Perceive by K E Osborn
KENZI
My feet kick at the blankets, trying to get them the hell off me so I can cool down.
Why am I so hot?
“Are you always this fidgety when you sleep?” a scratchy voice questions, jolting me awake. My eyes flick open, blinking several times before the room finally focuses around me. It’s not the stark white cell I’ve become accustomed to. Instead, this room is bigger, darker, and more masculine.
Much like the naked chest I have my head and half my body on right at this moment.
Pinching my eyes closed, I slowly try to pull away. “Sorry, I didn’t…”
His deep chuckle vibrates through me, his arm around my waist tugging me closer and thwarting my escape. I can’t say I’m disappointed, sinking back into his warmth, my hand resting on his chest and my chin propped on top.
Before we even decided on sleeping arrangements last night, I had climbed on his bed and been out like a light before I could even get underneath the blankets. The bed simply looked too inviting. Like a freaking king-size marshmallow.
I wasn’t sure if it was just because I’d been sleeping on what felt like a paper-thin mattress at The Agency for who the hell knows how long, or if it was because of everything that happened last night. I just knew I’d desperately needed real rest. And apparently, the place I found that last night was on top of Axel.
“Why are you trying to escape?” he taunts, reaching out and brushing my hair back from my face.
I shrug awkwardly. “Thought you might like your space when you sleep.”
“If I wanted my space, there are three other beds in this house and that big fucking sofa downstairs.”
“Why are you always warm?” The question even surprises me, but it was something playing on my mind. “Your body, your hands, they’re always warm. You’re like a portable heater.”
His chest bounces with laughter, shaking me. “Maybe you’re just always cold.”
“Are you trying to say I’m cold and emotionless?” I fake an outraged gasp.
“No, that’s—”
“Are you trying to say I’m an ice queen?”
“Kenz—”
I try to escape, but he quickly grabs my shirt, pulling me back onto the bed before climbing over me and pinning me down. “Now listen here…” he starts seriously before noting the smug smirk on my face and shaking his head. “You little drama queen. You wanna play, huh?”
I regret it instantly.
Well, for a few seconds at least.
“We can play.” He whips my hands up above my head, gathering both my wrists with one hand and freeing the other. My heart is going crazy, the pounding so hard I swear I can feel it in my fingers, my toes—and even more so between my legs. The sensation only heightened when Axel edges one knee after the other apart, and settles himself between them. He holds my gaze and reaches for the hem of my shirt. “See, the best part is… I know all the places you’re the most ticklish.”
“Axel…” I plead, shaking my head. “Don’t you dare.”
His fingertips brush over my stomach, so fucking lightly they feel almost like feathers. They trickle down over my hip bone and past the pair of cotton boxers he’d given me last night to replace my jeans, so I would at least sleep in comfort. I twist and wiggle, the smug look on his face driving me even more crazy as he tortures me.
At first, it’s all fun and games, as he enjoys torturing me, and I can’t help but love the way his eyes light up as he does. But as his touch moves down my thigh, I feel things begin to change. My heart rate kicks up, my breathing matching it, as the look in his eyes changes. Something that had begun so playful has now become something so much more.
We’re both scared.
It’s obvious.
For Axel, he’s holding back, scared to push too far, scared I’ll freak out and run, and honestly, he is not entirely wrong to feel that way. While my skin tingles and my body screams, pleading for more, to beg him to not pull away this time, I’m absolutely petrified.
Not of him.
But more of me.
Scared to let another person in. Scared that even though the emotions I’m feeling for him are real, so fucking real, that I’ll never live up to the Mackenzi he remembers.
What if I let him in, and he realizes I’m not that girl anymore?
Not the Kenzi he fell in love with.
Not the Kenzi he went looking for six years ago.
What is between us will never be the same as what they had back then, and I can’t help but question if he can live with that fact.
And just how painful it will be if it turns out he can’t.
Suddenly, his mouth is on mine, and my arms are around his neck, the both of us fighting for air but neither willing to pull away from the intense kiss that has me feeling lightheaded and so fucking turned on.
Axel pulls back for a second, just far enough to speak. “You’re thinking too hard about this.” He nips at my lip and tugs at it. “Let’s forget everything else. Forget the past—”
“Done,” I whisper, grinning when he shakes his head.
