Chapter Twelve

Axel

The drive to Redmond had been good.

The evening with Star’s family? Surprisingly good.

But now? Now, I was banking on tonight with Star being fucking fantastic .

She stood near the door and watched me like I had sprouted wings or horns—she hadn’t decided which yet.

“Uh… counting?” she asked, and her voice was a little higher than normal.

I grinned, lying back against the bed with my shirt already tossed somewhere and my hands tucked casually behind my head. “Yeah. You weren’t too happy earlier when you didn’t know how many tattoos I had. Figured we could fix that problem tonight.”

Her throat worked as she swallowed. I didn’t miss the faint blush creeping up her neck. Her hand fumbled for the doorknob behind her, and she finally closed it with a click. “Uh, I think that might go against the rules.”

“Rules?” I sat up, cocked my head, and let my gaze track the nervous energy in her movements. “Don’t remember you laying out any rules. And if you had, I’d probably make it my mission to break them.”

Her tongue darted out to wet her lips before she stammered, “Well, I guess they’re, like… unspoken rules.” Her gaze dipped briefly to my chest, then shot back up.

I smirked. She was easy to read—flustered as hell but interested. Very interested. “Why don’t you spell those rules out for me, honey? Then I’ll decide if they’re worth following.”

Her eyes snapped to mine and were wide and uncertain. “I think… since we’re not with my family right now, we don’t need to…” She hesitated and motioned vaguely between us. “You don’t need to act like you want this.”

Act? That pulled me to my feet faster than I intended. “Honey,” I said and crossed the short distance to her. “I haven’t been acting all day. Every touch, every kiss—those were because I wanted to. You really couldn’t tell?”

Her lips parted, but no words came out.

I reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Look, I’m good at a lot of things. But acting like I want you when I don’t? Not one of them.”

Her breath hitched, and for a moment, I thought she might argue. Instead, she whispered, “I just thought you were… good at this.”

I chuckled softly, and my fingers grazed the curve of her jaw. “Oh, I’m good, honey. But only for you.”

And that was the truth. I’d wanted Star for five long years and had denied myself for a long time. The timing had never been right—until now. She was here, in front of me, and I wasn’t about to let her slip away because she doubted what this was.

“But what about later?” she asked. “When we’re not here, and there’s no one around to pretend for?”

I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against me. Her breath caught, and her palms instinctively pressed against my chest. I dipped my head until my mouth was just shy of hers. “I haven’t been pretending, Star. And I’m not going anywhere. I don’t think I can make it any clearer than that.”

Her eyes searched mine, and for a moment, she didn’t breathe. Then she exhaled shakily, “Okay.”

That was all I needed.

I kissed her—hard, deep like I’d been starving for her. Her lips parted beneath mine, and her soft gasp sent a thrill through me. My hands roamed over her back and pulled her closer until there wasn’t a sliver of space between us.

Her hands were everywhere—my shoulders, my neck, sliding down my chest like she couldn’t decide where to land. When her fingers brushed the waistband of my jeans, I groaned against her mouth and slid my hands lower to cup her ass.

She gasped softly, and her lips curved into a nervous little smile, but she didn’t stop me.

I lifted her easily, and her legs wrapped instinctively around my waist. She felt perfect there as if she were made to fit against me.

I crossed the short space back to the bed. I laid her down gently and covered her with my body. She looked up at me with her hair spread out across the pillow like a halo, her cheeks flushed, and her lips swollen from my kiss.

“Axel,” she whispered as her voice trembled. “Are you sure?”

Sure? Was I sure? I let my gaze wander over her and took in every detail. I’d been sure for years, but nothing had ever felt as certain as this moment.

“I’m fucking sure, honey,” I murmured and brushed my thumb across her cheek.

The tension between us snapped like a rubber band stretched too tight for too long.

And then, there was no going back.

Her breath came in short, uneven gasps as she looked up at me, her wide eyes catching the low light. I could feel her heart racing against mine, and her hands trembled slightly where they rested on my shoulders. But there was no hesitation in her gaze—just an unspoken question, a hope I was determined to answer.

I dipped my head and kissed her again. This time, it was slower and deeper. It wasn’t just hunger—it was need, pure and simple. Her fingers slid into my hair and tugged lightly as her lips moved with mine, matching my rhythm.

My hand roamed down her side and brushed over the curve of her hip. Her body arched into me; her soft moan was swallowed by the kiss. She felt so damn good. So right that it sent a jolt of electricity straight through me.

“Star,” I murmured against her lips, my voice rougher than I intended.

“Yeah?” she whispered, her breath warm against my cheek.

I pulled back just enough to look at her, and my thumb brushed over her jaw. “You’re driving me insane.”

Her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink, but she didn’t shy away. Instead, she smiled—a small, shy thing that only made me want her more. “Good,” she said softly.

I chuckled low in my throat. “Oh, honey, you don’t know what you’re doing to me.”

