The Dangerous Curves Series

Chapter 100

“I’m not finished talking yet. Next up, whatever you think you’re taking from me, I can promise you that it’s nothingcompared to what you’re giving me… and no, I don’t mean s*x. I mean love, baby, and total forgiveness and understanding. You think just anyone would be able to look at my life, and all the s**t I’ve done, and still see any good in me? You think just anyone could know that I planned to kill their ex, and then forgive me for that? See the man that I’m trying so f*****g hard to be?”

“Jax...”

“Still not done, doll. I know that you’re not used to letting someone else take care of you, but you’d better f*****g learn how, and I mean damn quick. Because I’m not going to stop taking care of you, no matter how many mugs you throw across the room. You hear me? I love you, and you’re the most important thing in my life, and you’re mine to take care of. It won’t be like this forever – it’s just for now. So, let me, Sarah. Let me, just for now.”

Something inside of her broke, and Sarah covered her face and sobbed, hard enough to make her whole body shake. Jax crossed the kitchen in two steps, caught her in his arms. She was almost hyperventilating, and he ran his hands up and down her back, trying to calm her.

“Shhhh. Baby, breathe, OK? Just breathe for me.”

“I – I’m sorry… Jax, I’m so, so sorry…”

“Nuh-uh, none of that.” He stroked her hair. “No apologies… all I need right now is for you to come back to me.”

She held on tighter, inhaling the musky scent that was pure Jax. She couldn’t see, couldn’t think, couldn’t even stand unaided; all she could do was cry and hold on to him. She lost all track of time, stopped caring about anything except being in Jax’s arms – and being forgiven.

Jax held her until her breathing evened out, then he picked her up and carried her to the living room sofa. He sat, cradling her in his lap, and she pressed her face to his chest, gripped his thickly-muscled shoulders. Small tremors still shook her every few seconds, but at least she looked like herself.

“Sarah? You with me again?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Only maybe?”

“I feel so stupid… I can’t believe what I said to you.” Her voice was small, embarrassed. “It was so ugly.”

“It had to be said, so that I could tell you how wrong you were. That’s out of the way now, and we can leave it in the dust. Agreed?”

“Yes. Agreed.”

“Look at me.”

She tipped her head back and gazed up at him. They studied each other, looking for scorch marks and other wounds inflicted by their words.

“You OK?” he said softly.

“Yes. You?”

“You know it.” He pressed a kiss to her lips, hot, soft. “I love you.”

“I love you.”

They sat quietly now, watching the mountain sunset through the huge window. Sarah felt her eyes get heavier, and she let them close. Jax smiled as she drifted off against him, her face relaxed and sweet.

He waited until he was sure that she was completely out, then he carried her down the hall and tucked her into bed carefully. Our bed. He dropped a tiny kiss on her forehead, then went back into the kitchen to clean up the broken glass.

****

A few nights later, Jax was at Dangerous Curves, trying hard to not call Sarah every ten minutes. She was better since her outburst, but she’d doubled down on her physio, and spent every spare moment reading about design software. She seemed determined to get back to work, and even though he couldn’t blame her, he could still worry.

Aidan Carter set down a beer in front of his boss and studied him closely. Aidan’s sharp eyes didn’t miss much, as Jax knew all too well, and he didn’t even bother trying to conceal anything from his bartender now.

“What’s up, man?” Aidan asked, his warm Texan drawl the perfect accompaniment to his golden hair and eyes. The man was like a sunrise, all glowing and bright, even in the half-light at Curves. “Sarah OK?”

“Not so much.” Jax took a sip of beer. “She’s getting frustrated that she can’t remember things and can’t work. She wants the healing to happen faster than it is.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty normal,” Mac said. “Has she started throwing stuff yet?”

Jax sighed. “Perfectly innocent tea mugs.”

“Uh-huh. Well, my advice is to stock up on dishes and learn to duck.”

“Really?” Aidan said. “It’ll be like this for a while?”

Doctor Shane ‘Mac’ MacIntyre shrugged his enormous shoulders. “Well, how would you feel, if you had to go back to being a child in so many ways? Christ, the woman couldn’t even walk two months ago and she’s totally dependent on Jax to help her up a set of stairs half the time. She can’t work, can’t pay the bills, can’t handle things for Noah anymore… and Sarah’s the one who took care of everyone and everything until recently. You think it isn’t killing her pride and messing with her head?”

“Yeah,” Jax said. “It is. She’s struggling.”

“Hang tough, Jax.” Mac’s voice was gentle. “She’s got an amazing support system and she’s a strong woman. She’ll come out the other side. I’ve seen thousands of patients emerge from comas and suffer brain trauma, and she’s one I’d bet on to make it through.”

“Yeah?” Jax said.

“Oh, hell, yeah.”