“Forget all the bullshit and let the connection win,” he urges, his lips finding my jaw. “Just like it always has and always will.”
He’s right.
Why not just feel what we feel and forget the politics or the meant-to-bes that seem to haunt us like a bad omen. We don’t have to be anything for anyone. What we have comes naturally, and I’m ready to give in to it.
Consequences be damned if I just get to have him this one time.
“Then show me,” I tell him quietly as I run my lips over his bristled jaw, my fingers clutching at his shirt. “I want to feel everything you have to give.”
His hands move to my wrists, pressing them into the cloud-like bed almost painfully as he settles himself between my legs.
“You don’t know what you’re asking,” he whispers, his voice like gravel.
“I know exactly what I’m asking,” I fire back. “Now give it to me.”
His hands move in a flash, cupping underneath my sports bra I’d worn to bed. His muscles bulge as he brushes his thumb over my nipple. I gasp as the tiny bud hardens and becomes more sensitive, making the motion far more intense.
He eyes my breasts as they heave up and down, my breathing becoming heavy and excited.
“So fucking beautiful. So goddamn perfect,” he mutters as he runs his hand, palm pressed to my skin, down the center of my abdomen, hovering just over my panty line. Just when I think he’s going to stop, he tucks two fingers into the waistband.
His eyes meet mine, and I stare him down. He’s giving me a warning, letting me know the kind of power and skill he holds in him.
It’s a chance to say no, to change my mind.
But I won’t.
I’m with him.
All or fucking nothing.
I want this, and him, and everything he represents. Axel isn’t simply the guy young me apparently fell in love with. Our relationship will be something new and just like every new relationship, I’m excited to explore it.
I lift my chin slightly, daring him to take it further. I see the understanding in his eyes, and he doesn’t wait to dive deeper into my panty line. I lick my lips as his finger slips under and runs over the lips of my pussy.
“You like this? This turns you on?” he growls, his fingers moving deeper to find my clit.
I inhale sharply through my nose. “What is your obsession with teasing me,” I question breathlessly.
Axel applies a little pressure, and his fingers flick over my clit as his eyes stay focused on my face, the corner of his mouth curling up. My body begins to buzz and tingle, the sensations moving through me. My eyes roll back, and I lift my hips, pleading for more.
“I’ve never been able to help myself,” he finally answers, right when he has me where he wants me. “You get this fire in your eyes when you get all wound up. It’s the most beautiful thing in the world and so fucking addictive. It started when we were little. I loved the way you would snap back, how you weren’t afraid to have your say.”
His fingers press harder.
“Please…” I whisper. “More.”
The smirk on his face has my eyes widening.
“Turn over,” he demands, releasing me completely.
For a second, I pause, mesmerized, watching him as he takes his two fingers and presses them to his mouth. A shudder moves through my entire body when his tongue snakes out, licking them. “Turn over,” he orders again, this time, much sharper, his tone determined that I roll onto my stomach, unable to stop my body from wiggling in anticipation.
Axel climbs over me, settling between my legs. He takes each of my legs, bending them under me so it pushes my ass into the air with my upper body still pressed against the bed, the sheets twist in my fists. The roughness against my nipples excites me, and I rub them back and forth, the friction sending jolts of pleasure through me.
A sharp slap on my ass cheek has me yelping and pushing up.
“I’ll give you what you need, you don’t take it.” Another slap to the other side has me freezing, my breathing now heavy and my pussy almost dripping with anticipation. He’s barely touched me but I’m already in desperate need to feel him, to take everything he has to give. I just want to be near him, the closer the better. His hand runs over both cheeks, soothing the sting and pulling me apart, making me sink into the mattress.
My panties are pulled down, leaving them to sit around my knees.
He’s silent. I want to see him and touch him, but I just wait. Axel is constantly playing the long game with us. He believes we have the rest of forever, and I know it too. I can’t help but feel the excitement and love he has for what we are and the connection we share. So I don’t feel bad right now for feeling like a slut, barely having had our first kiss, barely gaining the kind of trust between us that’s normally needed.
I don’t feel bad at all for wanting him inside me, wanting to feel him hard and pulsing and making me come with the touch I constantly ache for.
Because in my gut, I know we have forever.
Forever for soft touches.
Forever for whispers in the ear.
