by JA Low
I shrug, I don’t see that happening. “Come on let’s go catch up with the others, I need a drink,” I suggest. I’ve had enough of talking about feelings and shit.
***
I can’t believe my brother is married! I watched him pledge his life to the woman he loves and even I, who likes to keep my emotions tucked away in a nice little box deep down inside of me. When my brother saw his bride walking down the aisle and the first string of tears fell, I’m not going to lie, it choked me up. Stupidly, I looked at my parents and Mom was bawling her eyes out which made it even harder to hold back my feelings. The day has flown by so quickly. Ness and Chris are lost in their own little love bubble and Evan and Sienna are just as loved up as the newlyweds. Stacey and Oscar are being a little more public with their connection, dancing together. I have noticed Finn is being quite frosty with Isla, but that might be because Isla announced that she was moving to Europe to work with Sebastien. I am going to be sad to see Isla go, but she needs to find her own way. I don’t think being our assistant was what she wanted to do with her life. Why not move to Europe? The job might be a little easier than looking after the five of us, there is only one of him. Sienna suggested Stacey should take over for Isla as she is leaving on short notice. We need a super experienced assistant and Stacey already knows everyone, plus she is really good at her job.
I guess big changes are happening with the Dirty Texas family. I mean Sienna and Vanessa are knocked up, Derrick and Sienna’s business is expanding rapidly and we have to look at hiring a new PR person for the label when Ness goes on maternity leave. Isla will no longer be the sixth member of our band. Our record label is taking off, the Sons of Brooklyn boys are killing it, and after tonight’s duet with the Gypsy Sisters I think we might need to explore that more. It’s funny how in the space of a year life can change. This time last year we were in Australia celebrating Sienna and Evan’s wedding. The year before that we were all single and partying up in Mexico for Evan’s thirtieth being wild as ever. And here I am, still in the same place I was last year and the year before that and the year before that. It feels like damn Groundhog Day.
A flash of blue, brown curls and porcelain skin catches my attention. Olivia. Damn, she looks beautiful tonight in a strapless, midnight blue evening dress. Her chocolate curls cascading around her creamy shoulders, stunning sapphire jewels hanging along her collar bone. I wonder if they are family heirlooms. I follow after her as she winds her way through the crowd. I get stopped by a couple of well wishes so by the time I catch up to where I had last seen her she’s gone. Why is she in such a hurry?
My sister just can’t help herself. Texting me pictures of Eddie kissing some girls while he was in London. I knew he wouldn’t be faithful to me, he told me to my face that he wouldn’t, but it doesn't mean I want to see it. I’m sure Penny is reveling in this news, hence the millions of texts and images from her. It shouldn’t bother me, this is probably going to be the norm in our marriage, him partying it up with a heap of beautiful women while I am stuck on a mountain.
“Fuck,” I groan audibly.
“Are you okay?”
That voice, the one I have been trying to put out of my mind for the last couple of days, the one that I have been trying to avoid. I pop my head around the corner and there’s Axel, looking like a real life book boyfriend. He’s dressed in a tuxedo, the designer suit cut perfectly to his long, lean body. His shaggy, light brown hair is pulled back in a styled man bun. He’s clean shaven as well, his square jaw and perfect cheek bones proudly on display. Those whiskey eyes are staring at me like he is either going to grab me and press me up against this stone wall or he’s going to flip me over and spank me. Both scenarios sound pretty good right about now. Screw Penny, screw Eddie, I am so sick of being the good girl. I’m sick of being the one that has to give up everything all the time. Why can’t I just take what I want for once? Why can’t I just let loose and screw around? Screw it. I drop my bag on the floor and take a couple of steps toward him. Axel must sense the shift in me because he starts toward me also, his long legs eating up the distance. Before I know it I’m in his arms again, our mouths are crashing against each other, teeth clashing, large hands pressing me closer, my hands grabbing chunks of his perfect ass.
“Fuck, Liv,” Axel groans as he walks me backward, my back hitting the cold stone wall.
