Jax's Game: Book 1 of The Checkmate Series

Chapter 24

The two of them sat in the bathtub her back flush against his chest as she leaned back capturing his lips. Jax's arm was on the tub's edge, fingers in the water as he flicked the water around. He admired her, every piece of her, as he took his fingers and dripped water on her bare skin. His eyes glanced over her naked body which was covered by the water. Her tattoos were bold against her pale skin. He traced over them...every single one of them. Jax traced the letters on her hip. She jerked a little, shivers flowing through her system.

"Jax," she muttered, rolling her head back further on his shoulder. Her cheek was touching his neck as he continued to touch her bare skin, especially dragging his fingertip over the faint scar on her lower stomach.

"What happened? You barely told me," he whispered. Harriet sighed, closing her eyes.

"Um, he was born and passed away hours later, Jax." Harriet hated talking about it. It's been over a year, but it still felt like yesterday when she heard the news.

She was at work sitting at her desk when the soaring pain came through. Harriet thought it was Braxton Hicks at first as she was too early to go into labour. However, when her water broke, instantly, she feared everything. Harriet was twenty-eight weeks along with her pregnancy. Therefore, the baby would be premature.

She got up, the water pooling down on the ground as she tried to find her phone to speed dial, Kai. The pain seared through her, the contractions weren't close together...twenty minutes or so, but she was still internally freaking out.

The social worker drove herself to the hospital. It wasn't too far – ten minutes or so. She thanked God that a contraction didn't hit while she was driving. Who knew where Kai was? That man was always on another planet, but she was close to giving birth, and he couldn't pick up the damn phone.

Harriet told the nurse once she raced into the ER, "I am in labour."

However, once settled and in bed, the doctors told her that she was too early to deliver. No shit, Sherlock.

The contractions were now ten minutes apart, and the doctors had no choice but to deliver her baby boy. He was too early. Therefore, they chose to do a C-section.

"I was awake the whole time," she told Jax. He continued to show interest as he drew circles on her skin. Goosebumps rose from his fingering as she talked. "Kai didn't answer my messages, so he wasn't there. A nurse held my hand as I felt my stomach opening. I had an epidural, so no pain, but I could feel it. He didn't cry when he came out, and that was alarming for the doctors," her voice was emotionless.

Something is wrong," she muttered all breathy looking up at the nurse as she focused on what was behind the screen. She knew, the mother deep inside her knew something was not right.

Harriet looked around the operation room, seeing the blue scrubs and silver tools. Her baby was out. She could feel the emptiness inside of her. He didn't cry. She heard the shushed muttering as a doctor took her baby to another room.

"Where is he going?" she panicked, grabbing the nurse's hand and squeezing it. "Tell me, tell me what is happening? Where is my baby?" Harriet began to scream, tears rolling down her face as her wrath became undone.

"Mrs. Fitzgerald, you need to stay still. Everything will be ok. You are ok," the female doctor told her.

"I may be ok but is he ok?" she screamed through her teeth.

Harriet looked at the nurse next to her, seeing her eyes. Something was definitely wrong. Her baby was almost blue when she caught a glimpse of him bundled in a blanket as a new doctor left with him. Something was wrong, and no one told her.

"He had RDS, respiratory distress syndrome. He lasted the night before he passed away. Kai finally came when I was all stitched up and got the news about his diagnosis. We cried together, and he held my hand. Once the doctors left the room, he wasn't the same. Distant, cold, and almost evil, it pained me. All I needed at that moment was my husband."

Jax grunted as he wrapped his arms around her pulling her closer to him. "He seems like a dick."

"He once was my prince charming, Jax."

Jax drew circles on her stomach, thoughts circling his head, questions that he wanted to ask her. Harriet grew quiet, wiping the tears from her cheeks as she nuzzled closer to him.

"What was the kids' birth like?"

Jax sighed, "I don't know. I wasn't there. I was in-"

"Paris?" she cocked, and he grunted.

"No, New York, Kit. I was starting up an office there when Em was born and working part-time there and here when Caleb came. Paris wasn't just my funhouse. I worked there too. I am setting up an office there right now."

Harriet hummed, "Did you have sex with Claudia? You two could've afforded help with doctors."

"We had sex. It was horrible. She isn't into men, so it was awkward. I told her we could get help from the doctors, but she didn't want it to be a thing with the media if they found out. I told her we could play it off as fertility issues, but no, she wanted to do it the natural way. So, we did, and look, we have two perfect babies."

"Who are Sebastian and Chris?" she questioned.

His finger halted from drawing circles on her wet flesh.

"My best mates in New York City. Sebastian is a big partier, sex-driven, and cocky as hell. Hilarious guy, a genius...complete genius. He started his company from nothing and great with money and numbers. You would grab a drink with him and have no idea that he is a billionaire, playboy, genius dickhead. Chris is the opposite, quite reserved and quiet if that makes sense. He runs a media company. Great guy, a woman's dream, sort of like Atticus."

"You must be in New York a lot."

"Used to be a lot, but they come to London for business often. You should meet them. They are a lot of fun," he whispered, kissing her hair. "How did you know about them?"

"Atticus."

"They are good friends with him too," he purred, kissing her cheek.

Harriet turned around, the water hitting higher up as she moved to sit across from him. Jax grabbed her ankle, pulling her to her and kissing up her leg. She squealed.

"Jax," she warned.

"Not doing anything, Kitten," he whispered, going back to kissing up her leg.

Jax moved, crawling across the large bath and capturing her lips. Her hands wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer.

The two kissed, letting their emotions take a hold of them, exchanging salvia as their needy hands glided over each other's bodies.

She was taken by him. Absolutely in love with him and he was too.