by Harper Sloan
Guess he thinks we are done here.
“Hey, wait a minute. What am I doing here, Mad? Am I making a huge mistake?”
“You’re always going to make mistakes in a relationship, girl. The trick is to make sure you communicate and learn from them. The way I see it, the only issue you two have right now is communication. You need to tell him what you told me last night. He might take it well, he might not. But you have to buckle up and be ready to ride that wave when it comes. You want him? Fight for it. Be honest. That’s all you can do.”
“What if he hates me?” I whisper, not making eye contact with him.
“Izzy, look at me.” When I meet his eyes, he continues. “I don’t know how he will react. You can’t go into this in fear. Told you last night, both of you have your wires so fucked up. Not just crossed, they might as well be on different sides of the globe. If he doesn’t take it well, call me and I’ll come get you, but don’t go into this with the mindset that he will hate you. Fuck, girl, you were a child.”
It makes sense, what he is saying, but I am so scared to let Axel in again, only to lose him all over. I know without a doubt that he will be upset, but I worry he will blame me for losing our baby.
“All right, Mad. I promise to keep an open mind, but you better come if I need you.”
“Any time, girl.”
We go our separate ways after that. Maddox gets ready and leaves to get some work done, whatever that means. I still am not exactly sure what these boys do. It doesn’t take me long to pack. I don’t have much here since Dee has been bringing me more as I need it. I don’t think either one of us is ready to admit that I might be gone for a while. There isn’t anything we can do about Brandon because of his alibi, so right now we are just watching, waiting, and praying he is done with me. I’m not stupid enough to believe that just yet.
I take a shower, apply the ointment to my back the best I can, and place some bandages on the worst of the wounds. My eye is looking better. Well . . . better if you count that I can open it but it has that nasty yellowish brown color to the bruising. It is still a little swollen but not as bad as it was three days ago. There really isn’t anything I can do to fix my mess of a face so I pull my hair back into a messy bun and finish removing all traces of myself from Maddox’s guestroom.
Realizing I probably have quite a bit of time to kill before Axel gets back, I decide to give Maddox’s house a good clean. I grab my iPhone out of my bag and hook up my earbuds. When One Republic’s ‘Feel Again’ fills my ears, I can’t stop the smile that takes over my face. I bet I look ridiculous, just standing in the middle of Maddox’s kitchen with bleach in one hand, a scrubber in the other, and a big, blinding smile on my face.
Deep down inside, I hope this is another sign that fate is finally on my side.
I just finish up cleaning Maddox’s bathroom when I hear a knock at the door. Butterflies immediately start fluttering inside my stomach. I actually reach down and press my hand against my stomach to see if I can feel them. Laughing softly at my ridiculous actions, I put away the cleaning supplies and brush off my pants.
Deep breath in.
I check the peephole and see Axel’s handsome face filling the viewer. He looks like he’s changed his clothes and attempted to clean up a little bit. Even through the small hole, I can see the cocky smirk on his face and the bright twinkle in his emerald eyes. He looks like he stepped off the pages of some sexy cologne add.
Another deep breath in.
Disarming the alarm and turning all the locks, I open the door and just look at him. My eyes travel the length of his body, up to his face and back down again. His jeans are molded to his legs, cupping his impressive bulge and doing nothing to hide the fact that he is literally about to burst through the zipper. I lick my lips. I don’t mean to but when his strangled moan reaches my ears, I look back up to his face. His eyes are on fire, so brilliantly bright. He clears his throat and reaches down to adjust his pants.
“You keep looking at me like that and we won’t make it out the door, Princess.”
I’m so turned on right now that just the sound of his gravelly voice makes me squirm. I could probably come right now; all it would take would be one brush of his skin on mine.
“Serious as shit right now, Izzy. You keep looking at me like I’m the last drop of water left after a long-ass drought and I will take you right here in the doorway. Jesus Christ, I’m so fucking hard right now, I think I really could hammer nails.” He sounds angry but I’m pretty sure he’s more frustrated at our current location than he is mad that I am currently eye fucking him hard. “Shit, baby, I want you so fucking bad,” he whispers before pulling me into his arms. He bends down and nuzzles his nose into the crease of my neck, inhaling deep. “Smell so fucking good.”
