Chapter Eight

Axel

I pulled off the highway and into the gas station. The truck’s tires crunched over loose gravel, and I pulled next to a pump.

Star unbuckled her seatbelt before we even came to a full stop. “I’m running in to grab some snacks,” she announced as I shifted into park.

“All right, honey,” I said and shut off the engine. “I’ll fill her up.”

She threw me a grin as she hopped out. “Anything in particular you want?”

“Surprise me,” I called, but she was already halfway to the door with her coat flaring behind her like a cape.

I got out and braced myself against the chilly wind. The temperature had dropped a good ten degrees since we left Flagstaff, and I knew it’d be around freezing by the time we hit Redmond. I swiped my card at the pump and started fueling up. I glanced over my shoulder toward the convenience store every so often to keep an eye out for her.

When the pump clicked off, I replaced the nozzle and screwed the gas cap back on. As I turned, Star emerged from the store with two bulging plastic bags, one hung from each hand. Her breath puffed in little clouds, but she didn’t seem bothered by the cold. She was smiling wide, her cheeks flushed from the wind—or maybe from excitement.

“I hope you like pork rinds,” she called out, and her voice carried across the parking lot. “I swear they had ten different varieties!”

I leaned against the truck and watched her approach. Damn, she was pretty. Her hips swayed in that confident, effortless way that always got my attention, even when I tried not to let it.

“And,” she drawled as she got closer, “I got you a nut roll.” She pulled a red-wrapped candy bar from one of the bags and slapped it against my chest. “I know how much you like them. I see the wrappers in your garbage can all the time.”

I caught the candy before it fell and laughed. “You keeping tabs on me, honey?”

“Just observing,” she replied with a teasing smile.

I nodded toward the bags. “What else you got in there? Feels like you cleaned out the whole store.”

She peeked into the bags as if seeing the haul for the first time. “Let’s see… two lemonades, three kinds of pork rinds, two bags of potato chips—just in case we don’t like the pork rinds—two packs of pink snowball cakes, a king-size Snickers, a big bag of Skittles, and seven Slim Jims.”

“Seven Slim Jims?” I chuckled. “Star, we’re halfway. We only have three hours left until we get to your family’s. You’ve got enough snacks for a road trip to Canada.”

She squinted up at me, and her lips twitched with mischief. “Maybe we just keep driving right past my mom’s and see how long these snacks last.”

I tilted my head and studied her. “Getting cold feet, huh?”

Her nose wrinkled. “That’s an understatement, Axel. We’re about to walk into my mom’s house and pretend we’ve been dating for a year. Do you have any idea how crazy this is?”

I shrugged, grabbed the bags from her, and tossed them into the open passenger door. “Doesn’t seem so bad to me.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course it doesn’t. You’re far too confident about this. Have you done this before?”

I shook my head and grinned. “Nope. You’re the only damsel in distress I’ve ever had to rescue. But honestly? I think we’ve got this.”

Star let out a long sigh, and her breath clouded in the cold air. “You say that now, but just wait. My mom’s going to interrogate you. My sister’s going to try to figure out if we’re in love. And my uncle? He’ll probably corner you and ask if you’ve got plans to propose.”

I laughed. “Sounds like a regular family Christmas from the movies to me. Besides, if anyone can sell this, it’s you and me.”

She gave me a skeptical look. “Axel, you’re going to have to act like my boyfriend. Not my boss.”

“Easy enough.” I stepped closer, my boots crunching on the gravel. Her back hit the truck, and I saw her eyes widen slightly, though she didn’t look scared. I leaned in and rested my hands on either side of the truck beside her, effectively pinning her there.

“I’m not going to act, Star,” I said softly, and my voice was low enough that it blended with the sound of the wind.

“But…” she started, and her lips parted as her breath hitched.

I smiled and let the moment linger. “No ‘but,’ honey. If we’re doing this, we’re doing it all the way. And you’re not going to have to worry about convincing anyone.”

Her eyes searched mine, and I saw the doubt starting to waver. She tilted her head, her hair brushing against her scarf. “You’re sure about this?” she asked, her voice quieter now.

