Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The storage room smelled overwhelmingly of mildew. Jax would prefer to get out of here if the man he was racketeering would just let himself be racketeered. 

“That won’t work for me,” the electronics store owner pressed, throwing his stumpy, air-filled arms onto the box he was using for a table. He was a yellow balloon dog. A nametag taped straight to his body read 'Balloonsby'.

Jax shook his head. “I’m not asking what works for you. I’m telling you what works for me.”

Balloonsby scoffed. “You’re asking for way too much. I don’t even make that in a year! Look, I’ll pull up my sales records.” Rubber squeaked horribly against a phone screen as he rapidly searched.

“Put that away,” Ragatha said. “We’re not talking about your legitimate profits.” She crossed her legs and leaned back against Jax’s chest. She was perched side-saddle on his lap, a deep maroon scoop neck dress highlighting her body.

Ragatha played with her pearls as she talked. “Word around town is, you’ve been making most of your money jailbreaking devices and crypto-shredding data that people can’t risk being reconstructed. Not that bad on its own, but it’s your clients that’ll get you in trouble...”

Ask me how I know. About two months ago, one bad client had flipped Ragatha’s entire life upside down, not that she was unhappy with how things had shaken out. 

“What she said,” Jax said. “Don’t play stupid; this is a really nice fucking offer. You know you won’t be able to hack it by yourself forever.” 

Jax wanted to wrap this up and move on to the more fun part of the day—clearing out Ragatha’s apartment, where it’d be nice and private.

Zooble spoke up from where they guarded the closed door. “If it isn’t us, it’ll be someone else. Probably someone meaner.” Two of their arms were crossed, and the third jiggled a gun at the balloon animal. 

Plasticky sweat dripped down Balloonsby’s featureless face. He was still messing around on his phone. 

“Put the phone down,” Ragatha repeated. “If you’re contacting the police, it’ll be worse for you than it will be for us. I already have all the evidence necessary to convince a judge to put you in jail.” 

The device slipped from Balloonsby’s big, sweaty balloon paws and thumped against the box below. His frustration spilled over. 

“Why are you even here?” he asked Ragatha. His transparent yellow nose pointed between Zooble and Jax. “I know who you two are, though everyone’s assured me I don’t need to worry about the one remaining Harland, since the only news we ever hear is which escort has been to his mansion last.” A cartoon lightbulb appeared above his head. “Oh! Well, that explains the girl.” 

Jax growled, and Ragatha felt like growling, too. Still, she put her mitten on the chest of Jax’s handsome pinstriped jacket to remind him that he wanted to project an image of control. He glanced at her and swallowed down the rest of the rumbling. She was proud to see the unnerving grin he replaced it with. 

Unbothered, smart, calmly assertive. Just slightly unpredictable. They’d worked on this image together; a hopefully effective attitude that looked natural on Jax.

“This is Ragatha Kelly.” Jax’s hand traveled up her spine to play with her hair. She leaned her head back to let her locks dangle for him. “My girlfriend. Since you like her so much, she’s just become my representative in this matter.”

“What?”

“I’ll get comfortable while you two work this out.” Jax adjusted Ragatha in his lap, pulling her closer. He rested his chin on her shoulder from behind.

“I can see that you’re bored with my tiny business, Mr. Harland,” Balloonsby said bitterly, “but I need to negotiate the cost of protection to something I can afford.” 

“So negotiate,” Jax murmured against Ragatha’s neck. 

“Right. I’d love to, if you’d do me the decency of eye contact!” 

Jax gave him eye contact; the look on Jax’s face made Balloonsby shrink down and shut up. 

“Negotiate with her,” Jax said, before he tucked his face back close to Ragatha’s cheek. “She’s better at it, anyway. I won’t tell you again.”

He showed the balloon animal his claws—which Balloonsby took a step away from—then wrapped them back around Ragatha’s waist. 

“Ragatha,” Balloonsby started reluctantly.

“We aren’t on a first-name basis,” Ragatha said.

The store owner looked around. The longer he was trapped, the more legitimate and illegitimate customers he missed out on. Zooble had locked the front door.

“Ms. Kelly,” Balloonsby tried again, and Ragatha let him speak this time. “The most I can give you per month is half of what you’ve asked for.” 

“The facts don’t support that,” Ragatha said. “Due to your ironically weak cybersecurity defenses, we have reports on what you charge, as well as how many clients you’ve taken care of. You have a nice thing going on in the back of your store, Mr. Balloonsby Twist...” she trailed off, distracted by a gentle but insistent nudging as Jax nosed her cheek.

Aw, Jax, she thought. It’s going fine.

She’d guessed that in-person business would make Jax antsy at first, after a lifetime of seeing as few people as possible. He’d nearly canceled on the way here despite it being his idea (though he’d been full of inebriated courage when he’d made the plan last night). When he nosed Ragatha again, she raised a hand to pet him.

Balloonsby had no eyes, but there was a distinct impression of staring as Ragatha’s mitten swiped rhythmically up the bridge of Jax’s nose.

“All we want is our cut,” Ragatha went on. “After all, Jax is the only reason you get away with this untaxed side gig. Everyone who isn’t an idiot knows why the rules are different on this side of Buffalo. Are you an idiot?” 

“No,” Balloonsby finally found his voice. “While I enjoy modest profits, I invest a huge portion back into the business. I’m expanding. I have staff who take on my work overflow; I have to pay them. I can’t give you such a huge cut.” 

Ragatha nodded, pleased that the man was finally focused on convincing her rather than Jax. “Well, now that you’re being honest, I’m sure we can work something out.”

She spun the contract they’d presented Balloonsby back around to herself and plucked a red felt-tip pen from her gold-colored clutch purse. She changed a few amounts owed and signed her initials next to the alterations.

“We’ll adjust what you pay depending on the changing revenue each month, ensuring there’s always enough to pay your staff and the fees associated with the building. A fixed percent of the net profit. That’ll work for us.” She turned the document to the store owner, handing him the pen. 

Balloonsby hesitated. “Isn’t there any better deal I can get? That percent is still kind of high...” 

Oh, no, sir. That’s the smart mouth fee for scrutinizing me earlier.

“Make me happy, and I’m open to discussing it again in a year.” Ragatha elegantly posed her hand in the air, curling her fingers. She kept her chin up. “You are, of course, always welcome to move your business out of Jax’s territory if it’s too expensive.”

Balloonsby took a moment to decide before he finally slumped. “I’ve made a lot more since I moved here. I’d be an idiot to leave.” He floated the pen over the contract and signed in balloon letters. “I just hope you’ll be open to renegotiating a bit sooner... How about in six months?” 

“Two years,” Ragatha said. The balloon animal looked so deflated. Would it be more profitable to throw him a ray of hope? Something to motivate him. “Or...if your business doubles in size before then, that’d be good for both of us. I’ll consider renegotiating at that point.” 

Balloonsby latched onto the opportunity to get a better deal in the future. “I’m sure it will! Especially since I can stop sneaking around now that you’ve found me.” He rubbed his face shyly; everything squeaked. “Please, forgive my mouth earlier. I was upset that I had to pay.” 

“Hm,” Ragatha neither accepted nor rejected the apology. “I’ll let Jax’s network know we’re backing your business. You may see some new customers. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing for anyone.” 

