His doubts about what he’d done began to fade, but the fear of almost losing her returned. If he hadn’t scared her away, he couldn’t go on without her, and Hudson would simply need to understand that and deal with it.
“Your back is beautiful,” Eden said, her voice barely audible above the spray.
The tattoo. He’d forgotten about that.
Turning around, he pushed her damp hair away from her face and palmed her cheeks as he admired the pink nipples on her heavy breasts, the flare of her hips, and the little patch of black curls at her sex that he loved to nuzzle. He didn’t see any marks or bruising on her, and that relaxed him a little bit further. “You see me.”
She smiled and nodded, running her hands over his ribcage to his hips. “Yes, I do.”
He shook his head. “I never wanted you to witness that side of me that you saw today.”
A shadow passed over her face, but left quickly. “What I saw today was a man who would do anything in the world to protect the one he loved.”
Hell, yes, did he love her. “Yeah, I would.”
She stood on her tiptoes and laced her hands behind his neck, gently pulling his head downward.
Their lips met, and all feelings of exhaustion disappeared. His body crackled with desire, as if lightning shot through his veins and ended up in the tip of his cock. The need to be with Eden—the need of an SR44 male to be with his mate—roared within him.
She threaded her fingers through his hair, fisting the short, wet strands. It didn’t hurt, but it jacked him up even further. He grabbed the globes of her ass and pulled her flush to him, his cock pressed up against her stomach, the sweet friction of their wet bodies making him even harder.
As she ran her hands over his shoulders, taking care not to hit his wound, he disappeared into that place of velvet and headiness, where his brain seemed to completely clear out. The fear, the worry, the panic … it all went away. The only thing that even remotely mattered was Eden.
Their tongues dueled in furious passion as he clung to her—his life, his light. He ran his hands up and down her back as the frantic need to plunge his cock into her heightened.
Perhaps this moment should be sweet, a gentle reunion of lovers who had been through a horrible ordeal. However, the way Eden feverishly touched him, her hands felt as if they caressed him everywhere at once. It almost seemed as if she were desperate to get closer to him and to feel every inch of him.
Pressing her up against the wall, he lifted her up, ignoring the pain in his shoulder as he held both her legs wide, and relief flooded him when she didn’t try to clasp her feet behind him. After the night he’d had and all the feelings it had brought, he walked a very fine line emotionally. He didn’t want to feel trapped in any way; he just wanted and needed Eden.
In one swift moment, he plunged his shaft into her soft, silken core. She gasped and cried out as she gripped the back of his neck with both hands.
While he pounded his hips into hers, he stared at her. Strands of wet hair stuck to her flushed face while her full lips remained parted as she panted with each thrust. Their gazes locked as she palmed his cheeks while staring at him through hooded lids.
“Harder,” she whispered.
Feeling absolutely feral and animalistic, he growled and quickened his pace.
“Harder, Axel.”
He could barely hear her voice above the water beating on the old, yellowing tile, but he kept his gaze trained on her lips so he could do what she asked.
As he obliged, her cheeks turned positively crimson. He could see the sheer love she felt for him in her dark eyes, and although he knew he wasn’t worthy, nor would he ever be, he’d take whatever she was willing to give him, and he’d deliver whatever she wanted.
“More.”
Fuck. At this pace, he wouldn’t last long, and if he went any harder, he’d screw her right through the wall into the damn kitchenette.
As her legs swung and her breasts swayed, she gripped his shoulders as though her life depended on him. His gaze followed her left hand as she reached down between them and began rubbing herself. He watched her fingers move frantically while his cock slid in and out of her folds, and he knew he was done.
Eden closed her eyes and tilted her head back, a primal scream emanating from her. It was sexual release, but there was more to it. It was as if he could hear the terror leaving her, as well.
As her inner walls fisted him, contracting over and over around him, he came on a low groan with such force, his knees weakened. While he stood there and tried to catch his breath, he realized that all the anxiety he’d been feeling had disappeared with the orgasm. Now, all he wanted to do was carry Eden to bed and wrap his big body around her, then sleep.
He gently set her down, and she leaned against him, her hands on his shoulders again. It was as if he was the only thing standing in the way of her collapsing.
Wrapping his arms around her, he set his chin on top of her head and closed his eyes. As they stood under the spray, he decided he never wanted to leave the small stall because in this shitty studio with the yellowing tiled bathroom, he’d once again found his slice of paradise.
Exhaustion tore through him, and he tilted her face up and kissed her forehead. “Let’s get you washed up, and then we’ll go to bed.”
She nodded sleepily as he reached for the shampoo.
Chapter 33
Eden lay in the double bed on her side, facing Axel’s back. If he’d been sleeping on his back, she would have been pushed to the edge. No, with his width and girth, they definitely fit better in a California King.
She longed to reach out and touch the amazing tattoo, but she refrained because she knew sleep didn’t come easily to Axel. After what he had done last night, he definitely deserved rest.
She studied the beautiful artwork and smiled.