“Please, Axel. I need you, please,” I beg. I don’t care that I did because the lust feels like it is crawling out of my skin. I want him so badly. Why have I been denying myself this man?
“Fuck, Liv,” he repeats again, his sizeable erection grinding against me. I need him inside of me as urgently as I need air to breathe.
“Follow me,” I say, disentangling myself from him. I grab his warm hand and pull him down the hallway to where there is a hidden door behind a large grandfather clock. I pull the leaver and the clock moves to the side.
“No way.” Axel looks impressed. “That is awesome.” I give him a smile as I pull him into the darkness, it’s cool once you leave the warmth of the castle. I flick the light switch on and it lights up the narrow passage. “Liv, do you know where you’re going?” Axel questions me.
I stop and he barrels into me. “Do you trust me?” I ask him, those whiskey eyes sparkling in the dim florescent light.
“Yes, I do.” I give him a small smile and pull him along the corridor. If anyone found these hidden passages they would most certainly get lost, but I have been running around these halls all my life. I loved it when my uncle showed me these secret passages, especially loved it because he only told me about it and not Penny. I could disappear at any moment to get away from her. She never did find them, so they are my little secret. I pull him further and deeper into the castle and we can hear the music through the stone walls.
“These secret passages were built so that my family could hide if there was an attack, especially from the Scots.” I love telling people about my family history.
“If these walls could talk…” Axel muses to himself as we continue down some tiny stairs. We aren’t far, but he doesn’t know it yet. We rush along another long, narrow corridor until we are where we need to be. I open the door and we have arrived at my cottage.
“Where are we?” Axel blinks, his eyes adjusting to the bright light.
“My cottage.” My nerves coming back because now what do I do with him?
“Your cottage is linked to the castle?” I nod. “That’s interesting.” He gives me a mischievous grin.
“I doubt you will be able to find your way back,” I nervously laugh.
Axel is walking, no prowling toward me slowly. Inch by inch I am backing up. “I have a great sense of direction. I think I could manage.”
“I’m pretty sure someone would come find you if you disappeared.”
He just shrugs casually.
“I like that at any moment I could sneak into your bedroom, tie you to the bed and have my way with you.” I gulp, that image makes me kind of giddy. That’s a fantasy of mine, to be surprised by some hot stranger, who ties me up and has his wicked way with me. Maybe that’s what I get for reading my grandmother’s old romance books.
“I see you like that idea, darlin’.” Axel trails his thumb along my jaw; his touch sends shivers over my body. “Would you like me to do that one night?” Holding my chin between his fingers he lifts my head to look at him. “Would you, Olivia?” he demands. I swallow my nerves and respond.
“Yes.” My chest rises with each heartbeat.
“Do you want me to take you, use you, fuck you?” I nod in agreement, my body trembling with need. “Tie you up, blindfold you and fuck you anyway I want?” His eyes are burning with desire with each dirty thought.
“Yes.”
“Fuck, Liv,” he lets out a strangled moan. He closes his eyes for a moment before opening them again. “Why did you run from me?” He surprises me with his serious question rendering me speechless. “Answer me, Olivia,” he commands. “Why did you
give me a fake number?” I stay silent because I can’t tell him I have a fiancé. “Stubborn little one, aren’t you?” Before I know it, he’s turning me around and pushes me onto the bed. I bounce once but he is on me in an instant, his weight pushing me into my fluffy duvet. The sound of the zip on my evening dress being undone filters through the quiet room. “I’m not happy with you, little one.” Axel’s voice is cool and calm as he whispers into my ear. I try and move a little, testing my limits. “Oh no, you’re not going anywhere. You and I need to sort some things out first, okay?” I’m still silent. He moves off of me and I turn my head to see he is facing away from me, looking out the window. I turn over onto my back, the back of my dress is gapping wide so I have to hold it as I get up off the bed. “Do not zip up your dress,” Axel states. I stop where I am and wait. “Take it off.” He still hasn’t turned around. I do as I am told and let the designer frock fall to the floor. And there I stand in nothing but a skimpy, navy G-string and heels. “Do not cover yourself.” He catches me trying to hide. “Get on your knees,” he commands, I do as I am told and kneel on my dress that has puddled around my feet.
