Chapter 13 #2
‘It’s true what they say about a single dad. I’ve never been set upon by so many women. It’s like some predatory instinct takes over. Full-on cavewoman, Ax, I’m telling you. Bloody terrifying.’
I thought he was joking.
Turns out the joke’s on me.
Because Sadie’s We Rise lot didn’t need any more reason to pounce… and the only woman I want staking her claim is the one whose gaze I can no longer feel.
My eyes hunt her down, all on their own.
With Lottie hanging off my neck and the boys hooked under either arm, I turn – and there she is.
Walking off with Sterling. Arm in arm. Heads close. Voices low.
I wouldn’t give a shit… except Sterling’s got that look.
The same look the We Rise women are sporting.
What the fuck?
The man was hitting on Granny Anna just yesterday.
Now he wants Tay too.
Over my dead body.
Which, judging by the single ladies stepping into the pool – all coy smiles and swaying hips – might be sooner than I think.
Taylor
‘So what do you think?’
Sterling leans towards me, all expectant, and I hate to admit my head is still poolside, cooing over Axel with the kids.
That laugh.
I’ve never, not once, heard him chuckle like that. So easy. So free.
And the way he slipped into Uncle of the Year material – hell, Father of the Year material. My ovaries are still giddy, pushing for more.
And that’s the worrying thing.
This isn’t just chemistry and sex muddying the baby deal any more.
Coupled with the memory of him with Lottie last night, this new side of Axel is shattering the image I had of him – the playboy, the loner – and piecing him back together all wrong… or right, depending on which part of my anatomy I listen to.
Because when I see him like this – laughing, joking, at ease with the kids – I can’t help wondering if maybe… maybe I want more than I planned for.
Not just a child, but a partner too.
Someone to share it all with.
And not just someone.
Him.
‘Taylor?’
I blink, my panicked heart taking a wild leap, or three, as I force my attention on Sterling, when everything else about me wants to run for the hills.
Or climb the man mountain with the kids.
‘Sorry, James.’
Sterling’s mouth twitches at the corner. ‘Having you call me by name feels like a bad sign.’
I give an awkward laugh. ‘Not at all. But I’m not sure how I can help. Theo’s the kind of man who takes his own counsel.’
‘I’m sure he is, but a good word from you goes a long way. I know he listens to you, respects you…’
‘Not when it comes to his mother’s dating preferences.’
He runs a finger through the collar of his polo, the faintest blush creeping into his cheeks. Sterling? Blushing?
‘You know,’ I say, studying him, ‘you’ve never struck me as the type who loses sleep over someone else’s approval.’
‘Normally, I don’t.’ He smiles faintly, sunlight glinting off his aviators as he turns towards the pool deck. Anna sits with Sadie and the mums, laughing, and his whole posture shifts, shoulders easing as he breathes her in. ‘But this is different.’
‘Different how?’
Sterling’s known for doing what he wants, when he wants, with whomever he wants – professionally and personally. Ruthless, rich, ridiculously good-looking, Italian blood running through the dark hair, olive skin, warm brown eyes, and effortless charm.
The kind of man who’s never had to bleed to earn it.
No wonder Theo’s twitchy. That, and the fact I poured salt straight into the wound last night with my teasing about the age gap.
Nice one, Stone.
Axel’s voice slides into my head now, and dammit, he was right.
I should’ve shut it.
‘It just is,’ he says eventually.
‘You don’t want to jeopardise your working relationship with Theo?’
His jaw tightens, gaze snapping back to me.
‘I don’t want to jeopardise anyone’s relationship. Period.’
‘And if he tells you to go to hell?’
‘I’m hoping it won’t come to that.’
‘But if it does?’
‘Then I have to hope Anna will see things my way.’
‘Which is?’
‘Some things are worth rocking the boat for.’
I cock a brow. ‘Pun intended?’
‘Maybe.’ He grins. ‘But even you have to admit, life’s the adventure you make it.’
I choke on my drink. ‘You never struck me as the kind to spout whimsical nonsense either.’
He shrugs, gaze drifting back to Anna. ‘I wasn’t. Then I met her and… something changed. I can’t explain it better than that. I just know I’m not ready to have her walk away. I want to see where this goes. Maybe even find out if this is what I’ve been missing all along.’
A smile tugs at my lips, a warmth unfurling deep within. Maybe that’s what we’re all chasing: the missing piece that makes the rest make sense.
For Sterling, it’s Anna.
For me… it’s the baby. Just the baby.
Not the man who agreed to make it possible.
Not at all. Because that would be crazy and not what we agreed. And not on the cards. Not ever.
‘Don’t get me wrong,’ Sterling adds quickly, flashing another grin. ‘I’m not looking for permission to date his mother; she’s more than capable of making up her own mind. But…’
‘But you’d like it all the same.’
