How many ways can he smile? Jax thought as he held his cards. He was sure the shock and slight excited fear made its way to his face through Antonia’s show of her sensual skill. With his mouth slightly open, his eyes followed her fingers. He felt a shiver run through as he saw her wield her fancy deadly knife. Oh, he understood. She was displaying her treats like a rose blooms from the base of thorns. And still the whole thought brought a greedy grin. Jax had to let that smile grow. He watched her eyes and made sure she saw he took her threat, understood her cuts, and still could find excitement in the pursuit. Wasn’t that the point after all of the beauty of a rose? The cuts you had to suffer to pluck it.

And then to add deeper slices or even salt into the wound, the Captain made his voice clear. Was he the gardner, now? Jax could not keep the delighted smile in and he nodded his head and laughed to the Captain. He heard the claim, he could smell the scent of a wolf marking its territory even if the dig did not hold that intention. But Jax had to laugh, “Oh possession doesn’t have to be in the goal at all. Never said I demanded all the milk. To own and to taste are two different things” He grinned back to Antonia and winked before he smiled to the Captain again.

He was pushing maybe a bit he thought as he held his cards and listened again to the smooth sugar coated words of the First Mate. Gleet, gleek, he didn’t care what the hell she called it. It sounded good. His smile turned warm as he agreed. It was time to play.

As Jax looked at his cards he wondered what game he wanted here. He could care less really if he won or not. Would it be better to fall under the honey of the green player or suck up to the Captain for that ego boost most men in his place hold? Jax still wasn’t sure. So he studied his hand and jumped in with a modest bid that said he was a player but did not exaggerate his hold. 

In each round he was quick with his turn, his bid, his announcement of his intentions. Jax did not pause or contemplate. He was ready each time. As each of the others took their turn he watched them with glances to the sitting beauty and her fruit. He took swigs of run. And he smiled. He enjoyed the game and that was clear in the sparkle of his eyes and all his different sort of smiles.