Forever to learn all the parts of his body that are sensitive so I can use it to my advantage just like he is.
Right now, I just want…
… him.
All of him.
When a wet tongue slides through my folds, I let out a long groan, and my eyes flutter closed. It disappears, and I almost whimper with loss before it’s suddenly on me again, sucking at my clit. I press back against his face. It almost feels like a punishment. He’s relentless. Licking, sucking, swirling his tongue around my clit like it’s his favorite ice cream.
I clutch the bed sheet beneath me in my fists. “Oh God,” I moan which only encourages him more.
When his tongue is replaced by two long thick fingers, I know I’m done for. He presses in me slowly, making me squirm. The fire has already been lit, and he’s about to pour kerosene on top.
“Breathe, pretty girl,” he teases, and I suck in a sharp breath, not realizing I’ve been holding it, the pleasure taking over even in the unconscious parts of my brain.
At first, he moves slowly, in and out, allowing them to become slick. Then he speeds up, and I try to match him thrust for thrust, but I’m failing. His fingers curl inside me, hitting that spot that will create the explosion my body is aching for.
It isn’t a slow build.
But luckily, like I said, that’s not what I’m looking for. I want hard and fast, just like him.
Axel loves hard and rides fast.
My orgasm hits me full force, and I cry out his name. My knees shake, and I struggle to breathe. Sweat forms on my brow as I arch my back, riding through the pleasure and yet, still pressing back against him searching for more. My muscles twitch as the aftershocks come, wave after wave.
“This is fucking beautiful.” A soft breath blows across my wetness and sends a shiver of delight up my spine.
“Axel,” I gasp loudly. “You’ve had your fun. Please.”
He laps at me before pausing again. “You want more?” Always teasing.
“I want everything. I want you,” I tell him, my breath catching. “I just want you.”
I want to experience the tension that has been crackling around us since the moment we met. It’s like lighting a fuse then waiting an eternity for it to reach the explosion. My fuse has been burning for an incredibly long time.
Burning ever so damn slowly.
But I’m ready for the climax I know will send me over the edge.
His lips brush my lower spine as he leans over me. “Don’t want to rush—”
I pause for a second, realizing once again just how gentle this broody, gun-toting biker can be. His thoughts always on how I’m feeling and not wanting to ruin this. “Fuck me, Axel.” I don’t know how else to get through to him. To tell him this is what I want, and I want it bad.
He stills for a moment at my words like he’s considering them, like suddenly, in this moment, he’s finally seeing just how far we’ve come.
“Fuck,” he groans softly, and I feel him pushing off the bed and standing. “Get up.”
I push myself up on shaky arms, turning my head to look at him. He’s already disposed of his sleep pants, and his long thick cock is standing at attention, saluting me. My fingers twitch, aching to reach out for it, wondering what he’ll look like with his cum spilling over the top of my hand.
Axel reaches out for me and pulls me to my feet, my cotton boxers that were around my knees falling to the floor as I step toward him. He wraps one arm around my body to help my wobbly legs, the lingering effects of my orgasm still catching me off guard. I look up at him, my mouth falling open slightly as I continue to struggle to breathe.
He brings his other hand up to cup my face, his eyes floating into me as though he’s waiting for me to disappear. Again. “You’re right here.”
My lips turn up in a smile. “I’m here.” My heart races. “Not going anywhere.”
I wrap my arms around his torso and press a soft kiss to the middle of his defined chest. We stay like that for a few minutes, our heated bodies pressed against each other.
“I’ve been waiting for so fucking long to touch you like this. It almost seems unreal,” he says, his tone torturing me with anticipation. I reach out, wrapping my hand around his cock and squeezing, enjoying the way his face changes, his brows pulling together. “Don’t push me.”
“Seems like you need it,” I whisper, wetting my lips with my tongue. “Fuck me.”
“Kenzi…”
I squeeze a little tighter and tug on his dick. “Axel. Stop trying to protect me.”
He bends, his hands going to the back of my thighs as I clutch onto his body. Axel turns and backs up, dropping onto the bed with me sitting over him, his beautiful cock bumping against my clit as we land.
I moan, digging my fingernails into his skin. Moving my hips unconsciously, I hope to find that same feeling again. He chuckles as his cock slips through my wet lips.
“Axel…” I moan, leaning my head forward and tucking it into the crook of his neck.