I leaned in and trailed kisses down her neck; I lingered at the hollow of her throat. Her hands tightened in my hair, and her back arched slightly as a soft sound escaped her.

“Axel…” Her voice was a plea, barely audible but impossible to miss.

I let my hands slide to the hem of her shirt and paused only long enough to meet her gaze. She nodded and bit her lip, and I pulled the shirt over her head, tossing it aside.

For a moment, I just looked at her and let my eyes trace every inch of her newly bared skin. She was beautiful—every curve, every detail—and it hit me all over again how much I wanted her.

“Perfect,” I murmured and leaned down to kiss her shoulder. Then I moved lower and savored the way her breath hitched with every touch.

Her hands were on me again, and she fumbled with the button of my jeans. She hesitated as her fingers trembled slightly.

“Hey,” I said softly and caught her hand. She looked up with uncertainty in her eyes.

“Is this okay?” I asked and brushed a strand of hair from her face. If she had any doubt in her mind about us, I would stop right there. I wanted her to want this as much as I did.

She nodded, her voice barely more than a whisper. “I want this. I want you.”

That was all I needed to hear.

I helped her take the rest of her clothes off, and the last barrier between us fell away as the space between us disappeared completely. The heat of her skin against mine was intoxicating, and her touch was like a brand I didn’t want to shake.

I kissed her again. Harder this time, and she responded with the same fervor as her hands explored every inch of me they could reach. Her nails raked lightly down my back; I groaned, and the sound vibrated against her lips.

Her legs wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer. The feel of her, the way she fit against me, sent my control spiraling. I braced myself on my forearms, caging her in but careful not to crush her.

“Star,” I murmured and pressed my forehead to hers.

Her eyes met mine, and for a moment, the world stopped. It wasn’t just heat between us—it was something deeper, something that had been building for years.

“I’ve got you,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. “You’re mine, honey.”

“Yours,” she whispered as her hand slid up to cup my face.

I kissed her again, and the tension between us snapped completely as we finally gave in. Every touch, every movement was electric, like the culmination of five years of waiting and wanting.

Her body moved with mine. Every gasp and sigh drove me further over the edge. She was everything I’d ever wanted, everything I’d ever needed, and I couldn’t get enough.

And when she whispered my name, her voice breathless and raw, it was like the final piece clicked into place.

I kissed her again and poured everything I felt into that moment—every ounce of passion, every bit of longing, every unspoken word I hadn’t had the courage to say before.

As I guided myself into her, I paused and searched her gaze one last time. “Are you sure?”

Her hands slid up to cup my face again, her eyes soft and steady. “I’ve never been more sure.”

I pressed a kiss to her lips before I moved. The moment I entered her, the world seemed to tilt. She gasped, her fingers dug into my shoulders, and her body tightened around me, drawing me deeper.

The heat of her body, the way she enveloped me, was unlike anything I’d ever felt. She was soft and warm and so incredibly close that it was almost overwhelming. I exhaled shakily, paused to let her adjust, and savored the feeling of being completely connected.

Her hands slid down my back and urged me forward. I moved slowly, carefully. Every shift brought a new wave of sensation, and her body responded to mine in a way that felt almost instinctive.

“Axel,” she whispered, her voice breaking on my name.

Hearing her like that, feeling her so completely, sent a rush of emotion through me. I moved with her, each motion deliberate, every brush of my skin against hers heightening our connection.

She tilted her hips, and I groaned her name. The new angle sent sparks through me. Her legs wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer. Her hands slid into my hair, and her fingers tightened with each movement.

The tension between us built slowly as every gasp and sigh pushed us closer to the edge. Her body clenched around me, holding me tighter, and I buried my face in her neck. I pressed kisses to her skin as I fought to hold on.

“You feel so good,” I murmured into her neck. My voice was rough and barely sounded like me.

She didn’t respond with words, but the way she moved and whispered my name told me everything I needed to know.

When we finally reached the peak together, it was like the world shattered and rebuilt itself all at once. Her body trembled beneath mine, and her legs tightened around me as she gasped my name. I followed, and I lost every part of me inside of her.

The aftershocks lingered as my body held her close. I struggled not to collapse on top of her and braced myself on my forearms. Her fingers traced lazy patterns on my back. Her touch grounded me and slowly brought me back to reality.

I fell to the side and gathered her in my arms. I buried my face in her neck and calmed my breathing.

I finally lifted my head and pressed a soft kiss to her neck. She turned her head, and her eyes met mine. The soft smile on her lips made my chest tighten all over again.

“You okay?” I asked and brushed a strand of hair from her face.

She nodded, and her smile widened. “More than okay.”

I chuckled, leaning down to kiss her gently. “Good, because that was…” I trailed off, unable to find the words.

“Yeah,” she said softly and rested her hand over my heart. “It was.”

I slipped out of bed, turned off the lights, and laid down next to her. She rested her head on my chest. I gathered her in my arms, and her breath was warm against my skin as she drifted off to sleep.

Yup, that was fucking fantastic.