by JA Low
My hand comes out and connects with my sister’s cheek, the slap reverberating through my office. Everyone stills, all in shock at my reaction.
“Hurt a nerve there, sister, have I?” She snarls, rubbing her reddening cheek. I just glare at her, my chest heaving with anger. “I’m sure Eddie would love to hear about how his fiancée has been screwing around behind his back.”
“Really? After everything he has done. Like he cares.” I cross my arms in front of me defensively.
“Probably not, his bed has hardly been cold. But I’m sure Mother and Father would. Especially when Eddie calls them in tears about the news that his lady love has been cheating on him. I’m sure the Daily Star would love that information. This time it will be your name splashed across the pages of a tabloid paper instead of mine, ruining your holier than thou reputation.”
My stomach sinks. “What do you want?”
“Lucky you’re smart. Let us stay, party with some rock stars. I’ll even promise to not touch Axel, unless he wants me to.” She gives me a wicked smile.
“And what do I get in return?”
“My silence.” She smiles sweetly.
I take a deep breath. “Fine, stay, but you better be gone by lunchtime.”
They all nod in agreement. “And you are staying in this cottage.”
Penny shrugs. “Yeah, that’s fine, I won’t be coming home.” I seriously want to slap her again.
“There are many single men here, only go for them,” I warn her. Penny likes a challenge and married men are very much a challenge she likes to take on.
“So, Axel’s single right?” She asks, getting under my skin. I don’t reply.
“That’s okay, I’m not interested in your sloppy seconds anyway.”
“Well that’s a first,” I mumble. She chooses to ignore me as she and her minions leave to work out what to wear tonight.
***
“What the hell is Penny and her evil minions doing here?” Ivy asks.
“They found out through the media that Dirty Texas are here, they wanted to come and bag a rock star.”
Ivy groans, “Of course, so let me guess, Axel is in her sights.”
The thought makes me sick, but I am hoping he will be the first guy to say no to her advances.
“He told her she would never find out how good his fingers are when she flirted with him, so I am kind of hoping that lasts.”
“To be a fly on the wall for that reaction.”
“It was pretty awesome; she didn’t know what to do with herself. I also slapped her.”
Ivy chokes on her champagne. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“She riled me up so much with her venom that I snapped, I have never ever done that before.”
“I kind of love this new Olivia, she’s so sassy.” We both giggle.
“Sorry, do you mind if I butt in?” Axel asks.
“No, please I need a refill.” Ivy walks to the bar leaving us alone.
Axel looks devastating tonight, dressed in jeans and a white button down shirt, the sleeves rolled up showing off his blue tattoos. He grabs my hand and leads me away from the party out into the hallway. He looks both ways to see if anyone is around. With the hallway being clear, he pulls me toward the library. He opens the door, ducks his head in then back out again and pulls me in behind him. Axel presses me up against the wall, his lips descending on mine in an instant.
“It’s been too long,” he growls, pushing the material of my cocktail dress up. His hand slips into my underwear, finding me wet with want. “I just need to be inside of you, okay?” His forehead presses against mine. I mumble something that sounds like a yes and he rips my panties right off.
“Axel,” I gasp at his reaction, but if I’m honest it’s kind of hot.
Then before I know it he is unzipping, sheathing himself and is pressing inside of me. His hand covers my mouth. “Shh, there is someone outside.” I tense, hearing the click clacking of heels along the stone floor and some giggling. My eyes glance down to the door knob, it’s locked, I can relax a little. He pushes up inside of me, knocking a couple of books off the shelf, they are probably limited edition books but at the moment I don’t care because I can feel my orgasm begin to take shape. Axel is animalistic with his frantic thrusts; I grip him harder urging him on. His name falls from my lips and vibrates against his hand as my orgasm shudders through my body. Axel is not far behind me, his teeth sinking into my shoulder as he comes. Those whiskey eyes are speckled with gold. “Sorry, I needed that.” He seems a little shy confessing that to me.
