The words catch in his throat, so he nods at her. It’s hard for him not to spill everything he’s feeling. He wants to cradle her in his arms and kiss her senseless. He wants to tell her she’s his mate and he loves- no, it’s too soon, too quickly.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” she says, breaking him out of his spell.
“Yes, I’m sorry. I’m...embarrassed. You must think I’m a fool to get swindled by an old man.”
“No, Axel. I don’t think that.” She tries to scoot closer to him. He meets her halfway. Pulling her into his lap sideways. She takes his face in her hands and kisses him chastely once on the lips, locking eyes with him. “What Maury did was wrong. You are a good person. You trusted him because you probably trust most people. You didn’t expect him to betray that trust. It’s not your fault.”
He ducks his head, not wanting to look at her. It is his fault, he knows it is.
“Look at me. Axel, please.”
His eyes find hers again, and he can see the pain there. She feels for him, whether she feels pity for him or can commiserate with his pain, it’s there in her eyes. She kisses him again.
“Don’t hide from me again, please,” she whispers against his mouth. His heart clenches at the realization that she wanted him near, and he left her. She was lost in the woods because he chose to run away.
“I’m sorry. I won’t...I’m sorry.”
He nuzzles her head and tucks her in close to his chest. Breathing her in, her sweet honeysuckle scent. The scent of his mate.
Chapter Twenty
Chloe
They kiss long and slow for a while. Plates of food discarded on the coffee table. She can feel the hardness of his cock pushing into her side, but she ignores it. He wants to keep things chaste if the stillness of his hands tells her anything.
She’s been running her hands over his shoulders, tangling them in his hair, scratching down his biceps. He’s groaned and made what sounded like a growl. But his hands stay firmly on her waist, not venturing to her breasts or between her legs where she wants it most.
After a while, she lays her head on his chest. He rests his cheek on the top of her head and rubs her back. It’s nice. Everything with him is nice. He takes care of her. Talks with her. Even now, as they sit in silence, he’s caring for her and her hurt ankle, having propped it up on a pillow. He’s sweet, kind, caring, handsome as fuck, everything she wants in a man. He’s everything she can’t have. She sighs withoutrealizing it, and he cradles her cheek, turning it upwards towards his face to meet his eyes.
“What’s wrong, beautiful? Is it your leg?”
Chloe shakes her head no. There are too many words. Too many things she wants to say, wants to tell him. But it’s selfish. She can’t impose her wants, desires, and her life onto him. This is only temporary. She’ll be gone soon, and he’ll forget her. It will be sad for her at least, for a long time. But they will both move on, right?
She must be quiet for too long because he kisses her softly again, and she melts against him. His tongue swirls in her mouth, and he tastes like caramel. She tries to turn to straddle him, but her ankle twinges, and he stops her.
“Bedroom, let’s go to your bedroom.”
Axel hesitates. She can see him thinking as his eyes flit all over her.
“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. I’m fine with kissing. Kissing is great, wonderful. I just want to do it lying down.”
His smile is shy for a moment before he scoops her up and carries her up the stairs. It’s like she weighs nothing to him. It’s hot, really, incredibly hot how he can move her around like this. Makes her feel small and petite in his arms when she’s really not. He kicks open the door to his bedroom and crosses the room. Setting her down very gently on the bed.
She scoots herself over and makes grabby hands for him. Axel chuckles and kneels on the bed, leaning over her. He kisses her one, two, three times before pulling back to meet her eyes.
“I want...I dowant you.”
The look on his face is full of adoration. He really does want her. He strokes her cheek and kisses her again. She doesn’t want him to move too fast, wants him to stay within his boundaries, she won’t push them.
“We’ll go slow. You tell me if it’s too much, ok?”
He nods yes, and there’s a small blush on his cheeks. He’s adorable, this huge hulking guy being shy with her.
As they kiss, he moves till he’s bracing himself on top of her. She slides her hands over his back and sides. He shivers when her hands go to his hair. He keeps his crotch away from hers, and she doesn’t buck up into him. When he finally lowers himself down, he presses into her in the best of ways. He’s a big man, heavy. Two-fifty at least, and it’s all muscle. But when he rests his body on top of hers, all she feels is safe and cared for. Not smothered like she had felt with her college boyfriend sometimes.
He braces himself on his forearms, letting his chest and lower body rest on hers. She feels him rock his hips a little, and there it is, his cock. She can feel him rock a little harder, and she moans into his mouth. It’s wonderful how good it feels. She spreads her legs a little wider so he fits better in between them. Resting her good foot on the back of his thigh and squeezing a little to encourage him.
He moves faster, rocking into her, and the seam of her pants is rubbing deliciously on her clit. She’s nowhere near close to coming, but it feels so good. She doesn’t think about how long it’s been. That her most recent orgasm from her hand was the first she’d had in a year. She lets him rock into her, going at his speed, and she lies there and loves it. He’s kissing herlike he can’t get enough. He’s rumbling deep in his chest, and she can feel it from where they’re touching. She wants to take off his clothes, pull off his shirt, and touch those amazing muscles. But this is his rodeo, his pace that they’re following.
