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Chapter twenty

Axel

“ W hat are you grinning at?” Lennon asks as he hops out of the truck.

“Can’t you smell it?”

“Smell what?” He wrinkles his nose.

“Diesel. Rubber. Smoke.” I pull his bag from the back seat and guide him to my trailer. “It never gets old.”

“This is your version of fresh air?” He follows me up the steps and into the tiny living room where I’ve spent the past several years of my life.

“More like home.” I set his bag on the couch and turn to face him, sweeping my arm wide. “It’s not much, but it’s cozy.”

“I like it.” He runs his finger over a walnut cabinet in the kitchen that sits at the foot of the couch. “It’s fancier than I pictured.”

“Fancier?” I cock my head to the side.

“Yeah. Wood floors, leather couch. These cabinets look pretty solid, and this is granite.” He glides his hand over the countertop. “It doesn’t feel like something on wheels. ”

“That’s the idea. So, do you have stuff to unpack?” I rock back on my heels as I look around the space, wondering where the hell I’d put his things.

“I can live out of my bag for a few days.”

I’m both relieved and disappointed in that answer but figure it’s best not to overthink why.

“Cool. Let me show you around.” I hold open the door and follow him out of the trailer, taking his hand in mine when we reach the ground.

It’s not the first time we’ve held hands, though it feels pretty intense to be doing it on my turf, surrounded by people who aren’t used to seeing me with…

anyone. It makes me feel like people are watching, even though I can’t catch them doing it.

I wonder if he felt like this when we went to that Solstice party?

“All these people are in the competition?” He swings his head back and forth, taking in all the commotion of people running around prepping for the event.

“No. There’s only a handful of us that compete, and we each have mechanics and coaches that travel with us.

Then there’s all the vendors.” I point to a row of tents just outside the pit area where all the trailers are parked.

“They sell clothes, souvenirs, and food. And the track itself has a bunch of employees that help build and maintain the obstacles.”

“Obstacles?” He squints up at me as we start to head toward the main arena.

“Have you never seen a competition before?” I bite down on my lip to hide the grin I feel tugging at it. I don’t know why I find it so appealing that he’s oblivious to who I am and what my life is like, but it makes him even sexier to me .

“Well, one event or another is always on TV, so I’ve seen bits and pieces, and you’re not the first group to make a movie in Katah Vista, but I don’t know how this works, specifically.”

I tug him to the stands overlooking the course and sit him next to me, so our thighs are touching, and point to a jump in the center of the ring.

“This is a freestyle event, so the goal is to use these jumps to do the best trick on the bike. You earn points for difficulty and style, and the person with the most points wins.”

“What sort of tricks?” His eyes track a rider as he lines up to attempt a jump.

“Anything. Landing with no hands, kicking your legs off the bike. Flips.”

He turns to me with wide eyes. “This is what you were doing in Katah Vista? Flips?”

“That was trail riding. You can do some things for style but it’s mostly about going over difficult or interesting terrain. This event is specifically for tricks.” I wave at Colin Spears, a newer rider who will probably challenge me for the top spot in the next year or so.

“How do you learn to flip on a bike?”

“Same as gymnasts, with a giant foam pit.”

“Wait, are you saying the bike lands in the pit with you?” His mouth falls open just slightly, and it’s so fucking adorable I can’t stop myself from leaning in to plant a kiss on those stunned lips.

“I’d go through a lot of bikes if I let them crash to the ground.” I lick my lips as I wait for his response.

He blinks a few times and shakes his head before glancing back to the riders practicing the course. “Between the diesel you love to sniff and the likelihood of a head injury I feel like you’re looking at a pretty short lifespan. ”

“Maybe, but I’ll have fun doing it.” I kiss the sarcasm off his mouth. “Come on, let’s keep going.”

I tug him up and lead him around to the opening at the north end of the arena where the riders hang out before it’s their turn to go. “This is where we start and finish. You can watch from here with Jace.”

“I can’t see the whole course from here.” A tiny crease separates his brows.

“You can walk to the corner over there for a better angle—” I point to our left “—or watch the TV at the other end of the course.”

He follows the direction of my fingers like he’s weighing which option will give him the better view. I hope that means he’s interested in being here, because right now I can’t read his expression.

So far, since I’ve picked him up, he’s seemed surprised or curious, but not excited. Well, he did seem excited to see me at the airport if that beaming smile was any indication, but since then, he’s been a little subdued.

I’d never expect him to love these events the way I do, just like I don’t love the restaurant business the way he does. Although, I was hoping he’d be comfortable enough to picture himself here on a more regular basis.

It’s stupid as shit, but I’m fucking giddy over the fact that he’s with me right now.

Walking around with his hand tucked in mine, stealing kisses every now and then, it makes me feel lighter, like there’s nothing to worry about.

If Jace and the guys knew that, they’d probably freak out.

They believe a certain amount of nerves before an event is a healthy thing, and I agree it can keep you grounded.

But with Lennon here, I’m living in the moment, and I figure that has to be just as healthy .

The thunderous braaap of an engine revving just behind us makes Lennon jump closer, clinging to my side as his head swivels to find the source.

“Axel.” Colin pulls up next to us after finishing his practice run.