“Please, no need to apologize for something that fantastic.” He kisses me quickly and pulls himself from me. He disposes the condom and hands me my shredded underwear to clean myself up with.
“Um…yeah, sorry about those.” His grin tells another story.
“You are incorrigible,” I laugh, throwing my underwear in the bin. He ushers me to one of the velvet chairs, making me straddle him.
“How are you?” He wraps his arms around me, pulling me tight against him.
“I’ve been better.” I give him a weak smile.
“She’s a piece of work your sister,” he chuckles.
“That’s putting it mildly.”
“I’m sorry, I wish I was able to stay and support you.” That was sweet of him, but he didn’t need to know how crazy the Pearce sisters were.
“Just be careful, she…um…might have you in her sights just to piss me off.”
Axel smiles at me. “Why would I want anyone else but you?”
“Many have said those very same lines and moments later I have found them in bed with her.”
Anger bubbles across Axel face. “I may be a lot go things, but I am not that much of a bastard.” I rest my hand on his heart which is beating wildly.
“I know, but now that she is here, I just can’t let my guard down.” I give him a weak smile.
“I understand. It’s hard to trust people.” He looks over my shoulder and out the window, becoming quiet for a moment. “I know firsthand that you can’t always trust people you are supposed to be able to trust.”
That seems very cryptic, but true. His eyes have gone a little darker and his body has tensed. I lean forward and press my lips to his forehead, hoping that I can give him some moral support.
“When the one person you thought you could trust is the one that betrays you, it’s hard to come back from that.”
“I’m so sorry someone betrayed you. It makes me angry that someone did that to you.” The words fall quietly from my lips. Axel looks up at me, I can see the pain etched into his face. My hand is still on his heart and it is beating even wilder than before.
“My parents sent me to after school music lessons when I was twelve.” He pauses for a moment before he continues, “I always wanted to be a rock star.” He gives me a goofy grin. “I loved going to my lessons until one day when what I thought was encouraging touches became something more.”
Oh no, no, no. I shake my head then drop kisses all over his rigid face.
“You don’t have to tell me.” He’s quiet for a moment, but he looks at me.
“I trust you, Liv. I’ve never told anyone before other than my parents, even Christian doesn’t really know the extent of what happened.”
My heart is breaking for him. “I was only twelve years old for God’s sake and she was my teacher.” I stop breathing. She, I was assuming it was a male teacher. “It went on for a year until I finally told my parents why I didn’t want to go back to music class.” There’s that vulnerability again, that piece of him that he hides.
“Is that why you like control in the bedroom?” I ask. Many things start to make sense.
“Yeah, I’ve been to counseling, and for me this was the only way for me to enjoy a healthy sex life. Until…you.” I freeze. What does that mean? “Until you I was so regimented with sex, I wanted things a certain way. But with you I have broken all my rules, with you I don’t need to be in control.
”
I press my lips against his. “I like you being in control most of the time.” This makes him chuckle.
“I know; you are almost dripping wet from it.” I bite my lip and try not to rub myself against him. “I trust you, Olivia.” Those four little words make my stomach sink, the guilt over being engaged to someone else is sitting like a lead balloon in my stomach. I jump off his lap and fix myself up. “Liv?” Axel looks at me.
“I think I heard someone calling our names,” I lie. He frowns at me, but he starts to follow me. Before I open the library door I swing around and wrap my arms around his waist. “Thank you, thank you for sharing your secret with me. I will never tell another soul.” He pats my hair tenderly.
“I know, Liv, I know.” I look up at him through tear soaked lashes. I need to tell him. I need to tell him everything.
“Just know that I have fallen for you, Axel and I wasn’t supposed to.”
He looks down at me with a huge smile on his face, he’s happy, but my secret is killing me inside.
“I could fall for you as well, Olivia.” The look he gives me is killing me. I quickly disentangle myself from him, but he pulls me back to him. “Are you okay?”
