“Climb on.”
“You do realize that is a death trap,” she said.
“And you need to learn to enjoy a little excitement in your life.”
It was the strangest thing because that was what her sister had said as well.She wondered if by some weird twist of fate, her sister and Axel talked.There was no way that was possible.Ashley on many occasions told her she hadn’t stayed in touch with anyone from home.
She looked at the back of Axel’s bike, and even as her heart raced, she couldn’t deny she was a little curious about what this would be like.So, she swung her leg over the back of the bike, wrapped her arms around his waist, then took another deep breath, and was more than prepared for what was about to happen.
“Hold on tight.”
Joey would have much preferred a helmet, but she was going to live slightly recklessly, and if this was awful, her daughter was never going on the back of a bike.
Axel pulled out of the back of the shop and started on the road, heading toward his home.
She couldn’t believe she was doing this, but tomorrow was Sunday, and she wasn’t needed at the shop.Unless it was a special event in town, the shop remained closed on Sunday.Most people were not interested in going out and getting coffee.At least, not in her shop.
They drove right back to his home, and it took her a couple of minutes of holding onto Axel, but she did eventually let go.
The ride was actually quite thrilling, in more ways than she thought was possible.She closed her eyes and felt the slight breeze as it washed through her long hair.It felt freeing.And it made her feel so alive.She had not felt this way in a long time.
For the longest time, she had been trying to make up for George’s absence.She wanted to be everything for her daughter.A mother, a father, a best friend, everything.George didn’t want anything to do with her.He wasn’t there at her birth, and Joey had talked with her sister about monitored visitation, but George didn’t want that.The divorce hadn’t been contested.Her sister had said it was a very quick and clean divorce.
Joey had moved out of the house they had together.There was a small settlement, enough for her to put a small down payment on a house, as well as her coffee shop.She had to agree to stop getting in touch about Adeline.George didn’t want her.So, to save her daughter the pain, she had stopped trying.
“Here we are,” Axel said, pulling her out of her thoughts.She looked up at his home.“Well, did you hate it, or were you able to open your mind just a smidge?”
“Fine, fine, fine, it was good, it was a lot of fun.”
He laughed.
She climbed off the bike, and if Axel hadn’t reacted quickly, she would have fallen on her ass.
“I’ve got you.”
She couldn’t help but think that if he had been George, he’d have let her fall.In fact, he would have probably helped her fall by giving her a shove.Shaking her head, she was immediately pulled out of any comparisons as Axel cupped her face.He was so delicate with her, and yet it felt so erotic as he held her.
One of his thumbs stroked across her lips, and he groaned.“All day I’ve been wanting to do this,” and he closed the distance between them and kissed her.
The moment their lips touched, Joey knew she had to stop thinking about George.Axel was not George.
The way she felt with Axel was out of this world.There had never been fireworks with George.All it had been was a stupid young woman crush that had nearly destroyed her very soul.Thankfully, it hadn’t.She had been lucky, she knew that.There was no way she was ever going to paint Axel with that same brush.He was not George, and he was never going to be George.
Axel broke the kiss and took her hand, leading her inside the house.The other night, she didn’t get the chance to see much.They had been heading for one destination—his bedroom.She was not the kind of woman to snoop.
“Welcome to my home.”
“You did all of this, didn’t you?”she asked.“The refurbishing.Decorating.”
“That’s right.”
“It looks amazing,” she said.He flicked on the light, and just from the main hallway, she saw the love and dedication he had put into it.From the doorway, she could see into the sitting room.That was on the left, and on the right was the dining room table.All of it was expertly crafted.Axel had been known to work well with his hands, and the proof surrounded her.
“So, come on,” he said.
He took her hands, and Joey thought he might just want to get straight to the sex, however, she was so wrong.He walked her to the kitchen, sat her down, and poured her a full glass of water.
“You’re not much of a drinker, are you?”
