Page 20 of Axel

“Thanks,” I said, tucking a strand of my wavy locks behind my ear.

“You ready?” Axel asked, holding out his hand for me to take.

“Sure. But where are we going?” I asked, placing my hand in his. That familiar spark ignited when our fingers touched and I couldn’t help but smile.

“I told you, it’s a surprise,” he said slyly.

Sighing, I rolled my eyes as I smiled. He was so infuriating sometimes, but I loved, I mean like that about him. We walked to the parking lot where I saw a beautiful, all chrome vintage motorcycle sitting in one of the guest parking spots. Axel reached into his pocket and pulled out a key.

“What is that?” I asked, pausing in mid-step.

Axel smiled, a smile so wide it spread from ear-to-ear. “That is my bike. Well at least for today it is,” he said, squeezing my hand as he began walking to the bike. Offering his hand, Axel helped me throw my leg over the bike so that I could sit down.

I sat down on the black leather seat and admired the beautiful masterpiece. Axel flipped his leg over the side and straddled the bike carefully so as to not shake it and knock me off. Reaching over, Axel handed me a black helmet.

“I got you something,” he winked.

Taking the helmet in my hands, I noticed writing on the back side. Turning it over in my hands, I spotted my name in white letters with green ivy crawling through each letter of my name.

“This is beautiful,” I admired.

“I’m glad you like it,” he said.

Axel revved the engine and glanced at me as he kicked the brake.

“I’ve been working on this bike for an old friend of mine. He likes to buy old sports cars and bikes and restore them. He’s been coming to the biker bar since before I was born. Anyway, I am doing him a favor since the bike needed extensive work and the shop was charging him way more than what it was worth to do. So, he asked me to do this and he’s paying me half what they would have charged him. Plus, I get to drive it today with you,” he said, offering me his famous trademark smile.

“Okay. Let’s see what this baby can do,” I said, smiling back at him.

Arching his eyebrows, Axel looked at me and revved the engine again. His smile twisted to reveal a naughty smile. He was turning himself on listening to the power just under his touch. “Hold on, you are in for a wild ride,” he said as he backed up and began to drive, a little too fast, but I didn’t mind. His laughter increased along with the speed of the car.

We drove through Lexington, passing by the University of Kentucky and some of our favorite restaurants and bars. We continued to drive until we reached a section of town I had never been to. Which is sad because I grew up in this town. I noticed Axel glancing at me every few minutes, watching for my expression. After a while, we pulled off on one of the side roads and parked under a large tree. A small pond was nestled behind some trees and underbrush.

“I love this place,” Axel said, as he helped me off the bike.

Axel threw his arm around me and hugged me to his side as he led me over to the large oak tree next to the pond. I inhaled his scent, my favorite of vanilla and spice. His body was always so warm, inviting me to cuddle even closer. “This is turning out to be a great day,I love spending time with you,” I said, not realizing I had said the words aloud first. I had meant to only think about them, but once they slipped past my lips, I became embarrassed.

Strengthening his grip, Axel hugged me tighter. “Yeah, it really is,” he said, kissing me on top of my head. His warm breath tingled against my neck as he inched himself closer to me.

We sat down under the shade of the large oak tree and admired the beauty surrounding us. As I sat next to Axel, my eyes roamed over his entire body. I had been so stupid when I first met him. Believing him to be some bad guy because he rode a bike and worked at a bar. Instead, he had turned out to be this hilarious, sweet, and charming guy.

“I want to tell you something,” Axel said nervously.

My mind began to race as my heart sank deep into my stomach. Those words were never good. I knew Axel was too good to be true. I knew I was a fool to let myself think I could have him. I had plans and I had foolishly believed I could accept this man into my life, too.

Sensing the fear filling my body, Axel grabbed my hands and pulled me close.

“Don’t freak out,” he chuckled.

“Well, those aren’t usually words you say before you have good news,” I said, biting my lip from worry.

“You have it all wrong. The other night after we…” he smirked just thinking about our sensational sex. “After we had sex, I came home to my brothers throwing a wild party. Angie was there,” he said.

My face grew pale and my eyes began to glisten with unshed tears. My stomach churned and I felt like I might be sick. Was he about to tell me he hooked up with Angie? If he did, I would have to end this. As much as I loved him, I couldn’t be that type of girl. I would never be the type who is stuck by a man who cheated. I would never forgive him or myself.

“Ivy, don’t freak out,” he pleaded again. “Angie tried to hit on me. I turned her down. I went to my room and locked the door. You can ask any of the guys at the clubhouse, most of them were there. The only thing I could do was compare her to you. Shit, I compare everyone to you. Because no one is as good as you are. I need you to know that you can trust me. I’m sure you’ve heard about the guy I used to be, but I’m not him anymore. I’ve changed for the better, because of you,” he finished with an endearing smile.

“I would understand if you had hooked up with her,” I lied, unsure about what to say. “But, I appreciate you being honest with me. It really means a lot.”

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