Finally, he turns around, takes off his tuxedo jacket and places it on the chair beside him. He undoes his tie, the silky material sliding through his fingers as he plays with it. “You are beautiful.” He stares at me. “But I want answers, and if you answer correctly then I am going to reward you. Do you understand the rules?” He looks at me, his eyes staying on mine, never dipping to my breasts where I know my nipples are standing to attention directly at him. He walks closer to me, playfully playing with his tie then he stops before me and looks down at me and smiles. “Do you understand, Olivia?”
“Yes.” I look up at him.
“Good, now tell me why did you give me a fake number?”
My heart begins to race, but I need to tell him the truth, just not the whole truth. “It was supposed to have been one weekend.” I look up at him, his face is hiding any emotion he might be having about me.
“This is true, but you knew you would see me again at Vanessa and Christian’s wedding.”
“Honestly, I hadn’t thought that far through.”
Axel gives me a nod at my answer, he is quiet for a moment then he pulls his white tuxedo shirt out of his pants and starts unbuttoning it. My heart thumps wildly as each button exposes his hard, decorated skin once it is hanging open. I take in all his tattoos. His shirt falls to the floor and he smiles. “I enjoyed our weekend together in Monaco. I wanted to stay in touch,” he confesses. This kind of shocks me. This is Axel Taylor, and he wanted to stay in touch with me after a wild weekend of sex.
“But…” I start, then stop, shaking my head.
“What?”
“You could have any woman in the world, why would you want to stay in touch with me?” There I said it.
His hand comes up and touches my cheek. “You have no idea how amazing you are, do you?” His words touch my heart and butterflies take flight in my stomach. No, no, no, this isn’t good. I shake my head.
“Liv, you are so different to the women I usually meet.”
I puff, “Yeah, me and all my awkward inexperience.”
“Honestly, that is a major turn on.” I look up at him confused. “Yes, little one, watching you experience everything sex has to offer for the first time was one of the biggest aphrodisiacs I have ever experienced.”
There’s those butterflies again.
“Your trust, your willingness, your enthusiasm, I know all of us involved enjoyed that night, very much.” I can feel my blush creeping over my skin. “Hey, don’t be embarrassed, it’s rare for us all to play like that, even rarer for us to want to do it again.”
“Again?” I squeak.
“Only if you want to, but if I’m honest, I kind of want you all to myself.” I nod in agreement. “Good, so next question. Why have you been hiding from me since I have arrived?”
I take a deep breath. “Honestly, because I gave you the wrong number, I was embarrassed that I couldn’t be the girl I was in Monaco with you. Because I am here in my home, I have to be…”
“Lady Olivia Pearce,” Axel answers.
“Yes, Monaco was my one and only time that I could be someone else, and I loved it. But that time is over now.”
Axel stares at me for a moment then he fiddles with his belt buckle. He unclips it and I watch as he slowly pulls it though the loops of his tuxedo pants then drop it on the floor away from him. He toes off his black, shiny dress shoes then his socks and kicks them to the side.
“And now?”
I am so mesmerized by him. “And now what?” I ask.
“And now I have you on your knees before me, in your home as Lady Olivia Pearce, not Liv from Monaco who had one night of freedom.” I lick my lips because he’s right. I am supposed to be enjoying my friend’s wedding, and here I am running through secret passages in the castle with a man that I can never have no matter how much I want him. I am here naked before him doing the opposite of everything that I should be doing and I don’t care.
“You do this to me,” I confess. His hand comes out and tips up my chin so I look at him.
“And you like it, don’t you?”
I nod.
“You want more?”
I nod again.
“Let’s make a deal.” He quirks an eyebrow at me. “Be with me until I have to leave.” I freeze at his words. “We can sneak around, no one has to know…but please, Liv, let me spend the next couple of days feasting on you.”
I take a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Yes.”