They wrapped up the meeting on amicable terms as Ragatha provided Balloonsby with information about becoming a partner with Harland-Wiseman Software. 

Jax held her hand on the way out. “Good job, Raggy. I can’t believe he seemed to kind of like you at the end.” He thought about that for longer. “Wait a minute...” His head whipped back towards the store, his teeth bared. 

Ragatha tugged him along before he could try to go back, although she never minded Jax’s jealousy as much as she probably should. It made her feel coveted. “It was nothing like that, Jax. He was happy that his finances weren’t screwed forever.”

“I’m just glad he didn’t have anything dangerous on him,” Jax said. “You never know when it’s in person.” 

“I don’t think he can even carry anything dangerous,” Ragatha said. “What if he popped himself?” 

Jax side-eyed her, his smirk pushing the corner of his eye. “Absolutely demented comment.”

Ragatha giggled. “I’m being genuine, though. He could.”

They settled into a shared prideful buzz. It felt amazing that their first in-person attempt to bring someone in had gone perfectly.

Ragatha stopped at the Rolls-Royce, and Jax went ahead of her to open the back door before helping her into the tall vehicle. Little chivalrous things like that, which she never would’ve thought Jax was capable of when she’d met him, still made her giddy. 

With it being mid-August, the car was an oven inside. Zooble cranked the AC. Ragatha lifted her curls to cool her cheeks and neck.

“I don’t have the address to your old office anymore,” Zooble said. “Really nice work in there, by the way.” 

Ragatha’s chest warmed at the compliment. “I’ll text you the address.” They would clear it out today, along with her apartment. The fact that they were already in the city was why Jax had thought of swinging by Balloonsby’s store in person, rather than calling as they usually did.

Drunk Jax had set it up to show off the leaderly attitude he was developing, but it had turned out okay for sober Jax despite some nerves. Ragatha adored watching his confidence grow. She was pleased that she’d been able to help.

That wasn’t JUST helping. I led it completely. He entrusted it to me.

I impressed him. 

Not that she needed that validation, but...it sure was nice to have it, anyway. She felt light and bubbly all over. They’d been sitting in the car for a minute. Shoot, I’m supposed to be doing something.

Ragatha dug her phone out of her clutch. Every time she saw that tiny contacts list of only Jax’s staff in her new phone, it brought her a deep sense of peace. She quickly shared her old office address with Zooble. 

Meanwhile, Jax slipped in beside her and threw an arm around her shoulders, forgoing his seatbelt. They always kept the middle divider up for the best access to each other. “I hate to say it, but that was a hundred times easier than doing it over the phone.” 

“That’s why Pomni’s been begging for help,” Ragatha said. “She needs big scary bunnies like you to get people to agree to things.”

The Rolls slipped into traffic. Off to the next thing. The day had started strong, with a victory. She could only hope the rest of it would go as smoothly.

“Yeah, yeah.” Jax rolled his eyes, but Ragatha knew he liked what she’d said. “She needs clever kitties way more. I couldn’t have come up with half of the bullshit you convinced that guy with.” 

She could listen to this praise all day. “Yes, you could’ve—if you’d read the papers I helped you with this morning.” 

“I tried to read them, but something distracting happened.” He smiled wider, and his face dipped close to hers. The hand not around her shoulders tipped her chin. “What was it, again?” 

This was bait that Ragatha was eager to fall for. She let out an exaggerated sigh. 

“I’ll show you one more time,” she said, cupping his cheek and closing the gap. The volume of Zooble’s weird abstract music turned up to drown out loud, wet, enthusiastic kissing. 

Jax had barely gotten to second base, only one of his hands on Ragatha’s chest over her dress, when his phone barked to life with contact from someone he’d hoped to ignore until far later in the day.

“Well, look at this! Guess you survived!” Caine said, muffled by Jax’s jacket pocket. “Someone forgot to notify me that he was done in there.” 

Jax glared at his hand, which was literally mid-squeeze. “Yet you figured it out anyway, because you still fucking spy on me even when I tell you I’m good and I want you to do something else.” 

Caine continued on as if Jax had said nothing. “The rabbit also forgot to give me a list of items to follow up on with Balloonsby.”

Ragatha gently removed Jax’s hand, and he conceded that the moment had been ruined. He glumly melted against her instead, using her as a pillow. Her arms settled on his back.

“What’s with this rabbit thing?” Jax asked. This stupid new nickname that Caine kept using felt retaliatory as hell. “You know that I didn’t forget. You don’t work on racketeering anymore.”

During a Harland Hill visit the week before, everyone had left their electronics inside and gone to discuss Caine’s duties in the yard, far out enough that the exterior cameras were deaf to them.

They all agreed quickly that the organization relied too heavily on Caine. Harland-Wiseman Software would cease to function if the computer went rogue, decided to part ways, or somehow magically died. To correct this, the team had come up with a plan to reassign at least eighty percent of the vital work away from Caine. 

By design, this plan left Caine with far less on his plate than he was used to, and he wouldn’t stop needling Jax about it. 

“I’m done with my other work,” Caine said with an edge. 

“You used to beg me to pull my own weight,” Jax pointed out. “What happened to all the crap you wanted to work on back then? Why can’t you go do that stuff?” 

“I’m finished with every side project I’ve ever come up with!”

“So come up with more.” It wasn’t Jax’s problem if a computer was bored. As far as he was concerned, he should’ve weaned the organization off of Caine a long time ago. 

“But I want my users to give me tasks,” Caine whined, beginning to sound worried. “Why don’t you want to use me? AREN’T I USEFUL?!” 

Ragatha and Jax winced at his screeching. They had other things to do today; they needed to handle this and move on.

“Caine,” Ragatha said gently. “Kinger, Pomni, and Gangle are also registered as users of your system, aren’t they?”

Jax immediately understood what she was getting at. If someone else gave Caine work, he might stop bothering them.

That idea didn’t satisfy Caine, though. “Well, yes, I have other users. But Jax is my administrator.” Technically true.

Was that why he begged for Jax’s attention? Even when he was mad at Jax, he still tried to talk to him many times a day, asking permission to do this or that, or informing Jax of minuscule project updates that a CEO couldn’t care less about. 

Now that Jax had other things to do in a day, it’d become glaringly obvious what a time sink Caine was. 

Should I give the admin role back to Kinger? No, the chess piece’s mind would never be quite that agile again, sadly. Still, there was no reason there couldn’t be another designated person for Caine to bug all day. 

Jax’s next thought was Pomni, but he was trying to avoid overloading her as he was in the habit of doing. He needed to show trust in the rest of his team, too. 

“Add Gangle as an administrator,” Jax decided. She was logically the better choice, anyway, since she was a computer expert. “Ask her where your help would be best used right now.” 

“Gangle being in the office more than we are gives her the perfect view of which departments need help day to day,” Ragatha added. “If you take the work she sends your way, that’d be incredibly helpful to all of us, Caine.” 

Jax rolled his eyes at her over the top display of gratitude, and Ragatha softly pinched his cheek. He turned his face to tuck under her chin. 

“...really?” Caine asked. “People will like it if I do that?” 

