The Proposal: Chapter 17 (NC-17)

Keesha pulled away from her hug with Jax. He had to believe her; she couldn't imagine what it would do to him, not to mention her, if he kept refusing to beleive that she loved him. Jax stopped staring at the door ahead, finally looking down into Keesha's dark brown eyes. They searched hers, and he cursed himself as his heart continued to warm from the promise he kept hearing repeating in his mind; though now she was silent.

She loved him.

"Jax?" Keesha waited.

Jax sighed, walking away. "Adrianne was unfaithful...with Garcia. That is why we were not wed. I trusted her, I tried to do right by her, but what I gave was not enough." He stared out the window. Keesha shifted, wanting to walk over to him, but realizing maybe he needed some space before he could accept her fully. "She broke my heart...I was a mere child of sixteen, not even in love, knew I wasn't, yet my heart broke just the same. I thought I would never know as much hurt as I did at...that moment." Jax faced Keesha once more. "I was wrong." he walked over to the bed, sitting down. He looked over at her finally. "And not just because of the...barrage of tragedies that followed...her death, my father's passing away, Jasmine...each time something happened, I wondered if I could take any more. But I can. I have to."

"You can," Keesha agreed. Jax was the strongest person she had ever known. "But you should not have to..."

"But what I know I cannot stand is for you to promise to love me, if you do not. So do not stand there, and say things you are not sure of, just because they seem to be what you wish to say now; just because you believe it is what I wish to hear. Because I beleive every word you tell me, and even things which you merely say by your eyes, or your smile...just by being here. And I will not place myself in the position of hearing those...declarations if..."

Jax stopped speaking as Keesha came over to him quickly. She sat down next to him on the bed, sitting up as straight as possible so they were exactly eye to eye. "I love you, Jax. And I will not be so cruel as to betray your love and trust in me, by saying things which I do not feel. I love you more than mere words can express. You are everything to me..." this time Keesha's words were interrupted as Jax placed one finger on her lips.

Keesha blinked slowly, sure he was going to tell her again, to stop her so called lies...

"I love you," Jax smiled softly.

"I love you," Keesha repeated, and she breathed deeply as a flash of light entered his blue eyes. "You believe me."

"I told you, it is not in my nature to doubt your words," he teased. "So, you may stop punishing us now."

"Punish...oh, yes, I think we've been punished enough." Keesha stared into his eyes as she reached up, her fingers trapping underneath the collar of his shirt. She undid one button, and noticed the chain around his neck. "What is this?"

"This..." Jax reached up, pulling the chain from around his neck. Keesha looked at the small medallion swinging back and forth at the end of the silver link. "...is our family crest." Jax reached over, slipping the chain around her neck. "And I want you to wear it. The chain is mine, the medallion...belonged to my mother..."

"I cannot take your mother's medallion..."

"Yes you can. She wants you to have it. She gave it to me right before she died, and made me promise I would give it to the woman who brought me happiness."

"Jax..."

"And that woman, is before me now. You will wear it-that's an order."

"You and your orders." Keesha sighed. "Thank you...I wish I had something for you."

"Oh, you have plenty for me." Jax watched the medallion dangle invitingly between the cleavage of her breasts. He looked into her eyes once more, smiling wickedly. "Continue."

"Continue..." Keesha realized her hands were still resting against the bare skin peaking through Jax's shirt. "Only if you promise me something."

"What?"

"You will stop me if I do something I should not."

"There is nothing which you cannot do, I thought we established that early on."

"Yes...but..."

Jax smiled as Keesha grew visably flustered. "Oh now I must know, after all the magical nights we have spent together recently, what could be left that has you so...thoughtful."

Keesha dropped her gaze from his and finished undoing his shirt. She looked back up into his eyes and removed it from his body. She tossed it aside, her eyes fluttering closed as Jax bent closer, kissing her slowly.

Keesha returned his gentle kiss, her body already reacting as his tongue stroked and teased against hers, tasting the inside of her mouth.

