I open, close, then open my mouth. I’m lost for words, and I blush. He’s very good looking with that square jaw, piercing eyes, manly beard, and permanent devilish grin, but I’m not telling him that. His head is already too big for his shoulders.
“It’s true,” I say.
He chuckles. “Whatever helps you sleep at night,” he coos.
I laugh, but then I remember what he said. “And I donothave one-night stands.”
He adds a cheeky wink. “I’m just teasing.”
After a moment of silence, I ask. “What did you mean you’re not aqualifiedmechanic?”
“I’m just as skilled,” Axle says confidently. “I was never good at school. I think I’m dyslexic or whatever it’s called, so I suck at anything that has to do with reading or writing.” He pauses and looks away. “The only reason I learned about fixing bikes was because I stole parts from an old man up the road from our trailer who owned a mechanic shop, and I sold them. When I did it again, he caught me and said he wouldn’t call the cops if I paid him off by helping him in the garage, so I did. After the cleaning jobs, he saw I was interested in the bikes he was fixing, so he taught me things, and after that I helped him every day. I loved it.”
His bright smile warms my chest. “Do you still spend time with him?” I ask.
His face falls, and I’m immediately filled with regret for asking such personal questions, but I want to get to know him.
“No, he’s been dead for a while now.”
I’m floored by his honesty, but grateful he shared it with me, nonetheless. “Did your parents care that you spent all your time there?”
“God, you’re just going straight for the jugular with these questions.” He snorts. “I could have been dead and my parents wouldn’t have cared. Too busy getting high in the trailer we called a home.”
I lean over and lay my hand on his. “I’m so sorry to hear that,” I say sincerely. My heart aches for him. Something flashes across his face before he masks it with a smile, though there’s still vulnerability in his eyes.
“I’m okay, babe. It was a long time ago, and I wouldn’t change it for the world, otherwise I would have never met Victor, the owner of the garage, or built a life in the MC.”
He’s an open book, and I’m really liking that about him. He speaks his mind, and it’s refreshing. “Thank you for sharing.” I mean it. He looks like a badass biker, but he’s more than that. Behind the vest are many layers of who he is as a person. I’m captivated by him. Even though I shouldn’t be getting involved with him, I crave to know more.
My pancakes arrive and I smile at the server, whose head is bowed. She promptly turns on her heel and goes back inside.
Axle lifts his cup to his mouth and drinks. I watch his Adam’s apple bob up and down. I have no idea how that’s attractive, but it is.
He leans back. “Let me guess, you were a good Christian girl and, being the book nerd that you are, you did well at school.”
I cringe. “Maybe...” He’s exactly right.
Axle chuckles. “Oh yeah. You’re pretty much the opposite of me in every way.”
I gnaw on my lip, not sure whether it’s a bad thing or not.
After I eat my pancakes, we chat briefly before we get up. He wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me to his side, where I smell his cologne mixed with the leather of his vest, and I suppress a moan. Even though I’m startled for a second, I smile up at him. My heart is hammering, but his playful grin disarms me. Surprisingly, I feel a level of ease I never imagined I would experience with him.
We get on his bike, and I smile during the short ride home. Once home, I get off the bike and hand him the helmet, he grabs my arm and pulls me in close. He groans. “I don’t kiss women, but I’m fighting the urge to kiss you right now.”
My eyes go to his lips, craving a taste. “Well, don’t,” I whisper. Kissing him is my first instinct. I want to be soaked in his sin.
His eyes widen, then darken. My heart beats heavily. He grasps my necklace, pulls me to him, and captures my lips in a firm kiss. Sheer desire fuels me and I press my lips against his. Hard.
Time freezes. I’m leaning against him and his bike. My hands slip around his neck, my mouth parting. His tongue slides in and meets mine, holding me hypnotized. I whimper into his mouth. His arm tightens around me as my body heats up. With each movement of his tongue against mine, a rush of lust courses through my body, traveling from my veins to my groin. His kiss is demanding and authoritative. I’m at his mercy.
The long, lingering kiss makes my lips crave his as soon as he pulls away. I’m left panting, my head spinning.
His eyes are dark as his thumb caresses my bottom lip. “Looks like an angel, kisses like a demon.”
My eyes latch onto his lips again. Axle is trouble, but I can’t stop the way my body reacts to him.
I step backward and watch as he revs his engine, pulls out, and does a burnout, his tires leaving black skid marks. My eyes narrow. He shouldn’t put himself in danger like that.
