Loosen Up Read online

  Loosen Up

  Ace’s Wild #5

  Max Walker

  ACE’S WILD SERIES

  Ace's Wild is a multi-author series of books that take place in the same fictional town. Each story can be read in any order. The connecting element in the Ace's Wild series is an adult store owned by Ace and Wilder. The main characters from each book will make at least one visit to Ace's Wild, where they'll buy a toy to use in their story! The only characters who crossover to each book are Ace and Wilder. And with various heat and kink levels, there's sure to be something for everyone!

  Thanks for giving the series a chance! We hope you enjoy the books!

  Christina Lee, Riley Hart, SE Jakes, Alice Winters, Devon McCormack, Max Walker, Annabella Michaels, Neve Wilder, Jaclyn Quinn, Morningstar Ashley, Davidson King, NR Walker, Luna David, & Lane Hayes.

  Previous Ace’s Wild Books:

  Science and Jockstraps (Ace’s Wild #1) by Christina Lee and Riley Hart

  Nuts (Ace’s Wild #2) by S.E. Jakes

  Rushing In (Ace’s Wild #3) by Alice Winters

  King of Liars (Ace’s Wild #4) by Devon McCormack

  Synopsis

  Jordan Hampton:

  I was stressed beyond belief. My life felt like it was hitting dead-end after dead-end, and my job was making me want to pull my hair out strand by single strand.

  So, when my boyfriend suggests a spontaneous trip to Miami Beach, I jump at the chance.

  I had no idea what was really in store for us when we boarded the plane.

  Actually, let me correct that: when we boarded the wrong plane. Instead of flying to Miami Beach, we were headed toward Vintage Ridge, North Carolina.

  Remember what I was saying about stress? Yeah, multiply that by two lost Canadians and one exceptionally friendly flight attendant and you’d feel what I felt.

  This was going to be an interesting vacation.

  Brody Winters:

  I loved my boyfriend with my entire heart and soul. So when he hurts, I hurt. That’s why I decided to plan an entire vacation focused on rest and relaxation, because I could see my Jordan getting more wound up by the day.

  Who could have guessed that our perfect Miami vacation would have started with Jordan accidentally eating an entire edible as we sat on the wrong flight toward some city neither of us could even point to on a map.

  All while I had a very special, blue velvet box tucked deep inside my book bag.

  This was not how I wanted to start the trip, but maybe this was exactly what we both needed after all?

  ****

  For the first 90 days of this title's publication, all sales and page reads will be donated to Los Angeles LGBT Center.

  LOOSEN UP is part of a multi-author series of books that take place in the same fictional town. Each story can be read in any order. The connecting element in the Ace's Wild series is an adult store owned by Ace and Wilder. The main characters from each book will make at least one visit to Ace's Wild, where they'll buy a toy to use in their story! The only characters who crossover to each book are Ace and Wilder. And with various heat levels, there's sure to be something for everyone!

  Edited By: ONE LOVE EDITING

  Cover Design: Max Walker

  Copyright © 2019 by Max Walker

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  1. Jordan Hampton

  2. Brody Winters

  3. Jordan Hampton

  4. Brody Winters

  5. Jordan Hampton

  6. Brody Winters

  7. Jordan Hampton

  8. Brody Winters

  9. Jordan Hampton

  10. Brody Winters

  11. Jordan Hampton

  12. Brody Winters

  Thank You!

  Also by Max Walker

  1 Jordan Hampton

  A child, barely five years old, played with an iPad as she sat on the floor next to her mom and dad and their three bright pink suitcases. She giggled and tapped away on the screen, playing a colorful game of Match Three, totally absorbed in the bright candy that dropped onto her screen. Her world must have seemed like a mini-paradise, completely separated from the chaotic airport that surrounded her.

  Separated, that was, until Brody and I barreled around a corner and almost kicked her blue silicone-protected iPad into the air. Thankfully, I was able to pull my suitcase in the opposite direction, saving everyone from having to explain to her what happens when an iPad dies.

  “So sorry!” I shouted over my shoulder, waving an apologetic hand at the parents, who were staring daggers our way.

  The airport was packed to the brim. We ran through the thick crowd, dodging suitcases and small children and emotional support dogs. Brody ran ahead of me, his gray bookbag flopping up and down on his back, the yellow suitcase looking like it wanted to go the other way as he made a sharp turn.

  “This way! That’s our gate.”

  Up ahead I could see the big words: Miami, Florida.

  Might as well have said: Salvation, Nation.

  Or somewhere in that vicinity. This trip was supposed to be all about relaxation and rest, which felt very much needed after the past three months of pure mind-numbing hell I’d gone through at work.

  “Come on,” Brody said, as if I weren’t coming on.

  “I’m not sipping margs back here, you know,” I quipped back.

  God, I loved this man, but I hated how I’d been snapping so much at him lately. I could tell Brody hated it, too. He was never the kind of guy who stayed quiet. He always walked with confidence and said whatever was on his mind, and he normally got what he wanted because of that.

  But lately, with my sharp snips and short attitude, I’d noticed him clam up. He got quiet and reserved, something completely unheard of for my Brody.

