Page 109 of Wild Card
What the fuck? I jerked back, eyes snapping open.
“Loki,” Axel rasped, throat still hoarse from sleep…or maybe the rough fucking I’d given it the night before. “Consent, man. We’ve talked about this.”
I scrubbed at my face, nose scrunching up as Taz panted doggy breath from his spot on the pillow by my head. My damn leg was asleep, Oreo’s full weight laid out on top of me, while Loki tromped all over my body, hitting my bruised thigh and coming perilously close to the goods.
I jerked to the side, swearing and shoving Loki from the bed. “Jesus, how do you live with all these goddamn dogs?”
Axel laughed. “You’re the one who wanted to spend the night.”
Last night, after I’d fucked out my frustration, I hadn’t wanted to leave Axel. I’d helped him clean up outside, put out the fire, and sort out the dogs. When he’d tried to send me onmy way, I’d pinned him to the bed. Axel had put up a token resistance before giving in and letting me wrap my body around his for the night.
“I’m about to die of heatstroke,” I grumbled, throwing the blankets off and struggling free of Oreo’s weight.
My damn leg started to wake up, pins and needles prickling through my ankle and calf, making me stagger.
“Damn, what’s that bruise about?” Axel said, sitting up and leaning closer.
I glanced down, scowling. “Dallas hit me with the car door.”
“What?” Axel looked up, blue eyes blazing. “That’s assault on an officer!”
I drank in his indignant reaction, my insides glowing, my outsides…growing. Damn, but I liked Axel getting all fired up over my well-being.
I climbed back into the bed, scattering dogs every which way, to kiss him, morning breath and all. By the time we came up for air, I was twice as sweaty and well overdue for a shower.
“Where can I clean up?” I asked. “Does this place have a working shower?”
“There’s one outside.”
My eyes widened, and Axel chuckled. “I only use it in the summer. We can go over to the house.”
“Really?” My eyebrows rose. “Not worried about your brothers seeing me?”
Axel rolled his eyes. “They know we’re fucking.”
“We’re more than fucking,” I said firmly. “It’s my day off. I was supposed to go see my family, but if you need me to hang around and prove to you that we’re more than hookups…”
He shoved me toward the edge of the bed. “I’d never get any work done. No. Go see your family, man. Enjoy your day off. I’ll be here when you get back.”
I grabbed a handful of hair and reeled him in for a quick kiss. “Good to know,” I murmured against his mouth.
“You’re going to make me regret growing my hair out, huh? Maybe I’ll shave my head so you can’t yank me around.”
I pulled his hair a little harder, tugging his head back to nibble at his throat. “Don’t you dare.”
He chuckled, goose bumps rising under my lips. “Just remember, you might like to pull my hair, but I’ve got all the control here.”
I drew back, meeting his gaze. “Of course you do. You always have.”
I stood and stepped into my faded jeans, then found my T-shirt tossed over the table a few feet away. Axel threw on some clothes behind me.
“Let me sort out the animals, and then we can go.”
I had watched this routine before, but this time, Axel detoured to the far end of the junkyard, where he put out food and water for a whole mess of cats. A few yowled plaintively, as if to scold him.
“It’s Dalton’s fault I’m late,” Axel told them as he poured out dry kibble.
The cats climbed all over one another—sometimes hissing or straight-up growling as they all competed for the first bite.