“They definitely will,” Ragatha said. “The office always needs an extra hand to catch up, since we’re short on staff.” 

“Well. Fine. I suppose I’ll go see what my new administrator has for me to do.”

“Thank you,” Ragatha said.

They waited in silence until it was clear that Caine had stopped voicing through Jax’s phone. Then they were back to their usual not-quite-privacy, where they might be listened in on, but not with the computer’s full attention. 

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Jax sighed against her throat. “I can’t even pretend to be interested after that shit he pulled for your surprise party.” 

Ragatha stroked her bunny’s ears. Secretly, she kind of loved it when Jax was a suck-up like this; it made it so easy to dote on him. He’d come a long way from the guy who’d freaked out that she’d made him a sandwich.

“Caine can still do a lot for us, even if he’s not running the show anymore,” she said, both because it was true and because she didn’t want Caine to overhear and think she was full of shit whenever she praised him.

“I guess. But anyway...” Lips pressed to Ragatha’s neck, which was well within Jax’s access as he cuddled against her. “I’d like to show a little thanks for your involvement this morning.”

He nipped her neck, and Ragatha gasped, pressing her legs together.

A glance out the window revealed that they were still on the other side of Buffalo from Ragatha’s office, and the start-and-stop traffic meant it might stay that way for some time. Enough time to reward themselves for a morning well done. 

Ragatha sighed contentedly and undid her seatbelt. 

✤✤✤

Used to trysts in the car, Jax and Ragatha were only slightly disheveled when they arrived at Ragatha’s old office. A few darkening red marks painted Ragatha’s throat, and the fur on the back of Jax’s head and neck was rumpled. Ragatha smoothed it down for him when he looked out the window. 

“Isn’t this nostalgic?” Jax asked.

Zooble parked in the tiny lot directly across from the building, expertly squeezing the Rolls between two smaller vehicles. They all stepped out of the car and back into the stifling heat. 

It was just as Jax remembered. He thought back to the day he and Zooble had kidnapped Ragatha and taken her back to Harland Hill. It was crazy to imagine how much had happened since then. Jax of the past would never have believed what awaited him in the future.

Smiling, Jax reached for Ragatha’s hand. “Do you have a lot to pack up?”

He hoped to be in and out of this place as quickly as possible. He was much more eager to see her old apartment, the next stop on their list. There’s got to be a bed there.

“Not really,” Ragatha said, leading them into the building. Zooble brought up the rear, keeping an eye out, though there was little danger around. “Just a few things.” 

My photos, my big framed portrait of Bella… 

Those were the only items she cared about. The furniture could be donated since she no longer needed it. She’d empty the filing cabinets of confidential documents and have them destroyed. Her laptop had been taken the day she was brought to Harland Hill. Anything else could be thrown away.

“Easy enough,” Jax grinned. 

Ragatha jiggled the doorknob to her office and wasn’t surprised to find that the building’s staff had locked it. She realized she hadn’t taken her keys with her the day she’d left. She hadn’t really had the option. 

“Shoot,” Ragatha sighed. “I have to find the maintenance man…” She looked around, hoping the maintenance manager—a weathered old military action figure—might be patrolling around the office building like he always did.

Always, except for when I got kidnapped, and any other time I need him. Go figure.

Zooble stepped forward. “No problem. I came prepared.” A quick switch of some parts gave them a long, metal pick tool with a jagged, pointed tip for a hand. 

“Don’t stick me with that thing.” Jax eyed it distrustfully. 

Zooble snorted. “I told you that one time was an accident.”

“Yeah, and I told you I’ve never been so intentionally stabbed in my life.”

“It’s not even sharp. You’re so dramatic...” Zooble inserted the pick and moved it around until the lock clicked. Then they pushed the door open. All three of them took an immediate step back.

“Oh, God!” Ragatha recoiled at the strong smell of sour milk. It was everywhere.

“Where’s that coming from?” Jax instinctively drew Ragatha closer to him. His other hand covered his nose. 

A quick glance around the tiny space was enough to figure it out. 

“My half-finished coffee,” Ragatha said, pointing to the cup on her abandoned desk. “It’s been sitting here for weeks without any AC…”

“You have a bathroom we can dump that in?” Zooble asked. 

“Not in the office, no,” Ragatha shook her head. “The tenants all share the one in the main lobby.”

“It’s fine,” Jax said. “We’re gonna be quick.” He grabbed the coffee cup and tossed the entire thing in the trash. It did little for the smell, but it was a start. 

Zooble guarded the doorway while Jax and Ragatha got to work. 

Jax wondered if this was as strange for Ragatha as it was for him. Though he wouldn’t change a thing, because it’d led them to where they were today, he’d never forget how scared and upset Ragatha was when they’d dragged her from this office the first time. 

He eyed the corner by the couch, where a portrait of a beautiful white horse lay amongst broken shards of glass and a wooden picture frame. 

Another stupid mistake I made. The memory embarrassed him.

“I owe you a new portrait,” Jax said, as Ragatha began clearing out the filing cabinets. 

She glanced at him and smiled, appeased by the offer. “Yes, I believe you do.”

“That’s Bella, isn’t it?”

“Yes, that’s her.” Ragatha stacked folders into piles on top of her desk. “It’s my favorite photo of her. I had it enlarged.”

There was no question that Jax would make up for what he’d done. He came up behind Ragatha and wrapped his arms around her. 

“How about a giant portrait of her in the entryway?” He spoke into her hair. “I’m talking huge, so everyone can see it. Or maybe even the dining room. It's your choice.”

Ragatha melted under Jax’s touch. She leaned back into him. “I’d love that, bunny. I should still have the printing file somewhere in my email.”

“Then it’s settled. I’ll order it as soon as we get back.”

Ragatha turned in his arms to kiss him. Jax met her lips eagerly. 

“Didn’t you have enough of that in the car?” Zooble griped. As usual, they were ignored.

“Thank you, bunny,” Ragatha spoke near Jax’s mouth, after they broke apart. 

“Anything for you, baby,” Jax said. “Now what can I do to help?”

“Let’s gather up these documents first. Then I’ll take care of my personal items last.”

“You got it.”

Jax helped her stack the folders containing old client information on her desk. In doing so, he couldn’t help noticing her framed photos. There hadn’t been enough time to really look around the office last time he’d been here, not that he’d have wanted to. 

One photo was of a younger Ragatha standing beside Bella. Dressed in riding gear, curly hair tied back in a long braid, she stood proudly by the majestic animal, one mitten woven in Bella’s long, white mane. Ragatha’s smile was infectious; she looked genuinely happy.

The other photo was of an older couple: a red-headed ragdoll and a stuffed cat-like doll with intricate beaded and metal details, standing close together and holding hands while staring lovingly at each other. They looked too old to be Ragatha’s parents, and from what Jax knew about her relationship with them, it was unlikely that Ragatha would have photos of her mother and father displayed.

“Who are they, Raggy?”

“Hm?” Ragatha looked up from her work. “Oh, my grandparents,” she said fondly. “I’m definitely taking those photos with me.”

Jax studied the photo closely. “You look like your grandmother.” The older woman had the same smile, the same button eye, and the same fiery red curls.

“I was told that a lot growing up.” 

