Chapter Six: The Ride

For a second, Jax just stood there, watching me like he had all the time in the world. That smirk tugged at his mouth, his head tilted, eyes searching mine as if he was waiting for me to crack. When I didn't, when I just stared right back with my chest tight and my palms clammy, he let out a low chuckle and jerked his chin toward the door.

"C'mon, Trouble."

The cool night air hit me as we stepped outside, sharp enough to sober me from the whiskey warmth Piney had poured down my throat. The lot was half empty now, shadows stretching long under the buzzing floodlights. A few bikes sat in neat rows, their chrome catching glimmers of orange.

Jax moved slow, deliberate, hands shoved in his pockets like he wasn't in any hurry. I kept pace, though my pulse was racing ahead of me.

"So," he said finally, his voice easy, but I could hear the steel in it. "Why are you really back in Charming?"

I shrugged, eyes fixed on the ground. "Tying up loose ends."

He hummed, unconvinced. "Loose ends, huh? Drove all the way back here just for that?"

"Texas got boring," I tossed back, my tone flat.

Jax stopped walking, turning to face me fully. His blue eyes cut through me like headlights in the dark. "That all you're givin' me?"

I shrugged again, and that made him smirk wider. He moved closer, slow and smooth, until he was right in front of me, leaning against his bike with one hand on the handlebar like it belonged to him and always would.

"You know you're dodgin' me, right?"

"Maybe."

He leaned in a fraction, his voice dropping lower, quieter, meant only for me. "And you know I'm not gonna stop askin' until I get an answer I like."

That challenge lit something reckless in me. My lips curled, words tumbling out before I could stop them. "Then maybe you should teach me how to ride."

His brows lifted slightly, but he didn't flinch. That smirk was back, slower now, almost dangerous. "That so?"

"Yeah," I said, arms folding tight across my chest. "You show me how to handle this thing, and maybe I'll give you the answers you want."

He stared at me for a beat, his grin spreading until I wanted to slap it off him. Then he chuckled, shaking his head like I'd just walked straight into his game. "Alright, Trouble. You got yourself a deal."

He tapped the seat with his knuckles, then stepped aside, motioning for me to climb on. The bike sat still and heavy, but it thrummed with potential, the smell of oil and leather thick in the air. I swung a leg over, trying to look steadier than I felt, my fingers gripping the handlebars like they might bite.

Jax leaned against the front of the bike, hands braced on either handle, his face just inches from mine now, framed by the glow of the overhead light.

"Alright," he said, calm but firm, slipping into that instructive tone. "This here's your clutch. Don't fight her—feel her. Throttle's here. Gear shift down there. You ride rough, she'll buck you right off."

I nodded, trying to focus on his words instead of the way his eyes never left mine.

After a moment, I tilted my head. "So you're just gonna let me loose on this thing?"

That laugh rolled out of him, low and warm, his shoulders shaking as he leaned even closer over the bars. "Hell no. Last thing we need is Tig seein' us bust ass out here. I'd never hear the end of it."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Guess that'd ruin my big return."

"Guess it would," he said, still grinning.

Then his face sobered a little, his tone shifting. "We'll take her out on a backroad. Less eyes, less asphalt to eat if you dump it."

The words sent a thrill down my spine, hot and electric.

Something in me shifted. My fingers curled tight around the throttle, my heart hammering with fire instead of fear.

"Well?" I asked, meeting his gaze head-on. "We gonna do this, or not?"

Jax watched me for a long beat, then shook his head with a laugh. "Goddamn, you really haven't changed."

I twisted the key, and the engine roared to life under me, the vibration rattling my bones, steady and wild all at once. My amber eyes caught the glow of his blue ones, fire sparking against ice.

He straightened, running a hand down his jaw before chuckling again. "Christ."

And then, finally, he swung a leg over and slid in behind me, the heat of him settling close, steady hands bracketing me in place.