Chapter 2 Taunting Words

Climbing in his car, he pulls out of the garden and speeds off.

This weekend will be dull. Roxanne is at her parents so he is alone. He drives to the familiar building. Walking in as always, he is greeted with nothing but smiles and warm welcomes. He stalks to the bar and orders a drink, his head shaking as he downs it.

"You look worse than usual man, you okay?" Jax turns to face Lucas.

"You were here? What the fuck, Lucas! Melodie is sitting waiting for you at home! I told her you were due back in the country this morning." Jax shakes his head. He went straight to check on Melodie when he got back three days ago, but he knew Lucas wasn't back until this morning.

"I spoke to her. She has plans tonight and told me not to waste my time going home. Apparently, things are getting more serious with that Jake guy." Jax looks at Lucas. He thought he had scared him off.

"And you're not stopping it?" Jax stares at him shocked, as Lucas shakes his head. "She will get hurt, Lucas. That's your fucking daughter!"

He laughs and nods at Jax, which only irritates him more.

"And she will heal. Come on, Jax. I have been chasing away guys for years. All it's done is make me hurt her. Maybe having her heart broken by a guy who just wants to fuck her will help make her see that her wild nights out hoping she finds love won't work."

Jax stares at him. How could he be so cold? "You would honestly just sit here, knowing that tonight he will be fucking her, only to walk away straight after and never call her again? That's your damn daughter, Lucas."

Lucas nods, laughing. "I will because I know Melodie, Jax. When it comes to her seeing him in the street after he ignores her, she will have his balls as earrings. She isn't a weak girl, you know that, Jax." He does, but the thought of her crying, hurting, rips his heart open.

"So, what's up with you anyway?" Lucas moves and sits next to him, Jax shaking his head. Like he can tell him.

"The usual: can't find the right submissive for me."

Lucas smiles at Jax as he nods. "Speaking of submissives, I should go find my little pet. I have left her alone for a little longer than I wanted." He turns and walks away.

Jax looks out onto the dance floor, his eyes observing the women as they dance, slowly walking towards them. He stops, his gaze settling on a woman dancing.

"Let me guess, black leather skirt?" Jax turns to the familiar sound of Alex. He looks at him, confused by his words.

"Come on, Jax, your submissives, they all look alike. Whoever you're trying to get out of your head won't disappear like that. Fuck her, whoever the lass is, and get her out of your head. These copycats won't solve your problem." Jax feels his jaw clench. He would never just fuck Melodie and walk. He wouldn't even fuck her. That damn kiss has been eating at him all night. He ignores Alex and walks towards the dance floor, his finger beckoning the woman towards him. He watches as her hips swing slowly and she moves gracefully to him.

"Lovely to see you, Jax." She smiles at him, her hand going into his as he leads her through the building back to one of the rooms. He knows this won't solve the feelings inside him, but it will dull them for now. He knows he has to stay away from Melodie, and he is sure he can. He will go on missions, come back and stay the hell out of her life unless it was needed or he was at the house to see Lucas. Even then, he won't stay in a room alone with her.

Two years later.

Jax sits at the table while Lucas talks away, but he can't hear his words, his mind on everything else, too much happening for him to concentrate.

"Are you even listening?" Lucas snaps. Jax lifts his gaze to him. "Look, I get it. Two years you have had Alisa. Move on, Jax. What's the alternative? Agree to love her and leave your wife?"

Jax nods. He knows he is right. Alisa is amazing, but he sees it in her face: her falling in love with him, which was a big no-no for him. He has Roxanne, his wife. He couldn't love another woman like that. He couldn't agree to, and hell, he couldn't let Alisa think she was loved like his wife and risk her deciding she wanted kids.