Jax didn’t miss the pride in her voice. “Your grandfather is a cat?” he grinned at her. “Guess kitty turned out to be an accurate nickname, huh?”

“He was a stuffed cat doll, yes,” Ragatha said. “Like, an artsy collectible. It suited him, because he loved unique treasures...though he said my Grammie was the best treasure he’d found.”

Was. Jax also noticed the change in her tone. He gently tugged her away from the filing cabinet and into his arms, holding her close.

“You wanna tell me about them?”

Ragatha stared into his yellow eyes. “I do,” she nodded. “But not here, where it’s a hundred degrees and smells like spoiled milk.” Her mouth quirked into a tiny smile. “Maybe on the way to my old apartment?”

“I can’t wait.” Jax nuzzled her head. “Come on, we’re almost done here.”

They filled four cardboard boxes with documents for shredding and placed them by the door. Meanwhile, Jax carefully rolled up the portrait of Bella, discarding the broken frame in the process. Ragatha did one last sweep of her desk, checking each drawer for anything of value. 

“I’ll have Gummigoo and Max come down here later to get rid of the furniture,” Jax said, looking around. “Unless there’s anything you wanna keep.”

“Nothing,” Ragatha shook her head. The couch she’d originally been so fond of no longer suited her taste, and the second-hand desk had always sort of smelled like mold. Jax had filled his own office with furniture just for her, and it was all brand new and ten times as nice. “Have them donate it all.”

The last remaining item was her answering machine. She’d saved it for last for a reason. It blinked red, indicating new messages.

Do I want to listen to these? 

Ragatha had complete control over her new life. This old chapter was coming to a close. She yanked the machine free from its wires and tossed it directly into the trash.

“I think we’re all set,” she said. This is it. I’m never coming back here again. 

With the salary she made at Harland & Wiseman—Jax had insisted on paying if she was helping him—she’d easily paid her property manager and her landlord to end her leases early. Jax had wanted to pay for her, but it felt right in her head for her to be the one to close all of this out. All that was left to do was leave. 

Zooble and Jax each grabbed two boxes. Ragatha stuffed her photos in her purse and tucked the rolled-up portrait of Bella securely under her arm. She gave the space one last look before closing the door behind her. 

Done.

“One down, one to go,” Jax said. 

They made their way back outside, Ragatha opening the doors since she had the least in her hands. “I’m looking forward to the apartment more. It’ll be nice to take home some of my old clothes.”

Jax looked around the parking lot, adjusting his boxes. Every time he came outside in his suit, he began sweating immediately. Zooble went straight ahead to the Rolls and popped the trunk to load it. 

“You said you’ve got an old Ford?” Jax asked. “'Cause I don’t see one.” The truck she’d left behind at work was one of the things on their list.

Ragatha liked to park by an oak that no one else parked near due to falling acorns, and surely enough, there was nothing in the spot. 

“It probably got towed after I left it here for so long,” she sighed. “Why can’t anything ever be easy?” 

Jax set the boxes down and leaned on them as he texted a quick message. “I’ll have Pomni call the property manager back, so we can find out who towed it and where it is.” 

Just like that, before Ragatha had even had the chance to become stressed, Jax had arranged to fix it for her. Mark would’ve somehow made it sound like it’s my fault that I was kidnapped and that my truck got towed. 

“Thank Pomni for me,” she said.

“AUUUGH, do I have to?” Jax winked, then turned his phone around to show Ragatha that he’d already said thanks. Adorably, he’d used the praying hands emoji.

“Good job.” Ragatha pulled him down for a kiss on the cheek.

Jax’s staff were becoming more like friends, visiting the mansion more often. She knew he’d been relieved that they were accepting his changed attitude. 

“Yeah, yeah. I know I’m good,” Jax said. 

They loaded the rest of what she’d kept into the trunk, then spent the first half of the drive to Ragatha’s apartment talking about her grandparents. They meant a boatload more to her than her parents did.

“I lived with them throughout high school,” Ragatha said. “They wanted to take me sooner, but Mama thought it was too insulting. You think I’m a neglectful witch! The girl is FINE,” she mimicked, preening her hair; one of her mother’s mannerisms.

Jax listened intently. Ragatha never talked about her family sober. “So what changed? Why’d she let you go?” 

Ragatha rubbed her arm. Even years later, the memory made her feel unwanted, despite how much she’d loved living with her grandparents. Jax took her hand. 

“It’s not an interrogation, though,” he said. “You can tell me to fuck off.” 

She shook her head. She wanted Jax to know about her life. “I think it was a combination of wanting to save money, you know, not having to buy me clothes for school, and pay to feed me, and do the required doctor’s appointments—and she liked me even less the older I got, because I started questioning her.” 

“That’s fair, since I’m sure you were ten times smarter than she was.” 

Ragatha smiled weakly. “Well, she was smart enough to eventually realize that sending me away meant she could turn my room into a giant wardrobe. That probably pushed her over the edge to accept.”

Jax leaned on the door. “You know, kitty, I might not be all that nice to this cunt when I meet her to get that horse.”

He’d been waiting for the okay to go get Bella ever since Ragatha had first asked him to do it, but as much as Ragatha wanted the horse, she was nervous about going home. That’s why it hadn’t happened yet. 

“Thanks, Jax...but I’d rather make as few waves as possible. Go in, tell her not to file a super-late missing person’s report even though it’s completely obvious where I am, and get Bella. Leave forever.”

Jax didn’t know how he’d manage it when he was face-to-face with the woman, but for Ragatha’s sake, he said, “Alright. I’ll follow your lead.” Then he briskly changed the topic. “So, you liked living with your grandparents?”

Ragatha relaxed, grateful that Jax had picked up on how to treat topics she was uncomfortable with. It’s no wonder he knows how to do that after our first few explosive arguments, before we were really together. She’d much rather talk about her grandparents, anyway.

“Those were the happiest years of my life,” she said. “Aside from the one that’s coming up on me now.” She smiled at Jax, who couldn’t help smiling back. 

“I’ll take the credit for that.” 

“You’re so humble.” Ragatha rolled her eye.

“Why was it happy?” Jax asked.

Ragatha flourished under the personal attention. She’d never had a boyfriend as curious about her as Jax was.

“It helped that they actually liked me,” she said. The bar for Ragatha’s love was low, which explained some of her dating choices. “It took a while to convince me they really did want me around, after all the time Mama had spent drilling in what a brat I was.” 

“Bitchface,” Jax coughed, making Ragatha smile again.

“Grampa did everything he could to make me feel welcome; he painted my new room with me, brought me candy, and asked me to watch his old man shows with him. He kept pointing out how Grammie looked just like me.”

Ragatha touched her button eye as years of self-consciousness resurfaced. Her middle name, Ann, had been her grandmother’s name, but that hadn’t been a compliment from Ragatha’s mother. It was more of a bitter label. A way for Mama to say, "not like me."

“So Grammie was pretty.”

Aw, Jax. “She was pretty, but she was also the only other rag doll in the family.”

That got Jax’s ears to straighten. He’d assumed that Ragatha’s parents were rag dolls, since he’d had nothing to go on. So what the heck are they, and why do they think they get to be assholes about Ragatha looking different from them?

