Page 21

CHAPTER 21

JACE

I expected Axel to bolt from my room before the cum dried between us. Or, when he caught his breath.

Whatever came first.

What did he do? He gave me a deep, dirty kiss, slapped my ass, and ordered me to get the shower started.

“Say what?” I huffed as I stared into his eyes.

Those deep, dark blues were dangerous, and my chest tightened.

“After a hockey game, a fight, and two orgasms, I have no brain cells or energy left. The least you could do is help me shower and offer me food,” he grumbled. “I’m fucking starving.”

I was shocked and amused and couldn’t help but laugh at his statement. Typical hockey jock.

“I’m in the same boat,” I returned. “Who’s going to help me shower? Or feed me?”

He raised one blond eyebrow.

“Okay, sure, well…I…I just—” God, I was fumbling over my words. “I wasn’t expecting you to want that.”

Like, at all. Most of my hookups were quite happy to leave once we were both satisfied. I made it clear I didn’t do repeats, and I never had any desire for post-sex snuggling, eating, or sharing a shower. And given that Axel didn’t fuck around with guys, I figured he’d be all too eager to forget this ever happened. Instead, he didn’t let go, his massive arms wrapped around me like a python. And even more strange, I didn’t have any desire to move away.

“I didn’t expect to want it either.”

His quiet admission gave me goosebumps and left me momentarily speechless.

He kissed me again. A long, slow kiss that made me feel like I’d been drugged. Why did he have to be so damn good at that?

“Did you hit your head while we were frotting?” I teased when he finally let me come up for air.

His body stiffened. “If you want me to go, I’ll go.”

I shook my head.

“I didn’t say that.”

“Then feed me.”

He swatted my ass. Hard.

“Save the rough stuff for another day,” I quipped.

“I barely survived this one.”

He squeezed my ass cheeks.

“If you don’t let go, I can’t reach for my phone,” I suggested. “No phone, no food delivery.”

Axel’s stomach rumbled loudly. I was about to make a snarky comment when he gave me a quelling look. Ignoring my urge to poke the beast, I gently pulled back and winced as we separated. Drying cum and body hair wasn’t a great match. I regularly shaved off my pubes and chest hair, but I’d been too busy lately to manscape.

“Are we going to talk about it?” I asked, boldly meeting his gaze.

“Talk about what? You swallowing my load? Me being bi? Center line? Preston?” Axel replied. “I need food first. I’m too hungry to think, never mind talk about all of that.”

Axel shook his head as he stood up to his full height, and fuck, what a gorgeous view. I noticed a few scars and I wondered how he got them. They looked like old hockey injuries. Then there were the dark bruises from our game, and the marks I’d left. My eyes traveled lower, to his taut v-lines, all leading to that gorgeous cock and heavy balls. And those thick thighs? Fuck, I wanted them wrapped around my head while he sat on my face and I ate his ass.

“Fuck, Jace, the things that come out of your mouth.”

Despite Axel’s claims of hunger and sex exhaustion, his cock grew stiff, and he quickly gripped the base. His recovery period was impressive.

“What?” I asked, completely distracted, and probably drooling. “Did I say that out loud?”

He quickly nodded.

“And? You don’t want me to eat your ass?” I stared at him.

“Jesus, don’t say that. I’m gonna pass out if I come again,” Axel replied as he stroked his hardening cock. “Fuck it. I don’t care. It’s worth it.”

“Sit on my face.”

“Ngh.”

I lay down on the floor and crooked my finger at him.

“Come on, haul your hot hockey ass over here so I can suck your hole.”

Axel shuffled quickly, standing over me, offering me his ass. His legs shook as he slowly kneeled, his hairy thighs bracketing my head. I gripped his ass cheeks and spread them, sticking my tongue out, going directly for his tight hole.

“Oh God, oh fuck,” he whimpered as he pushed his ass onto my face, begging for more. “You play dirty, Jace.”

He didn’t know the half of it.

I bit back a chuckle as more of that musky, addictive taste hit me. I circled his hole, teasing the sensitive rim. I licked down, over his taint and back up again, pushing the tip of my tongue into his hole. He tasted so good, addictive. My cock pulsed hard and heavy again, precum leaking out of the tip, down my cock and balls.

“More,” Axel moaned. “Please, more. Don’t stop. Fuck, don’t stop.”

I continued to lick and suck on his hole, clamping his ass cheeks tight as his hips jerked in response.

“Use my cum to jerk yourself off,” I rasped.

Axel’s rough palm gripped my dick, and he started stroking me off. I nipped one of his ass cheeks in retaliation.

“I said you, not me,” I moaned, distracted.

