Page 69 of Blaze & Ajax

What had gotten into Ajax? Where had all this wild energy come from? This level of energy was beyond, even for him.

I fell back into bed, suddenly remembering what today was. The realization hit me as hard as Ajax hit that wall. No matter how hard I tried, it was impossible to forget the day you were born. I snagged my phone and scrolled through it, hoping… wishing. It was fucking stupid since five years had passed, but still, there was always this lingering hope she would reach out to me on my birthday, of all days—to remember that she gave birth to me.

I quit celebrating it, not really caring anymore. Why should I when no one else did?

With a sigh, I climbed out of bed and pulled on my underwear as a plan formulated in my head—a plan for me to help with my growing apprehension, being newly twenty-five years old, and to help Ajax blow off whatever steam he had. Clearly, sex wasn’t enough, and he desperately needed his sleep. The noise also needed to stop before someone called the cops or, worse, the landlord.

I stood in the bathroom doorway and watched him hammer his energy into the tiled wall. It was a disaster. Bits of porcelain and debris were everywhere.

As soon as he paused, I called to him.

“Let’s get out of here, Precious,” I said. “Does that bike of yours still run?”

Ajax dropped the sledgehammer and turned to face me with a huge smile on his sweaty face, making my heart skip a beat, recalling all the times he’d recently told me he loved me. I pushed aside the growing emotions, shoving them deep in my mind and locking them away.

“What’s the plan?” he asked.

“It’s a surprise.”

“Fuck, yeah! I love surprises.”

“Then let’s get dressed and head out. I’m driving.”

I still didn’t have a license, and I hadn’t ridden a bike or driven a car in five years, but I could remember, right?

We tossed on our clothes, grabbed the two helmets, and headed out. The bike was waiting where I’d left it. I stood it upright and hopped on, starting the engine with his keys. Ajax dropped the helmet on my head, then put his on, and he got on behind me as he rambled about what he wanted to do with his bathroom.

I tuned him out and drove off, instantly getting lost in the engine, purring through my body. Fuck, it’d been so long since I’d driven.I missed it. It was freeing, feeling the road under the wheels and the rumbling of the engine straight to my nuts.

I drove us through the quiet streets of the city, everyone asleep but us. I was tired as hell, and my ass ached something fierce, but I pushed it aside.

It was my birthday, and for the first time in years, I was going to celebrate it.

Soon, the city gave way to the suburbs. The house was in a wealthy neighborhood, sitting on a few acre plots. I pulled up to the house, sitting like a monster. It was ugly as fuck. Truly. Maybe it would’ve been better suited in Tuscany, but here, where most of the homes were Tudors and Colonials, it was a sore thumb.

When I turned off the engine, we climbed off the bike.

“Where are we?”

“Whose house is this?”

“What are we doing here?”

“How are we going to get in?”

“What’s the plan, baby?”

“Who lives here?”

“Are they friends of yours?”

Weird that his incessant questions didn’t annoy me. Two months ago, I would’ve wanted to punch him. Now, it was nearly adorable. I didn’t do fucking adorable.

“To answer your gazillion questions, this is where I grew up. I’m ready to do some fucking up around here. How about you? Ready to destroy some things?”

He grinned deviously. “I should’ve brought my sledgehammer.”

I snorted a laugh, looking over at him, trying desperately to squash those growing feelings, but failing miserably.

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