't that. She's my sister. And she's the club's lawyer. Right now, I feel like I got a right to know."

"It's not casual, Ope."

Hearing himself say that out loud felt monumental. He swallowed the lump in his throat and pushed out a sigh. Relief washed over him, and he hadn't realized how much he'd needed to say it out loud until he did.

Opie nodded tightly, his eyes still fixed to the pavement, his shoulders still stiff with tension. "How long has this been goin' on?"

Jax huffed out a laugh and shook his head a little. "You asking how long it's been goin' on for me, or how long we've been together? 'Cuz those are two different things."

He seemed to consider that for a moment, probably trying to decide just how much he really wanted to know, and then, finally, Opie turned his head to cock an eyebrow at him.

"How 'bout you answer both questions and we'll see where that takes us."

"A'ight," Jax grinned easily, blowing out a puff of smoke good-naturedly. "The first question? Probably high school, if I'm being honest. And I am."

Opie's eyebrows furrowed a little at that, and then he nodded tightly. "Can't say I'm surprised."

"Why's that?"

Opie just lifted a shoulder. "I figured, after you beat Monroe's ass to a pulp that time he was runnin' his mouth about her. I figured a guy wouldn't do that for a girl he couldn't stand, right? But you never said anything more about it after it happened, so I never asked. But I figured."

Well, it was good to know, he supposed, that he'd never really done a great job of hiding it.

"And then," Opie laughed lightly. "Of course there were the times you'd grab my phone whenever I was talkin' to her when she was at school, and whenever you were wasted outta your mind in the clubhouse. You did that a few times...you remember that?"

He frowned back at him. "Nah. I don't remember that at all."

"That's probably because you were wasted outta your mind."

"Yeah, probably."

And if he'd been doing that when he wasted, and when she'd been away at school, he could only imagine he'd been doing it because he'd missed her. Because he'd gone from seeing her at school every day to not seeing her at all, and some liquid courage had probably done the rest of the work for him. Jesus, he really hadn't ever done a really good job of hiding it, at least not when he was drunk.

"So, that second question, brother. How long has this been goin' on then?"

Jax sighed heavily, bringing his cigarette to his lips one more time before answering the next question. "We've been together a few days. It's new."

Opie nodded slowly, his mind working through all the answers Jax had just given him. "So, she your old lady, then?"

Jax's eyebrows lifted at that question. He'd been anticipating that one, but he'd hoped Opie would back off from it when he told him things were still new.

"We haven't gotten that far yet, Ope," Jax told him quietly, taking another long pull from his cigarette to calm his nerves more. It wasn't really working.

Opie rolled his head a little to the side as he considered that. "Alright. I guess that's fair. But she's gonna be."

His mouth parted to respond, but then he realized Opie hadn't been asking him a question. That was more an observation than anything. A foregone conclusion. The punctuation on a sentence that had already been written.

"Well," Opie went on, flicking some more ash from his cigarette as he spoke. "She sure looked like an old lady in the clubhouse before, that's for damn sure."

Jax's mouth lifted at the corners, the image of Allie flooded his mind, her walking around the clubhouse in that huge Samcro sweatshirt and her high heels, with that coffee pot in her hands, filling mugs and checking in on everyone, making sure everyone was okay and had what they needed. Supporting the club. Supporting him.

Yeah, she sure as shit had looked like an old lady then.

"You know," Opie was saying. At least he seemed a little more relaxed now. "I get you tryin' to keep this on the down low for now, at least until you've got the old lady shit worked out. But, I gotta tell ya, brother - and I'm only saying this to you because someone has to and it's sorta my job anyway. But, the longer you play this close to the chest, the worse it's gonna look to the rest of the club."

"And how's it gonna look to the club?"

Jax already knew the answer, but he needed to hear Opie say it out loud. And, almost as if he could read his thoughts, Opie threw him a wary side-eye before lighting up another cigarette.

"You push for us to hire her, give us a line about needing to make some changes and getting a lawyer who knows what they're doin', and then, not even three months later, you're messin' around with her and keepin' it from everyone. Not a great look, brother."

He swallowed tightly, and nodded.

"Not to mention the fact that," Opie laughed, shaking his head as he spoke. "Our lawyer is also my sister. There are a lotta lines there, brother, and you just about crossed every one. Now, I know you didn't push for the club to hire her just because you wanted to fuck her. I mean, the whole club has seen the way you mess with her, the way you talk to her, the way you always try to ruffle her feathers to get a reaction outta her. I know what you were really doin' with all that, but the rest of the club doesn't know that. Not necessarily."

Jax winced at his VP's bluntness, but he figured he had that coming.

Opie shot him a cocky grin that told him he knew exactly what he was doing, knew exactly what buttons he was pushing, and he just charged forward.

"And when it gets out, for real, that you two are messin' around, you know what Piney's gonna think. You know exactly where Tig's head is gonna go. Chibs and Juice, too. Maybe not Bobby, but you know what I mean. They're gonna see this as you takin' advantage of the club and your position in it just to get some on the side, like you care more about gettin' laid by my sister than the work she's doin' for us - and in doing that, you're takin' a risk with everything we're tryin' to do at that table because we need her. Not to mention the fact that Allie's been takin' our money...you know at least a few of them are gonna wonder if you've been dippin' in while she's on the clock for us, and that's not gonna do her any favors either. I know none of that shit is fair, especially not to my sister, but it is what it is and you know it."