I reached up and brushed a stray strand of hair from Star’s cheek and let my fingers linger for just a moment longer than necessary. Her skin was soft, and I couldn’t help but notice the way her breath hitched.

“I’m sure. We’ve got this,” I said with my voice steady even though my pulse had picked up. Her eyes widened slightly, and I could tell my touch was affecting her. More than she probably wanted to admit.

“But…” she trailed off.

“If we’re going to be convincing, maybe we should get a few things out of the way.”

She tipped her head to the side. “Like?”

I trailed my fingers lightly down her cheek and watched as she let out the breath she’d been holding. Her eyes flickered to mine, and her uncertainty blended with something else entirely.

“Like I touch you, and you don’t hold your breath,” I whispered.

Her cheeks flushed, and she managed a small, nervous laugh. “It’s just that… you’ve never touched me before.”

I leaned in just a little closer, caught her gaze, and held it. “That’s going to change, honey.”

Oh, boy, was it going to change. I wasn’t about to step into her mom’s house and have the first time I kissed her be in front of her family. I stepped even closer and closed the space between us until I could feel the warmth radiating from her body in the chill of the air.

“Maybe we should…” she started, and her voice drifted off as her lips curved slightly.

I nodded and was already thinking the same thing. “I’m going to kiss you, Star,” I said quietly, my voice firm and left no room for her to second-guess.

There wasn’t even a pause. “Okay,” she said, her voice barely audible but steady.

I didn’t waste time overthinking it. I tilted my head, closed the last few inches between us, and let my lips brush against hers. Soft, warm, and tentative. The kiss was everything I hadn’t realized I needed it to be. She froze for the briefest of moments, and I let my hands come up to cradle her face gently, giving her time to relax into it.

Slowly, I felt her start to melt, and her body leaned ever so slightly toward mine. Her hands fisted in the front of my jacket, almost like she was grounding herself, and I took it as a good sign. I deepened the kiss just a little and coaxed her to let go of whatever hesitation she was holding on to.

Her lips moved against mine, tentative but willing. I couldn’t help the small hum of approval that escaped me. God, she tasted sweet, like honey, and something uniquely her. I kept the kiss unhurried and savored every second of it because I wasn’t just trying to prove a point—I wanted her to feel it, to trust me, to like kissing me. Because I sure as hell liked kissing her.

When I finally pulled back, I rested my forehead against hers, and my thumbs brushed lightly along her jaw. Her breathing was uneven, and her eyes stayed closed for a moment before fluttering open to meet mine.

“Okay,” she whispered again, this time with a hint of wonder in her voice.

I grinned and brushed my thumb against her cheek one last time. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

She let out a breathy laugh, her lips curving up in a smile. “No, but maybe we need to do it a few more times just to make sure.”

I chuckled and leaned in, pressing one last, quick kiss to her lips. “Good,” I murmured, stepping back just enough to give her space but still keeping her close. “And practice does make perfect, honey.”

“That it does,” she agreed, and her lips curved into a soft smile.

I stepped back fully and motioned toward the open passenger door. “Hop in. Did you want to stop for lunch or work our way through all of your snacks?”

Star climbed into the truck, her boots scuffing lightly against the running board. She settled into the seat, then glanced at me with that mischievous twinkle in her eye. “I wouldn’t be opposed to stopping for a burger. What’s a road trip without eating yourself silly?”

“Burger and fries it is.” I reached into the back, grabbed the bags I’d tossed there earlier, and handed them to her through the open door. “Snacks for later.”

She took the bags with a grin so wide it could have lit up the whole parking lot. “Now we’re thinking alike.”

I chuckled again and fought the urge to lean in for another kiss. Damn, it was hard not to. That kiss had set something loose inside me, something I hadn’t realized I’d been holding back for years. But I didn’t want to push my luck.

If that one kiss was all I ever got from Star, though… well, I could die a happy man.

I closed her door with a soft thud and rounded the front of the truck. My breath puffed out in small clouds as I climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine. The truck rumbled to life beneath us.

For five years, I’d felt this pull toward her. Five years of stealing glances when I thought she wasn’t looking. Five years of knowing she deserved the world, so I kept my distance.

But now? She’d given me an opening—a chance to see what we could be.

And I wasn’t about to waste it.