I’ve been wearing the same perfume for years, ever since Axel bought me my first bottle of Light Blue. It has been something that, at times, I wasn’t even able to wear, but it was also something that gave me some strength with one inhale. I would remember Axel and what we shared all those years ago with just one whiff.
When I feel his hot, wet tongue start tracing my collarbone before making its way up to my ear, I am once again brought to my knees with the overwhelming hunger that takes over my system. We have got to get out of Maddox’s house. Now.
Pushing on his shoulders reluctantly, I open my mouth to speak but am halted when he brings his head up and softly presses his lips against mine. This isn’t a kiss like we shared earlier. That was full of lust and pent-up rapture. This kiss is full of promise—the slow, torturing kind. He takes his time, gently stroking his tongue against my own. With one last swipe, he pulls back and looks down at me with hooded eyes.
“Wow,” I sigh. “It gets better every time.” Even to my ears, I can hear the wonder in my tone.
It was always passionate between us as teenagers, but never with the knowledge of an adult’s sexuality. I think we both know deep down that whatever will come next will blow every single coupling we have had in the past together, and with others, out of the water.
“As much as I would love to drag you back into that bedroom and take you now, I want time to play. If I got started here, I would only have to stop when Locke got home. I want you alone in my house, where only my ears can hear you scream.”
Oh boy.
“Where are your bags?” he questions.
I just mutely point to the two bags sitting on the kitchen table.
He laughs lightly before walking over and picking them up. I set the alarm and lock the door. Before I can pocket the key, Axel reaches over and takes it from my hand. “You won’t be needing that again, Princess. I’ll make sure he gets it back.” He winks, pockets the key, and reaches down to lace our fingers together.
I don’t even remember the walk to the elevator and through the lobby or how I got into his ridiculously high truck. One second we are still standing in Maddox’s living room, the next we are pulling into traffic and on the way to his house.
I’m sitting here thinking about the night to come when the sound of my phone ringing interrupts my steamy thoughts. Damn. Squirming in my seat, I look down at the display and smile when I see “Dee Calling” and her smiling face.
“Hey, you,” I answer, looking over at Axel out of habit. I have to remind myself that he isn’t Brandon and a phone call from Dee doesn’t even register on his radar.
“Hey back at ya! Aren’t you just a dirty little ho bag!?” she sings into my ear.
Jesus, I’m going to freaking kill Maddox.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I hedge, figuring it’s best to just play dumb. Dee is going to burst over this new development. There is no telling just what she has heard either.
“Don’t you act like you don’t know what I’m talking about, missy! I had a visit from a tall, dark, and lickable man today. You might know him. He goes by the name Axel? Called me himself bright and freaking early, and I might add that he sounded way too smug for
it being before my morning coffee! Anyhow, he called, asked me to wait a second before heading off to the office. He was coming by and wanted me to pack a bag. A big bag, Izzy. Now, want to tell me why AXEL would be calling me to ask for a BIG bag of your clothes?” Little shit is laughing at me. She is enjoying this way too much.
“Yeah, yeah. Like you don’t already know. Let me guess, Maddox came by or something?” I ask sarcastically.
“Maddox? Why would he come over?”
“Seriously, Dee? You didn’t talk to him?”
“No. Axel really did call and ask for me to get your stuff together. His words were something along the lines of, ‘Me Tarzan, taking Jane to tree house where she won’t wear clothes and we will play bedroom aerobics for the rest of the days.’ Then he took four of your biggest bags and packed almost all of your stuff up. So, now, do you want to tell me what’s really going on?” She sounds nervous now, like she isn’t sure if she did the right thing by letting him pack up my stuff.
“It’s complicated, Dee. I’m okay, promise. We are . . . We are working on things. But I will admit that four bags does sound a bit excessive.” I look back over at him when I hear a deep rumble of laughter. “This is not funny,” I hiss at him.
