13. He’s a Storm of Charisma and Chaos

Thirteen

He's a Storm of Charisma and Chaos

Elena

Last night I lay awake long after Axle's breathing level out. I think I've only had a few hours' sleep. His arms are still as tightly around me as they were when he fell asleep. His vulnerability bled through when Victor's bike fell, and seeing him tormented because I'm working at a place he doesn't perceive as safe stirs up inner turmoil.

I told him I wouldn't have sex with him, but I think I was trying to convince myself of that. There's been no pressure from him, and he seems happy to just spend time with me. That only makes me want him more. I can't help but compare him to my ex. Henry was a three-pump kind of guy, and I'm convinced that Axle isn't like that. The thought shoots straight to the juncture between my thighs, making me wiggle my butt.

"I wouldn't be doing that if I were you," a deep, sleepy voice murmurs behind me, making me smile.

"And if I do?" I tease. My mouth slams shut. Who am I?

His arms tighten around me. "If you want something, babe..."—his husky voice drifts off for a moment—"all you've got to do is tell me."

"I'll keep that in mind."

When he rubs himself against me, his hard thickness presses into my behind. My breathing deepens and I shiver with lust. I'm desperate to have sex with him, but the warnings I've gotten from everyone give me pause. I shuffle over to get out of bed, until big arms lunge and swoop around me, pulling me back into his chest, making me laugh.

"Nah, you're staying here with me, baby girl," he says seductively. His voice is tinged with playfulness.

My phone rings, so I jokingly smack his arm. "I've got to get my phone."

His arms tighten. "No, you don't."

"Please, Axle," I say, trying to keep the amusement out of my voice.

"Beg again for me," he purrs.

"Axle!" I warn, then he chuckles and lets go. I reach over quickly and grab my phone. It's Mel calling.

"Hello," I answer.

"Oh, hey," she says. "Someone mentioned you have today off."

"Yes," I reply slowly as Axle shuffles closer to me. "I do."

"Any chance we can swap shifts?"

I let out a sigh. I really wanted the day off.

Axle snatches my phone from my hand. As I'm about to object, he says into the phone, "No, she's not changing shifts."

He pauses while staring at me, then disconnects the call and passes me my phone.

I drill my displeased eyes into him. "You shouldn't have said that."

He gazes at me with one brow raised. "You let people treat you like shit. If you're not willing to stand up for yourself, I will."

My heart seizes, and I smile at him. He's right. I probably would have given in and said yes to swapping shifts. It's nice to know someone's looking out for me.

The aroma of bacon wafts through the room, making Axle sit up straight. With a long moan, he rubs his hands together. "Are you ready for breakfast?" he asks.

I smile at his eagerness for food. "Certainly."

We both get out of bed, and as I walk to the door, he strides forward and stands directly facing me, blocking the door. He directs a sharp glance at me.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

He tuts. "Hell no. You're not leaving this room until you're wearing something..."—he gives my shorts a long stare—"something that covers more of this up." He squeezes my thighs.

I try to hide a smile at his overprotectiveness. I take one step to the side of him, making out like I'm trying to get past him and to the door. With one quick movement, he picks me up, steps over to the bed, and throws me down. I bounce as I land on the mattress and squeal with laughter.

"Don't test me, baby girl," he warns, then picks up his shirt from last night and throws it at me.

"There... wear that. It should cover more of your skin."

I get off the bed, stand, and pull his shirt over my head. It smells so damn good. The hem of the shirt falls below my knees. It covers more skin, but I look like a mess in it.

He steps toward me, grabs a fistful of his shirt, and abruptly yanks me to him until I'm glancing up into intense stormy eyes. "You look so fucking sexy in my shirt," he says before briefly crashing his lips to mine. I love how he takes control. His lips curve into a smile against mine. "Let's get some food. I'm starving to death."

I chuckle as he takes my hand. It's quiet when we descend the stairs, but while we navigate through the house and toward the kitchen, I hear voices outside. Axle leads me out the back door. Everyone is sitting at a long wooden table in the back yard. Platters of food have been set out along the center of the table. I recoil—everyone is staring at us. I give them a tight smile as a blush creeps up my face.

Grace and Vera are sitting together between Reaper and Candy. Grace says something to Vera and they both stand, their chairs scraping back. With heads held high, they grab their plates and walk past us.

Axle tugs on my hand, and we sit in the chairs Grace and Vera vacated. With Axle now seated next to Reaper, I sit next to Candy, who gives me a small smile. Axle loads his plate with bacon and eggs, toast, and hash browns. I follow his lead but dish up only one-third of his plate of food.

"What?" he asks me.

My eyes flick from his plate to his face. "Nothing," I murmur. I smile, wondering where all the food goes, because he's fit.

There's chatter around the table.

"Nice shirt," Viper muses.

I peer down at the black War Brothers MC T-shirt that's hanging off me.

"Yes," Axle answers for me. "She looks hot in it." Then his eyes narrow. "You take your flirty eyes off her."

Viper chuckles. "I haven't seen this overprotective boyfriend side of you." He raises his brow. "I must say, it's highly amusing."