  I was about to apologize, not even knowing if I should, but was distracted by a frantically waving flight attendant. “Hurry, the plane’s about to take off, you two!”

  We flashed our boarding passes. She waved the scanner in the air, and we bolted past. The corridor leading to the plane was hot and stuffy as we ran down it, the floor shaking under our weight.

  The plane doors were still open. With a sigh of relief, we stepped in, the flight attendants smiling with tight lips. We apologized profusely as we quickly found our seats, stuffing our carry-ons into the overhead bins and sitting down, the first-class seats so much more roomier than the economy class I’d been used to all my life.

  “Plane looked a little empty, eh?” Brody noted as we buckled our seat belts, the both of us working hard to catch our breath.

  I leaned out of the row and looked back. Brody was right—the plane looked practically empty.

  “Guess Miami isn’t as popular a spot as it used to be?” I sat back in the seat and got to work setting up my little area before we took off. The doors were shut, and the plane began driving down toward the runway. I opened my bookbag and grabbed the noise-canceling headphones Brody had gotten me for Christmas. I slipped them on and opened up my go-to Beyoncé playlist. Her songs always helping me get over my flight anxiety.

  I could feel the plane start to accelerate. Brody, who also got nervous on flights, reached over and grabbed my hand. I looked over at him and smiled, feeling like everything was all right. Brody’s sapphire-blue eyes tended to have that effect on me. He smiled back and squeezed my hand.

  His lips started to move, but all I could hear was Queen B.

  “Formation—” I took off my headphones, placing them around my neck. “—crazy, eh?”


  “Huh?” I asked.

  “I was saying how crazy that line at immigration was. We almost missed this flight. Next time we’ll have to do a direct from Vancouver instead of a connecting flight.”

  “They did warn us it could take up to an hour.”

  “Yeah, not two.”

  “But we made it. Now we’ll be poolside in a couple of hours, sipping on piña coladas and soaking up some sun. It’s exactly what I’ve been needing.” I rubbed soft circles with my thumb on Brody’s hand. “Thank you.”

  “Of course. I just wanted to get you out of Vancouver and away from your job. Out of that damn office.”

  “You did good, babe.”

  Brody laughed, sitting back in his seat as the plane began to pick up speed. I leaned over and grabbed the backpack at his feet.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Brody put a hand out, stopping me.

  “What? I need a snack.”

  “Oh, right.”

  I shot Brody a weird look and went back to my hunt. The front zipper was partially open. I dug a finger in there and pulled out the little ziplock baggie. Without missing a beat, I opened the bag and inhaled the entire brownie that was sitting there, looking out the window at the airport as the plane started to position itself for takeoff on the runway. I wondered if Brody was getting experimental with spices in the kitchen because something about the brownie tasted a little odd. Before I could put on my headphones and slip back into Beyoncé-land, I heard my name.

  “Jordan…”

  My head swiveled. “Brody…?”

  He looked down at the empty ziplock bag in my hand.

  “Jordan.”

  I blinked a few times. “Bro—”

  “You ate the wrong brownie! That was the special one, the one we were supposed to split once we got to the beach. The one I told you about.”

  My eyes bulged. “Oh my sweet baby Jesus. You actually brought that? I thought you were joking!”

  “Of course I wasn’t joking.”

  “How can you even fly with that!”

  “Jordan, it’s legal in Canada, and it’s not like I’m bringing an entire dispensary with us. It was one brownie.” His lips slanted. “One very, eh, powerful brownie.”

  “Oh my God. I’m screwed, aren’t I?”

  Brody laughed. “No you’re not. You’re just about to have one of the best flights of your life. Literally. You’re gonna be so hi—”

  A pilot announcement cut Brody off. “Hi, folks, my name is Dallas Morgan, and I’ll be your captain for today’s flight. Looks like we’ll be flying through some great weather, so look forward to a smooth ride with a flight time of about fifty-five minutes.”

  Fifty-five minutes… how fast is this plane going? Miami should be two hours away.

  I rubbed my legs, feeling more and more anxious. I hoped that Brody’s special brownie calmed me down instead of having the opposite effect on me.

  Guess I’ll find out in an hour.

  “Flight attendants, please prepare for takeoff.”

  One of the flight attendants, an older woman with bright blonde hair that reached up to the clouds, gave the first-class cabin one final check before she took her seat, and the pilot came back on over the speaker.

  “We’ll be landing in Vintage Ridge, North Carolina, soon, folks. Thank you for flying with us today.”

  Whoa, did that brownie already hit?

  I looked to Brody. His face had gone paper pale. He moved his lips, but no sound was coming out.

  “How much did you put in these brownies? I’m so out of it, I could have sworn the pilot said North Carolina.” I giggled.

  The plane’s engines started to roar, the sound filling my ears. I could feel us accelerating down the runway.

  “Jordan… I heard it, too.”

  I cocked my head. “But you didn’t have a brownie? Did you?”

  “No, we were supposed to split that one.”