I take a deep breath. “Later, I have to tell you something, but let’s get back to the party before we are missed.” I plaster on my biggest smile, but he doesn’t look convinced. I open the door and step out into the hallway.
Oh shit!
It all happens in slow motion. A guy I have never seen before strolls up to Olivia, grabs her by the face and kisses her, right in front of me. I am about to put my fist in his face until I hear Olivia’s voice.
“Eddie, what the hell are you doing here?”
She knows this guy?
“I wanted to spend New Year’s Eve with my fiancée.”
What the fuck did he just say?
Olivia freezes at the man’s words. The guy is oblivious to the tension surrounding us and decides it’s a good time to introduce himself to me.
“Hi, I’m Marquees Edmund Lumley, but I’m known around here as Eddie.” He holds out his hand. I stare at him; I don’t take his hand which he eventually drops. “I have to say, I’m surprised that you of all people would chose Liv here to hook up with.” I glare at him, he’s dressed in a tailored, navy blue, three-piece suit, his brown hair slicked back and his blue eyes are dull and lifeless. He’s tanned and looks like he spends most of his days lazing on a yacht, he looks like a douche. “Unless old Liv here has been hiding some kind of magic pussy that I don’t know about,” he chuckles arrogantly. I ball my fists, ready to knock this man out. But what I can’t get over is how small Olivia has made herself, she has retreated into some kind of shell around him.
“Oh great, now my night is about to get better.” Olivia’s sister walks in from outside, fixing herself up and Johnny from Sons of Brooklyn walks in moments later with a smirk on his face.
“What’s up, Ax.” He waves as he walks back into the party.
“So, Liv, have you made the introductions yet?” her sister chuckles. Unlike what I saw earlier today where Liv fought back, now she just stands there taking her sisters vicious barbs. I want to shake her and throttle her all at the same time. “Eddie, have you met Liv’s new boyfriend?” Her sister turns her attention to the guy.
“Boyfriend? Gee, you really must be a freak in bed. Have you been holding out on me, sweetheart?” Eddie lets his hand run down over her skin and I can see her recoiling in disgust. “Thanks, Axel man, for breaking her in for me. At least now I know the wedding night won’t be a bust,” he laughs again. My fist lands in his stomach with a big oomph making him double over in pain. Her sister shrieks and comes right over trying to look after him.
“Show some respect,” are the last words I say as I turn on my heel and walk away from the carnage. My mind is racing. Olivia has a fiancée? What the fuck is going on? I don’t get it. She lied to me, she fucking lied to me. I kick over a bin in my rage. I push open the outside doors, the freezing cold air hits my hot skin and I bolt, I start running. I need to clear my head, so I run. Images cloud my mind; us together in Monaco, lazing in bed, our picnic date, then these past few days of perfect bliss. Her confession of falling for me, my childhood confession to her; I thought I could trust her because I thought she was different. I run and run and run.
An hour later and I can’t feel anything on my body. My mind is clear as I walk back into the castle. I head straight up to my room to get changed. After a long hot shower, I get dressed again.
“Axel?” Olivia peaks in though the secret door. God she is beautiful, but she is a fucking liar.
“You have a fiancé?” My hands are actually shaking. I am so angry.
She nods in agreement. “I’m sorry, Axel…but it’s not what you think.”
Is she serious? “Do you or do you not have a fiancé?”
She stands there silently, her brown eyes can’t meet mine, they are glued firmly to the floor. “Yes, yes I do have a fiancé.”
I never ever expected something like this from her. She was different, she was supposed to have been different.
“I know I should have told you, it’s just that…”
“There are no fucking buts, Olivia. You have a fiancé. You chose to continue whatever was happening between us knowing full well that you were engaged to another. I can’t stand to look at you. Was I just a convenient fuck? Or are you really a Dirty Texas groupie? Ha, groupie is too good a word for you; at least those women are honest when they fuck me.”
I can see my words are hitting their mark.
“Go back to your fiancé. I never want to see you again.” Turning my back on her, I walk out of the room, shaking my head.
