balloons dotted the sky above Sedona. I smiled as I sipped my coffee; I missed home.
I stepped back inside to hear my cell phone chiming. I grabbed it and headed into the kitchen. I hit ‘talk’ and Ransom was immediately shouting in my ear.
“You’re not at home!” he snapped.
“Um, yeah, I am.”
“Ohhh, you’re at the other house. Tell me, Jane, how’s Tarzan?”
Axel chose that moment to walk into the kitchen. He smirked and took the phone from me.
“Don’t be silly, Ransom. Gareth looks nothing like Jane.”
“Thank you.” I exhaled loudly.
“Jane has brown hair.” Axel grinned.
I snatched the phone back from him and shot him a dirty look.
“I’m taking Axel down into the valley today but we’ll come by the house later on. I need to do laundry.” I eyed Axel’s clothing. “I think Axel does, too.”
“What’s wrong with my clothes?” Axel placed his hands on his hips.
Nothing was wrong with his clothing as far as I was concerned. The faded sweats hung precariously low on his hips and the T-shirt he wore stretched beyond its limits across his massive chest.
“Are your jeans clean?” I asked. “Because you’ll need them hiking down the mountain.”
“Why would I want to wear clean jeans to hike?” Axel lifted a brow.
“Never mind. We’ll be by later, Ransom.” I hung up and grabbed a coffee cup from the cabinet. “Milk and sugar or black?”
“Black and don’t worry; I can make my own coffee.” Axel poured a cup and relaxed against the counter, eyeing me.
I actually squirmed a little. “What?” I finally asked.
“We’ll do this hike today and see Ransom, but at some point I’d like to see how well you move.”
“Excuse me?” I spluttered.
Axel grinned and I coughed.
“Combatives? I need to see how much you know and what I have to work with. You’re kind of thin.”
“And that means — what? You should know better than anyone that size doesn’t matter.”
Oh God. Why did I just say that?
“You know. In a fight,” I corrected lamely.
Axel covered his grin by taking a sip of coffee. The room got unbearably quiet and I thought for sure Axel could see right through me. I was in so much trouble. I find my bodyguard hot. My straight bodyguard.
Ugh.
“Well, I’m going to go throw my boots on and I’m good to go.” Axel placed his now empty cup in the sink and brushed by me on his way to the room. My whole body reacted and my dick throbbed.
“Fuck.”
~*~
We scarfed down breakfast and took the ladder down to the ridge by the valley floor. Thank God, I didn’t have issues with heights. Neither did Axel, apparently, because he was down in a flash. The smell of pine invaded my senses and I inhaled deeply. I love it out here. So many people think Arizona is a flat, dry desert. All they have to do is drive north and they’d see it has forest. Besides, Arizona is green, especially in the summer.
“This is just…wow,” Axel enthused almost reverently.
We were at the bottom of the ridge but still had one hell of a spectacular view.
“I love it here.”
“I can see why.” Axel began walking and I fell in step with him. “How far to the nearest town?”
“We’re about fifteen miles or so from downtown Flag. Maybe more, I don’t know. I never really paid attention.”
“So, I see at least three different trails. One goes straight down into the canyon, but it doesn’t look very stable. Lots of rock. The other one goes alongside the canyon wall; again, pretty sketchy. The third one looks the most secure, but the longest way down.”
“And up there.” I pointed up toward the house. “Is the fastest way back into town.”
Axel nodded. He seemed lost in thought and then began walking again. I trailed behind him, just watching that fabulous ass. I really need to get a hold of my libido. I’d kissed a couple guys, but I’d never had sex with one. Half of me was afraid I’d be caught and outed and the other was just plain scared shitless.
I stepped back inside to hear my cell phone chiming. I grabbed it and headed into the kitchen. I hit ‘talk’ and Ransom was immediately shouting in my ear.
“You’re not at home!” he snapped.
“Um, yeah, I am.”
“Ohhh, you’re at the other house. Tell me, Jane, how’s Tarzan?”
Axel chose that moment to walk into the kitchen. He smirked and took the phone from me.
“Don’t be silly, Ransom. Gareth looks nothing like Jane.”
“Thank you.” I exhaled loudly.
“Jane has brown hair.” Axel grinned.
I snatched the phone back from him and shot him a dirty look.
“I’m taking Axel down into the valley today but we’ll come by the house later on. I need to do laundry.” I eyed Axel’s clothing. “I think Axel does, too.”
“What’s wrong with my clothes?” Axel placed his hands on his hips.
Nothing was wrong with his clothing as far as I was concerned. The faded sweats hung precariously low on his hips and the T-shirt he wore stretched beyond its limits across his massive chest.
“Are your jeans clean?” I asked. “Because you’ll need them hiking down the mountain.”
“Why would I want to wear clean jeans to hike?” Axel lifted a brow.
“Never mind. We’ll be by later, Ransom.” I hung up and grabbed a coffee cup from the cabinet. “Milk and sugar or black?”
“Black and don’t worry; I can make my own coffee.” Axel poured a cup and relaxed against the counter, eyeing me.
I actually squirmed a little. “What?” I finally asked.
“We’ll do this hike today and see Ransom, but at some point I’d like to see how well you move.”
“Excuse me?” I spluttered.
Axel grinned and I coughed.
“Combatives? I need to see how much you know and what I have to work with. You’re kind of thin.”
“And that means — what? You should know better than anyone that size doesn’t matter.”
Oh God. Why did I just say that?
“You know. In a fight,” I corrected lamely.
Axel covered his grin by taking a sip of coffee. The room got unbearably quiet and I thought for sure Axel could see right through me. I was in so much trouble. I find my bodyguard hot. My straight bodyguard.
Ugh.
“Well, I’m going to go throw my boots on and I’m good to go.” Axel placed his now empty cup in the sink and brushed by me on his way to the room. My whole body reacted and my dick throbbed.
“Fuck.”
~*~
We scarfed down breakfast and took the ladder down to the ridge by the valley floor. Thank God, I didn’t have issues with heights. Neither did Axel, apparently, because he was down in a flash. The smell of pine invaded my senses and I inhaled deeply. I love it out here. So many people think Arizona is a flat, dry desert. All they have to do is drive north and they’d see it has forest. Besides, Arizona is green, especially in the summer.
“This is just…wow,” Axel enthused almost reverently.
We were at the bottom of the ridge but still had one hell of a spectacular view.
“I love it here.”
“I can see why.” Axel began walking and I fell in step with him. “How far to the nearest town?”
“We’re about fifteen miles or so from downtown Flag. Maybe more, I don’t know. I never really paid attention.”
“So, I see at least three different trails. One goes straight down into the canyon, but it doesn’t look very stable. Lots of rock. The other one goes alongside the canyon wall; again, pretty sketchy. The third one looks the most secure, but the longest way down.”
“And up there.” I pointed up toward the house. “Is the fastest way back into town.”
Axel nodded. He seemed lost in thought and then began walking again. I trailed behind him, just watching that fabulous ass. I really need to get a hold of my libido. I’d kissed a couple guys, but I’d never had sex with one. Half of me was afraid I’d be caught and outed and the other was just plain scared shitless.
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