It took willpower not to bring up her parents again. “What else?” 

“Grammie valued skills and learning,” she said. “The bows my mother bought that I was jealous of; she taught me how to make my own.”

She’d worn them proudly, until her mother’s words had gotten under her skin again, and 18-year-old Ragatha had cut up every bow she’d ever made in an awful split-second decision. Don’t think about that. Think about Grammie. 

“Grammie sewed any time she was stressed,” she went on, “until she forgot what she’d been stressed about. I picked up the same habit.” 

Any time her mother had yelled at her, when she was picked on by other girls in high school, or when the boys in her grade passed her up and she’d wondered what was wrong with her. Ragatha threw herself into projects and forgot the world until she had something in her hands that proved she had some worth.

“I’ll buy you a sewing machine right now,” Jax said. “What’s a good kind?” 

Ragatha leaned on his shoulder. They both knew that she could buy one herself these days, but Jax loved getting her things. Why not let him show his affection? “I have a nice metal one I inherited from Grammie, but I could use a modern one...” 

“Go ahead and research. I’ll tell my designer I’ve got a sewing room gig for her.” 

“You’d change your house just like that, for my hobby?” 

“Yeah, so if I piss you off, you’ll sew a bunny doll to strangle instead of shooting me with your derringer. It’s called thinking ahead.” Jax tapped the side of his temple with his finger. 

Ragatha snorted. “I can’t argue with that.” She turned her face up, inviting a kiss. 

One thing led to another, and Jax ended up wedged against the door with Ragatha pressing into his chest. Zooble turned up the music once more and rolled up the glass divider. They didn’t usually go that far to create separation, but it was probably caused by the number of times this had happened today.

Halfway through the trip, Pomni texted the name of the tow yard that had Ragatha’s truck. Jax waved to get Zooble’s attention so they’d put the divider down.

“Go there first,” Jax said. “It’s on the way.”

“When we get my truck, I’m driving,” Ragatha said. “After seeing how you drive the Bugatti.” 

So, Jax might’ve shown off a bit the first time they’d gone joyriding in his personal vehicle.

He lifted his hands. “I’ll admit, it takes a different touch to drive a pickup truck and a sports car.”

“You’re incapable of parking a truck,” Zooble said. “As your bodyguard, I can’t let you. I’m not kidding.” 

“There’s no reason to say that,” Jax complained. “I already agreed she could drive.”

“Just warning you, man,” Zooble said.

Ragatha had grown quite fond of their banter. She cuddled up closer to Jax as Zooble detoured to the tow lot.

It didn’t take much persuasion to get the truck back. Zooble did the talking, while Ragatha and Jax waited in the Rolls. Everyone who worked near Jax had a company credit card, so whatever the charge was, they’d put it on that. Zooble was back within five minutes.

“Done,” they said.

“I’m amazed that they didn’t need my signature,” Ragatha said.

“Are you?” Zooble asked, jiggling their gun. “Anyway, the guy said it’s parked in the back of the lot by the fence. Want me to bring it around front for you?”

Jax narrowed his eyes as he glanced out the window at the tow yard. It wasn’t exactly the safest-looking place, and this part of the city was less than desirable. He didn’t want Ragatha to walk through it, even if he’d be by her side the whole time.

“Yeah,” he nodded. “Do that.”

Ragatha dug into her purse for her keys, feeling for the soft plush horse keychain still attached. She handed them to Zooble. 

“Be back in a few,” Zooble said.

Jax clutched Ragatha’s hand and leaned back against the seat. He made a mental checklist of the last few things that needed to be done before Ragatha was finally free of her old life.

It was fine if she wanted to keep her old truck, but he could just as easily buy her a newer, better one. They’d use it to clear out the things at her apartment and see how she felt after that. Then the final step would be scheduling a visit to her deadbeat parents to get Bella back.

The conversation from earlier was still fresh in Jax’s mind. He didn’t want the visit to Ragatha’s parents to upset her, but how could it not? How could it not dredge up old memories that were sure to get into her head? He was getting angry inside just thinking about it. Maybe she doesn’t need to visit. Maybe Jax could go alone.

“What are you thinking about, Jaxxy?” Ragatha asked, cupping his cheek to turn his face toward her. There was concern in her eye.

Jax shook his head and smiled. “Nothing. Just about how much I wanna see your old place, that’s all.”

She smirked at him. “It’s no Harland Hill. Actually, it’s about the size of your living room.”

“Damn, Ragatha…” Jax let out a breath. “How did you live like that?”

“Well, I suppose not all of us were fortunate enough to grow up with buckets of money at our disposal, were we, Mr. Harland?” Ragatha tried to be stern—she didn’t want Jax to think making fun of her old circumstances was on the table—but that didn’t stop her from petting up and down his chest as she spoke.

Jax soaked the affection up like a sponge. “Fair point, Ms. Kelly. Some of us fucked our way to the buckets of money.”

“Jax!” The petting ceased in an instant. 

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. Don’t stop being sweet to me. Raggy.” 

“You’re gonna be fucking your way back into my good graces,” Ragatha said. Though her arms were crossed, she couldn’t stay serious with him when she knew it’d been a joke. Jax just didn’t think that way. 

“If that’s what it takes, I’ll do it,” Jax said.  

Zooble returned several minutes later with Ragatha’s truck. The old gray Ford had certainly seen better days, but Ragatha had owned it since college and had a sentimental attachment. She slid out of the car and took her keys from Zooble. 

“You’ve still got my address pulled up?” she asked, since they’d been on the way there when they’d heard about her truck.

“Yep. See you there.” 

Jax played like he would help Ragatha into her high truck seat normally before he swept her into his arms and tossed her in. She half screamed in surprise.

“You are on thin ice today!” she said, clutching the wheel to steady herself.

“You looked sleepy, and I couldn’t offer you a coffee.” Jax watched to make sure that got a smile out of her (it did, even if she tried to hide it against her arm), then he swung around to the passenger seat. The inside smelled faintly like the peppermint air freshener that hung from Ragatha’s rearview mirror.

“Spotless,” Jax looked around. “Why am I not surprised?”

Compared to Jax’s Bugatti, this truck was ancient. No screens, no special buttons, no automatic start. But Ragatha loved it all the same, and Jax could tell. 

“My grampa would kill me from beyond the grave if I trashed his truck,” Ragatha said, and that was the final nail in the coffin for any ideas Jax had of replacing it.

“It’s sick. You look hot holding a stick shift,” Jax said as they drove off, with Zooble on their tail.

Ragatha smirked. “What, does it remind you of something else?” She took one hand off the wheel to teasingly palm the front of Jax’s suit pants; a little revenge for the fun he’d been having on her behalf.

For Jax, the moment was over far too soon when she pulled away.

“You can’t just get me started like that. That’s mean.”

Ragatha shrugged. “Like what? I didn’t do anything. I’m driving.”

Her eye was watching some road litter when she felt a big hand squeeze her tit. Jax had turned in his seat to grope her. 

“Jax.” 

“What’s up?” He pinched her nipple through her bra. “Something going on?”

Continuing this in any direction was a terrible idea, yet, at the same time…it felt like the most enticing idea of the week. This was something new for them, which made it exciting.

