Chapter Twenty-five
W hen you said that you wanted to get me alone, this wasn’t exactly what I pictured.”
Anthony grinned as he opened up the driver’s side door, the dome light coming on to illuminate Delilah’s skeptical expression. “Have you ever been axe throwing before?”
“No,” Delilah drawled, her gaze fluctuating between the target and Anthony, “but that’s only because I prefer all my extremities attached.”
“I promise, you won’t lose so much as a baby toe and you’ll have fun.” He opened the door to the stall and added, “Trust me,” before closing the door. He was still full and happy from the bag of tacos they’d shared after leaving the community center. The converted equestrian center had been remodeled and renamed Ax’s and O’s. It had opened over the summer and become a favorite activity for his friend group. The owners had built up the walls of the horse stalls and turned them into the target areas. Anthony didn’t trust himself to be alone with her and figured this would be a tension relieving activity, with the added benefit for laughter and getting to know each other better.
Delilah walked to the edge of the stall with a limp and Anthony frowned. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just landed wrong when I jumped out of the truck,” she said, rubbing her hip.
Anthony chuckled. “Aw, man. I might have to get a shorter truck.”
“Hey now, don’t you start making fun of my height!” she protested, giving him a playful push.
“Hell, no, I like you just the way you are.”
Delilah’s bright smile flashed. “I feel the same about you.”
Anthony took her hand, lacing his fingers between hers, and lifted it to his mouth to kiss it.
“Since you haven’t done this before, do you want me to demonstrate?” he asked, releasing her hand to pick up the closest axe, which sported a red handle.
“Sure,” she said, releasing him to lean against the wall. “Show me your skills, Viking warrior.”
Anthony chuckled. “Are you trying to turn me on?”
“Being called a Viking gets you hot?” She giggled, an incredulous expression on her face. “Weird, but okay.”
Anthony cupped the back of her neck and leaned down, hovering his mouth over hers. “Everything you do makes me hot, Lilah.”
“Then why are we here instead of back at my place?” Delilah whispered, her hands gripping his waist.
Because I want to be sure.
Before Anthony gave up his vow of celibacy and took that step, he wanted some without-a-doubt sign that what he was experiencing with Delilah was love. He knew it was strong and something he’d never experienced before, but he couldn’t be wrong. There was too much riding on this for him to make a misstep and risk Delilah getting hurt. Or worse, leaving town.
Losing people had become old hat for him. His father, whom he never really had. His brothers, with the exception of Bradley, and then his mom. The only constants remained Pike, Nick, and Noel. Anthony couldn’t lose them.
“I thought we should have a few dates outside the house where we’re less likely to give into temptation,” he said.
“Yeah,” Delilah drawled sarcastically, dropping her voice as another couple walked by, “because that first time in your truck was so secluded.”
“Hey,” he protested, holding the axe against his side as he leaned over, nose to nose with her, “I could channel my sexual frustration into sarcasm, too, but I’m choosing to use it to perfect the sacred art of axe throwing.”
Delilah released him and waved her hand with flourish, shooting him a sheepish grin. “I apologize. Please continue the lesson.”
“Very good, now”—Anthony stepped back and positioned himself behind the throwing line—“the key is to keep your elbow in and your arm straight. It doesn’t require much force, so when you bring it back like this—” He let the axe head drop back behind his shoulder before smoothly launching it forward. It turned over twice before the blade impaled the wall. “See?” He turned to her, pointing to the axe with the blue handle. “Now, you try.”
Anthony stood back as Delilah grabbed the axe and took a similar stance to his, letting the head of the axe fall back and then throwing it with delicate force. It struck the center of the target and Anthony narrowed his eyes.
“Lila?” he drawled.
She turned around with wide, innocent eyes. “Yes?”
“You’ve done this before, haven’t you?”
Her lips twitched. “Maybe.”
“Then why did you let me think you hadn’t?”
Delilah approached him, placing her hands on his chest. “Because I’ve had this fantasy about a big, strong man teaching me how to do something.” Her palms slid down, settling on the waistband of his jeans. “Unfortunately, I thought the lesson would be a little more hands on.”
Anthony groaned, covering her hands with his and bringing them back up to press against the front of his shirt. “You’re killing me, love.”
