I force myself to step back before I kiss her again. If I don't leave now, I might never leave.
"Think about lunch," I say.
Chapter 13
Sadie
Iclose the door and lean against it, every nerve ending still electric from Axel's touch.
My lips throb, hypersensitive from where his mouth devoured mine. I trace them with my fingers, half hoping I’ll find evidence—an imprint, a sting, anything to remind me I wasn’t just imagining the way he took me. His words echo, rough and possessive, curling around my spine and pooling heat between my thighs. I squeeze my legs together as if that will stop the ache he left behind.
What am I doing?
I push off the door and move to the kitchen, filling a glass with water that I gulp down too fast. The cool liquid does nothing to extinguish the buzzing in my veins.
I've spent so long being careful, so long keeping my walls up, and now I'm practically melting at his touch.
I should be ashamed. I should be panicked, scrambling to put my armor back up. Instead, all I feel is a hungry pulse of want, low and insistent, drowning out the warning bells. I crave the next time he’ll touch me. The shame never comes, only the shock of how badly I want more.
I set the glass down, catching my reflection in the microwave door. Flushed cheeks, bright eyes, hair mussed where his fingers tangled in it. I barely recognize myself.
Each time I blink, I feel him all over again. The rough scrape of his stubble against my skin. The commanding grip on my jaw, forcing me to yield. The hard press of his thigh right between my legs, pinning me so I could do nothing but take what he wanted to give and beg for more with every sound I made. My body remembers and it doesn’t care about caution at all.
"Focus, Sadie," I mutter, splashing cold water on my face.
I have to get control. Poppy will be back soon, and the rest of my life is waiting—lawyers, deadlines, threats I can’t ignore. But every time I try to focus, all I can see is the way Axel’s hands owned my body, the way his mouth claimed my secrets and left me desperate for more. My body is useless, humming with need, making a liar out of every excuse I try to tell myself.
I cut off the thought, drying my face with a kitchen towel. On the counter lies the paper he brought me, the attorney referral. Melissa Chen, Portland. I pick it up, studying the neat handwriting.
Moving to my small desk in the corner, I pull out the folder where I've been keeping all of Marianne's information. I spread it out, comparing the timelines. Three weeks until the hearing. Evidence due two weeks before. It’s too much. I can’t focus with this ache running beneath my skin, with every breath dragging in memories of Axel’s scent, his strength. I’m supposed to be preparing for battle, but all I want is another taste of him.
My phone feels heavy in my hand as I dial Marianne's number. She picks up on the second ring.
"Sadie," she says, her voice warm with relief. "I'm glad you called back."
"I'm sorry I've been avoiding this for so long," I tell her, sinking into the chair. "I thought if I ignored it, maybe it would go away."
"Unfortunately, the courts don't work that way," she says gently. "But we can still mount a strong defense. The key is that we need to act fast."
"I know." I rub my temple, where a headache is starting to form. "I've been given a referral for an Oregon attorney, Melissa Chen. Do you know her?"
"Chen?" Marianne sounds surprised. "Yes, she's excellent. Top-tier family law specialist. How did you get her name?"
I hesitate, not wanting to admit that Axel Slade is becoming more important to me than I'm ready to acknowledge. "A friend gave it to me."
"Well, your friend has excellent connections. If you can afford her, Chen would be a tremendous asset."
"I'll call her," I promise, jotting down notes as Marianne outlines our next steps.
We're discussing evidence collection when I hear the door to my apartment open. I glance up to see Rowan slipping in, a paper bag in her hand.
"I've got to go," I tell Marianne, wrapping up the call. "I'll email those documents tonight."
As I hang up, Rowan's eyes widen, her gaze fixed on my face. "Why do you look… pink?"
"I don't," I say automatically, turning away to shuffle papers.
"You do." She sets the bag on the counter and crosses her arms, a smile playing at her lips. "You're practically glowing."