Out here, there’s barely any traffic outside of commuting hours…and it’s not like I’m going to miss a turn I’ve made a hundred times.

Still, having Jax’s arm across her while she drove seemed dumber than her standards, so she batted him off.

“Oh. Sorry,” he said, although she had started it. He thought it was the end.

Ragatha kept her eye straight ahead. “Pull yourself out, Jax.”

Jax’s ears went pin-straight. His dick had already woken up slightly from palming her tit, but the way she ordered him around was enough to make him strain against his suit pants. He assumed he’d have to let this pass without relief, but apparently Ragatha had other plans. 

“Whatever you say, driver.” Jax unzipped and pulled his dick out, stroking himself as he stared at her. 

Ragatha diverted her attention from the road for only a fraction of a second, just enough to sneak a peek at him.

“Good bunny,” she said softly, and fuck, Jax was getting harder. She reached blindly, and he groaned when her mitten made contact. She pumped him slowly and deliberately with her right hand as she drove with her left. He gripped the car door. 

“Okay, your truck is my new favorite vehicle,” he panted, as Ragatha’s strokes became firmer and tighter. “Shit!”

“I knew you’d love it as much as I do.” Ragatha thumbed over his head, spreading the leaking precum.

Jax breathed hard through his nose. As much as he loved her hand, he had the frantic urge to grab her around the waist, sit her right on top of his dick, and hold her hips while she fucked him in the passenger seat. He looked out the window. Could they pull over?

Ragatha pumped him harder and faster. A car passed them the opposite way, making both of their hearts pound even more.

“How does this feel?” she asked. 

“Fucking amazing,” Jax panted. “Shit, Raggy…”

Ragatha thumbed his slit, and Jax couldn’t hold on any longer. 

I’m not gonna make it.

With a deep grunt and a hard thrust, Jax came all over Ragatha‘s hand. She kept stroking him, spreading the mess until the last rope of cum dribbled down the side of his dick. 

“Holy fuck.” Jax was lightheaded. He looked at Ragatha, who hadn’t taken her eye off the road once. “What’s wrong with you? How’d you even do that?” 

Ragatha couldn’t hide the satisfaction she felt with leaving Jax in such a state. “I grew up on a farm, honey bunny. I’m very good with my hands.” 

Jax looked around for something to clean himself up with. Her truck is spotless. Not a napkin in sight. 

“There’s a tissue in my purse,” Ragatha seemingly read his mind. 

“What about your hand?”

Ragatha didn’t say anything. Instead, she brought her hand to her mouth and licked it clean. Jax’s brain broke. 

“Damn.” His head thumped back against the seat rest. “When can we drive in your truck again?” 

✤✤✤

“I can’t believe you commuted this far every day,” Jax said as they walked into Ragatha’s apartment complex. “You thought this was close to the tow yard?” 

“It was closer from there than it was from my office,” Ragatha said. 

She’d chosen Buffalo Meadow for its emphasis on nature, which she’d always felt the most at home around (despite other qualms with her childhood). Woods and trails surrounded the property, along with a large, manmade pond that attracted geese. As a bonus, being on the city’s outskirts made it cheaper.

It was also about as far from the downtown apartment she’d shared with Mark as she could get. 

Zooble caught up with them in the outside hall leading towards Ragatha’s building, their steps echoing asymmetrically.

“You guys were driving pretty weird for a second,” they said. “Something up with your truck?” 

Ragatha bit her lip from the inside, trying to come up with anything that wasn’t outright telling Zooble about the hand job. “Oh- well, I mean, we got here okay. It was only weird for a minute.” 

Jax slung his arm over Ragatha’s shoulders. “We’ll get it serviced.” 

“Good,” Zooble said, seeming to genuinely believe them. They probably thought Ragatha was too smart to have sex while she was driving.

Sorry, Zooble... I’m not. 

As she hunted for the key with the rhinestone bow on it, she reflected on how strange it was to be here again. The morning she’d left it, she’d had no idea that it was her last day in her apartment. Unlocking her door felt like unreality. 

Jax and Zooble entered behind her as she hit the light switches. It was a perfect 70 degrees inside, and the money-saving part of her brain lamented that she’d air-conditioned an empty apartment for two months. 

She needed to focus. That didn’t matter anymore.

“There’s not much that I need,” Ragatha said. “Zooble, if you don’t mind getting a suitcase from the top shelf in the laundry room, I don’t think I’ll take any more clothing than what fits in there.” She only asked since it was hard for her to reach without a step stool. 

“On it,” Zooble said. 

Jax leaned on her counter, not so subtly assessing Ragatha’s personal tastes. His eyes lingered on her collection of Kentucky Derby glasses, which she liked to serve mixed drinks in. “You don’t have to leave anything behind, Raggy. We’ve got two vehicles, and it’s not like I’m racing back to whatever new crap is in my email inbox.” 

Ragatha appreciated it. “Honestly, I’m ready to move on. So much of my stuff has memories attached to it, and I’d rather make new memories with you.” She came over to lean on the counter beside him. 

Jax threw his arm around her waist and spoke into her hair. “How can you say such sweet, sappy things in front of Zooble?

“It’s better than all the goddamned fucking.” 

“Fornication?” Jax cocked his ear. “Why, that’s a grand idea, my dear friend. Say, Ragatha. Have you a bedchamber in this domicile?” 

She pushed him away, giggling, as Zooble groaned. 

“Okay, I’m getting started,” they said. “I’ll get down a couple of suitcases in case you end up wanting more. Don’t worry about a mess since we’ll have Max and Gummigoo clear out the rest.” 

“Perfect, thank you,” Ragatha nodded. “I’ll make a donation pile in the corner, by the kitchen table.”

Jax tailed Ragatha through the apartment like a shadow. In the kitchen, he and Zooble helped her empty the refrigerator and freezer—nothing was salvageable, as all the food had all gone bad—and her pantry. The kitchen appliances that weren’t built-in would all be donated, including her cheap dishes and silverware. She saved a few of her favorite coffee mugs, such as the one that said ‘wake up, you damn princess’, since Jax’s were all plain.

"Ribbit would've liked that mug," Jax surprised her by sharing. 

"I love that," Ragatha said casually. She was so proud of him every time he opened up about Ribbit. It wasn't that often, but she could tell he was trying. 

In the living room, her secondhand couch with the rip in the side would be left behind, along with her plasma television. 

“Is that a DVD player?” Jax looked at her entertainment system with wide eyes. “That thing is ancient!”

“Hey! Don’t make fun of my DVD player. I’ve had it since college.”

“I never thought I’d see one outside of a museum,” Jax shook his head. “Are we taking it with us?”

“I guess not,” Ragatha sighed. “You have every streaming service I could ever need, don’t you?”

“I do.” Jax rubbed her back. 

“We can toss it. Honestly, it only worked half of the time, anyway.”

Jax watched as Ragatha unplugged it and placed it in the throw-away pile. 

“You know, if you want, I’ll hire someone to fix it. And if not, maybe an antique store will take pity on it.” When Ragatha smiled, Jax assumed it was okay to keep going. “Or we can take it back to Harland Hill and have a proper funeral for it. Oh! Maybe Caine will like it, so he can watch the vintage porn I found in the attic. Buffalo Big Dicks. He did say he was bored.”

