Chapter 23
SAYLOR
The phone rang twice before she heard, “Do I need to send an extraction team to come and save your ass?”
She laughed. “Mater, you send Ty down here, and I’d have to kick his ass to prove a point. You really want to lose one of your best fighters?”
“Boy could use a good knock back down to earth,” Mater grumbled. “If he weren’t so damn talented, I’d have kicked him to the curb long ago. Now, what’s going on that’s made you call so soon? Them bikers giving you trouble?”
He always was astute, she’d give him that. “Not in the way you’re thinking,” she admitted with a sigh. “The good news is that the issue with my ex is over. I don’t have to run anymore.”
Mater was silent for a moment. “But you’re thinking of staying,” he finally guessed.
“A part of me is, yeah,” she admitted. “But the other part of me wants to come home and return to normal.”
“What’s making you want to stay? Or maybe it’s a who?”
Smart bastard. “It’s a who but also a what. One of the men here, he’s…he’s caught my attention and wants me to stay. He wants me to make a go of it with him. And some of the people in this club are amazing. You’d love them. Two of the women would wipe the floor with your guys without breaking a sweat.”
“And you think if you stay, you’re going to regret it?”
“That, and I worry it’s too much too fast. I mean, I’ve been living on the road for a month. Maybe I’m just missing human interaction, and now I’m mistaking lust for something more.”
Mater snorted. “Saylor, that’s the biggest load of bullshit I’ve ever heard. You are one of the most level-headed people I know, and you don’t do rash decisions. You don’t mistake anything. You know your own mind and you reach for what you want with both hands. That’s who you are, and if someone is making you doubt that, then you best be kicking their ass to the curb.”
“Only if I can kick my own ass there,” she joked. “Honestly, it’s me. It just feels too fast, too sudden.”
“Women love to overthink things,” he grumbled. “Look, it’s a simple question. Do you want to stay? Your gut reaction, not the one that’s banging around in that overcrowded head of yours.”
“Yes,” she replied instantly, her stomach jittering at the realization that she did indeed want to stay. Wanted to give Jax a shot. “Shit.”
Mater chuckled. “And this guy that has you so tied up in knots, you want him?”
“Yes.”
“Then you have your answer. So now the question is, do you want me to pack up your things and have them sent to you?”
Saylor snorted. “And have you going through all my stuff? Or worse, the guys? I don’t think so. They don’t need to find my vibrators and shit.”
Mater made a sound of disgust. “Fucking hell, Saylor, I don’t need to know that shit. Fine, come home and we’ll help you pack, but we’ll stay out of your personal items, how’s that?”
“I need to find a place first. Not to mention, the car still needs to be fixed.”
“Just let me know when you’re on your way, and I’ll make sure your car is ready and a moving company is booked to get your things. The only thing I want you to promise me is that if shit goes sideways for you and this guy, you call me. Don’t give a damn about the day or time. I want a call and we’ll bring you back. Got it?”
A lump formed in her throat. “Got it.” God, she was going to miss him. “And you promise to come down and see me?”
“Count on it,” Mater drawled. “I might be sending some of these young bastards your way for you to teach them a lesson. Have those other girls help you too, really make them humble.”
Saylor laughed. “They would probably jump at the chance, so yeah, I think I could do that.”
Mater was silent for a moment. “I’m going to miss you, kid.”
That lump grew bigger. “I’m going to miss you too, Mater. But I promise I’ll call, and I’ll visit.”
“If you don’t, I’ll be down to kick your ass myself,” Mater said gruffly. “Now, that’s enough of that mushy shit. You go and figure your shit out, then let me know when you’re on your way back.”
“Alright,” she said with a soft smile. “Thanks, Mater. For everything.” She meant that more than he could ever imagine. Mater hung up, but she felt the emotion through the phone. He’d be alright, but it was nice to know that he was going to miss her too.
She pulled her phone away, and then let out a yelp of surprise when she saw Jax standing just inside the room, watching her. His expression was intense, but he didn’t move toward her. “Eavesdropping?” she chided lightly, trying to push away some of her nerves and awkwardness, two very unusual feelings for her.
Jax walked into the room and shut the door behind him, locking it. The sound of the lock snicking into place loud in the silence, and she tried not to fidget where she was sitting on his bed. He turned back to her. “Did you mean it?” he finally asked carefully. “You’re going to stay?”
She swallowed. This was the moment where she was either going to sink or swim, and even though he said plenty that he wanted her to stay, that didn’t mean that now that reality was knocking on the door, he wouldn‘t change his mind. “I was thinking about it,” she hedged. “You know, if I can find a place, and if you still want me to…umphhh.”
Jax moved fast, knocking her back on the bed, her phone flying from her hand as she landed and he moved over her, taking her lips with his. His kiss was desperate, claiming her mouth, making her feel things that she couldn’t name, but relief was mixed in there as well. She guessed that she didn’t have to worry about him rejecting her. At least, not based on this kiss.