I offer him my fist and he bumps it in return. “Colin, this is Lennon…” It’s on the tip of my tongue to say my boyfriend since I have the green light to do it, but he beats me to it.

“This your guy?” Colin extends his hand, and Lennon lets go of mine to take it.

“Yep.” I link our fingers together the second his hand is free, and watch in horror as Colin gives my boyfriend a once-over. I’m about to call him out on it when he breaks into a smile.

“You weren’t kidding, that skirt is legit,” Colin says.

My chest inflates as my brows draw together. “Are you checking out my boyfriend?”

“Dude, you’re the one who said he rocks a skirt.

” Colin rolls his eyes. “And for the record, I wasn’t checking out your man, just his clothes.

You said skirt and I thought something frilly, but that’s sort of badass.

” He points to Lennon’s lower half, which is draped in black fabric adorned with a slew of silver buckles.

I don’t get a chance to see how Lennon reacts to that statement since Colin jumps right into talking about the condition of the track, reminding me why I love this sport despite the unconventional lifestyle it brings.

There’s a sense of brotherhood here I’m not sure other professional competitors get to experience.

Despite the fact we both want to win, we also want to see the sport grow, which means we want each other to do well at these events.

Of course, there’s a limit to that camaraderie.

He’s not going to tell me what tricks he’s planning to throw, same as I won’t share mine.

You don’t want to give someone the opportunity to add an element to their run at the last minute that will put them on the top of the podium.

That said, we’ve each got a pretty good idea what the other is capable of, and sharing what we’ve learned so we each have a clean run is a show of respect, something that makes the circuit feel like an extended family. Or what I imagine as one, anyway.

After Colin and I wrap up, I take Lennon back toward my trailer where the guys are cleaning the bike from my practice run earlier, to make sure the brakes and gears aren’t overly dusty.

“Lennon, you remember the guys?” I point to each of them as I say their names. “Nick, Trevor, and Jace.”

He gives a little nod as the guys all say hello then seem to clam up. I get it—none of us has ever brought anyone around—so they don’t know how to act. But they knew he was coming, so you’d think they could do more than just stand there gaping at us.

“First time at an event?” Jace tries to break the tension.

“Why would you think that?” Lennon’s voice is curious, but his brows draw together as if he’s on the defensive.

Jace scratches the back of his head and lowers his gaze to the ground, as if he’s hesitant to admit what he sees. “You don’t seem as relaxed as you did behind the bar.”

“It’s much louder than I expected.” A slow smile spreads across Lennon's face.

“Wait until the crowd gets here tomorrow.” Jace looks up, mirroring his expression, and I feel Lennon exhale next to me.

“A good set of earplugs helps if you’re standing next to the bikes.” Trevor finds his voice.

“Got any extras laying around?” he asks the guys.

“Hell, no.” Nick shakes his head. “A revving engine is the sweetest sound ever. Why would we drown it out?”

“I guess I thought you’d want to prevent premature hearing loss.” There’s my little smartass.

“Ignore him, Lennon. He’s still young enough to think he’s invincible.” Jace rolls his eyes in Nick’s direction.

“I’m only like five years younger than you.”

“Feels like a lifetime most days,” Jace mutters under his breath.

“I heard that.” Nick points to his ears. “No premature loss here. And I’m not anywhere near retirement like you two farts.” He points between me and Jace.

“They’ve got years to go,” Trevor gives Nick’s shoulder a shove.

“And I’ve got over a decade,” Nick boasts.

Jace turns to us with a pained expression. “Please tell me you’re coming to dinner with us, so I’m not stuck on my own.”

I wrap an arm around Lennon’s shoulder and pull him to me. “Sorry, brother. I’m going to show Lennon he’s wrong about food trucks, and then we’re gonna crash.”

“That’s code for fuck. Make sure your windows are shut so the rest of us get some sleep.” Nick smirks at us.

I’m tempted to beat his ass for talking about my man like that, until I catch the amused look on Lennon’s face. “I bet we could keep them awake even with the windows shut.” I waggle my eyebrows at him.

“Pig.” He smack my arm, but the gleam in his eye tells me the challenge is on. Fuck, I love this man.

“Catch you guys later.” I spin Lennon towards the food trucks, flicking the guys off as we walk away. Their laughter follows us until the roar of an engine drowns it out.

“You know I don’t have anything against food trucks, right?” He casts me a wry look. “They just aren’t an option for my second location. ”

“I know.” I pull him closer and plant a kiss on his forehead. “I just needed a reason to get out of there before Nick really got going. Kid’s a world class mechanic, but I swear he’s got the social skills of a twelve-year-old.”

“Sounds like someone else I know.” He pinches my side, and even though I’m pretty sure it wasn’t meant to be sexual my dick twitches in anticipation.

I stop and spin him into me, cupping his face in my hands. “You know that’s only for you. And when the devil inside you stops coming out to play when I talk dirty, I’ll stop doing it.”

A shiver runs up his spin as a shaky little breath passes through his full lips.

“That made you hard, didn’t it?” He nods as much as he can with his head trapped between my hands. “Screw the food truck,” I growl, steering him toward my trailer.