Chapter six

Axel

I ’m not sure how long I stay in bed after he leaves. Another hour? Two? Time moves differently when you’re lost inside your mind.

I had sex with a man, and it was epic.

Sexy in a way I wasn’t anticipating.

A little rough without being dangerous.

A lot wild.

And with some verbal sparring that only heightened the intensity.

Don’t even get me started on that orgasm. My toes cramped so hard I thought they might be permanently warped, and in that moment, I didn’t even care.

Too bad the sex isn’t the only thing playing on a loop.

Twice now, I’ve woken up next to Lennon, and twice, I’ve felt more content than I should, seeing as how I never share my bed.

Yesterday, I attributed that to the comfy pillow top mattress itself, believing he couldn’t possibly have had anything to do with it.

Today, however, it feels like maybe he did play a role.

He was snuggled against me when I woke up, his head nestled in the crook of my arm, one leg thrown over mine in a way that had his cock pressed against my hip.

I admit feeling that semi was pretty hot, but I didn’t even notice it right away.

My first thought was how nice his weight felt in my arms. How I didn’t want to move so I could keep him there longer, anchored to me. Cuddling .

I am not a cuddler. Never have been. Usually, after I’ve gotten what I need, I send my guests on their way.

A dick move, but one that’s necessary so no one gets the impression I want anything more than a good time.

That’s why I’m selective about where I put my cock.

I don’t need a whole slew of fans badmouthing me, so I only indulge when my body really needs the release.

And until Lennon, I never sought that out, I merely took what was offered.

Logically, that means there must be something different about him, beyond just the fact he’s a dude.

But in my experience, logic and sex don’t mix, and this is still just sex, even if he did spend the night.

Twice . Plus, we’re pretty spectacular together.

Sure, it felt kinda nice to wake up with him in my arms, but it was probably the way he wore me out that led to me feeling like a million bucks this morning.

Maybe after a third night with him, in his bed no less, I’ll know for sure.

By the time I make it to the kitchen, all the guys are up, and the coffee is cold.

“Wore yourself out last night, huh?” Jace leans a hip against the counter and sips from his mug, watching me like a hawk with his nearly black eyes as I refill the filter with fresh grounds.

I don't spare him a glance. “Why do you say that?”

“Aside from the fact that you’re rolling out of bed at ten in the morning, we caught the tail end of your hookup when we got home last night.

” Nick casts me a wicked grin from the barstool he’s perched on, his icy blue stare making me feel like I’m caught in headlights.

“She’s a throaty little thing. Pretty sure we all needed a shower before we hit the sheets. ”

Shit . At least they still think Lennon’s a woman .

“It sounded like the real action for this film is in your bedroom and not on the trail.” Trevor adjusts the ballcap covering his shaggy brown hair as he leans forward to claim a bagel.

“Good thing she left early or Jace probably would’ve tried to talk you into recreating the evening for the camera. ”

I glare in Jace’s direction in time to see him rolling his eyes.

“I’d like to think my skill behind the camera makes me overqualified to film porn. I don’t want to see Axel’s naked ass on film, anyway.” Jace casts me a subtle nod, acknowledging that he’s got my back since our two crewmates are such morons.

“Don’t focus on his ass then, focus on the girl. She must be pretty impressive,” Trevor says as he chews, a goofy grin on his face.

“Why would you say that?” The coffeemaker beeps, and I pretend to be more interested in that than the conversation as I pour myself a cup, so he can’t tell I’m waiting for his answer.

“She stayed here two nights in a row. No one ever stays the night with you, much less two.” Nick makes that sound like common knowledge, which is sort of surprising, considering I don’t talk to him about my hookups.

“I don’t have people stay where I live. We’re just crashing here, so it makes no difference to me if she crashes here, too.” I grab a bagel from the breadbasket and take a bite, hoping that will be the end of it.

“Same girl, though.” I hear Trevor’s leg bouncing against the stool he’s sitting on. I swear he’s a poster child for caffeine overload. “And because of that, you missed a killer bachelorette party last night.”

“You should be thanking me for that.” I point my bagel at him. “If I’m not there, you idiots have a better chance of scoring.”

“Because they’d all go for you?” Jace crosses his arms in front of his chest and stares me down as the other two snort .

“My name's on the jersey, boys.” I shrug and take another bite, egging them on.

