Page 26 of Bruised MC Bear

12

Angel

Angel hummedto herself while drying off from her shower. She was still blissful after what she and Axe had just done together in that motel bed. Was it possible to sleep in it after such indulgence? A shiver ran down her spine at the memory. What they had done was close to vanilla sex by her usual tastes, yet it was more intense than anything she’d ever felt with another man.

Of course, none of it meant anything, really. Well, except for the undisputable fact that they were compatible in bed. That’s where the similarities between them ended. She glanced over at him, slipping on an oversized t-shirt. Just because they’d slept together on this bed didn’t mean she was going naked underneath those dingy sheets. Putting bare knees and hands on top of them was bad enough. Even having to wear this god-awful t-shirt pissed her off. Out of everything Axe had shoved into her backpack, it was the only item of clothing that came close to working as sleepwear.

Presumptuous bastard.

She looked on as Axe got up, dug through his little satchel bag, and retrieved a pack of cigarettes. It was a nasty habit, but she could only say that because she had just kicked the addiction six months ago with the help of the patch. Dammit, she could judge him and envy him at the same time. Angel rolled her eyes at herself, turning away to put her hair into a high bun. No way was she bumming a smoke off of him.

“Hey, want a smoke?” Axe asked.

“Uh, sure.”

Dammit. She couldn’t say no to the man. Angel looked down at the spot on her arm where the patch used to be. “Actually, I’ll pass for now, but thanks for the offer.”

“Cool. I’ll be outside,” he announced, raising the pack of cigarettes in one hand and his cell phone in the other. “I’ll give you a little peace and quiet for a bit.”

For a goofball and a sarcastic asshole, he sure had his considerate moments. He was way sweeter than she’d ever given him credit for. She would be lying if she didn’t admit that it was jarring as hell.

The door clicked shut, and she crawled into the bed, grabbing the TV remote from the night table. Maybe she could see which of the five channels this dinky place had that were actually working right. Midway through her channel surfing Axe’s voice grew loud enough to hear pieces of his conversation through the door. She muted the TV, still absently watching the images as she focused on what she could pick up from the other side of the door. The sounds were all jumbled together, but the urgent tone was evident. Assuming it was in her best interest to know what was going down, she slid off the bed and headed over to the door. She didn’t need to press her ear against the peeling paint. Every word was crystal clear

“…it’s not like that, bro. Stop putting words in my mouth—”

Whatever he said must have been cut off on the other end. Axe made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat, seeming to make an effort to get whoever was on the other line to stop talking long enough to hear him out.

“Just because I’m staying in the room with her doesn’t mean I’m going to wife up, bro. Get your head on straight. She’s not my old lady. I’m fucking working here.” Axe’s voice grew louder with each syllable until the last word hit her ear.

Angel balled her hands into fists, trying to hold it together. She was the one in the wrong for eavesdropping, but still, every cell in her body was ready to throw open the door, tackle him to the ground, and put him in a chokehold. Not that he deserved that much effort. What the hell was wrong with her in the first place that she even let him in? She was the idiot, practically allowing him to own her just now when the truth was they were nothing to each other.

Angel grunted and headed back to bed. She didn’t need to hear anything else. He had made his point loud and clear, enough that she almost kicked herself for being so gullible. Her core was still throbbing, aching for him to be inside of her again, while Axe was out there pointing out the obvious—that she was nothing but another gig to him. This was yet another reason that casual sex was not worth the hassle. She had been way more intimate with him than just an occasional thing. Angel physically winced at her hypocrisy. She may not have verbalized her feelings, but she had sure as hell dismissed him early on.

The creak of the door opening abruptly made Angel jump.

“Hey. I’ve got to run a quick errand with the bike,” Axe said gruffly from outside, hand still wrapped around the doorknob. “Don’t open the door for anyone. I’ll be back soon.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

Christ.

Being stuck in this room only made it worse. All the overanalyzing was getting to her, and now, Axe was rushing off to God knows where with no explanation. All she wanted now was to see her mom, to return to her safe and predictable librarian job, and to be back with her dogs. How she missed their cold noses and sharp little barks. Even their unique quirks were adorable now. If she had to hunker down and hide for more than a day or two, she’d have to get someone to take her pets to her parents.

Axe’s bike roared to life and rumbled out of the hotel parking lot. Letting out a long sigh, Angel ran a hand through her hair and stretched out in bed. Basic cable had to have less drama going on than what was storming around in her head.