“Baby, it is fucking hilarious. You really think that once I bury myself deep within your pussy and feel your tight walls squeezing the come right out of my dick that I will ever want to let you go again? You must be out of your fucking mind, Princess. I won’t even be able to let you out of my fucking bed until we make up for every single day we have lost.” He leans over and lands a smack on my lips before smiling back at the road.
“Oh . . . my . . . God . . .” Dee says softly into the phone. “I think I just came. That was seriously hot, Iz.”
She’s not the only one who might have just had an orgasm. And if all it takes are his words to get me this turned on, I’m seriously starting to get nervous for what is to come.
CHAPTER 15
I must have been really out of it the last time I came to his house because I don’t remember anything like what I am looking at right now. His house is ridiculous. Why one man needs this much house is beyond me.
“Ax?” I ask, looking over at the man climbing down from the big black truck. “Why exactly do you need a six-bedroom house again?” He has no family; it was just me back in the day. So unless he’s picked up a few kids along the way, I just can’t understand this. The very thought of him having a family with someone else causes my heart to tighten up in anguish.
He almost looks embarrassed by the answer, and before he even speaks, it all makes sense. He had a bedroom as large a small walk-in closet when we were in high school. To a man like Axel, this is all about feeling comfortable and knowing that he isn’t that person anymore.
“Had enough of living in a box. I promised myself a long damn time ago that I would never have to worry about space again. Or not having it.” He walks over to me and pulls me into his arms. “You know what it was like in June and Donnie’s hole of a room. I had even less when I was enlisted. Doesn’t make sense to many, but you know.” I give him a squeeze, silently voicing my understanding.
“Right, let’s go get settled before I fire up the grill and cook dinner. You’re going to need your strength tonight, Princess.”
Heat flushes through my body, and the desire to skip dinner and go straight to the bedroom cranks up to almost unbearable levels.
“Although,” he continues, “it might be nice to skip the steaks and have dessert first.”
Quivers of arousal shoot through my body, and if it weren’t for his strong arm around me, I melt right here on his driveway.
He parks in front of the house this time instead of the garage, so when we walk inside I am met with a bright and very empty entryway. There is a large staircase right smack in the middle of a very empty room. To my left, there is another empty room, and to my right, there is another. There are two hallways on the sides of the staircase, but I have a feeling they lead to more emptiness. I apparently only saw a fraction of the house when I was here before.
He is looking at me intently and seems to be waiting for something.
“It’s . . . um, nice?” Damn. Of course it would come out as a question. Real convincing, Iz!
“Nice, huh? Is that your way of saying you hate my house?”
“No?” I’m sure my embarrassment is all over my face. Even after all this time, I still can’t lie for shit to this man.
He lets out a loud laugh before slapping my ass, shaking his head, and letting out some soft laughs. He bends down and picks up my bags before heading up the stairs. “Come on, Princess. Let’s get you settled before dinner.”
I follow him up, and up, and up. When I get to the top, there are two hallways in either direction. He starts off to the left, passing a few open doors along the way. Every single room is empty except for the one I used to escape from him. Eh, how embarrassing. I hoped he wouldn’t ever have to witness one of my episodes, but it seems like the more I’m around him, the more they are triggered.
He walks into his bedroom and drops all the bags next to the closet. When he turns back around, I quickly jerk my eyes up to meet his, which sparkle with amusement. I was just busted checking out his very nice ass.
He smirks.
I blush.
He winks.
I lick my lips.
His smile is instantly wiped from his face and a long and low groan fills the silence between us.
I smirk.
And just like that, he’s on me.
“Thought I could wait,” he says before picking me up and throwing me onto the mattress.
Before I can even blink, he is on top of me, his large frame pressing me into the soft mattress. My legs open without hesitation and his hips meet my own. Now I’m the one who is letting out a strangled moan.