The chatter around the table changes to a lingering silence. I sense everyone's eyes on me, but I calmly savor my meal and focus on my plate. I look up just in time to see a slice of toast, tossed by Axle, hit Viper in the head, which makes Viper laugh even harder.

Candy inches close to me. "Are you two in a relationship?" she asks quietly.

I slowly nod at her.

She cringes before she smiles. "Congratulations."

"What's wrong?" I ask warily.

"Oh... ah..." She lowers her voice to a whisper. "I guess I'm just shocked that out of all the MC members, it's Axle that's in a relationship. Like him... of all people."

"Aren't you with Viper?" I ask.

She frowns. "I wish... well, not yet anyway."

I chew my toast, my mind drifting off, wondering why everyone is so surprised by the way Axle acts around me. Is it because he likes me more than others... or is there something else I'm missing? And why has no other biker got a partner? It strikes me as odd.

"When are you checking the bikes?" Reaper asks Axle.

"Today," Axle replies.

Reaper nods. Even sitting down, he's an imposing man. He has broad shoulders and carries himself with authority.

My eyes wander over the table to Bomber. He has black hair and a thick beard. Every time I've seen him, he's always seemed crabby and in his own world.

Cash is next, and there's a noticeable ease in his demeanor compared to the others. He offers a genuine smile, his eyes crinkling warmly, and I find myself mirroring his expression. His calm presence makes me feel more comfortable and at ease.

Twitch sits next to him, with Mercedez on his other side. She seems to be by his side all the time.

The scary one is last. Demon's skin is covered in tattoos that extend all the way to his neck. He sits back casually in his chair, observing. He rarely speaks, but there's something not right about him. I watch him flick open a switchblade and then press the lock on the bolster before snapping the blade back into the frame. I shiver and shuffle closer to Axle.

After breakfast, as we're leaving the table, Axle asks, "Mind if I take a couple of hours to inspect the motorcycles? I want to make sure they're running smoothly for our ride."

I smile. "Yes, okay."

He grabs my hand and pulls me through the house, outside, and to the shed. He walks toward the back, where there's a workbench with tools set out and a stack of tires next to it. The space in front of the workbench is stained with oil. I lean on a table while he goes out the back and wheels one of the large black motorcycles into the space.

"When will you start working on my car?"

"I've been too busy." He grins.

I scoff. "You haven't been too busy while I've been here."

"Some pretty little lady's been taking up all my time."

I chuckle. "Can I ask you something?" I have a lot more questions than one.

He pauses, looks up at me, and then shrugs. "Go for it."

"Why aren't the other MC members married or in relationships?"

His head falls back as he cackles loudly. His laughter echoes through the shed. I stare at him, waiting for a response, but he carries on laughing. The MC men are a bunch of good-looking guys, and from what I've seen, the women go crazy over them.

He sighs, smiling. "Oh, you're serious? Okay, so let me give you the rundown. Viper's pretty and he knows it. Scores heaps of chicks but has Candy on the side. She'll hover over him and take whatever he has to give her."

I frown at Candy being Viper's last choice. It's sad.

"Reaper, our president, has sex with Vera and is pretty picky with women. He's too busy focusing on leading our club." Axle chuckles to himself. "He won't let any woman stay the night in his bed, which I find damn funny. So every night they have sex, Vera must leave afterward. You should see the sour look on her face, but Reaper has rules."

Axle takes a breath. "Cash... he has sex to pass the time. I've never seen him interested in anyone. He won't admit it, but he's clearly not over his ex. She must have done something terrible. He's usually such a chill guy, but whenever she's mentioned in conversation, he goes cold as ice.

"Bomber, the angry-looking man," he says mockingly, "with the I'm-so-serious-every-second-of-every-day vibe has ex-girlfriend drama too. Bomber won't have sexy time with anyone but escorts because he's that devoted to her. Pretty lame..."

I think Bomber is sweet in that way, but I also cringe at the word escorts .

"Twitch is having a fling with Mercedez, but we think he has a hard-on for Reaper's sister Milly, which is funny because it will never ever happen."

"Why not?" I ask curiously.

"Because she's Reaper's sister, the one he's protected and supported since they were young. And Milly's shown no interest in anyone at the clubhouse. Twitch needs to get that out of his mind."

I bop my head in understanding.

"Then we have Demon. The rumor is he goes to the city for sex. I'm not sure what he gets there that he can't get here. Probably some kinky shit. He's a pretty closed-off guy. I think only Reaper knows his story. I don't know what woman would go for a sociopath anyway."

"Do you think something bad happened to him and that's why Demon is the way he is?" Scary as hell.

Axle's smile fades. "We've all had bad things happen to us, but sometimes it's like there's nothing behind Demon's eyes. He's always been loyal to the club and has done whatever has been asked of him. I know without a doubt that if I need him, he'll be by my side, no questions asked."

They might be bikers, but I find myself fascinated by their morals and ethics, even though I may not always agree with them. If anything, I've learned that the MC is about loyalty, friendship, and sacrifice. I decide to lighten the mood, so I tease, "You know a lot about your friends' love lives. You're a gossip."

