I heard the rumble of Axel’s truck and turned my head toward the sound. I had to admit, I missed the sound of his bike. Since we had Maddox, most of the time the truck had become his main source of transportation.
I’d ridden the bike a few times with him and it had been a thrill to wrap myself around him as the wind whipped through my hair.
When he walked in, I felt that familiar flutter I always felt when it came to him. He was wearing his standard Levis and a black t-shirt under his cut. He swept his brown hair from his face as his expressive eyes met mine.
“Hi,” I murmured with a shy smile.
“Hi,” he replied, his gaze sweeping over my face, landing a beat longer on my lips. I could feel my face heat again and I licked them involuntarily, watching his eyes turn dark. He moved through the room to Maddox, lifting him up in his strong arms.
The sound of a bike rumbling to a stop made Gracie’s face light up.
“Daddy,” Scarlet grinned to her.
Cole walked in a moment later to grins from both the ladies in his life. He delivered a kiss to his wife and scooped his squealing daughter up in his arms.
I rose up off the couch, gathering the diaper bag and any stray toys we’d left lying around. “We’ll see you soon.” I hugged Scar in parting.
“You’ll see me the day after tomorrow along with everyone else,” she informed me.
“What?” I asked.
“The club wanted to welcome you home, Soph,” Cole told me, his blue eyes warm on mine.
Sal and Axel both assured me that the reasons why I’d left had been shared and were understood, respected even, by the Knights. It showed in the much warmer way Cole treated me since I’d returned to town.
“Wow, okay,” I stuttered, beyond moved at the gesture. I looked to Axel with a question in my eyes. He hadn’t mentioned this.
“Let’s get you two home,” he said by way of answer.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” I asked quietly as he backed out of their driveway and gunned the gas, headed for the highway.
He shrugged. “I wanted it to come from Scar. Figured that way you wouldn’t say no,” he chuckled. “You seem to argue with me about everything.”
“Good play,” I replied dryly and he laughed harder, reaching over and putting his large hand over mine. I turned it over, palm up and laced his fingers with mine.
Electricity zinged down my spine as I felt his gaze on me. He was looking over at me with surprise as I turned to meet his gaze.
He grinned. The man was beautiful on any occasion, but when he smiled, he was breathtaking. “She’s gettin' it,” he muttered to himself, his eyes turning back to the road.
“Yeah,” I admitted. “She is.”
I put Maddox to bed and Axel and I sat out on his large back deck eating a casual dinner and sipping beers.
“It’s beautiful here,” I sighed, loving the smell of the pine trees, the orchestra of crickets and the occasional owl.
“Yeah,” he agreed. “Scar offered to babysit.” His pose was casual as his boots rested on the railing, crossed at the ankle.
“Oh?” I asked, my heart beating a little harder in my chest.
“Yeah, I want to take you out to dinner.”
“Like a date?” I asked incredulously. “Ax, we have a kid together. I think we’re past the first date.”
“Well, it can be our second date then,” he replied easily.
“All right, second date,” I clinked his bottle with mine.
I slinked off to bed like I had since we’d been staying with him. I was still so nervous about taking things to a romantic level between us. I couldn’t place where the anxiety came from. Lack of experience? Fear of rejection? Whatever it was, I was like a freaking skittish cat when it came to being close to him.