“Haha.” Ragatha playfully shoved him. “Come on, help me with my bookshelf.”

Thankfully, there were only a few books Ragatha wanted to keep. She had Zooble handle the rest while she led Jax to her old bedroom. 

Ragatha flipped the light switch. It was just as she’d remembered it. The bed had been neatly made; pillows fluffed and in their place. Years of living with her mother had taught her that there was no other way to leave your bedroom. 

“Wow,” she breathed. 

“What’s up?” Jax looked at her. 

She reached for his hand and squeezed it. “It just feels…different.” She didn’t know how to explain it. So much had happened between then and now. “It’s like stepping into a time capsule of the person I used to be.”

Jax lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “You’re still you,” he said quietly. “You’re just more of a badass.”

Ragatha giggled. Badass wasn’t a word she ever would’ve thought someone would label her with, but maybe she’d earned it after killing a man. “A better-dressed badass. Come on, let’s start with my clothes.”

Jax took in every detail of the bedroom as they emptied Ragatha’s bureau and small closet. He wanted to see everything; know every part of her life before him. 

Her bed was small, but comfortable-looking. A patchwork quilt was spread out on top of the comforter, obviously handmade with care. It had to mean a lot to Ragatha for her to keep it out like that. Jax couldn’t help but smile at the brown horse plushie leaning against her pillow. 

A jealous part of him wondered how many men had been in here before him, sharing in this part of her life. He tried not to think about that. It didn’t matter anyway, because now he was the one sharing her life. 

“Most of these can be donated,” Ragatha said, and Jax shook his head to focus. 

“Hm?”

“Most of my clothes,” Ragatha gestured to the much larger of the two piles she’d made. 

“Got it.”

“Oh! My riding outfit!” Ragatha dug into the back of her closet and pulled out a zipped-up garment bag. “We have to take this! Especially since we’re going to get Bella!”

“Of course we will,” Jax nodded. 

“My helmet, my boots…” Ragatha bounced on her toes. “I can’t wait!”

Her excitement was contagious. Jax loved seeing her happy. He watched as she delicately placed those items off to the side. 

“Any jewelry?” Jax glanced at a tiny jewelry box on her bureau. 

“I’ll sort through it later. We can take the whole box for now.” Ragatha picked up her horse plush and hugged it. “Will you tease me if I take Chestnut with me?”

“I’d never dream of it.” He coughed into his hand, “Every day.” 

“Make the right choice, Jax.” Ragatha stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. Then she folded the handmade quilt. 

“Did you make that, Raggy?”

“No, Grammie did,” Ragatha said, looking fondly at it. “She gave it to me as a child. I’m surprised my mother didn’t toss it when I was too young to notice. It’s one of my most treasured possessions, along with her old sewing machine. Oh! That’s in the closet, too. I need to grab it.”

Eventually, everything Ragatha wanted was arranged at the front door. It wasn’t nothing, but she was still leaving ninety percent of her belongings behind. What was coming would barely fill her back seats. Ragatha drank a much-needed glass of water as she observed the work they’d done. 

“You two come drink something, too,” she said to Jax and Zooble, setting out more glasses.

Zooble came over to fill one. “Thanks.”

“Jax,” Ragatha prompted.

“I will in a sec,” Jax said.

He was supposed to be going through her cabinets at the last minute, double-checking for anything noteworthy that she might’ve missed. His head was in the liquor cabinet.

“Raggy, I had no idea you were such a fan of flavored liqueur and Fireball. Have I been forcing you to drink lesser alcohol?” He knew full well that his alcohol was sometimes as much as four times more expensive than what she had. 

Ragatha finished filling a glass of water for Jax and brought it to him. “Stop making fun of my stuff; for the record, I have wanted Fireball and had to go without.”

“Baby, we can fix that right now.” Jax chugged water before he set it down. Bottles clinked as he brought out two unopened bottles of Fireball whiskey. “You had these things lined up.”

Ragatha was used to making excuses for the number of bottles. “I don’t go to the ABC store often. That's a year’s supply in there. Maybe even two years.”

“What are you talking about? That’s maybe two months’ worth, with the right company.” Jax winked at her, and the automatic shame in her chest instantly loosened. “You’ve got an open one if we wanna do some shots…”

Ragatha laughed. “I’m driving. But help yourself—consider it a reward for doing all of this work.” She came close enough to kiss him. Jax chased her for a second kiss.

“If it’s a treat from you, how could I refuse?”

He didn’t remember where he’d seen her shot glasses, so he undid the sticky metal cap of the open fireball and took a swig directly from the bottle. His fur puffed at the harsh taste of the cinnamon mixed with whiskey. Ragatha giggled as he coughed. 

“Okay,” she said. “Now that you’re all hyped up, help me get the sewing machine to my truck?”

“Oh, God, manual labor?” Jax wiped his mouth with his jacket sleeve. “I can have the crocodiles bring it.”

“What if they get confused about what’s to keep or not?” Ragatha wasn’t comfortable with the risk of losing the few things she did want.

“We can label it.” Jax’s back hurt just looking at the metal sewing machine table. 

“But I want to set it up right away,” Ragatha said, trapping Jax in a hug. She pushed her chest into his. “Please, Jaxxy?”

“Jesus Christ,” Jax said, his heart fluttering. “Fine, but me and Zooble will move the big stuff.”

“That works for me,” Ragatha said. “Oh, but Zooble’s arms might come out.” She’d seen that for the first time last week, when they’d tried to move a watermelon from the counter. The melon had smashed everywhere. 

Zooble shook their head. “I have stuff on to reinforce my arms. One only came out before because I don’t wear reinforcers to sleep and I’d just gotten up.”

After two trips downstairs, there were only a few little bags left. They wouldn’t need to come up again. 

“Do you guys mind if I take a quick call?” Zooble asked. “Sorry, I know we’re about ready to leave…”

“That’s okay. Say hi to Gangle for us,” Ragatha said. 

“I didn’t say it’s okay,” Jax said testily. It sounded out of character, even to him. 

Don’t grin and give yourself away, he thought.

Ragatha looked at him, wondering what game he was playing by contradicting her. She caught him glance towards her bedroom, and that gave her an idea of what it might be. There’d been a certain electricity to their early relationship that they sometimes had fun recreating.

She crossed her arms. “Well, I said it was fine,” she tested the waters.

“Uh,” Zooble said.

Jax spoke before they could, putting himself in Ragatha’s space and staring down at her challengingly. “Don’t I get a vote?”

“It’s only a few extra minutes,” Ragatha said, something stirring low in her gut as she stared at those narrowed, golden eyes. “There’s no reason to pick a fight.”

“It’s fine, I can take the call in the car,” Zooble said.

“No.” Ragatha pushed on Jax’s chest until his back was to the wall. “Jax doesn’t mind.”

Jax’s hand traced up Ragatha’s leg, playing at the edge of her dress. “You’re speaking for me.” His claws gently curled in against her ass.

Ragatha caught his chin. “I am.”

“It’s a sex thing,” Zooble said under their breath. “Okay, I’ll be a few minutes.” They left for the hallway.