Axel gives me a smirk. “Right answer, little one. Now open wide, I have your reward.” He unzips his pants and pulls out his cock. The tip is already glistening with need. I do as I am told and open wide for him. “Good girl.” He slowly places himself on my tongue, my lips wrap around his girth and a hiss falls from his lips. “That’s it, take it all.” He presses his velvety length further past my lips; I take him all the way even though I gag a couple of times which seems to turn him on even more. “Fuck, how I have missed your perfect little mouth.” Saliva is dripping down my chin which is kind of gross, but I don’t dare move from my spot even though my knees have become numb. All I can feel at that moment is my blinding need to please this man. “That’s it, take it.” His hands move to my head as he literally fucks my face. “Shit. Yes. Fuck! I’m going to come,” he tells me on a groan. I keep sucking and sucking, feeling the saltiness hit the back of my throat. I am most definitely not a swallower and as he slowly slips out of my mouth I grab an old T-shirt that is on the floor and spit the contents of my mouth into it. Axel chuckles, “Maybe one day you’ll get used to swallowing.” He touches my cheek with his thumb, I give him a smile. “Now, I think the lady needs an orgasm.” Axel picks me up under my arms and throws me onto the bed, I squeal at the sudden movement. He opens my legs and dives in, moving the tiny scrap of material to the side. Once his tongue hits its target I fall back and my eyes roll to the back of my head.
***
“Morning,” a gravelly voice murmurs beside me.
Who the hell is in my bed? I quickly sit up in alarm then a husky chuckle brings my attention to the occupant of my bed. Axel. Last night’s shenanigans all comes flooding back; me on my knees taking him into my mouth, me being tied to my bed and being pleased over and over again. My bottom is a little sore from the delicious spankings he gave me and my body aches in places it’s never ached before from the wild sex we had. Every time I am with him I feel like a different person, I feel freer. The sheet is hardly covering his naked body and I let me eyes roam over all that glistening flesh.
“Keep looking at me like that darlin’ and I’m going to do somethin’ about it.” He says with a smirk.
I pull the sheet up around my body covering myself.
“Hey.” His hand catches the sheet and tries to pull it away. “I licked and kissed every inch of your body last night, do not feel ashamed of it now.” He tugs
the sheet more and I let it fall exposing my naked breasts. I shiver as the cool air hits my skin. “That’s better.” He puts his hands behind his head, his muscular biceps bulging at the movement. “I like waking up with you, it’s been too long.”
My stomach does a somersault. I shouldn’t be feeling something for Axel because nothing can happen between us, but it is hard when he is staring at me the way he is, telling me things I have longed to hear from a man.
“I like you, Liv.” Axel shocks me with his confession. My eyes meet his again, gold flecks swirl through whiskey colored eyes.
“Axel.” I pull the sheet up again covering myself, I’m too exposed.
“Liv, don’t.” He sits up and pulls me onto his lap so I am straddling him. “I know you and I come from different worlds, God we live on the opposite sides of the world. But you are the first girl in a long time that…”
I shake my head. “I can’t be that girl for you, Axel.” I am trying to keep the tears back; he isn’t supposed to like me. He is supposed to want hot sex and then be on his merry way back to LA. He is not meant to change the goal posts.
Axel reaches out and touches my face ever so gently. “But what happens if I want you to be that girl?” he confesses.
Shit!
He is supposed to be a good time; he isn’t supposed to be any more than that. I squirm and try and move away from him. “Liv, please.” He has a frown on his face. “Are you not interested?” The tiniest sliver of vulnerability crosses his face.
“Of course I am interested, it’s just…” I let the word trail off.
“You wouldn’t want to do a long distance relationship?”
I look at him in surprise. “Relationship?”
He gives me a grin. “Yeah, for you I want to try.”
Oh my God! Axel Taylor wants to be in a relationship with me. Bugger, bugger, bugger. This cannot be happening.
“I don’t think we would work.” My answer hits him hard and he tenses for a moment. “You could have any woman in the world, why me?”
