“Beauty takes time, my dear brother,” I said roguishly. “Will you—”
I almost fell flat on my face, missing the last step. I stared at him waiting at the end of hallway, rocking nervously on his heels. Axel always looked every bit breathtaking, but more so tonight. He wore a black designer suit with a white shirt that peeked between his jacket lapels.
“I beg to differ.” His eyes glowed bright blue.
I gawked at him like a hungry baboon.
Not a monkey.
Not an ape.
But. A. Baboon.
The heat rushed into my cheeks and I looked down at my feet, embarrassed.
Joshua walked into the room, his hands shoved into his front pockets. “She’s surprised all right.”
Cassie smirked knowingly. I took a few deliberate steps toward Axel, still unsure if he was really here. Especially, since tonight was the fall dance at the RHHS.
“I promise to make it worth your while,” Rachel had said.
“I have a surprise for you,” he texted me not five minutes ago. “It’s been delivered to your house.”
“I’m here to ask you out on a date.” He took a few steps toward me.
“I…” Ah, hell, why was it so hard to talk when he was around?
He smiled. “It’s not the fall dance.”
I looked at Joshua for support and he shrugged his shoulders.
“Okay.” I didn’t need to be asked twice.
He held out his hand, which I took with a little hesitation. I was a bit out of sorts, confused by his presence. He should be at the fall dance with Rachel. He opened the car door and waited till I took a seat before letting go of my hand. This was going to be a night to remember. I could feel it.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“You look beautiful tonight,” Axel said in a heated whisper directly into my ear. When I didn’t respond, he asked, “What are you thinking?”
I pressed my lips together firmly. “Why you are here… with me?”
Did Rachel back out? Did he back out? Was he trying to make up to me for some stupid reason? If so, why? Why did it matter?
I shivered unintentionally.
“Are you cold?”
“No, if anything, it’s getting a bit warm out here.” I bit my tongue, noting the slip.
Seemed like an all talk and no thought kind of night.
Crap.
We stopped walking when an awe-inspiring scene came into view. A cobbled pathway led to a gazebo that stood in the middle of a tiny pond bordered by a beautiful garden. Moonlight reflected off the calm water surrounding us.
Axel pulled my hand into his and intertwined our fingers. An electrical shock spread from the tips of my fingers all the way to my toes. His hand quivered in mine, like he was nervous. He pulled me closer, leading us to the middle of the spectacular view.
Our surroundings were illuminated with flickering candles reflecting against the red and white chiffon fabric. A table for two sat in the corner with beautiful daisies, roses, and gardenias. Soft, soothing music filled the background, like an afterthought. My heart hammered against my chest as my eyes drank in the magnificent sight.
The whole setup was remarkably romantic, sweet, and beyond anything I could describe in mere words. It was perfect. Simply perfect.
He did this for me? That couldn’t be right. I must’ve dozed off in the comfort of my bed. This whole thing must be a dream. Yes, that made much more sense.
But when I finally had the courage to look up, I found Axel’s bright-blue eyes staring back at me. They looked radiant, like the brightest star in the darkest of nights. I knew then it had to be real. Because my imagination would never be able to recreate the magnificence before me.
Only one word came out in a choked whisper. “Why?”
“Because you deserve everything that is as beautiful as you are,” he said, matter-of-fact.
I blushed, biting my lip. “Thank you. You didn’t have to.”
“I wanted to.” He beamed. “I hope you’re hungry.”
Right on cue my stomach growled and a nervous chuckle escaped my throat. I placed my hand over my stomach. “Famished.”
The chair groaned against the wooden slab as Axel pulled it out for me. I didn’t know what to expect tonight, but I intended to live it like it was my last night on earth.
“This is amazing. Complements to the chef,” I said, chewing a tender piece of chicken drenched in apricot sauce.
“Thank you.”
“Wait, you cooked this?”
“Yours truly.” He bowed his head in response. “I wouldn’t want it any other way for our first date.”