Their kiss soon grew passionate, and Keesha was forced to pull away from Jax to catch her breath. After a brief moment, she cupped his face in her hands, stroking his cheeks with her fingers. She drew closer and kissed him again, barely noticing as he lifted her, leading her to rest against his lap. Her hands travelled up the back of his neck, her fingers running through his hair. He leaned back into the bed, reclining her on top of him, moaning as she pulled her body away to stand on the floor.

Keesha reached up, untying the ribbon from her hair; the curls cascaded down her shoulers. Mantaining eye contact, she reached behind her and Jax watched as she began untying the strings to her gown. He debated getting up to help her, to quicken the process...

His eyes followed her dress' fall to the floor.

Then again...Jax looked back up into her eyes once more as Keesha slowly started to draw the straps of her slip down off her shoulders.

Why rush perfection?

Keesha finished undressing, stepping away from her clothes on the floor. She came back into the bed, settling across from Jax and kissing him. She nibbled gently on his ear as she covered his body partially with hers. She stroked behind his ear with her tongue as her fingers roamed down his chest until they teased the trail of hair he had beginning right below his navel, which lead...

"Keesha..." Jax moaned deeply, his head tilting back in pleasure as she reached down inside of his breeches, massaging his manhood with her hand.

"Yes my lord?" Keesha answered teasingly into his ear. Her warm breath sent a shudder though his body and he inhaled sharply as her hand continued it's work. He throbbed against her, and she moaned seductively, "You called?". She sucked against the skin of his throat. His hips arched and he groaned her name once more.

"Thank you." Keesha smiled before her mouth drew down his body, tasting his chest. She pulled her hand from the inside of his breeches, using both to unfasten them as she kissed his stomach. She ran her tongue around his navel, before closing her mouth over it, sucking hard. Jax groaned again, his body deliciously suspended between intense pleasure, and the unbearable ache for more.

Suddenly, Keesha stopped. "What?" Jax opened his eyes, but the moment their eyes met, he knew.

Keesha stood from the bed once more, pulling Jax's breeches from his body, leaving him completely nude. She took a breath and looked into his eyes once more.

There was a way Jax sometimes tasted Keesha, that she had never done for him.

But...from that very first time...she always wanted to try. However, she never did, thinking that despite Jax's words of any and everything being fine between them, that there was this certain thing she should not do.

But she wanted to...the thought caused her body to pulsate unexpectedly and she took a breath. Quickly she came back to the bed-he would stop her if he wanted to...

If she let him.

Keesha devoured his stomach hungrily, somehow trying to at least somewhat satisfy her insastiable need...Jax closed his eyes once more, inhaling sharply, his hand tousling her hair as he exhaled. She held onto his waist as she shifted further, trailing her tongue down...

Jax moaned so deeply that Keesha stopped, unsure if she should continue. Then, very faintly she heard him whisper, "Do not stop..." as he wrapped his fingers tightly into her hair.

Keesha continued cautiously at first, yet her unsuredness soon disappeared as her senses exploded with everything that was Jax-the deep low groans of pleasure, his slightly musky scent, the unexplicable taste of his skin-all encouraged her to go further, and she used everything she had to satisfy him, letting his sounds of ecstacy guide her, as her own desire continued to grow.

She took him into her mouth and he arched so forcefully, his entire body left the bed. "Stop..." his voice trembled.

"I did something wrong?" Keesha looked up at Jax, her eyes glassy with unreleased need, her mouth parted slightly as she tried to control her breathing.

"No," Jax growled as he pulled Keesha back up his body. "You do everything much too well." He straddeled her against his body. "Continue."

Keesha kept gazing into his eyes. This was something else they had yet to try...but now, she was ready. To allow Jax to be the one to hold her completely. And she realized that until he had said he loved her, the reason she always wanted to be the one to hold him, or at least be able to hold him as he held her, was because she had always been afraid that if they made love with his arms wrapped around her-she would break in them and tell him that she loved him. Now...she knew she could say it whenever she felt the urge.

"I love you."

Jax smiled. "I love you," he answered.

Keesha began to envelope Jax slowly, moaning as he inhaled sharply. His eyes opened and he noticed her holding onto the brass bars of the headboard; he reached up and took her hands, interlacing their fingers.

