“I hope it snows for Christmas.” I grinned at the thought of a warm fire and cozy day. Just for us. “Can we get our tree soon?”
“Sure,” he shrugged pensively.
I was getting a lot of shrugs and not many words out of him. Never a good sign.
“What’s going on?” I demanded.
“Nothin’,” he muttered.
“Okay,” I replied, not in any hurry to have him spoil my upbeat mood.
We drove the majority of the ride home in silence with Maddox slumbering peacefully in his car seat.
It was a good deal colder up at our place and I rushed inside with Maddox wrapped in my arms.
The alarm beeped at me but I let Axel deal with it as I carried Mad to bed. He went down without a peep, tired from all the excitement of the evening.
I knew well enough by now to avoid Axel and whatever he was working through. Instead, I got ready for bed and slid under the warm covers, curling up with a baking book. I couldn’t explain exactly why I was so hell bent on being able to cook. Maybe it was that my mother had never done it, that Axel’s hadn’t either. I certainly didn’t feel like Axel expected it. It was more an expectation of myself; a huge hurdle of independence after a life beholden to others.
I’d studied the merits of coffee cake thoroughly by the time I turned out the light. Axel was pacing around the house, banging around as he seemed to do when he was in a dark mood.
As always, I had trouble sleeping until I felt Axel slide into bed.
“Babe, what is it?” I asked, my voice hoarse with elusive sleep.
“Nothin’,” he growled.
I slid up on an elbow peering over at him through the dim light. “Are you mad about something?”
His reply was cutting. “You seriously askin’?”
Then it dawned on me. “You’re mad at me?” I replied in shock. “What the heck did I do?”
“Do you have any idea what the state of play is right now, Sophie? Any idea how much fucking danger there is? And you’re offering to flit off with Jill like it’s nothing! Wanting to spend the night in a not so great part of town without me!” he snarled.
It seemed I unleashed the beast with a simple question.
“It was just an idea, babe, Jesus,” I snorted, exasperated with his attitude. I bit back the urge to give him a hard time for using the word “flit.” Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like a good time to tease him. Such a good morsel lost, damn.
“Do not blow me off about this,” he growled.
“You didn’t even want to talk about it until I forced it out of you!” I threw up my hands in frustration, sitting up in bed, sleep forgotten. “I understand it’s dangerous out there. It’s been dangerous for me since you met me,” I exclaimed. “That doesn’t mean I can’t want simple things like a sleepover with my best friend without making her go out of her way,” I tried to explain. “I know you wouldn’t let me do something risky, nor would I go against something you were concerned about. As long as it’s reasonable,” I hastened to add. “All you have to do is explain why and we’re good. You don’t have to pace around the house all night like a goddamned lion,” I said dryly.
“A lion?” he queried with a lifted brow.
I shrugged, my arms crossed.
He sighed, sitting with his back against the headboard, his chiseled abs on infuriatingly gorgeous display. “I admit I can be a possessive bastard,” he nodded, running a hand over his beard. “But until your father is behind bars, until we know what’s at play with the Riders, I need you close. Hell, I’ll always want you close but especially now, Soph.”
“That’s all you have to say,” I agreed, placing a hand on his stomach. “You don’t have to go all grouch puss on a holiday because of it,” I grumbled.
“Grouch puss? Babe, seriously,” he griped at my choice of words.
“This was my first Thanksgiving with people I actually wanted to spend it with,” I defended. “You going all alpha-male jackass allows for me to call you whatever I want,” I told him haughtily.
He pulled me into his chest, kissing the top of my head. “I want to give you everything you want, holidays included. But your safety comes first. Please, babe,” he practically pleaded.
“Yeah, honey,” I agreed, kissing his chest.