I sucked in a deep breath, heat radiating from every nerve ending. I had a feeling that tonight there would be an ongoing cartwheel circus in the hollow of my stomach.
“So…,” he said after dinner and got on his knee and opened his arms. My heart flipped tenfold before I got the nerve to ask him what he was doing.
Still on his knee, he smiled, swaying his arms, gesturing me to dance with him. I placed my napkin on my empty plate and stood up, walking toward him. With my hand in his, he pushed to a standing position, pulling me toward him when our song, “Dance With Me” by Nouvelle Vague, started and he led our first dance.
My heart hummed with desire as he held me close. My mind was blocked and thoughts evaporated. Thinking was overrated anyways.
“This song…,” I whispered.
“Hmm?” He seemed lost in his own world.
He pulled me another inch closer to him. I tilted my head up and felt my heart ram into my chest. My breath caught in my throat. His eyes were dangerously intense. My chest squeezed tight with newly formed desire to have him—here, now.
Whoa! What? Where is that coming from?
He placed one hand on the small of my back. Then he traced my arm with his other hand, all the way to my fingers, before placing my hand over the erratic beating of his heart. My head swam with emotions I couldn’t describe. His fingers gently caressed my back as he slid his hand up and down my spine, producing a deep, unfamiliar feeling of bliss making me oblivious to my surroundings.
“Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?” he whispered into my ear.
I shivered, my feet faltering. What was he trying to do to me? Hope soared deep inside me like a powerful cyclone. But I pushed that feeling aside, mentally stomping on it.
“Yes, but I wouldn’t mind hearing it again.” What the hell? Put a cork in it, Ren.
He laughed. “Temperance Marie Pernell, you’re the most beautiful, exotic woman I’ve ever seen. Your beauty is ravishing.” He took a deep breath as he placed his forehead against mine. “You know, you’re the reason I enrolled in high school.”
I shook my head in surprise, eyes wide. My heart worked hard, sending a rush of blood to my ears. He enrolled because of me?
My head buzzed like I was drunk. I wanted to do something really stupid like hit a honeycomb with a stick just to feel the pain and confirm this wasn’t a dream because pinching myself wasn’t enough anymore.
A new track, “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing” by Jack Johnson, played. Axel picked up the pace, still holding me close to him. I placed my head on his chest. His heart thump, thump, thumped quicker against my ear. I felt small but secure in his embrace.
I closed my eyes, enjoying his touch. His closeness. His hands slowly dropped from my arms, tracing their path down to my waist. We were barely moving.
His grip tightened around my waist. Being here felt comfortable, right, like home. I didn’t want to lose this. Ever.
But life wasn’t fair, so I asked him the ultimate question.
“Alexander, what are we doing?” I whispered, not daring to see his reaction.
Axel stilled, holding his ground, and gently tilted my chin. My eyes flickered open and it was like we stared into each other’s souls.
“Whatever you want to do, Meus Aeterus.” He closed his eyes as if to determine what he wanted to say next. He
dropped his finger from under my chin. “But… I want you.” My heart fluttered like a hummingbird’s wings and fire ignited in the pit of my stomach, which was threatening to explode into a million pieces. “I want us. I want to be your every breath, your every dream, be your everything.”
I really needed to find that honeycomb and throw a stone at it. Surely, this couldn’t be real.
“Do you remember when you asked me why I told you my secret?” His hands reached for the curve of my neck. He didn’t wait for my response. “It was because I want you to know me… the real me, not some make-believe me like everyone else. In the end, I hoped you would still want me as much I needed you.” His voice quivered.
He took a deep breath, like he was about to cut out his heart and lay it before me, ready to be pulverized into countless pieces.
“I’m overwhelmed by you. You’ve shown me all I can become. From the first time I saw you, my world has taken a different orbit. And when you glanced my way the very first time, I knew you would be mine. You’re my savior, my angel, my own personal demon.”