"A year, Jax. Take the year to relax, find someone new. Hell, go on holiday. You won't get this year back. Your work is here, so enjoy it. A month or two and then no work at all for the rest of the year." Jax nods. He knows Lucas is right. "Seriously, your 'It hurts; she loves me' shit is too much. Either accept it and leave Roxanne, or forget it. I leave tonight. It's my last 6 months, and then I stop it all, Jax. Any updates I will let you know. Any orders I will let you know." Lucas's hand pushes through his hair as he looks at Jax frustrated.

"I will leave with you and go home." Jax smiles up to him, finishing his coffee as Lucas shakes his head.

"No, you won't. Melodie wants to see you. She is hella pissed off that you ran out the other day when she got home."

Jax laughs. He had bolted and fucking fast. He has hardly spent any time alone with Melodie for a reason. For two years he has pretty much avoided being alone with her.

"Seriously, just stay, say hi. You're like her brother, Jax. Don't fucking hurt her and ignore her." Lucas stands up and walks out, leaving him sitting alone.

He could do it: sit here, say hello. That's all he needs to do. Sitting, he waits, the door opening not long after. He can hear the heels along the hall, his eyes catching a glimpse of her legs first as his eyes follow up her body. She stops at the door and looks at him, an amused look on her face.

"You're slow today." She looks at Jax, smiling. "Are you forgetting this is where you run like hell from this child you're so damn scared of, Jax?"

He feels his eyes rolling at her. "Not running. I just thought I would say hi then walk." He stands up. This was stupid. He can't do this.

"You're really going to just walk out of here, just like that, Jax?"

He turns and looks at her confused. "I am because I don't exactly owe you fuck all, Melodie. You have seen me, so now I can leave."

She stands glaring at him. "Do you just enjoy seeing me in pain? Is that it, Jax? You like watching me hurt over you, in pain, wondering what the hell I did to get such a cold-arsed shoulder from you?"

Jax turns to look at her, his expression as cold as ice. "You don't know what fucking pain is. You're a child." He can't do this. He takes a breath as he catches the anger and hurt in her eyes.

"You bastard." Her words scream as she swings to hit him, his hand catching hers before it hits his face and he pins her against the wall. "You don't know pain, Jax. You're the one who refuses to let anyone in. You're the one running from something because you're scared. You don't know pain. Even your wife isn't your fucking wife."

Jax moves, glaring at her. "Don't you bring Roxanne into this. God, I swear you will regret it." He stands still, grasping her wrists.

"Why? Because you're scared you will agree? Come on, Jax, even my dad said you both regret the marriage and are only staying together to please her family because her daddy would hate for his princess to get a divorce, or her being with that other guy."

Jax's jaw clenched with anger. "Melodie, my wife and marriage have nothing to do with you or anyone else."

She nods smiling. "How's Alisa? That had to have hurt, Jax, hearing her say she loves you, knowing you can't say it back even if you wanted to because, let's face it, Roxanne will cry and you feel will bad."

Jax closes his eyes. Why does she have to do this?

"She is just another in the long list of women you want to fuck to try to get me out of your head. It isn't working though, is it, Jax?" She stands staring at him, Jax shaking his head. If he kisses her, he won't stop. He has missed her.

"Enough, Melodie! My submissives have nothing to do with you. You have it all wrong." His voice is loud as she laughs.

"Yeah, because, let's be honest, as your eyes raked across my legs and up to my breasts, your jeans didn't get tighter, did they? I mean, let's be honest, Jax, that isn't your hot, hard cock pushing against my stomach right now, is it? Am I wrong? Is my dad more your thing? Is that what made you so fucking hard?"

He glances up at her. He can't do this. Letting go, he turns and walks out.

"That's it, Jax, run away. Keep running because soon, when you run to me, I will say no."

His body stops at the door. Melodie smiles, feeling like she has won. His eyes close as he shakes his head and opens the door, walking out. He needs to just stay away, far away from her. He can't give her what she wants and craves. He is married to Roxanne, and Melodie wouldn't settle for just being his submissive. Hell, she couldn't be a submissive anyway.