Page 7 of Hard as Stone
I lean in closer, lowering my voice. “Please. If you were really dangerous, you wouldn’t have let a girl with a stop sign boss you around all month.”
He chuckles, a low rumble that I feel in my chest. “Maybe I just like bossy women.” His eyes do a slow travel down the length of my body, pausing on my shoes. “No ruby slippers?”
I glance down at my scuffed Doc Martens, plain black and devoid of any glittery embellishments. “Sadly, no. I like to keep my… pizzazz to office hours only.” I lean in conspiratorially. “But between you and me, I’m working on bedazzling a collar with the name Toto on it for you next.”
Axel’s eyes crinkle at the corners. “That’s a gift I hope Ineverreceive.”
“Poppy.” Felix’s voice cuts through our banter this time. “We should probably head out. It’s getting late.”
Part of me wants to tell my brothers to chill out—I can handle myself. But another part recognizes the genuine worry in their voices.
With a sigh, I turn back to Axel. “Looks like our witty repartee will have to wait for another day,” I say, trying to ignore the pang of disappointment in my chest. “See you on the roads, sugar.”
Axel’s eyes flicker between me and my brothers, something unreadable passing across his face. For a moment, I think he’s going to let me walk away. But then he reaches past me, his arm brushing against mine as he grabs a pool cue from the rack.
“Hold up,” Axel says, his voice low and gravelly. “You might be able to boss me around on the road, but at least give me a chance to beat you at pool.”
He runs his hand along the smooth wood of the cue, his fingers tracing the grain in a way that makes my mouth go dry. “Unless you’re afraid of a little competition?”
I glance back at my brothers, seeing the warning they’re trying to silently communicate with their eyes. But there’s something about the challenge in Axel’s tone that I can’t walk away from.Maybe it’s the adrenaline from our encounters on the road, or maybe it’s just the way he fills out those jeans. Either way, I’m not backing down.
“Afraid?” I scoff, grabbing my cue back up. “Honey, I eat men like you for breakfast.”
The corner of Axel’s mouth ticks up. “Is that so?”
I lean in close, my voice dropping to a whisper. “Oh yeah. And I always go back for seconds.”
Axel’s eyes darken, and for a moment I think he might just grab me and kiss me right there. The tension between us is insane, and I’m well aware that I’m talking and behaving like a crazy person—I mean, I’ve never eatenanyman, let alone a scary-looking biker, for breakfast. Nor have I gone back for seconds.What am I even saying?
“Rack ‘em up,” he growls.
“Sure thing.” I blink, shaking off my lusty haze and racking the balls, very aware of the way he follows my every movement. “You sure you’re up for getting your ass handed to you twice in one day?”
A couple of his biker buddies—Lee and Cash based on the names displayed on their cuts—settle at a nearby high-top, clearly planning to enjoy the show. Axel hands them his jacket, but keeps the leather cut on. I almost let out a little squeak over how hot he looks from the way it tucks in at his waist.
Water, please!
“Poppy,” Felix hisses so only I can hear. “What happened to staying clear of the MC?”
“That was Dad’s rule, not mine.” I turn to my brothers, who are hovering nearby, wringing their hands like worried old ladies. “But if you’re so scared of the big bad bikers, you guys can just head out. I’ll catch up later.”
“Poppy,” Hugo starts, but I don’t give him a chance to continue when I step away and hand the caulk to Axel. Out of the corner of my eye, I see my brothers give up trying to stop me and head to the bar to take up drinking instead.
“Why don’t you go first, Road Captain? That way, you’ll have a chance to at least look like you’re winning.”
He lets out a deep chuckle and takes the caulk from my hand, his fingers brushing mine in a way that sends sparks shooting up my arm. He leans in close, his breath hot on my ear as he murmurs, “Ladies first.”
I suppress the shiver that threatens to run down my spine. Two can play at this game.
“Such a gentleman,” I purr, leaning in so my lips nearly brush his ear. “But I insist. Age before beauty, after all.”
Axel pulls back, his eyes dark with challenge and something else I can’t quite name. “Careful, little girl. You might be biting off more than you can chew.”
“Little?” I arch an eyebrow. “I’ve never been called ‘little’ a day in my life. You’re just freakishly huge.”
Axel’s lips twitch. “Is that so?”
“Yep. And I still bet I can kick your ass at pool, Goliath.”
