The Dangerous Curves Series

Chapter 17

Jax got to Dangerous Curves at seven o’clock on Wednesday evening, feeling nervous. One minute, he was sure Sarah would show up; the next, he was equally certain he’d never see her again. And he didn’t know which scenario freaked him out more.

Aidan grinned at his boss. “Hey, man.”

Jax sat at the bar, running his hands through his black hair over and over again. Aidan knew that was Jax’s big tell: the man was a bundle of nerves. “You got all the stuff?”

Aidan nodded. “Yep. Triple sec, cranberry juice, fresh limes. I even went out and got a cocktail shaker and the right kind of glass.”

He displayed it for Jax, who blinked at it in astonishment. “It’s called a martini glass. Very elegant, no?”

Jax nodded back at him, not having a clue what the hell else to do when confronted with fancy glassware. “Yeah. Nice.”

“Uh-huh.” Aidan was amused. “So, you think she’ll show?”

Jax automatically looked at the door. “Dunno.”

As he stared at it, it opened and he jumped to attention, but slumped a bit when he saw that it was Mac and King. They spied Jax and came over, smirking.

“What are you two doing here?” Jax said. “You never come in this early.”

They sat down, looking totally innocent.

“Just felt like a beer is all,” Mac said. “No such thing as too early for beer, is it?”

Jax stared at them. “You’re here to see if Red shows.”

“Oh, is Red coming tonight?” King asked. “We had no f*****g idea.”

Jax looked at Aidan accusingly.

“I may have mentioned it,” Aidan admitted. “Just in passing, you know?” He smirked. “When I called them this afternoon, and said you’d invited her back.”

Jax sighed, then jumped again as the door opened. And slumped again when he saw that it was one of the numerous blondes he’d f****d in one of the crash rooms.

Dear God. What the hell is wrong with me, anyway? I’m all tied up in knots over a woman I barely know. But Jesus Christ… just please let her walk through that door. Just this one favor, just this one time, OK? Please?

The door opened a third time and Jax got to his feet when he saw Sarah standing there. Her curls were wild and fiery, and she was wearing jeans and a loose blouse, and she looked f*****g amazing. Her blue eyes were brilliant and warm as she gazed across the room at Jax, and when she smiled at him, his heart jumped in his chest.

Oh, man. You’ve got it bad.

****

Sarah watched Jax walk across the bar floor to her, and took a steadying breath.

You’re just collecting on your bet, girl. That’s it. One drink, then you go. Maybe two. But no more than two. Any more than that, and you’ll end up in serious trouble. ‘Cause this guy? Has trouble written all over his gorgeous face. Dear God, look at those arms and that chest in that tight t-shirt.

Jax stopped right in front of her, those intense green eyes blazing down at her. “Hey, Red.”

“Hey, Stud.”

They grinned at each other.

He nodded towards the other men. “Come on. The boys want to say hi to you.”

Jax put one large hand on her lower back and gently steered her to the bar. She smiled at the guys and they stood up to greet her.

“Hey, sweet thing.” Mac gave her a hug, and Jax fought down the sudden urge to beat him senseless. It occurred to him that Mac had seen Sarah vulnerable and hurt in a way that none of the rest of them had, and that gave the two of them a kind of bond. Jax was fiercely sorry that he hadn’t been able to be there for her in that way, when she’d needed it so badly.

Mac pushed Sarah’s hair back off her face. “Let’s see you.” He gently touched the bruises under the makeup, removed the bandage to look at the stitches. “You look good. Any pain? Dizziness? Nausea?”

She shook her head. “None.”

“Really?”

“I swear.”

Mac gently put the bandage back on. “OK, then.”

King gave her a nod. “Listen, I’ve got your car over at my garage, and I figure it’ll be ready by tomorrow. Me and one of the boys will drive it over to you. Jax says that afternoons are good for you, between about one o’clock and five o’clock. Right?”

She stared. “I – sorry, what? You’ve replaced the slashed tires?”

“Yeah. And we did a few other repairs that needed doing, just while we were at it.”

She looked worried. “Oh, King. I don’t think I can afford…”

He waved his huge hand. “It’s all on me.”

That stopped her. “It is?”

“Yep.”

She regarded him, took in the warmth in his steady gray eyes. “Are you sure?”

“Yep.”

“Thank you,” she said softly. “I really appreciate it.”

He looked embarrassed and drank some beer. “So, me and Chris will drop it off around two-ish. That works for you?”

She nodded.

“OK, Sarah.” Jax’s hand was on her lower back again. “Let’s go sit in a booth. Aidan will bring you your drink.”

She looked over at Aidan. “You even got the fancy glass, I see.”

“You bet your sweet ass I did.” Aidan winked at her. “No way I was serving you your victory drink in a f*****g beer mug.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jax said gruffly. “Come on.”

He took her to the booth farthest from the bar and sat her down. He debated for a second, then slid in next to her. Sarah sucked in her breath as that large, muscular body settled just inches away from hers.

“This OK, doll?” he asked.

“Yeah.” Her voice sounded hoarse. “It’s fine.”