Axel worked my body like he owned it. Like I was his.
And I was.
I thought about all those times I’d seen him when he was in college, how I’d dreamed of this moment: feeling him inside me, his hands on my body. All our heated exchanges over the years had carried an undercurrent that had nothing to do with hostility and everything to do with unfulfilled desire.
Now Axel was claiming me, branding me. Somehow, I knew that no matter what happened after this, I’d never be the same. I’d never settle for a man who couldn’t give methis.
Something began to uncoil in my stomach, something I’d never felt with any other man. I gripped his shoulders suddenly, and he drew his mouth to my ear.
“Come for me, Sunshine.”
His eyes locked on mine as my body shattered around him, crashing and surrendering. He moved his hand like an expert, drawing out every ripple until my muscles melted into submission. All while keeping our gazes locked with each other in what was the most intimate moment of my life.
After, he kept his fingers inside me, studying my face.
“Even better than I imagined, Sunshine.”
Better than I ever did too. I mean, my word, if he was that skilled with fingers, what could he do with his tongue? His body? I wanted to know. Needed to know.
“You’ve imagined this before?” I breathed.
He pushed himself deeper inside of me one last time. “Every single day since the moment I saw you.”
Holy … did he just say that?
He pulled his fingers out slowly, so slowly, my body ached with the loss of him. And then, keeping his eyes locked on mine, he drew them to his mouth. Closing his eyes with a groan.
“And you taste even better than I imagined too.”
Oh. My. Word.
Only as my orgasm faded did his words anchor me back to reality. But suddenly, I wasn’t sure what had just happened.
Had Axel and I surrendered to something real between us? Or was this just a moment of convenient pleasure he could enjoy with any woman? Did this hit him as deeply as it hit me?
Before I could find my voice to ask though, a flash of movement caught my eye.
Mathew stood frozen in the space between the dining room and living room, his face a mask of shock and rage. I’d forgotten all about him, I realized. In this heated moment with Axel, a heated moment that had started as a way to make Mathew jealous and escalated into something beyond sensual, I had forgotten all about the man who’d broken my heart. Chains had broken free. And my heart launched in one direction: toward Axel.
The problem was, Mathew launched in a direction of his own: toward Axel too. His fist connected with Axel’s jaw with a sickening crack.
But instead of stumbling back, Axel straightened slowly, swiping his lip with his thumb, looking at Mathew with a smile that was pure predator.
“Problem, Mathew?” he drawled. “You walked away from a goddess. Now you get a front-row seat to watch someone else treat her like the treasure she actually is. Because she’s mine now.”
37
POV: INVESTORS ON ONE SIDE, YOUR MORTAL ENEMY ON THE OTHER, AND HER TASTE STILL ON YOUR TONGUE. #UNFINISHEDBUSINESS
AXEL
The delicious taste of Dakota lingered on my tongue. So did the rage, the burning need to beat Mathew into an unrecognizable pile of flesh. But when his fist connected with my jaw, something crystallized in that moment: a few punches wouldn’t be enough. He deserved to suffer for what he’d put Dakota through.
I hoped he’d gotten a good look at her coming all over my hand.
I could tell he was seriously considering round two. Hell, I’d have let him take another swing. Would’ve hit him back twice as hard, obviously, but seeing that raw agony twisting his face? Priceless.
Too bad the elevator chose that exact moment to open, spilling out a fresh wave of guests and killing whatever reckoning had been building between us. The tension was still there though, crackling like the thunder of a coming storm.