His eyes bored into mine, vulnerable and scared as he poured out his heart. I had a feeling this was a side not many got to see.
Pride swelled in my chest. “What do you want from me?”
“If you’ll have me, this…” He pointed between us. “This will be what you want it to be, nothing more, nothing less. You’re in control of us. Of me.”
Silence crowded between us as I closed my eyes. I needed to think. Hell, I needed to breathe.
The air around us flowed in rhythm. I felt the slightest touch tickling my face, my arms, all the exposed skin on my body. I opened my eyes to raining rose petals of all colors. For the third time tonight, I was in awe.
“Are you doing this?” I looked at him, enthralled.
He gazed at me from under his eyelashes and nodded. “You like it?”
“No,” I said with a pause and he frowned. “I love it, Alexander… I don’t think even heaven would live up to the world you create for me.”
Axel’s chuckle skipped every organ in my body, hitting me directly where it mattered most—my heart.
“Why…? Why me, Axel? I’m not special. I’m tempered. I’m human. I have nothing to offer you.” The cynic inside me continued to crush my enthusiasm, no matter how much my heart wanted to live in this fairy tale.
“Because you’re you. You’re beautiful. You don’t let others dictate your life. You’re confident. Most importantly, you’re compassionate.”
I looked up to him, confused.
The corners of his lips curved into my favorite smile that reached all the way to his eyes. “And I’ve witnessed it in truth.” His eyes filled with pride. “You’re stubborn, yes.”
I pouted.
“But you’re a very compassionate, strong, beautiful woman, Meus Aeterus. And you’re anything but simple.”
“So you have been stalking me,” I teased.
He chuckled so softly the vibrations tingled my skin playfully. His forehead leaned into mine, waiting for something. I couldn’t handle the separation any longer. My hands grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him closer, as I got on my tippy toes. I could feel the heat radiating from him, against my body. I wanted him to kiss me. I needed him to kiss me. But for some reason, he just wouldn’t.
“Why won’t you kiss me?” My voice came out as a plea.
“I promised you. You’re in control of us,” he said nervously. “And it’s taking every ounce of my willpower right now not to kiss your irresistible lips.”
My head was spinning and he sounded so distant I wasn’t sure if he just said that or I imaged it. He’s been waiting on me to kiss him?
“Alexander Eros Knight.”
He sucked in a deep breath, like he knew I made my decision. His body heat radiated against my skin, his vibes reaching out and wrapping around me like he depended on my very existence. My heart ached to ease his pain.
“I want us. I’ve wanted us since the day I saw you at the cafe, no matter how much I fought it. Nobody’s ever made me lose control of my emotions. Do you understand that? I really wanted to hate you for the control, the power, you have over me. Instead, I’m drawn to you. It’s ridiculous.” I paused, taking in his scent—spring and something that was uniquely him. “I want us more than anything else. But…” He stiffened further. “I’ve already lost so much, I don’t know if I can lose one more thing.” He shuddered in my arms, against my body. “I have to warn you; you might be utterly disappointed.”
He ran his finger down my cheek and his eyes bored into mine with adoration. “You’ll never be a disappointment. Ever. Don’t you forget it.”
“Please don’t hurt me, Alexander.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled his lips to mine. Whoa! I felt my world shatter into innumerable pieces. Nothing else could ever compare to this. We fit perfectly against each other, like a multilateral puzzle, complimenting each other’s contours with precision. He was my other half—my body knew, my heart knew, and my soul was soaring from the connection.
His soft lips moved, caressing mine. First the bottom, then the top. There was only one thing on my mind. I needed him with a demand so great I felt it might never be satisfied. I knew it wasn’t going to be enough. My fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer. He groaned and moved his hand to the nape of my neck.
