FIFTEEN
STELLA
I was moving slowly this morning, despite getting up early. I hadn’t slept well last night. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the fire or being sexually frustrated around Axel—and now living with him temporarily. Most likely, it was a combination of both.
Whatever the reason, I slept terribly and finally gave up on sleep around six in the morning. After lying there restlessly for another hour, I decided to just shower and get my day started. But then Axel came into his kitchen without a shirt on, and I forgot what I was supposed to be doing. Two burned slices of toast later, I was trying to distract myself by cleaning up his kitchen when he stopped me.
“Stella, you don’t need to clean my place.” I heard the words he said, but I was too focused on his bare chest in front of me. He had on a pair of sleep pants and slippers, but I couldn’t tell you what they looked like or even what color they were because my eyes were only interested in the chiseled body in front of me.
The lustful thoughts in my brain must have also been written all over my face, because Axel took his thumb under my chin and lifted my gaze up to his.
“My eyes are up here, Stella,” he teased me, smirking the whole time.
I knew he didn’t think I was ready to move forward yet, but I disagreed. My new plan I had come up with in the shower had been to keep telling him—and showing him—that I was, in fact, ready.
Plan “Get Axel Naked” had now commenced.
I met his gaze but moved my hands to his chest. They slowly roamed over his hot skin and highly sculpted body, but my eyes never looked away from his.
“Stella.” There came his low warning, which I chose to ignore.
Instead, I lifted up on my tippy-toes and leaned in for a kiss. Not just a soft, cute kiss. Nope, I went all in. A kiss that would tell him I wanted more and was ready for it.
I searched for his tongue with desperate need. At first, he was stiff and I was the one in control, but then he finally moved his hands, grabbing the sides of my head and taking over. This was not a gentle kiss—it was greedy, raw, and real.
I pressed my body impossibly closer to his, feeling his hard dick pressed against my lower stomach. I had just started to move my hands south toward the promised land when a loud ring broke through my focus.
Axel pulled back and reached over to grab something on the kitchen counter.
“Hello,” he said, and I realized he was answering his cell, which had been the catalyst for breaking up my wonderful make-out session.
Stupid cell phones.
“Yeah, that works. Okay. Thanks.” He ended the call and set his phone back on the counter.
I stood there, still breathing a little heavy from our kiss as he took a step forward, closing the gap once more. He didn’t kiss me though, just put his hands on the back of my head.
“As much as I would love to continue this right now, we need to get ready, because your insurance agent will be there soon,” Axel reminded me. “The faster he can get done, the faster the crew can get their work done.”
I sighed, knowing he was correct. But I really wanted to continue making out with him instead. Alas, I had a kitchen fire and water damage problem to fix first.
Tonight.
I told myself that tonight, I would make it happen so we could get right back to where we left off this morning.
An hour later,we had just gotten to Scandinavian Sweets. Axel and I met the insurance claims adjuster, along with Terrence and his crew. Thankfully, the insurance agent was quick, and within the hour, Terrence’s crew was able to get started.
Luna had come around back and let me know that Isabel, Drake, Nell, Travis, and Milo had arrived and to meet everyone up front when we were done talking with Terrence. Axel walked me around and told me he would be in the parking lot taking some phone calls with a few former colleagues from his days in the Swedish Army, but that we would drive together over to his office when I was done.
When I walked into the dining area of the bakery—where no damage had occurred—it wasto see Luna, Milo, Isabel, and Travis all talking quietly.
All eyes turned to me as I walked in, and I quickly scanned everyone’s faces.
Milo was clearly pissed, running his hand over his face.Isabel and Travis were looking at me with sympathy, andLuna was in best friend mode, trying to take control of the situation so I didn’t have to.
“What?” I asked the room, which had gone eerily quiet, but the tension was still thick in the air.
“He’s worried about you,” Luna said, nodding to Milo.