Jax rubbed his hand over his mouth as he digested everything Opie had just said. All of that...that was the last thing he wanted. Definitely the last thing he needed right now too. Still, he had to make sure Opie was clear on that.

"That's not what this is, Ope," Jax told him roughly. "I didn't...I didn't go lookin' for this, at least not like that. If there'd even been a chance that she was gonna shoot me down and then leave us hanging, I never would've let it go anywhere."

If he hadn't gotten the impression that she felt the same way, that she was in this just as much as he was, he would've resigned himself to suffer in silence for as long as her professional relationship with the club lasted because that would've been what was best for the club. Sure, he would've kept ruffling her feathers and pushed her buttons as far as she'd allow, but he would've left it at that.

The second it was clear to him that this wasn't one-sided, that they really had something between them, he'd barreled through without looking back. But still...

"I guess I didn't really think the whole, let's-keep-this-quiet thing through."

Opie huffed at that. "You think?"

"You think anyone else is onto me?"

Opie just lifted a shoulder. "Hard to say. Like I said before, your business is your business, and I don't think any of us really pay all that much attention to who's bangin' who until it gets in their way. Or in their face. Same difference, I guess. But I think, you gotta get the old lady thing sorted out sooner, rather than later, and then you gotta bring the club up to speed as soon as you can. You need to be the one to tell them, not the other way around, and you can't leave any room for them to misinterpret. If she's your old lady, that changes things for everyone at that table, whether they like it or not - there's not much they can really argue with then."

Jax nodded slowly. Yeah, Ope was right about that.

"Well," Opie laughed good-naturedly. "I think you started the runnin' out the clock when you threw yourself on top of her like that at the studio. I did the same thing with Lyla, and she's my fuckin' wife, brother."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Jax sighed heavily and scrubbed his face with his free hand. And then he shot Opie a wary glance. "Was that how you figured it out?"

Opie's eyebrows lifted at him knowingly as he took a pull from his cigarette. "Nope. I figured it out when you showed up on her doorstep after all that shit went down with her mom a few days ago."

With a cocky grin, Opie dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone, shaking it in Jax's face a little. "Juice set me up to get notifications on my phone anytime someone rings her doorbell. And even if I didn't have that, we installed security cameras on her front porch, you dumbass. Who do you think the feed goes to?"

Jax felt all the blood drain from his face, his eyes just about popping out of his head. He'd known that - been well aware of the security system put in place because he'd been the one to okay it. But that night, he was too preoccupied with needing to make sure she was okay to realize what he'd really been doing.

Shit, Gemma really had been right. He really had been sunk before he even started.

Opie quirked his eyebrows again. "You forgot about that, didn't ya?"

"Yes," Jax nodded firmly. "Yes, I did," and then he playfully lunged for Opie's phone, flipping it open to scan the screen for those notifications before Opie snatched it out of his hands and smacked him on the back of the head.

"Fuck you, that's my phone. You really need to learn some boundaries with other people's phones, you know that?"

Jax huffed out a laugh and held up both hands in defense. "A'ight. A'ight. My bad. But you're gonna delete those notifications, like, now, right?"

"Oh, I did that after the first night. I don't need to know how many times you're showin' up on her doorstep or when...or if you leave," Opie eyed him warily with a grin, and then his grin slipped a little. "But, maybe you should think about having Juice do the same for you. If she'll let you, that is. You know as well as I do that someday soon, Anna's gonna get desperate, and then a little more desperate, and then she'll be back. I just hope, for all our sakes, that you're there when she does."

"Yeah," Jax nodded with a heavy heart. "Me too."

They sat there in silence for a few more long moments, seated side-by-side on the front steps of T-M's office, staring out into the parking lot as the crowd started to clear a little more. Then, Opie turned to him with a sharp grin.

"Well," Opie clapped him on the shoulder. "Now that we got that outta the way, let's get to the part I was really lookin' forward to."

Jax cocked an eyebrow at him, flicking some ash from his cigarette as he narrowed his eyes at his VP a little.

"What's that?"

The hand on his shoulder tightened as Opie leaned in with some new menace that hadn't been there before. "I'm happy for you and all - Allie too - but if you hurt her, Jax, if you make her cry, if you fuck around on her...mark my words, brother, I will end you," Opie pointed a finger in Jax's face just to reiterate his point, "and I won't even feel bad about it. You got that?"

Jax swallowed hard, nodding a little numbly. "Yeah. I got that. I'm not gonna fuck around on her. She's it for me, Ope. And I can't promise I'll never make her cry...but I'll never hurt her on purpose. Is that good enough?"

And as those words fell from his lips, he knew how true they were. She really was it for him. There really was no one else, and there was never going to be. His gaze shifted back to Opie, who was studying him carefully. Opie's head tilted to the side, and having obviously seen whatever it was he needed to see, his face split apart into a wide grin.

"Yeah, brother," Opie smiled. "That's good enough."