She stands, keeping her eyes on the ground, then the trees. He doesn’t try to cover himself but walks a little ahead of her, holding her hand. When he turns and smiles at her, she knows she’s totally gone on him. He’s cared for her, fed her, tended to her when she was hurt, and protected her with his life. She loves him, oh shit.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Axel
They had gone back to his cabin so he could get clothes, but ended up rutting against each other and making out. It’s a little bit like high school, he thinks, to keep their clothes on and rub against each other. But he knows she’s respecting his wishes. She keeps her hands above the belt. Running over his arms, his hair, his back, and his chest. When she’d brushed against his nipple for the first time, he jumped at the sensation. He’d always left his nipples alone when jerking off, he never knew they were sensitive.
Speaking of jerking off, fuck, he’s going to chafe his dick the way he hasn’t been able to keep his hands off of it. He wants her, deeply. So bad his heart and pelvis hurt in unison. He wants to go slow. Wants to tell her how he really feels before they move forward sexually. Wants to tell her she’s his mate. Wants to tell her he loves her.
And fuck if that isn’t something huge. He loves his family. His town. His horse. But this is like nothing he’s ever experienced. When he realized she was his mate, he immediately fell for her. He knew she was the one person in the world who was perfect for him. The one person who would complete him. But he didn’t know love would feel like this. It’s all-consuming. Wonderful and scary. It’s nothing like what he thought it would be. And he has to tell her, tell her he loves her and will cherish her the rest of their lives. Tell her that she’s special. That she’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. That he can’t live without her.
But she’s leaving, she’s fucking leaving. He doesn’t know what will happen when she goes. He assumes it will be like when his father died and his mother was a broken shell of herself. He can still see her, he tells himself. He can visit, and she can come to Montana. It doesn’t have to be the end.
He’s focusing on vendor payments when Raif stomps into his office.
“Come on, let’s go.”
“Where?” But Raif is already walking back out of the office.
“Raif, wait,” Axel calls after him, jogging to catch up. “Where are we going?”
“To talk to Maury. That son of a bitch has to answer for what he did.”
“He’s gone, Raif. You heard the detective, his place was cleared out. He’s gone.”
Raif ignores him and climbs into his big blue truck. Axel gets in the passenger seat, and they don’t talk. Maybe Raif needs closure. Maybe he needs to know they at least tried to find Maury. But when Raif takes a different turn after twenty miles, Axel perks up.
“What do you know?”
Raif clenches his jaw and doesn’t answer. He’s up to something, that’s for sure.
“What do you know, Raif? What’s going on? Do you know where Maury is?”
“I hired someone to track him.”
“What!?” Axel practically roars, and Raif hunches his shoulders a little at the sound.
“What did you do, Raif?”
“I hired a P.I., we never would have found him on our own, Axel. Never. This guy found him in a day.”
“So what now? You just pay this guy for the info?”
Raif grimaces and focuses on the road.
“What Raif? Out with it.”
“He gave me the information…”
“But?”
“But it was $20,000.”
Axel is speechless. That amount is substantial, more than they can afford to pay someone to track Maury down. More than they have for salaries and expenses this month.
“How did you even get that kind of money?”
“We’re all on the trust Axel,” Raif growls out. “I went to the city, did a withdrawal.”