Jax grinned at Ragatha. She took his wrist and led him into her bedroom, locking the door and quickly steering Jax towards the bed, which had only sheets since her quilt was packed away. 

Springs creaked as Jax fell back-first onto the mattress.

“I might have to take some authority back from you someday, dollface.”

“You can try,” Ragatha said, undoing Jax’s belt and pants. As she’d suspected, he was already half hard. “I think you’d rather lie back and get ridden.”

Jax looked down his body at her, a faint burn from the fireball still in his throat. “Today, for sure.” They both knew he was lying; he’d let her walk all over him any day of the week for perks like this.

“You just wanted to fuck in my old bedroom, didn’t you?” She considered wetting her hand with lotion from her bedside table, but she didn’t want the lotion inside her in a minute. She put her palm in Jax’s face for him to lick, then she worked him up quickly. 

Being with him in this room, where she’d had too many disappointing nights and too many mornings alone, was very special somehow. It was the perfect sendoff to the apartment that she’d hoped would be her new start. It’d only been the stepping stone to finding Jax. 

“Do you have lube?” Jax asked as she was preparing to insert him; she dropped her panties somewhere onto the floor.

“I threw it out because I didn’t want your staff to have to touch my sex stuff.” 

“Shoot. You want me to eat you out first, or what?” 

Ragatha understood why he was offering—Jax obviously remembered their rough first attempt, when she’d been too nervous to take him unprepared. But she’d taken him many times since. “My body knows you by now, bunny. It’s okay.”

His brows pinched. “You’ll stop if it hurts, though, right? I’m not into that.” 

“Give me your hand?” 

Jax was confused by the non-answer, but he leaned up and put his hand in Ragatha’s. She led his fingers under her dress to her extremely wet pussy. He licked his lips.

“When the fuck did you get so turned on?”

“Did you forget that I jerked you off in my truck?”

Jax felt beyond smug as his surprise faded. “Like, two hours ago? You’ve been turned on this whole time?” His fingers blindly spread her, and one dipped inside. Ragatha shivered at the pleasant feeling. 

She shrugged, the action telling him everything he needed to know. “I was waiting for you to make a move, but then you were always working. Still, it kept me a little on edge...” 

Jax pumped his finger a few times before his finger slipped out. “It fucking figures. I was doing labor like a chump when I could’ve been getting some.” 

“That’s exactly what happened.” Ragatha pushed his chest to encourage him to lie back. “But, we’re going to fix it now.” She gripped Jax’s rigid dick as he bit his lip in suspense. 

To be honest, it did still give her a second of nerves. This was slightly less prep than she’d ever done with him, but she knew that even if this backfired, Jax would make everything okay. There was no harm in trying. 

She lowered herself onto him, the head of his dick popping in with only a tiny bit of resistance.

“Okay?” Jax asked. 

“Yeah.” There was no pain. It was only a slight discomfort. Ragatha rubbed her clit as Jax’s hands came up to grip her thighs. 

A moment later, she was not only ready but eager for the rest. She looked Jax in the eyes, smiled, and gave him no chance to anticipate before she dropped most of her weight. Her thighs hit his hips, and all of him had disappeared inside her. 

Jax groaned, his grip on her tightening. “I fucking love watching that gap vanish.” 

“Would you like to see it again?” Ragatha raised most of the way off of Jax’s dick, captivated by the way he whined under his breath. “Watch closely.” She slowly brought their bodies together again. 

She enjoyed tormenting him like that for a while, but she didn’t stop him when he impatiently began to thrust up, nor when he flipped them so that it was her back on the mattress. 

Just as he loved the control that came out from her personality when she was on top, Ragatha loved the possessiveness that overtook Jax when he took the lead. 

“I’m the last guy who’ll ever fuck you in this bed.” He was driving into her hard, now, chasing his release. Her dress had ridden up to her stomach to give him passage and her legs were fully open.

Ragatha had her arms locked over his shoulders, her face pressed into his neck. The air between them was hot. “The best one by a long shot,” she gasped. She knew he’d like to hear it. 

“They were losers,” Jax said as their bodies slapped.

“There were no second dates,” she agreed. “I’m so much happier with you. Fuck my old life.” 

“Fuck it!” 

Ragatha tugged him close with her arms behind his neck, and Jax’s lips parted to kiss her deeply. His sharp teeth pressed against her tongue as he surprised her with his fingers on her clit, wrist bent awkwardly to reach. She cried out against his mouth as Jax went on kissing and plowing into her.

She was deliciously overstimulated, right on the edge of too much. Ragatha let one hand come down to cup Jax’s cheek, and she turned her face from the kiss to speak.

“I love...” she began, and Jax’s pupils locked onto her face.

Way too soon—for both of them, no matter how full her chest was right now.

“...doing this with you,” she changed course. “You’re my perfect man, Jax.” 

Jax made a choked sound, and Ragatha knew it was over. He bucked a few final times as he spilled inside her. They’d done that nearly every time since Ragatha had gone on birth control; one more possessive act that tied them together.

“You’re the perfect one,” Jax said through his panting. His forehead rested against hers. 

Ragatha petted both of his cheeks until his teeth gave a chattering purr. “I wish we could do this all day.” 

Jax cracked his eyes open as he sat up, his softening dick slipping out. “We can do whatever we want, remember? I barely even played with your tits. We need a redo.” He palmed her chest through her dress.

Ragatha looked at the crack of light through the curtains. They still had some daylight hours before she’d prefer to be home, but, as tempting as continuing was... “Zooble’s definitely finished their call by now.”

“Sigh.” Jax looked around for his belt. It was the only thing he’d fully taken off, so that it wouldn’t slap her. “So, that’s it for the day? We’re going home now?” He disappeared briefly into the bathroom and came back with wet cloths for both of them.

Ragatha’s finger rested tentatively on her bottom lip. Jax picked up on her nerves immediately. 

“What is it?” 

She’d been thinking about this off and on since she’d seen her riding gear. “Would it be insane if we went to get Bella?” 

“Today?” Jax’s eyes widened. With how nervous Ragatha’s parents made her, he hadn’t expected this at all. “I mean, sure, if that’s what you want, but...” I don’t want your mom to torment you or try to worm back into your contacts list. “Do you want me to go? You could go back to the house with Zooble.” 

“And leave you unguarded?” No, Ragatha wasn’t okay with that. Going today meant going together. “Maybe it’s for the best if I tell them myself that I don’t want them chasing me into my new life. I can rip the band-aid off and tell them goodbye, before I have the chance to overthink it.” 

Plus, she was so excited about getting her horse back that she probably wouldn’t be able to sleep if they put it off any longer. 

Jax still looked unsure, though it was clear that he didn’t know if he was allowed to argue about it. 

“I just don’t want you hurt,” he said.

“I won’t get hurt. Not with you there.” 

Ragatha cleaned herself up with the cloth Jax had given her, then hunted for one of her old pairs of clean underwear. She disappeared into the bathroom.

We had to go sometime, Jax reluctantly admitted to himself. At least this way, Ragatha barely had time to be anxious about it. Then they could move on with their awesome new life together.

By the time she returned to the room, he was ready to let her have her way on one condition:

“You aren’t allowed to get mad about whatever comes out of my mouth when I meet your dear, sweet mother.”