A sinking feeling settles within me. This isn’t normal. Maybe we need to slow down and let this take its course. Something that burns this hot and bright is bound to fizzle out sooner rather than later. Right?
CHAPTER NINETEEN
axel
I flip through my messages;almost all of them are from Shiny, letting me know the Reaper we took is at the warehouse and filling me in on cleanup. I roll my shoulders, excited to get my hands dirty and get some information out of him. Realizing I have a missed call from Bear, I hit his contact and put the phone to my ear. Jenna is still in the bathroom; our last conversation plays back in my head. The look on her face leaves me worried. Had I been too honest with her? She looked like she was going to run for the hills.
Fuck, get your shit together, Axel. There’s no time to sit around and have a fucking feelings circle.
Honestly, the toiletries are from my sister. She and her asshat of a boyfriend are on again off again and when she needs a place to crash, she stays here and I find one of the guest rooms to stay in. But Jenna questioning me about the girls I’ve slept with leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I don’t want her worrying about anyone else. She should know how strongly I feel for her.
With her still occupied in the other room, I’m able to talk freely on the phone.
“Axel,” Bear answers in an almost groggy tone. Most of us are pissed off and tired, but we won’t be able to sleep until after Church.
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“How’s Teach?” he asks. I pause. Is this what he’s really calling me about? But it wouldn’t surprise me. Bear has always been very protective over women. He was married a few years back but when things went down with Knife, she was collateral damage from the fallout with the Russians. He’s never been the same and I don’t think I’ve actually seen him talk to another woman except for the old ladies.
“She’s fine, Bear. Was that all you called for?” I reply in a short tone. I need to get dressed and get downstairs for Church.
“No, we’ve got a problem down here you might need to see for yourself. Gunner’s lost his shit; we need to call Cali,” he says as I hear a commotion in the background.
“I’ll be down in five.” I hang up with more force than needed. Tossing my phone on the bed, I move to my dresser and pull out a pair of dark jeans and a long sleeve flannel. Jenna walks out of the bathroom as I sit on the edge of the bed to put on my socks and boots.
“You’re leaving?” she asks, giving me an unsure look. She’s wearing nothing but one of my shirts. It’s so big on her it falls just above her knees. Her hair is still wet and falls around her face in deep red waves. She’s the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen. It takes all my willpower to keep putting on my shoes and not pull her into bed with me.
“I have to go deal with something before Church. You’ll be fine here. I’ll have someone bring you food.” That look of confusion wrinkles her perfect features again at the mention of Church.
“You guys go to church in the middle of the night?” Jenna asks curiously.
I smirk to myself. “Angel, this isn’t the type of Church you’re thinking of.” I finish lacing up my boots and stand in front of her. Nothing stands between me and her naked body except for the thin material of my shirt.
“It’s what we call a club meeting. All the club officers meet to discuss business.”
Her eyebrows raise for a moment, and then her eyes latch onto mine. “Huh, I thought I had entered some extremely religious biker club.”
I rub my hands down her silky arms, feeling goosebumps erupt in their wake. It’s nice to know I affect her just as much as she affects me.
“Thinking about bolting?” I raise an eyebrow at her.
“Only about a dozen times,” she jokes and turns to walk over to the bed. “I mean, it would make more sense as to how this brood of large bikers has welcomed an innocent teacher into their lair… human sacrifice.” She wiggles her eyebrows as she says the last words.
I watch as she pulls the covers back and settles herself right in the middle of the bed. I’ve never let a woman actuallysleepin my bed before, but I don’t know if anything has felt more right. I grapple with my feelings, trying to suppress the surge of possessiveness that once again consumes me. Every time I look at her, I know she’s made just for me. Her curves fit my hands so perfectly, her face delicate but strong, and she’s braver than most grown men.
“Nope, sweetheart. Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, you fit right in here.” I let her think I’m talking about the club. Honestly, she does seem to fit right in with the club. Sierra, the office manager at my garage, couldn’t stop blabbing about how great Jenna was after some dinner with the girls. Even Cali, who almost never likes anyone new, seems to enjoy hercompany. But really, there’s an unspoken truth: she fits perfectly here with me.
“A gorgeous, smart, pain in my ass. What more could I ask for?” That coaxes a giggle out of her. The sound makes my chest tighten. I love it when she laughs.
“Ugh, I knew I was destined to ride a motorcycle!” she says with gumption.
Something about the thought of having her ride on the back of my bike has my dick throbbing. Shit, I need to get downstairs to deal with business so I can come back and bury myself in her for the rest of the night.
She yawns and stretches her arms out in front of her, beckoning me forward. She’s adorable.
“Be safe, okay?” she whispers into my chest.
“Always,” I say into her hair.