  “So if neither of us are hallucinating… then…” I looked around us, panic starting to settle in. A young man sat in the seat across from us. I leaned over Brody and got the man’s attention.

  “Sorry, really weird question, but where’s this plane headed to?”

  The guy looked at us like we were crazy. “Vintage Ridge.”

  “Right, Vintage Ridge. Is that, um, you know, close to Miami Beach?” I had to shout to be heard over the sound of takeoff.

  The guy laughed as if I’d told him a joke. Little did he know, the joke was on me and Brody.

  “Vintage Ridge, North Carolina? About as opposite as you can get from Miami Beach.”

  I leaned back into my seat just as the plane started tilting upward. One of Brody’s hands snapped onto mine, and another repeatedly pressed on the flight attendant button above us.

  “We can’t, we’ve got an entire trip planned. Oh fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.” Brody was close to having a nuclear meltdown.

  But it was too late. The plane’s wheels were no longer on the ground. We couldn’t just pull a quick U-turn and hop out of the plane.

  Brody’s hand squeezed harder as the plane got higher. I looked out the window, seeing the airport getting smaller underneath us, and then soon the city, and before I knew it, we were breaking through thick cotton candy clouds, headed to a city neither of us knew a thing about with bags packed full of beach clothes and suntan lotion.

  “Well,” I said to no one in particular since Brody was still focused on the flight attendant button, “this is going to be interesting.”

  2 Brody Winters

  This was a fucking mess. A damn royal-wedding-sized mess.

  “Finally,” I said, once the plane leveled out and the flight attendants were able to get up. The one closest to us came over to me wearing a worried expression.

  “Sorry, sir, what is it I can help you with?”

  The flight attendant—Susy Terrison according to her name badge—smiled down kindly at me with a powdered face and dark red lips, crowned with a big head of blonde curls.

  “Hi, Susy, sorry to bother, but um… where exactly did the pilot say we were headed?”

  Jordan’s hand, still holding mine, squeezed.

  “We’re heading to Vintage Ridge. In North Carolina. Surely, you knew that… right?”

  “Heh.” I dropped my head back into the seat. Jordan leaned over me and took over.

  “We were actually supposed to be on a flight to Miami, Florida, right now.”

  “Oh… oh! Oh dear. Okay, that’s a big problem. Can I see your boarding passes?”

  We handed her our documents, and she took one glance over them before handing them back, her red lips turned down into a pout. She batted her eyelashes and shook her head. “Dears, you two are headed to the wrong city.”

  “Do you know if there are any connecting flights to Miami?” Jordan asked. I still felt too shitty to even open my mouth. For some reason, I blamed myself over this entire mess. I’d been the one leading us through the airport, I should have been more aware of which damn gate we were going into. And now, instead of having a relaxing vacation on the beach, our trip was quickly turning into a terrible leg on The Amazing Race.

  Everything about this trip was supposed to be perfect. I had planned it all.

  “I can’t tell you right off my big head—and I know it’s big, so it’s okay for me to say—but I… no, I don’t think so. You’ll have to fly to Atlanta, I believe. And then from there you can head to Miami.”

  I sighed. This was going to take away at least a day of our trip while shaving off a week or so from my life expectancy due to the sheer amount of stress.

  But that was okay. We could still make it to Miami and spend our week there. I could still pull this off. I could give Jordan the vacation he’d been needing and then surprise him with one big question at the end of all of it.

  “Have you two ever been to Vintage Ridge?”

  “No,” I said. The plane bounced around a bit through some turbulence. Susy grabbed onto the empty seat behind her.
>
  “Well, let me just tell you, Vintage Ridge is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to. And being in this business for as long as I have, I’ve seen some beautiful places.”

  “How long have you been a flight attendant?” I asked, wanting to get my mind off this mess.

  “Since I was a twenty-one-year-old girl, so you can imagine.” She cocked her head and framed her face. “It’s been a long three years.”

  That got a genuine laugh from me. Jordan laughed, too, and I knew it couldn’t have been because of the brownie. He was going to feel it, but not for at least another half hour.

  I still can’t believe he scarfed down that entire thing.

  It reminded me that no matter where Jordan and I were, we’d always have fun, someway, somehow. Whether that was on the wrong flight to a city neither of us had ever heard about or at an exotic animal sanctuary for our first blind date where we’d met a baby elephant and subsequently saved her from poachers.

  Yeah. It was effortless with Jordan, and I loved him so damn much for that.

  I loved him so much that I planned this entire getaway just for him so he could get away from all the shit he’d been experiencing at work.

  And I fucked it up.

  “I’m sure it’s beautiful, it’s just this trip was supposed to be all about relaxing. I actually planned an itinerary.” I could hear myself whining, but I couldn’t stop myself. “My boyfriend’s been going through it at work, and I just wanted a nice getaway.”

  “Well, I think you two just stumbled into the perfect getaway. Vintage Ridge may not have sandy beaches and sunrays strong enough to fry your internal organs, but they do have stunning nature trails, excellent food, and the absolute nicest folks you’ll ever meet. I’m thinking this may have been a happy little accident for you two.”