He removed his hand from my cock, and I grunted in frustration. Me and my big mouth.

“Now your cum’s all over my cock, Jace,” Axel groaned. “I can’t…it’s so hot.”

His ass cheeks flexed and he jerked his hips faster, harder, his moans getting louder.

Jesus Christ, Axel was using my cum to get himself off. Never mind him, I wasn’t going to last at all. I licked his hole again, pushing my tongue inside of him, fucking him with it as he keened and shuddered.

“Yes, yes, yes,” Axel chanted as he sat on my face and rode me. “Jace!”

My body locked up tight, pleasure spiraling out of control. I didn’t even need to touch myself or for Axel to touch me. I came hard, hands free, the orgasm crashing through my body, fierce and unrelenting.

Axel was right there with me, shouting my name, coming all over me.

He fell forward, collapsing on my legs for a moment, then rolling sideways. I was dizzy after two orgasms, and completely breathless. And when he crawled up my body, face to face this time, that feeling intensified. Oh God, what the fuck was happening? He stared down at me, his cheeks flushed, his eyes glazed. Shock and tremors ran through my body when he leaned down and kissed me.

I wasn’t expecting that. I wasn’t expecting any of this.

“Looks like I’m not the only one who plays dirty.”

Two hours later, we lay facing each other, sprawled out on my bed, in a post-sex, post-nap, post-carb coma.

I’d ordered Axel into the shower while I ordered the food. I needed some distance. Space to think about what we’d done and why I wanted to do it again. My resolve to think of this as sex and only sex was wavering, hard, and I only had myself to blame. I should’ve known this had disaster written all over it. Fighting like Axel and I did, all that passion had to go somewhere. And, oddly enough, it wasn’t spent. In fact, it felt like just the beginning.

No. I wasn’t going to let myself be affected.

Draw a line and do it now. Time-out.

After eating, we both fell asleep and then woke up an hour later. We downed a couple of protein shakes and a gallon of water.

“We should make an appearance at the party crawl,” I suggested.

Axel reached out a hand and ran it through my hair, massaging my scalp. He was full of surprises. Surprisingly gentle for such a big, gruff guy. His touch was so good that I almost purred.

You’re acting ridiculous. Stop letting him get to you like this.

“In a bit,” Axel offered. “I’m sure it’s just getting started.”

“Are you trying to avoid your teammates? You can’t and you shouldn’t.”

“I know.”

“Are you still pissed about Coach’s decision?” I asked.

His hand stopped, but he didn’t let go.

“I’m not pissed,” he grimaced. “Okay, I’m pissed. And frustrated. I came to Sutton with something to prove and now?—”

“Prove what?”

He bit his lower lip. “That I can make it on my own. That I’m good enough to leave my old life behind. That I’m not second best in hockey, or anything else.”

“You’re not second best.”

“I know that, somewhere, in here,” he tapped his heart. “But in my head, I’m still struggling. I was never great at school, and my parents didn’t shy away from making it known that I was a disappointment.”

Axel shook his head. “Like they should talk. My family’s fucked up. And I hate Redgewick. Couldn’t wait to leave. And I’m never going back.”

“Fucked up? How?”

Axel sighed and rolled to his back.

“Let’s see, my dad works eighty plus hours a week and then parties the rest of it, my mom is ruthless and fucks anyone and everyone in some twisted game to get my father’s attention, and oh yeah, my brother has a pill and gambling addiction, and he despises me.”

“Whoa, that’s a lot,” I replied, dropping a comforting kiss on his shoulder.

What was I doing? Stop it right now.

“Why does your brother hate you?” I asked.

Axel turned his head and stared at me. “I can’t believe I’m telling you all this.”

“You can’t resist me. No one can.”

He rolled his eyes.

“There’s that huge ego of yours.”

“Well, I am the highest scorer on the team.”

“I’m catching up,” he bit out.

“Catch me if you can,” I teased him. “Now tell me. I swear I can keep a secret.”

“Really?”

“Who am I gonna tell?”

“Dane, Ethan, Kayden, Colin, Finn, Silas, Sean?—”

“I’m not going to tell anyone.” I made a zipping motion over my lips. “I swear.”

“Swear on the cup.”

“My cup?” I pointed to my dick.

“Hockey, Jace. THE cup.”

“Fine. I swear on THE cup.”

That was serious shit right there.

Axel rubbed a hand over his face. “He hates me because I’m…I’m actually his half brother. And I guess, his cousin.”

“What? I don’t understand.”

“I’m a Lund, but the father I grew up with isn’t my bio dad. His brother, my uncle, is my real dad.”