When he finally pulled away, he looked down at her and rasped, “You have no idea how much I want you to stay here, Saylor. I was prepared to fight dirty to make it happen.”
She arched a brow. “Oh? And how were you going to do that?”
“I was going to borrow some of Rogue’s restraints and tie you to the bed.”
She blinked at him. “I have so many questions about that, but we’ll hold on to them for now. Because we both know you wouldn’t be able to do that without me kicking your ass.”
Jax smirked down at her. “Maybe we’ll have to try it out and see,” he suggested seductively, quickly gripping her hands and pulling them above her head, pinning them. A rush of desire filled her belly, and she instinctively arched into him, making him groan. “Baby, we still have things to talk about, so don’t be distracting me,” he warned her, but he pressed his growing hard-on against her belly, letting her know how affected he was.
“We do,” she agreed, but she still tilted her hips against him again. “But I think that we can hold that thought for now, don’t you? Maybe you should remind me of what I’m staying here for?”
He took her for her word, and within minutes she was naked and moaning his name as he ate her out in spectacular fashion. Her hands clenched into his hair, her body arching into his mouth as he tortured her. Fuck, the things this man could do with his tongue, she would stay for that alone. He knew exactly how much pressure and suction to apply to drive her to the edge within seconds. “Jax,” she moaned as he fucked her with his tongue.
He kept torturing her until she fell over the edge with a scream. Her entire body convulsed, and then he was moving, lining himself up. He groaned as he pushed deeper and deeper inside her until he was fully seated. “Fuck, your pussy is fucking perfect, baby,” he groaned, his green eyes meeting hers.
“Jax, move, please,” she gasped, wrapping her legs around his waist and arching her hips.
He hooked his hands under her thighs, holding her in place as he pulled out and pushed back in. He kept the pace slow and even until she couldn’t take it anymore, and her nails scored along his arms in desperation. He let out a hiss, but it spurred him on. He moved faster, pounding into her in just the way she needed. “Yes, yes, yes,” she cried, her orgasm building fast, her body straining and reaching for it.
“That’s it, baby,” Jax crooned, thrusting against her so hard that the bed rocked. “Give it to me, Saylor. Give it to me.”
Saylor couldn’t have held it back if she tried. Especially when he changed the angle just right and one hand came down, his thumb pressing against her clit and rubbing it in firm circles. Her orgasm hit her hard, and she shrieked his name, uncaring if anyone else heard. Jax let out a low growl as he furiously pounded inside her until he came with a hard groan, his entire body going taut.
Finally, he collapsed over her and then rolled them both to the middle of the bed, with her sprawled over him. Their breathing was choppy, and their hearts were pounding, but neither of them said a word as they laid there, their eyes closed. Finally, Saylor cracked an eye open and joked huskily, “I guess that was enough to make me stay, but you’re going to have to prove it to me daily for the next few months.”
Jax gave a low chuckle. “I think I can do that,” he agreed. They were quiet for another moment, but then he said, “I want you to be happy here, Saylor. You tell me what you need from me to make that happen.”
Saylor lifted her head and looked at him, the post-orgasm glow beginning to fade. “I need us to take things slow,” she admitted. “Because I never figured this would happen to me. And while I think I have a pretty good handle on who you are, it’s literally been two days. I’m going to need more than that to feel confident that we’re going to make it. And I need you to promise to be honest with me. I’m not talking about club business. I mean that when it comes to you and me, you’re honest if I do shit that bothers you, or if something upsets you. That includes if you don’t think this is working, or if you don’t want me in your life anymore. And I’ll do the same with you.”
He nodded soberly. “I can promise that. I’m big on honesty myself, so I want that to be an important thing between us. You’re right that we don’t know much about each other, all things considered, but I already know that I want to know more about you. I want to know what makes you tick, what makes you laugh, what makes you smile, and what makes you want to brain me with the closest blunt object. And I want to know what it’s like waking up to you every day.”
“Hold your horses, slim,” she said firmly, pushing herself up so that she slid off him and then turned to face him as she sat on the bed, uncaring that she was naked and he was spilling out of her. She’d deal with that later, though from the way his gaze heated as it fell to her center, he was enjoying the sight. “I said slow, remember? That means you are not moving in with me. I’m going to find a place in town, and we’re going to get to know each other.”
Jax brought his gaze back up to hers. “You can do that,” he agreed. “But I’ll be at your place every damn night, unless I’m out on a run or needed here for something.”
She stared at him. “Jax…”
“Saylor,” he mimicked. “If you’re going to be here, then I’m going to spend my free time with you. And since I only have this room, that means we’re going to be spending that time at whatever apartment you decide on. Or, if we’re here for a club party, we’ll spend the night here and go back to your place in the morning.”
“Jax, I need space and privacy too,” she told him as patiently as she could. “I have to work, and there are going to be times that I don’t want to spend every waking minute with you. If we spend too much time together, we’ll get sick of each other.”