A woman with long, black hair stood with her back to the viewer in a lush and full garden filled with tulips, roses, daisies, orchids, lilies, and what seemed like a dozen other flowers all colored in vibrant reds, greens, and blues, up to her waist. Her arms were raised out to her sides, and in her left hand, she held a black and grey orb. The sky above her crackled with bolts of lightning, each one a deep, rich color of purples, pinks, and yellows. She marveled at all the different shades.
The lightning bolts rained down at the woman in the garden. She knew the woman was her, but she had wanted to hear what the rest signified to Axel. After the shower, they’d curled up in bed and she’d asked him.
His cheeks had flushed as if embarrassed, but she’d pressed him.
“The orb in her hand represents me. My life used to be filled with so much black and grey, but then, I found you.”
A chill had traveled down her spine as she’d marveled at what he’d done to let her know his feelings for her.
“What do the lightning bolts mean?”
He had shrugged. “It’s like you brought out something in me that I didn’t even know was there. They represent you waking me up and helping me to see the world, and especially you. I know you’ve been in front of me for over eight months, but I couldn’t relate to you until you started seeing my aura. It scared the fuck out of me, because I’ve never had anyone understand me, and love me just for being me.”
Tears had stung her eyes, and she’d kissed the tip of his nose. “What about all the flowers?”
He had sighed and rolled onto his back. “Well, at first, I just wanted to remember you in a Garden of Eden of sorts, but then I realized, your whole world is nothing but dramatic colors of every shade, so I had Foster amp up the hues and tones. It’s a twist on the Garden of Eden with my own feelings about you mixed in.”
“It’s amazing, Axel, and I’m so flattered and awed that you would put that on your back forever.”
He turned to her and grinned. “It’s my tribute to you, Eden. You’ve made significant changes in me, and I … I …”
The burst of reds and pinks around him had let her know exactly what he’d seemed to
be having trouble saying. He loved her, and he’d proven that he’d do anything to protect her, including taking lives.
Presently, even though complete exhaustion tugged at her, she couldn’t sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she remembered the terror of the previous night.
She’d heard the man in charge, Judas, actually talk about performing a sacrifice for the Countess right there in the church. How he would pick the woman for that sacrifice, she didn’t know, but she’d thought she would pass out with fear as she’d climbed the steps and been told to disrobe.
If she hadn’t known Axel, she would have sworn him to be the Angel of Death, and in some ways, he had been. His aura had been a mix of emotions. As she’d watched him kill, the black tinged with red had swirled around him violently. She could tell by the look on his face that the red had represented anger, yet, for a brief instance when their gazes had met, all that had changed to blue and tan—dependability, masculinity, and trustworthiness.
Axel had told her to call Hudson, but she hadn’t. Even though Axel had stood mere feet away in the shower, she’d felt as if there’d been miles between them. She had needed to be close to him, to feel his arms around her. She knew Hudson worried about her, but once again, she found herself in a little cocoon with Axel, and she didn’t want the outside world to ruin it.
Right now, lying next to the man she loved, staring at the beautiful tattoo, she couldn’t imagine being any happier.
Chapter 34
Axel woke when the phone on the nightstand began to vibrate. Opening one eye, he reached over and looked at the caller.
Hudson.
What the hell did he want? He’d just spoken to Eden a couple hours ago.
He decided to ignore it and rolled over, almost crushing Eden. Yes, he was way too big to be sharing this bed with another person, but at the same time, he really liked it. As he stared at her parted lips, he pushed back the curtain of hair that covered half her face. She stirred, flipped over so her back was to him, then closed the small space between them as she snuggled up to his chest.
Placing his arm over her waist, he nuzzled his nose into her hair and shut his eyes.
Ah, peace.
The phone rang again, and he ignored it. Just as he was about to completely doze off, the damn thing bounced around on the nightstand.
Sighing, he shook Eden’s shoulder.
“Please let me sleep,” she whispered groggily.
“Hudson keeps calling.”
He hadn’t really looked, but he’d bet both nuts on it.
“I don’t care. I just got to sleep.”
“Did you call him this morning while I was in the shower?”
She signed. “No.”
Fuck.
“Eden, you have to call him.”
She looked at him over her shoulder through sleepy, hooded lids. “Axel, I have had a very traumatic experience and enough drama to last me three lifetimes. I don’t want any more right now. I want to sleep next to the man I love for a few hours and not think about the outside world, my father, sacrifices … none of it. Can you please shut off the phone and allow me that?”
She turned away from him, and he laid his head back down. Yes, Hudson would be worried sick about her, and he should know his doha was safe, but Axel also wanted to honor Eden’s wishes.
He reached over, grabbed the phone, and sent off a quick text. Got her. She’s fine. She’s not hurt. She’s sleeping. Will have her call when she’s up.
As soon as he set it down again, it started to vibrate. With a soft curse, he hit the off button and curled up behind Eden again.
At least for now, they still had their little slice of Heaven.
Three hours later, Eden woke when she smelled bacon and eggs cooking, along with coffee. Her stomach roared, and she realized she hadn’t eaten in over twenty-four hours.