For the first time in my life, I had absolutely nothing to say.

“Yeah, it’s fucked up,” Axel muttered and ran a hand over his jaw. “I told you.”

“You mean your mom and her brother-in-law?—”

Axel nodded.

“Holy shit.”

“I found out a year ago. I always felt different, but I finally knew why. They don’t want it public though. That would sully their reputation.”

“Oh my God,” I whispered. “No wonder you wanted to get out of Redgewick.”

He nodded. “My family didn’t want me to come here but when I told them I knew about my real father, well, let’s just say it bought me time. I get access to my trust fund when I turn twenty-one. Nothing they can do after that. And they can’t touch that money. My grandfather put it in place when I was born.”

“Why would they need to touch it? Don’t they have enough?”

He sighed. “Not anymore. I mean, yes, when I was growing up. But they’re spending more than they make. They have lots of houses and cars and expensive vacations but it’s all for show. Most on borrowed money. They’ve got massive debt and it’s getting worse.”

“How do you know that?”

“They were arguing about it last year. Thankfully, I have enough money to pay for my tuition until I graduate. My grades weren’t good enough for a scholarship to any school.”

“I don’t know what to say. It’s like something out of a TV drama.”

“Unfortunately, for me, it’s all too real.”

“Reality sucks sometimes.”

His phone buzzed.

Axel picked his phone up and swore.

“What is it?”

“I have to take my meds.”

“Oh.”

“I’m on antidepressants. Have been since I was fifteen. It’s not a cure, but it helps.”

“Do you see a therapist?”

“For a while I did,” Axel admitted. “He was okay, but then my mom slept with him, and I really didn’t respect him after that.”

“Oh my God, are you serious?”

“Unfortunately. I got suspicious when my mom insisted on picking me up from his office after every appointment. Usually our housekeeper, Kelly, drove me to stuff like visits to the doctor. Anyway, the last time I was there, I had to use the bathroom and when I came out, I saw them kissing. I didn’t say anything, but I couldn’t trust him after that. He was probably telling her all about my sessions. I wouldn’t put it past them.”

“That’s disturbing. On so many levels,” I admitted. “Shit, Axel, I’m so sorry.”

I couldn’t imagine that. I thought I struggled growing up, but it sounded like Axel was worse off. At least I had my aunt in my corner. No wonder he didn’t trust anyone.

“I’m used to their chaos,” he admitted quietly. “Let’s change the subject.”

He sat up and ran a hand through his shaggy blond waves, his face suddenly devoid of any emotion. I recognized the look. It was his game-day face, his jaw clenched in determination. I fought the strange urge to hug him, to reassure him that everything would be okay. With my friends, that was normal. With my hookups? No.

“You don’t have to worry about sex,” I blurted out and he gave me a questioning look. “I mean, I told you about my results. Given what happened with Preston, I take my health seriously. I know I joke a lot, but not about this.”

His gaze met mine and he nodded, licking his lips.

“Same. Even though I haven’t fucked around that much lately.”

The image of Axel having sex with someone, anyone other than me, sat like a heavy weight in my gut. Jealousy? Fuck yes. The feeling was both unexpected and unwelcome. This was sex. Only sex. It had to be. And yet…

“Cool,” I bit out and made to roll away.

But Axel’s reaction time was faster than mine, snaking his arm around my waist and pulling me in tight to his body. The kiss he placed on my neck was also unexpected, but if my racing heart and hardening dick were any indication, very welcome.

“You said you wanted to talk. I’m talking,” he whispered, moving up my neck, nipping my earlobe, making me groan. “The last time was just over two months ago. She was?—”

“I don’t need details, alright?” I snapped.

He chuckled, the husky sound making me shiver.

“Ooh, touchy,” he quipped softly as he kissed my jaw. “Same goes.”

“It shouldn’t matter,” I confessed.

“No, it shouldn’t.”

But it did. I knew it did.

Still, we lay silent, like neither of us could believe or wanted to admit that something surreal was going on here. There was a heaviness in that silence. A warning that I ignored.

“What about Preston?” I asked him.

Axel’s body tensed up. “I need to call him. I want to know why he said what he did about you.”

Did that mean Axel believed me?

“I think it’s time to get dressed and join our team at the party,” Axel finally offered.

I wanted to stay here, and fuck everyone else. Or, in my case, only Axel.

Instead of giving into that craziness, I shoved it aside.

“Try and control yourself when we get there,” I teased him, grabbing hold of the out he’d lobbed at me. “Everyone flirts with me. I can’t help it.”

“Yes, I know,” he replied and swatted my ass. “But I make no promises.”