“Fine, I’ll come to the clubhouse when you need space, but I’ll be back in time for us to go to sleep,” he suggested. “I’m serious, Saylor, we can do anything else as slow as you like, but I won’t budge on this. I’m not spending the night away from you, and I want it clear that we’re together. We’ll be out of each other’s hair during the day when we’re both working; that’s plenty of time for you to be away from me.”
“And how are you going to manage when I’m messy and leave shit everywhere?” she asked him. “Jax, it’s going to be a huge adjustment for the two of us. Here, this is your space, and I’ll always be respectful of that. I’ll keep it clean just the way you need it, but in my own space, I don’t know that I could give that to you right away. Which is exactly why I want to take things slow. Ease us both into it and make sure that we’re going to work out before we take such a huge step.”
“You moving here isn’t already a huge step? As for the rest of it, I know I need to work on that, so this can be the start. I’m not saying it’s not going to bother me, and I’m going to probably be an asshole in the beginning, but if you’re willing to be patient with me, I know we can get through it. We have to compromise. But we can’t do that if we’re not together.”
She wanted to argue more, but instead, she said, “I just need you to go slow with me, Jax. I’m giving up a lot and putting a lot of trust in the idea of us. And while I have somewhere to go back to if shit goes south, you could break my heart, and I don’t like knowing that.”
Jax sobered. “I don’t want to break your heart, Saylor. I want you to give it to me and know it’s safe. Just like I want to give you mine.”
“Is that your way of saying you love me?” she asked him.
He paused, and she could see the wheels turning in his head. Finally, he answered, “I think I’m on my way. To me, it feels like I’m sliding down a slippery slope, but I haven’t hit the bottom yet. And part of that is just that this is so new. But I definitely feel something for you. Before you, I would have talked you into my bed, left you with a smile on your face, and then walked away. But with you, the idea of leaving you makes me feel like I’m losing my mind. It’s fucking scary shit, but at the same time, I can’t get enough.”
She stared at him. She hadn’t expected that, but since he was honest, she supposed she should be too. “I’m feeling the same way. And it’s scaring the shit out of me, too. I’ve never felt this connected to anyone in my past, and it’s weird as hell. So if I’m going to be patient with you, then you need to be just as patient with me. I will probably panic and try to push you away a few times. That’s my MO. Just promise to stick it out with me, okay?”
“I promise,” he said, reaching to cup her face in his hands. “We’re going to do this, Saylor, and the two of us are going to be stronger once we get our shit sorted, okay? We talk, we figure out our shit, and we make it work. Eventually, I want you wearing my patch; I want everyone to know that you’re mine. And I want us to build a house on the grounds and live our lives happy and surrounded by the club and our family.”
Saylor smiled softly. “With the amount of people around here, that’s going to be one big family,” she quipped. Jax chuckled. “But, yeah, it doesn’t sound as scary as it probably should. So. One day at a time?”
“One day at a time,” he agreed, leaning forward to give her a soft kiss. Then he pulled away and asked, “So who was that you were talking to on the phone? You sounded close.”
She smiled. “That was Mater. He runs the gym back home, and he’s taken me under his wing, so to speak. He’s been a father figure to me, but the kind where he doesn’t know what to do with a girl. Especially one that likes to hit back. He’s going to help me get packed up. I’m hoping that once I get settled, he come out here and visit me. I think you’ll like him.”
“If he’s important to you, then I’m sure I will,” Jax said with a smile. But then he frowned. “Wait, you said he’s going to help? You’re going back?”
Saylor arched a brow. “What, did you think I was going to abandon all my stuff and start all over? Do I look like I’m made of money?”
“I could?—”
“Nope,” she interrupted. “That is a hard no, Jax. I’m not taking your money. What you’re going to do is fix my car -well, technically Mater’s car -and then I’m going to drive back to return it to him. From there, I’m going to alert my local clients I’m moving, then pack up my stuff. Mater is going to help me get it transported here. I’ll probably be gone two, maybe three weeks, and then I’ll be back.”
Jax looked away and then finally back at her. “What if you get there and you change your mind?” he asked carefully.
Saylor paused. Would she? She supposed it was a possibility, but right now, it didn’t seem like one. “Anything could happen, Jax,” she said after a moment. “While I’m away, you could realize that you’d rather go back to bachelor life. Either way, I need to go back. We either let the time and distance pull us apart, or we use it to make sure we don’t.”
He sighed. “Maybe I should go with you.”
She shook her head. “No. You’re needed here, and I need the time to get my life in order without distraction. Now that no one is after me, I can head back knowing I’m safe, and you don’t have to worry about me.”
“I’ll always worry about you,” he huffed. “I’m not happy about it, but I know you’re right.”
She grinned at him. “Just remember that phrase, and I have a feeling we’ll get along just fine,” she told him.
His expression morphed into amusement, and he said, “Something tells me I’ll be saying that a lot.”
She chuckled, and leaned forward to kiss him. “You’d be right. And just remember, when you get too bossy, there are quite a few ladies around that will help me bury your body.”