The Birches by Xavier Axelson
Contemporary M/M
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Perfection isn’t everything, although it’s everything Leo
wants. His desire to become the perfect chef may keep him at the top of his
class, but it drives his friends and family crazy while keeping love and
passion on the back burner. That is until he meets Dock, owner and chef
of the new and popular restaurant, The Birches. Although Dock isn’t a
trained chef, Leo finds the food he cooks delectable and the man behind the
food irresistible. The lessons taught at the hands of an untrained cook
may be just what this uptight chef needs to let go.
Excerpt:
He pulled into the parking lot of The
Birches and sat on his bike a minute. He felt nervous, like he was about to
meet a celebrity and the self-doubt that plagued him made him queasy.
“You gonna sit outside or come in?”
Leo jumped at the sound of the man’s
voice. He pulled his helmet off and looked around, but didn’t see anyone.
“Over here.”
Leo looked just past his left
shoulder and saw a man emerging from the nearby woods that surrounded the
little restaurant.
“Oh, hey,” Leo called out, his voice
cracking.
“You looking for something to eat?”
the man asked, coming closer.
Leo was shocked to find himself
riveted to the spot, staring at the man who came towards him.
The man offered Leo a rough,
calloused hand. “I’m Dock,”
“Hey,” Leo managed weakly.
“I was out back, picking
blackberries, they grow wild around here.
I thought they’d make a great dessert. Don’t know what kind of dessert,
but how can you go wrong when you have stuff like this?” He said as he offered
up a large, wooden bucket half-full of dark, purple black berries.
There were purple smears across
Dock’s white tank top that seemed barely able to contain Dock’s impressive
chest. There were several brown freckles on Dock’s shoulders, next to where the
strap of tank top clung to his body.
“Lucky berries,” Leo said under his
breath.
“What?”
Sweat ran down Leo’s back, he felt so
nervous. For a brief moment, he thought of hopping on his bike and taking off. Instead he said, “Um, nothing, sorry, I just
wanted to come by and--”
“You want to come inside and have an
iced tea or something?” Dock asked, “It’s hot as hell out here and I know I
need to cool off.” He swiped a hand across his face and left a smudge of
blackberry juice across his cheek.
Leo’s heart was pounding, what was it
about this place, this man?
“You coming?” Dock asked.
“Huh?”
Dock laughed, “You coming inside or
you just gonna stare at the ground the rest of the day?”
Leo was still staring at the spot
where Dock had been standing. Something
was happening inside his head. He felt
spellbound and excited. He didn’t know
where this sensation came from, all he knew was he wanted more of what he was
feeling. He followed Dock, who was still
talking about black berries, the sun and something else that sounded perfect,
into the restaurant. When Dock stopped
suddenly by a booth at the back of the restaurant, Leo almost crashed into him.
“Take a seat. I’ll be right back with
some tea.” Dock said, a smile lingered on his lips.
He knows he makes me uncomfortable,
Leo thought once Dock left and was sitting down. It was this realization that
held him glued to the seat. He wouldn’t
give this man the satisfaction of getting the better of him.
“So, what’s your name?” Dock asked
when he reappeared and set a jam jar full of iced tea in front of Leo, there
were several blackberries floating in it along with some ice and a sprig of
mint.
“Leo,” he replied, taking a sip of
the tea.
“You know we’re closed, right?” A
woman’s voice called from behind Dock’s perfect shoulders. Leo decided right
then and there he would trade his ability to beat an egg for a chance to touch
those shoulders and kiss the freckles that lived there.
What was he thinking?
He wasn’t thinking, that was just it,
there was something about the place and, more noticeably, about this man that
seemed to block Leo’s ability to think rationally. Where there was once
thought, there was now an incredible amount of feeling. He was stunned into a
stupor by this realization.
Where to find Xavier
Axelson:
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