Disarm - Michelle Frost

Prologue

Leith

Second weekend of July

Settling gingerly on the end of one of the wooden benches around the fire, I stared, transfixed, by the camaraderie happening all around me. I’d spent the day on the back of Axel’s motorcycle as we followed the path of a charity ride to benefit Veteran’s and their families. I was supposed to have been going hiking and then sharing a scene with the same Daddy I’d hooked up with a couple times now, Dustin. But he’d stood me up, and when Pax offered, I’d jumped at the chance to not sit alone and stew all day.

I’d needed that scene. Needed to feel taken care of. It hadn’t taken me long after my disastrous relationship with Malcolm—and despite the vow I’d made to myself that I’d never be someone’s boy again, to figure out that having a Daddy wasn’t really optional for me. I craved it. There was a deep-seated, burning need in me for a Daddy to please. A Daddy that would spoil me, cherish me, and spank my ass when I needed it. If only I could bring myself to trust someone enough again for that to happen. So far, the answer to that question had been a resounding: hell no.

The hook-ups I’d been having didn’t come close to meeting that need, but they were better than nothing.

I shifted on the hard bench, my ass a bit sore from being on a motorcycle all day. I’d never ridden a motorcycle before. The first few turns and curves had me tightening my grip around Axel’s muscled torso, but I’d quickly grown to enjoy the wind on my face and the sturdy presence of the man in front of me. All in all, it’d been one of the best days I’d had in years.

Everyone had been nice to me—even Stone, Axel’s brother, and Calix, the Iron Heretics’ MC President, who was the scariest motherfucker I’d ever laid eyes on.

“Soda or water?” Axel asked, appearing at my side with a red can of cola in one hand and a bottle of water in the other.

I looked up at him, my eyes traveling the solid lines of his big body, from the skull belt buckle to his black t-shirt beneath his Iron Heretics’ vest to the full, silver streaked beard before settling on the deep mahogany brown of his eyes. The firelight washed over his bald head, making it shine. He was sexy as fuck. I’d avoided him before today out of sheer self-preservation because I’d always thought he gave off that Daddy vibe. After today, I’d have to avoid him because there wasn’t a single doubt in my mind—this man was a Daddy, through and through.

“Soda, please.” Daddy. It was on the tip of my tongue.

He handed me the red can and slid onto the bench beside me, opening up the water bottle and drinking half of it in one go. I opened my can and took a big drink. The bubbles burned my throat going down, and I couldn’t stop the small burp after they’d hit my stomach.

My face heated up, and I slapped a hand over my mouth. “Oh my god, sorry, excuse me.”

Axel chuckled and patted my back before holding the half empty water bottle in my direction. “Here. Have some of this too. It was hot on the bike today.”

My face got more red when he rested his palm on the bench behind me and leaned toward me a little. He wasn’t touching me, but I swore I could feel the heat of his hand on my hip through my jeans. We traded drinks. I took an equally big drink of the water and immediately felt some of the sleepiness that had been pulling at my eyelids evaporate. I must have needed that more than I thought.

Axel took a big drink of the soda, burped, and shot me a wink before asking, “Hot dogs or smoked sausage?”

“Huh?”

“Do you want hot dogs or smoked sausage?”

I licked my lips. “Um...what are you having?”

His lips pulled up on one side. He really had the nicest face. His head was that symmetrical round shape that looked amazing and tough for men with no hair. With the fullness of his beard, I wondered if it was an entirely aesthetic choice instead of a necessary one. Down from there, his thick neck and muscled chest, shoulders, and arms were partly intimidating and completely doing it for my libido.

“Sausage, I think.”

I nodded. Probably like a bobble head. “That sounds good to me