17. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

W atching Avery dance just became my newest infatuation. Blonde wisps fall free against her neck, the huge wings floating against her back. My eyes drag along the length of her body, a heady daze taking over my mind. I could stare at her for hours, my tongue thick in my mouth, desperate to lick every inch of creamy skin on show.

It's not the easy roll of her hips, the way her hands swirl above her head or how she somehow knows every time the beat is about to drop. It's her face. Eyelids closed, a simple smile on her perfect lips. She's in a state of complete serenity, lost to a world where only she exists. If I wasn't so enamored, I'd be jealous.

I grip the railing like a lifeline. A shudder rolls through my shoulders, the shirt across my back feeling too tight.

"Hey, do you want to-" Axel murmurs into my ear, his chest pressed against my back.

"Yes." I spin in an instant, cupping his jaw and spearing my tongue into his mouth. The same fruity taste lingering on my tastebuds explodes with his. I groan, pressing Axel back into the railing. He's trapped between my arms, our lips crashing. I chase him with desperation, not allowing an inch of space between us. Our cocks thicken against one another, as eager to connect as I am. Shifting my hips upwards, I swallow Axel's moan. He palms my shaft through my trousers, gripping tightly in a way only his large, strong hand can. I love it when he clenches me to the point of agony. In my mind, his head would dip to lick the bead of precum I have seeping into my boxers. And he wouldn't be alone.

"I was going to ask if you wanted to dance," Axel laughs when I break away, keeping his eyes closed. I pepper his cheek and jaw with kisses, licking a path behind his ear.

"Axel, I've never asked you for anything," I breathe, my hand cupping his nape. He snorts.

"That's a bald-faced lie."

"But I have a favor to ask of you now." Leaning back, I seek out his hazel eyes. His pupils are blown, enhancing the hazel flecks I've spent a long time memorizing. Just like the man they belong to, they're stunning and pure. Every time I remember someone hurt Axel, incomprehensible fury fills me. He's too precious to be vulnerable all the time, and when he looks at me like this, I make silent vows to burn the entire fucking world down if it means his safety.

A figure shifting in the background catches my attention, a shifting pair of wings and the girl lip syncing to her heart's content. She, too, has experienced a darkness which should have never been allowed. My little Peach, who only wants to thrive. My delayed mind makes an unhinged connection between these two sweet souls.

"Please," I beg of Axel. His eyebrows shoot upwards. Our desire quickly subsides and when he grabs my face between his hands, it's with a tense possessiveness. I'm not the only one who'd go to war for what we have.

"What do you need, Gare?" His tone is thick and husky. Those words are enough to make me lose my fucking mind. Such a dangerous question, so many right answers. A smile grows across my face as I spin him, my crotch against the curve of his ass. We stare out over the blonde enigma in the cage.

"I need you to pursue her." I feel his sharp exhale as my fingers trail down his chest, slipping beneath the hem to rest on his hips. He's always been so receptive, so eager that he leans into my touch. " Before you panic, I know you still don't like being alone with women. I promise I'll be there every step of the way until you're comfortable." His labored breathing beats against me, his grip tightening on my arms.

"What would that scenario look like, even if Wyatt didn't cut our balls off for considering it?" Axel glances over his shoulder. Using my cheek, I nudge his jaw to face forward and speak directly into his ear beneath the beat of the music.

"It would look like her deep throating your cock, staring up at you with those big beautiful eyes while she rides my face. It would be stolen kisses in hallways, forbidden touches behind closed doors. It would be you screwing her against the wall while I worship your ass, all of us covering our mouths to keep quiet while we break apart. It would be you covered in my cum and gripping her hair, forcing her to clean it all off with her tongue."

Axel groans, the pulse in his throat fluttering against my thumb. I stroke him gently, uncaring of those nearby giving us side glances. In the distance, the cage begins to lower, stealing the dark angel from our sight. Axel turns into me, his hands seeking reassurance in mine.

"Do I need her?" Those eyes knock me off kilter again, bearing the uncertainty he fails to hide on a daily basis. "Isn't it…aren't we good enough as it is?" His head dips and I gasp, sure my heart just cracked within my chest. Gently tilting his chin back upwards, I steal a kiss. It's different from the passion-filled, lust-crazed ones we typically share. Axel and I hide our true desires until alcohol is involved, then we can unleash them without repercussion. But this…this is a tender touch with all the words I would never dare say aloud. Ghosting kisses over his cheek, I sigh.

"You're everything, Axel. So pure, so fucking beautiful," my thumb traces his bottom lip. "She would understand you better than anyone."

"But you understand me better than anyone. All I want is you." A single tear runs the length of Axel's cheek at his admission. I catch it with my tongue. Fuck, I don't want to be thinking about all this heavy shit. I came out to get shitfaced and forget about the weight we all carry. But Axel knows me too well to let it slide.

"I'm not dependable, Ax. I'm in this for a good time, not a long time." The words taste like ash. Clearing my throat, I hunt for a fresh cocktail. Wyatt and Dax are deep in conversation at the bar, while Huxley has accompanied Meg downstairs to dance. On cue, the hostess stops by our table with a tray, replacing the empty glasses with filled ones.

"Come on, we're nowhere near drunk enough yet." Winking, and ignoring the pain behind Axel's eyes, I link our hands and draw him towards the booth. With each step, I mentally say all of the words that won't pass my lips. You deserve love, Axel, but I'm too broken to give it to you.