***
“Happy New Year, Axel,” Derrick says, grabbing me into a man hug.
“Happy New Year,” I mumble back. He stops what he is doing and looks at me.
“What is the matter and where is the sexy princess? Shouldn’t she be trying to make your sad face happy again, if you know what I mean,” he says as he wiggles his eyebrows at me.
“I don’t fucking care where she is as long as it is far, far away from me.” Derrick stops his dancing and looks at me, his once tipsy face now perfectly sober.
“Excuse me, what the hell did you say?” Derrick is very protective of his girls, but this time one of them doesn’t deserve his protection.
“She is a fucking liar, D. She played me and played me good.” I shake my head, the anger still pumping through my veins.
“What the fuck is going on?” His voice is tense toward me.
“She has a fucking fiancé, D. A fiancé,” I scream back at him. He glares at me, grabs my arm and hauls me off the dance floor and back out into the corridor.
“No shit! The dude is a douchebag; he’s spent all holiday screwing his way around London. He’s been on holiday with her sister, her fucking sister, and we all know what probably happened there, don’t we?”
“You knew?”
Derrick freezes and his eyes widen. “Yes, we all did.”
“How long?” My fists ball again.
“Since Monaco.”
“That’s been over a month.” I can’t believe my own friends have lied to me as well.
“You weren’t supposed to fall for her,” Derrick adds.
“Yeah, no fucking shit, D.” I turn on my heel and stalk away from him, I can’t believe he’s been lying to me as well.
“Ax,” he screams after me, but I ignore him. I don’t want to be around these people anymore. He catches up to me and grabs my arm, I almost swing at him but he stops me.
“You wanna have a fucking go, mate.” His full Australian accent coming out at me.
“No, I want you to leave me the fuck alone.” I push Derrick in the chest making him take a couple of steps back. “I can’t believe you fucking lied to me, D. You lied to me.” I poke myself in the chest and his face sinks.
“I’m sorry, Ax. I’m so sorry,” he says
.
“I have never in my life felt so betrayed.” Derrick can’t look at me. He stands there shuffling his feet from side to side.
“I made him promise to keep my secret.” Olivia’s voice cuts the tension between us.
“Don’t you have some fiancé to go and keep happy,” I snarl at her.
“I am so sorry, Axel. I never meant to hurt you, that’s why I gave you a fake number so nothing could happen.”
“Ah, so it’s my fault. My fault that I got sucked in to your...what did your fiancé call it? Oh that’s right, your magic pussy.” SLAP. Olivia slaps me. Derrick and Olivia both look shocked. “Fuck you,” I scream at her.
“Hey,” Derrick yells back. “Calm the fuck down. She had her reasons to keep that from you.”
“Oh, she had her reasons,” I snarl.
“Fuck you, Ax. You’re being a dick.” Derrick pushes me and I push him back, we end up in a little scuffle. Olivia tries jumping between us, but just ends up with me elbowing her in the nose which decides to start pouring blood. Fucking great!
“Fuck, Liv, are you okay?” Derrick asks.
“Um, yeah, I’ll be okay.” She grabs a tissue from her bra and pushes it against her nose.
“Don’t you ever fucking touch her again, you hear me,” Derrick yells at me.
“It was a fucking accident, D. I’m sorry, Liv, but you shouldn’t put yourself into the middle of a scuffle.”
“Get the fuck away from us,” Derrick screams at me. I flip him off and walk outside again, I am not in the mood to see anyone. Moments later Christian and Evan are outside and have me pushed up against the stone wall.
“Tell me you didn’t fucking touch her,” my brother screams in my face.
“Fuck no, bro. Come on, I would never hit a woman.”
“Then why the fuck does she have a bleeding nose?” Evan questions.
“Because Derrick and I got into a scuffle and she tried to break us up, I elbowed her in her nose while she was in-between us. I said I was sorry.” I explain, trying my best to give them a smile.