Suddenly, I was pulled into a vision. The two of us walking hand in hand, him whispering into my ear and making me blush ridiculously. Then I ran, him in pursuit, chuckling. The vision shifted. We were dancing at the beach, my feet on his. Another shift… We smiled at each other before we turned, back to back, ready to fight. Then, we were at the altar… In bed, tangled in sheets, giggling, kissing, moving as one against each other. Next…
Every vision flooded my senses, making it harder to breathe. But I didn’t care. I only pulled him closer. Once the visions stopped, Axel pulled back just enough so he could speak.
“Did you…?” His lips moved against mine.
“Yeah.” I pulled him back to me, missing the pressure.
I didn’t understand if those images were my imagination or if Axel had some kind of clairvoyant power and he was showing me our possible future. But whatever that was, I didn’t care. I just wanted it all to be true. All of it.
He tilted my head enough so I could open up for him and I didn’t resist. I savored his every response. I kissed him more passionately as he pulled me off the ground, holding me flush against his body. Nothing in this world mattered. I heard his name slip through my lips over and over again, to which he responded in a way that made my world explode.
He left my lips despite my protests as he kissed my cheeks, ears, down the curve of my neck, and shoulders. He was in no hurry. He took his time and I tilted my head back, closing my eyes. He kissed the hollow of my collarbone and then he reversed direction, once again pulling my lips back to his with force. Everything about us was magnified by infinity. I felt a mental smile form with the realization he wanted me just as much as I wanted him.
I kissed him. Tasted him. Breathed him. Devoured him.
I felt energized with every caress, as if kissing him fueled me with more vitality. My whole body responded to his desire. Needing more. Wanting more. A shiver travelled up my spine as he continued to explore my bare skin. Earth’s core wouldn’t be a match to the temperature we emitted.
Dean’s kisses were always possessive and fierce, driven by the raw need to satisfy our raging hormones.
Axel’s kisses were infectious, primeval, and soul-deep. He fed the fire deep in the core of my beating heart that was constantly present and never satisfied. His kisses, his touch, his everything, awakened me, enflaming my senses, my mind, my body, and my soul. Even now, as I kissed him, I wanted more. I needed more.
I pushed his jacket off his shoulders. It fell to the ground with a hushed thud. I tried to tug at his buttoned shirt, which wouldn’t budge.
I growled as I
wiggled my way down to pull up his shirt without breaking contact. He smiled against my kisses, amused at my desire. God, I want him. As I worked my way down the first three buttons, he gently held my wrists. We both worked to control our ragged breath.
“Do you want to take the shirt off yourself?” I asked, confused.
“No…” He chuckled. “You’re making it very difficult for me to keep my promise to your brother.”
“Sorry.” Not really. Okay, maybe just a tad bit for my lack of self-control.
He placed his finger under my chin. “Don’t be. You can’t imagine how long I waited for this moment. I want everything perfect for you, for us.” His gaze dropped to my lips.
He looked a little flushed and his lips… Oh God. His fully devourable lips were swollen from all the kissing and sucking and biting. I smiled at him and kissed him again, gently this time. His lips curved against mine.
He put a hand at the nape of my neck while the other settled on my lower back.
“Thank you for not giving up on us,” I said, looking up through my lashes shyly.
He kissed my temple and I nuzzled closer to the curve between his shoulder and neck.
“Always…” He leaned forward and whispered into my ear. “Does this mean you’re my girl?”
“Yes.” I snuggled closer to him.
His lips tilted up into a smile against my ear. I was his girl. I was finally happy.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
A soft glow reflected against my eyes, distracting me from my beautiful dreams of the night before. I groaned and ducked my head under my pillow just before my phone buzzed. I sat up and reached for my cell hooked to the charger on the nightstand.
A smile crept across my face, remembering the previous night’s heated crescendo. After dropping me off around one a.m., Axel and I spent another hour talking on the phone. I found out he pulled some strings and magically dodged curious questions to enroll at RHHS. For all the hard work he put into his devious, but ah-mazing, plan, we only had lunch and gym together.
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