‘Of course.’
I lean closer, placing my hand over his arm.
‘I get it, and I’ll see what I can do. I can’t promise anything, though.
Theo can be a stubborn sod, especially when it comes to protecting the people he loves.
But I’m warning you… hurt his mother, and he’ll make it his life’s mission to hurt you. We all will.’
‘It’s not my intent to hurt her,’ he says. ‘Quite the opposite.’
‘I believe you. But maybe it would’ve been better to wait until after you’d spoken to him before making your move. Better still, waited until his wedding was over?’
Says the women who embarked on her baby-making mission this very week…
‘Patience has never been my strong suit,’ he says, something earnest flickering through the polish. ‘And when I want something as much as I want this…’
I smile, feeling his words to my core. ‘Yeah, I know…’
‘And what is it you want exactly?’
The voice comes from behind me, and my body goes off like a pinball machine, every erogenous zone firing as I spin in my seat.
Axel.
And judging by the veins popping in his neck, he’s not best pleased.
‘What anyone wants?’ Sterling replies smoothly, utterly unfazed by the murderous look Axel levels at him. He slips his arm free from beneath mine and drains the rest of his drink. ‘Peace. Love. Happy ever after.’
I glance back at Sterling, wondering how much of that he means without even realising it. Or maybe he realises it all too well and has set his sights on Anna to get it.
‘Having fun with the bambinos?’ he adds, nodding towards the kids now huddled together on a sunbed, drinking juice.
I can’t tell if he’s purposefully provoking Axel or genuinely curious.
Either way, Axel’s pissed – and I don’t understand why.
‘Chill out, Black,’ Sterling says, lifting a conciliatory hand. ‘I’m not stepping on your toes.’
‘Stepping on his toes?’ I echo, brows lifting. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
Sterling flashes me a grin as he gets to his feet. ‘Is that how you’re playing it?’
‘Playing what?’
But he’s already walking away. ‘Nothing. Nothing at all.’
I watch him go in stunned silence, then turn to Axel. I’m not sure what unsettles me more: Sterling’s response, or Axel’s glare as he tracks the man’s exit, knuckles white as he grips the towel slung around his neck.
And just like that, I’m dragged back to another night.
Outside a bar.
My back against a wall.
A client who saw ‘no extras’ as a challenge, not a boundary.
And Axel storming across the street.
The man ended up in hospital. Axel nearly in a cell.
It marked the beginning of the end for my escort business: private dates out, exclusive clubs in. Which wasn’t a bad thing. But that fight…
There’s no forgetting it.
The speed.
The rage.
The brutality.
I shiver. Not because I’m scared, but because he was defending me. Coming to my rescue. Just like I always trusted him to.
But I’m not in trouble now.
Unless you count the inner turmoil. And that has nothing to do with Sterling and everything to do with him and us.
‘What the hell, Ax?’
I stand and round on him, immediately regretting it when I realise he’s too close. Heat rolls off him, the air between us humming, charged enough to throw sparks.
‘What was that about?’ I try again, keeping my voice low. The deck is huge, big enough for us to talk without being overheard, especially with the chatter and the laughter and the kids tablet playing on full blast. But still…
He drags his gaze to mine, jaw twitching, eyes blazing.
‘I don’t know, you tell me. You and Sterling looked pretty cosy.’
‘What are you talking about? We were discussing him and Anna, and Theo’s obvious— Wait…’ Butterflies explode in my belly as the truth clicks into place. ‘Are you… jealous?’
His fists flex, a ripple running through every inked ridge that I fight not to follow.
‘I don’t do jealous.’
‘Sure looks like you’re giving it a good go.’
He exhales sharply, gaze flicking to where Sterling disappeared before snapping back to me. ‘I told you, until this is done,’ he leans in, voice rough and low, ‘you’re mine.’
The words hit hard. A warning laced with fire that I feel to my toes.
‘And I told you, there is no “this” until the contract’s signed.’
His eyes darken. ‘And I don’t give a fuck about a contract. I care about y—’ He cuts himself off, swearing under his breath. ‘Forget it.’
A jolt shoots through me. He doesn’t need to finish. I know exactly what he was about to say. And sure, I’ve always known Axel cares – but this?
This feels different.
This feels like so much more.
For a moment, neither of us moves. Caught between anger and something dangerously close to longing. His gaze falls to my mouth and I realise I’ve wet my lips. They tingle under his stare, my entire body following suit.
‘Hey, Ax!’ Theo’s voice cuts in as he appears on deck. ‘The jet skis are out; fancy a blast?’
‘Yeah.’ Axel’s reply is clipped, but his eyes don’t leave me.