“Thought I could get you here and enjoy some dinner without having to be inside your wet heat. Fuck, baby, I can smell you from here. I bet your pussy is soaked, fucking sopping wet and ready for me.”
He trails his tongue from my shoulder to my ear before taking it in his mouth and biting down. He licks the sting away and braces his body with his elbows on either side of my body. Taking both of his large hands and placing them on either side of my face, he leans down and places his lips to my ear.
“Can’t wait, baby. I’m going to rip those tight-ass pants from your body and bury my face between your creamy thighs. I want to feel that sweet cunt around my tongue. Going to make you scream, Princess, and then when you can’t take it anymore”—he pushes his denim-covered hips hard into mine, his thick erection rubbing my clit in the most delicious way—“then I’m going to lick my way up this sweet fucking body and finally I’m going make you mine.” He rolls his hips, and I gasp, so close.
“Oh God,” I pant, looking up into his bright eyes. He looks into mine, seemingly satisfied with what he sees, before bringing his lips down and devouring me.
There are no other words for what he is doing with his tongue in my mouth. Our lips are moving together in a wet dance. I move my hands to his back and pull him closer to me, relishing in the feeling of his hard, tight body pressing me farther into the mattress. I can feel the bundles of corded muscles underneath my fingertips, and I am suddenly desperate to feel his skin against my own.
With awkward and jerky movements, I rip his shirt up his torso, letting go of his lips long enough to pull it over his head. He lifts up and trails his fingers down my body. His rough and callused hands pull on the soft silk of my blouse before reaching the hemline and slowly pushing it up my belly. I lean up and help him remove my blouse before reaching behind my back and ripping off my bra myself. I don’t even have a second to bring my arms back around before his lips are closing around one of my tight nipples and giving a strong pull.
“Oh yes,” I moan, threading my hand through his hair and pulling his head closer to my breast. “Feels so good, Axel.” I’m so close to coming it’s e
mbarrassing. With Axel, it has always been effortless.
His answering groan against my skin causes wetness to gush from my core.
As he switches to the other nipple, his hand travels back down my belly, unsnapping the button on my jeans and thrusting his hand inside the waistband. His thick finger enters me with one swift thrust and instantly I am coming, coming so hard I swear I am floating in the air. My vision is dimming and the scream that rips from my throat echoes through the room.
He brings his head up from my chest, and with a wickedly arrogant smile, he brings his hand out of my pants and licks my essence from his finger.
“Fuck me, baby. Not even a second and I had that tight cunt milking my finger. I can’t wait to get inside your body. Nothing tastes better than your fucking cunt—nothing.” He pulls me closer to his body and kisses me hard.
My naked skin rubbing against his only makes me burn hotter. I need this man, need him more than I have ever needed anything in my life, and if I don’t have him naked soon, I might just die.
He jumps off the bed and pulls his jeans off his body. He takes his boots off and pulls off his socks. He stands next to the bed, my feet brushing against his naked, hairy thighs. No shame. But then again, why would he? His huge body is ripped and hard with muscles. His tan skin, ink, and every inch of his large cock are on display for me. Taking my time, my eyes travel up from the erection pressing against his toned abs to his small, dark nipples and then up to his heated eyes. My mouth drops open when I see the desire swirling in his hooded emerald eyes.
“Dreamed of this for so fucking long, Izzy.”
He makes quick work of pulling my tight jeans from my body, and my drenched panties come with them. He tosses them behind his kneeling body onto the floor. He grasps my ankles and, with slow tortured movements, runs his hands up my legs. When he reaches my knees, he brings his hands underneath and throws them over his shoulders, kissing my left knee and then my right. With a small smile, he turns to run soft kisses down my left thigh, skipping my throbbing center with just the barest breath before continuing up my right thigh with the same small kisses. His hands fall down to my hips and roughly pulls me to the edge of the bed and towards his waiting tongue. I squeak out a sharp cry of pleasure, my hands fisting the comforter and pushing my feet into his shoulders to bring my pussy closer to his mouth. He laughs and the vibrations rip through me, causing another rush of wetness to meet his tongue.