“Doesn’t matter when we’re better looking.” Nick grabs a bagel and hucks it at my head. It ricochets off the cupboard behind me when I duck.

“Damn, I should be filming this.” Jace jumps up and runs for his camera.

“We wouldn’t be having this conversation if you were,” I shout after him.

I’ll trash talk the guys on film about their biking skills, not my sexual prowess.

Aside from the fact Ma would have my ass if she heard me talking like this, I’m only doing it to deflect their interest in Lennon.

I don’t want to share anything about him with them just yet.

“Got it.” Jace rushes back into the room as I finish the last of my coffee. He takes one look at the three of us and sighs heavily. “Fuck. That’s exactly the stuff the sponsors want, and I missed it.”

“I’m sure there will be other meaningless conversations for you to film over the next few weeks.” I slap him on the back. “So, Jace, what’s the plan for today? Got another trail for us?”

“Yeah, a guy at the bar last night recommended we ride up Miller Pass. It’s a single lane road over to the next valley where there’s a bunch of open space. Between the pass and the valley, we should get some good shots.”

“Okay, let’s gear up and get going.” I stick my mug in the dishwasher and finish off the last of my breakfast.

“What’s the rush? You got another hot date tonight?” Trevor asks.

“Nah, I’d just rather ride than talk to you fuckers.” I flip him off as I walk down the hallway toward my bedroom.

** *

It takes about an hour to get over Miller pass and into the valley the locals told Jace about, but just like they said, the pass itself is a wicked ride.

Barely wider than one lane, the dirt road winds along the side of a mountain, offering an epic view of the Rockies for miles in either direction.

With it being spring, the peaks are still covered in snow, while the valley below is a vivid green.

Against the blue sky, it looks like a painting instead of a real place. Perfect and completely untouched.

It’s damn near as stunning as my devil, and if I hadn’t ever seen him, I’d call this view the most incredible thing I’ve laid my eyes on in my life.

But now that I’ve seen him… Smooth skin over an angular face, chocolate brown eyes that are either soulful or mischievous depending on his mood, the sexy way his skirts swoosh around his legs when he walks…

Lennon on my bike against this backdrop, well, I don’t think there’d be anything to top it.

We can only take in the view when we stop though, since the road is no joke.

Soft and compact at the bottom, it gets muddier with elevation, and in some places, snow still covers it completely.

The bikes can go over it, but if I spin out, I might just go over the edge, and it’s a pretty sheer drop I’d rather not mess with.

Still, when we near the bottom at the other side and find a log leaning just right, I launch off it.

After a few hours of screwing around on the trails surrounding the valley, we head back over the pass and to the house. Nick and Trevor wash down the bikes while Jace and I grab quick showers then head to the office to review the footage.

“The no-hander off that log is sick,” Jace says from beside me as we watch a video of me riding along the fallen log on the screen.

Right when I hit the end of the log, I jump the bike and pull my hands off the handlebars, spreading my arms wide for a few seconds before I put them back and land clean.

“I still can’t believe that log fell so perfectly,” Nick says as he takes the empty chair behind Jace.

“Or that it was wide enough for the bike,” Trevor adds from the doorway.

“How old do you figure that thing was? A few hundred years?” Nick wonders aloud, though none of us answer.

“I think I’ll freeze it right here for the cover.” Jace points to the screen where I’m frozen in mid-air, arms wide as I launch off the log.

“Makes sense,” I agree. “It’s probably the best shot we’ve got so far.”

“Especially with these wildflowers in the background. They really make the color pop.” Jace moves the mouse to point out the flowers on the screen.

“They make the color pop? Dude,” scoffs Trevor as he takes a seat behind me, “we’re making a bike film not an art documentary.”

“Bike films can be artistic,” Jace objects. “I kind of want to experiment with that, okay by you Axel?”

“You’re the film guy,” I defer to him, as usual.

“I’m with Trevor on this one. The goal is to show your skill on a bike, not our skills with a camera.” Nick reclines in his chair with a frown that darkens the blue of his eyes.

“What’s wrong with both?” Jace runs a frustrated hand through his dark brown hair. “Tell me, have you ever seen a view as incredible as the one from that pass?”

“How could I appreciate the view when I was trying to stay on the road?” Trevor shakes his head.