His grin spreads wide. "Oh yeah, baby," he says as he steps back over to the bike with a tool in his hand.

I remain quiet as I watch him. I have no idea what he's doing, though he appears confident.

"Can you go over to the corner of the table? There's a dusty black stereo. Can you turn it on? That should turn on the radio."

After I turn it on for him, I say, "I have another question." I try to keep the anxiety out of my voice.

I obviously fail, because he says, "This isn't going to be a good question, is it?"

I puff out a breath of air. "Did you have anything going on with Grace?"

He laughs. "We used to have sex... nothing else."

Unease cloaks me. He just used her...

"Don't give me those judgy eyes," he says with attitude, and when I look at him, his brow is raised. "She knew the deal. I ended the casual sex, and she's pissed."

"Angry at me, you mean..."

His face turns stern. "Has she said anything to you?"

"No." Just passive-aggressiveness every time we cross paths. I'm just going to be the bigger person. "So that's it between you and her?"

"Yes, I'd rather shut my dick in a car door than go back to that."

My hands fly to my mouth as I try not to laugh at his rude comment.

"This song is a fuckin banger," Axle says happily while he works on the bike.

"I'm Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO plays in the background. He dances from side to side, swinging his hips, making me laugh. It's somehow sexy and goofy at the same time.

He lifts his shirt over his head, and my eyes bug out of my head. I can't get over his muscle definition. His jeans hang dangerously low on his hips, and I'm pretty sure he's not wearing anything underneath them. He has the body of a god, and I crave him. "I just want to..."

He freezes. When my eyes meet his, he prowls toward me and picks me up, his hands under my ass. I wrap my legs around his hips and our bodies press together. His eyes search mine. "What do you want?" he asks in an urgent, deep voice.

I'm tongue-tied and suffocating from his closeness, but I snake my arms over his shoulders. His mouth hovers over mine, his warm breath caresses my skin, but he doesn't move. I'm burning up without his lips on mine. My eyes flick to his lips and back to his eyes.

"I'll ask again, babe... What do you want?"

I want him with a desperation I've never felt before, but the words don't find their way out of my mouth. Instead, my body aches as he slowly lets me down onto my feet. Disappointment slices me. He cups my face in his hands, crushing his lips to mine. I thread my fingers through his thick hair while I demand entrance into his mouth, granting me a low rumble from his chest.

Our tongues spar. Every nerve ending lights up. As I pull his head down harder, he inches back, nipping at my lip, sending a bolt of pleasure down lower. Then he's smiling against my lips. As he pulls away, he runs his hands slowly down my cheeks. I squint at him while his eyes dance with mischief. I step back. Something seems suspicious. "What did you do?"

He cackles to himself. He grabs my chin, gives me a hard peck on the lips, looks me dead in the eye, and says, "You look sexy with grease on your face, babe."

"You didn't," I say, but the smugness all over his face already answers his question for me. I step over to him and whack him. "This better come off!"

He shrugs. "Maybe... maybe not."

I look down at my jeans, then try to turn around to see if there's grease on my ass from him holding me up.

Whack! I squeal.

"What?" he asks coyly. "I'm just adding another handprint to the collection."

I curse under my breath.

"That's not very Christian of you," the smartass remarks.

I give him the finger as I walk out of the shed. I hear his hyena laugh while I'm walking.

When I step inside the clubhouse, Grace is cleaning up the table near the stairs. I'm surprised. From what I've seen, the house is a mess most of the time. With my head down, I try to dart by her. But as I pass her, there's a pull on my arm and I'm yanked back.

"Is it true?" she searches my eyes. "Are you and Axle together?"

I pull my arm out of her grip and take a moment to observe her. There's a slight tug at the corner of her lips, like she's smothering a smile. I don't like it, but I answer her. "Yes."

She shakes her head at me. "Are you really that clueless?" She giggles while my stomach churns. "You think it's a coincidence you're with him? Like you're going to reform a player. People like him don't change."

I peer at Cash, who's joined us. "What are you two talking about?" he asks. His eyes harden when he looks at Grace.

"Nothing," she hastily responds.

He clicks his tongue. "It doesn't look like nothing."

She clears her throat, her eyes darting around. "I better get back to cleaning." Then she leaves.

Cash's eyes search mine. "I don't know what she said to you, but for what it's worth, I've never seen Axle as happy as he is with you."

I smile up at him. "Thank you."

"Is that grease?" He laughs when I reluctantly nod. "I can't take you seriously with the grease on your face. Come into the kitchen. I'm sure we have something that'll help you get it off."

Once Cash has helped me remove the grease, I have a long shower and get into Axle's bed with one of my favorite books. My mind wanders back to Grace, but I put it down to jealousy. I berate myself for even thinking about it because it only puts me in a bad mood. I refuse to lower myself to her level.

I glance at my phone and sigh deeply. My parents haven't reached out to me, and the weight of their silence hangs over me. Yet when I'm with Axle, a comforting presence fills the void, making me feel less alone.

I focus on my romance novel, and soon I'm immersed in the story and thoroughly enjoying my time relaxing while I wait for Axle.