Delilah took a step closer, licking her lips. “I like that.”
“What? That you’re killing me?”
“No. I like it when you call me love.”
He reached up to cradle her face in his hands. “What are you doing to me, love?”
Delilah leaned into him, stretching to meet his mouth as he dipped down to take her lips with his. She was sweet and soft, and he wanted to get lost in her. To enjoy her with his hands and mouth, but tonight was about talking. Taking the steps to converse and make sure what was brewing between them was more than raging hormones.
Anthony broke the kiss, brushing his lips against the tip of her nose. “Now that I know you’re not a beginner, I don’t have to hold back.”
“Oh, was that your plan?” she laughed playfully, walking down the length of the stall to the target and yanking her axe from the board. “To teach me how to throw an axe and go easy on me as if I’m too delicate for a little competition?”
Anthony’s lips twitched as he pulled up next to her to retrieve his own axe. “Something like that.”
“Then how about this? For every time I hit the bull’s-eye, you have to agree to one of my demands.” Anthony started to protest, sure she was going to finagle sex out of him, but she held up her hand. “Not that. More along the lines of information.”
“Why do I feel like a perp on a cop show about to get the screws?” he asked.
“Are you nervous?” Delilah asked, jutting out her hip with an exaggerated pout. “If you want, I could go easy on you.”
Anthony took a step back against the wall and waved a hand. “Give it your best shot, love.”
Delilah chucked the axe toward the target and hit it dead center. She turned to Anthony, smiling like a proud cat who’d caught a parakeet. “Tell me about the first time you had sex.”
Anthony choked in surprise. “Way to just ease on into things.”
“I’m the type to jump in with both feet,” she said, stepping back to let him take his stance.
“Fine. It was my senior year with my girlfriend of six months. We had sex in a tent on a group camping trip. She cried and a few of her friends came to the tent to check on her, so we didn’t finish.” Anthony threw the axe, which hit just above hers. “Not exactly my finest moment. What about yours?”
“Mine was college with a guy I had been dating a few months.” They walked alongside each other to retrieve their axes, their hands brushing. “I tried to pull out all the stops to make it perfect. Rose petals. Champagne.”
“Was it perfect?” Anthony asked, yanking both of their axes from the target.
“Not at all. He didn’t understand what foreplay was and brought a jar of Vaseline because it was cheaper than lube. I ended up getting a bladder infection. It sucked,” she said, taking her axe from him.
“I’m not supposed to laugh, right?” he said, his lips twitching.
“Shut up,” she giggled, bumping him with her hip.
They continued to take turns throwing, asking personal questions, and laughing so hard their stomachs hurt.
Delilah threw the axe again and asked her fifteenth question. “Do you want to have kids?”
Anthony paused, watching her expression for any tell about what the right answer would be. Finally, he said, “I want kids, but there is always that fear I’m going to be a shitty dad. I didn’t exactly have the best example.”
“But you had your mom, right? She was pretty great.”
Anthony smiled, stepping up to the line. “Oh, yeah. She was awesome. On December first, she’d pull out the advent calendar and fill it with See’s Candy, which is really expensive. I held on to the calendar when she passed, thinking that maybe I’d have kids one day if I ever met someone.” Anthony threw the axe and it hit the edge of the target, but he didn’t care. Facing Delilah, he asked, “What about you? Kids?”
Delilah smiled warmly. “I’d like a few kids running around. Of course, I’m not sure how I’ll do during the toddler stage, but once they hit middle school, I’ve got it handled.”
“Oh, yeah? Because you’re a substitute?”
“Because I am the cool sub,” Delilah said, taking his hand this time as they walked across the sawdust.
“I have a feeling that I’ll be okay with littles,” Anthony said. “I’m not sure about diapers though.”
“What if we have kids and you take them for the first nine years, I take them for the last nine years, and we find someone to change their diapers?” Delilah teased.
Anthony didn’t freak out at the thought of having kids with Delilah. In fact, spending all his time with her, for the rest of his life, sounded pretty damn good.
“I think that’s the perfect compromise,” he said, kissing her softly. She stretched into him, deepening the kiss and murmured, “If we’re done playing twenty questions, wanna go make out somewhere?”
“Hell, yes.”