He reaches between us, and I lift slightly as he positions his cock at my entrance.
“You want me to let go?”
“Yes,” I plead.
“Then you better be ready because this is gonna be hard and fast. I need you, and I’ve been waiting for this my whole fucking life.”
Even though I don’t remember, there’s this feeling in the depths of my stomach that tells me I have to.
“Please…” is all I mutter before he grabs my hips and slowly sinks me down onto him. I groan the whole way until he settles entirely inside me, stretching and filling me to my max.
“Ride me,” he growls deep in his throat, almost as though he’s struggling to stay in control.
I do so instantly, lifting my hips slowly. The slap of our skin fills the air as I hold my breath and drop back down.
“Fuck!” he swears, his fingers digging into my hips. He turns his head, and I meet him halfway, our mouths colliding in desperation to be closer. We move together, him guiding me, our upper bodies pressed tightly against each other and quickly becoming slick with sweat.
I tilt my head back as his pace begins to quicken, and he latches onto my neck, sucking and biting, the small amount of pain electrifying my body. He slowly pushes us to the side, rolling us over, his body looming over me as he continues to drive harder and deeper. Dipping his head, he takes one of my nipples into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the taut bud. I thread my fingers through his short hair, holding him in place, knowing my body is about to detonate into a million pieces.
Axel moves to the other side, offering that nipple just as much attention. I arch my body off the bed allowing him to plow deeper inside and earning me a groan in appreciation. The vibration is just what I need, and for a few seconds, I feel almost as though I’m floating. Bolts of electricity flow through my veins, sending signals of ecstasy straight to my brain.
“Axel!” I cry out, my mouth dry and my breathing almost erratic.
My pussy clenches around him, but he fights against it, using it for his own pleasure, to create his release. “Goddammit!” He tears himself off me, his cock slipping out and into his hand. He pumps it as his cum spurts out, the hot liquid hitting my stomach and making me gasp. He moans, throwing his head back as it keeps coming, covering me in him.
It’s erotic watching him, his chest heaving, fighting to breathe. I look down at where the white splotches cover me, my hand lifting as I move to dip my finger in it, eager for a small taste.
In a flash, his hand shoots out, his fingers wrapping around my wrist and holding it prisoner. “You do that, and you’re gonna start a whole new something.”
I flash him an innocent smile. “And?”
He draws my hand to his mouth, his lips kissing over my fingers before he releases me and pushes off the bed. “You’re just as fucking bossy in bed as out.” He smirks as he runs his fingers through his hair and steps back, although he never stops admiring my body. I feel like I should blush, but my skin warms because I can’t help but enjoy the way he looks at me. Since the first time I saw Axel back when the bunker was being attacked by him and the team, he’s never failed to make me feel special, like I’m the center of his world. And while that’s a scary thought, when you have no idea about your own world, it feels good to be so important in someone else’s.
He swipes his fingers through his hair and sits on the edge of the bed, his breathing still deep and heavy. That’s when I see it, the large, full-size back tattoo I’d caught glimpses of before but never seen in all its glory.
Saying fuck it to the liquids still smeared across my body, I roll onto my hands and knees and crawl closer, Axel watching me cautiously out of the corner of his eye.
The Malice MC patch covers his whole back, the club insignia in the center with rockers above and below stating where he’s from. I sit behind him on my knees, reaching out and tracing the lines with my finger.
He sits a little taller, rolling his neck like my light touch is some form of an amazing massage.
“The club really is your life,” I whisper, though I already know the answer. He’d still be there if it weren’t for me. If he hadn’t been risking his life to save the world, on the off chance he’d find me out in it somewhere.
“It’s your life, too,” he answers, looking over his shoulder. “You feel it. You know it.”
I do.
I can’t argue that fact.
In my gut, I know it. I’m meant to be at the club. With Axel.
“That might be true, but I want to be where you are,” I explain, ignoring the surprise on his face. “So if that means here, watching you risk your life every day, I’m okay with that.”
I continue to trace the lines of the Malice MC tattoo, feeling like I can’t pull away.
“Maybe I’m not okay with that,” Axel murmurs and just as I open my mouth to question him, he gets up and spins around, dipping his shoulder into my stomach and throwing me over his shoulder. “Come on,” he insists, carrying me laughing to the bathroom. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”