Keesha moaned again, holding his hands tightly as Jax finally rested completely inside of her. She opened her eyes breifly and then bent forward-Jax whispered her name as she ran her tongue slowly up the front of his neck. He let go of her hands as she drew butterfly kisses over his chin.

Jax wrapped his arms around Keesha, holding her tightly to him. She touched the edge of his mouth with her tongue, her eyes opening again to the feel of his hot breath against her lips.

Keesha ran her fingertips across his lips and his eyes opened. Jax looked at her for a moment and then he leaned up slightly, covering her throat in kisses.

They began moving together leisurely. Jax rested on the bed fully once more, his large hands covering her entire back as they swept up her body, resting against her shoulders.

Suddenly Jax quickened their pace and Keesha grew unbearbly taut as he thrust quickly within her.

Jax could feel her heartbeat racing as her moans grew louder. He managed to hold Keesha tighter, his lips finding hers and kissing them hungrily. He groaned against her mouth as he surged into her one last time, releasing. Keesha sighed, accpeting his climax eagerly before giving into the shudders of her own.

Keesha tried to find her breath, nuzzling against his throat as her hands swept up his arms. Jax released one of his hands, and she held it tightly. "My lady..."

Keesha smiled, and looked up at Jax. He pushed her hair back as always and leaned up, kissing her tenderly.

In the morning as Keesha slept, Jax went downstairs to see if there was any news he should be aware of. There being none he came back up, deciding to let Keesha sleep for a little while longer before they went off to find out more about Victoria Garcia. He went into the bath, shutting the door behind him.

Keesha shifted at the sound of the door closing...but it did not awaken her fully...and again she cried out for Jax quietly.

"Quit calling for him. He cannot hear you."

Keesha tossed in the bed as she looked around for Garcia's voice, his taunting words and sinister laughter invading her dream.

"Why?" her question echoed as she stood outside their manor, looking in as Jax cried over Jules' lifeless body.

"If I can't have him, no one has him."

Keesha jumped as she realized Garcia was behind her. "And now to finish what I started." Garcia walked into the manor, Keesha running after him, calling Jax's name, trying to get his attention.

"Say goodbye..." Garcia lifted his pistol, cocked it...

"JAX!!!" Keesha sat up in bed, screaming at the top of her lungs.

Jax came running in from the bath. "Keesha...what is wrong?" Jax held her, tightening his hold as Keesha shook in his arms. "Keesha..."

Keesha closed her eyes, burying her face in Jax's shoulder. "You did not hear me..."

Jax pulled away. "What is bothering you?" he touched her cheek softly.

"Gar...that man. I dreamed that man...harmed Jules and you..."

"Never happen."

"Jax..."

"It will never happen," Jax promised. "We are on the offensive now. We will get him before he can harm anyone again."

Keesha shook her head-he did not understand. "I tried to warn you, but, you did not hear me...or maybe you did not care."

If Jax lost Jules, he would never be the same. That was evident from the first time she saw them together. If Garcia won and took Jules, Jax would never be the same.

And if she lost Jax...a shudder went through her body.

"Keesha, if you call me, I will hear you. And I will always care. And I will not have you wrecking your slumber over a man who does not deserve to be invading your dreams."

"You no longer wear your bandage." Keesha noted quietly. She pulled the sheet up over her body, holding it to her as she tried to calm her nerves.

"Yes. I suppose I will always have this bloody scar..." he mumbled. His voice trailed off as she touched it, tracing it lightly.

"I love you." she looked into his eyes.

"If you say so." he teased, grinning as she smiled. "Much better. Are..."

"I am fine...I will get up soon."

Jax nodded, standing from the bed. He bent over and kissed Keesha on the forehead. She watched as he walked back into the bath, leaving the door partially open.

Keesha looked down, pulling the medallion Jax gave her...her medallion. If Garcia got out, he would work quickly...and Jax might not be so lucky this time.

And she could not lose him now...and he could not lose Jules.

And there was only one way to make sure Garcia never hurt anyone again. And that would be to make sure he took his last breath in prison.