She sat up, pulled the sheet over her bare breasts, and found Axel in the kitchenette. He only wore a pair of jeans, his big shoulders rolling as he tended to the frying pans on the stove. She grinned while staring at the tattoo. She loved it, and with each of his movements, it looked as if it came alive.
Axel must have heard her stir because he turned to look at her, then grabbed a cup off the counter and poured the coffee. He sat on the bed, his face impassive, and handed her the mug.
She took a sip and just about spit out the incredibly bitter liquid. Apparently, they had very different tastes when it came to coffee—she preferred hers mellower with a bit of vanilla and hazelnut creamer, while he liked his strong enough to sandblast paint off a wall.
She smiled. “This is very sweet. Thank you.”
He nodded. “You need to call your dad. Right now. No more waiting, Eden.”
On a sigh, she hung her head. Her brief period of ‘no drama’ had to come to an end. “I know.”
As he reached over to grab the phone, he said, “Right now. Afterward, we eat.”
He rose from the bed and returned to the little camping stove. They probably shouldn’t be using it indoors, but she figured he knew what he was doing.
“Are you bribing me with food?” she asked, only half joking.
“Maybe,” he said, keeping his back to her. “Dial, Eden.”
She turned on the phone and didn’t have to dial anything as it began to ring almost immediately.
“Hi, Hudson.”
He remained quiet for a moment before speaking. “Doha. Eden. Are you okay, honey?”
“Yes.”
“Why has the phone been turned off? Is Axel doing something to you?”
Not at the moment, but he has been, and he did it very well, thank you.
She sighed. This was exactly where she didn’t want this conversation to go. “No. Axel saved me, Hudson. He’s been taking excellent care of me.”
Heat flushed through her cheeks as she remembered how well he’d ‘taken care of’ her in the shower just a few short hours ago.
“The news says that the police are going to open the city tomorrow morning. I’ll come and get you then.”
She glanced over at Axel as her stomach clenched with nerves. “No. I’ll have Axel drive me back.”
He sighed, and she could picture him rubbing his temple or running his hand over his face like he did when irritated with her.
“Eden, it would be best if Axel stays where he is until we have everything straightened out.”
“There’s nothing to straighten out, Hudson, except maybe the lies and misjudgments you have floating around in your head.”
She realized Axel had completely stilled as he listened.
“I think this is just a phase you’re going through, Eden. I’m sorry I overreacted, but I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I won’t.”
He sighed. “Honey, the guy never says anything. He sulks around here like he just lost his gun hand. You can’t possibly know what he’s truly thinking about whatever this is you have going on with him, or how he truly feels about you.”
She looked over at Axel who had now turned around. He leaned against the counter with his arms crossed over his expansive chest, his gaze on her. The aura around him crackled with red, blue, and gray—love, masculinity, and stability.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Hudson. I know exactly how he feels about me. I can see it.”
Her father remained quiet, and she wondered if he understood exactly what she meant.
“Axel will drive me home in the morning, Hudson. I’ll see you then.”
She set the phone down and stood from the bed. Tomorrow, they’d return to reality, and she and Axel needed to present a united front. She would be with him whether Hudson wanted her to or not. They’d either live in the silo, or they’d find somewhere else like Justice and Holly had done. No matter what, she wouldn’t be away from him again.
Axel’s gaze traveled over her naked body, and she noticed his breathing had become shallow. Heat flushed through her as she glanced at the bulge behind his zipper, his a
ura flickering with desire. He always made her feel like she was the most beautiful woman on Earth with just a simple glance.
As she walked over to him, he uncrossed his arms. When she reached him, she pressed her body against him, and he embraced her.
No, he may be a man of few words, but she could read him like a book.
She looked up at him. “Come back to bed. We can eat in a bit.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” he said with a grin.
Chapter 35
Axel sat on the bed, staring at his phone. The little studio apartment didn’t have a television or radio, so he really had no idea what was going on beyond these walls. The neighborhood had seemed quiet, and Hudson had phoned just a while ago to say the city had opened back up. He wanted to make sure all was safe before he even thought about taking Eden out the door.
He had no idea what would happen once he got her back to the silo, but he did know he couldn’t go on without Eden. They’d discussed it and decided if their relationship would bring too much tension into the silo, then they’d move elsewhere. Hell, maybe they could get an apartment in the same building as Holly and Justice. Holly never scampered away from him. Holly never ran from anyone or anything. Justice had been his superior on Rescue One, and they seemed to get along just fine. Wherever they went, he had made a promise to himself to try to become a little more social, watch his behavior and his tone of voice when speaking.
As he scrolled through the local news site, everything seemed to indicate that the police had regained control of the city and operations were back to normal.
Eden stepped out of the bathroom and grinned. They’d had another amazing shower, and her cheeks still remained pink from the hot water and hot sex.
“You about ready?”
She nodded. “It will be nice to get into some clean clothes.”
Granted, she’d been naked most of her time at the apartment, and that had been fine with him. However, he understood her point.
“Let’s hit it, then, before I decide you don’t need those clothes for a little while more.”
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