Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Jade
His family? I have about a million questions. But I wait.
Axel looks down, his mouth twisting. “My family are big property developers. In New York, and elsewhere. Hotels and stuff. They used to own the peninsula, but I bought it from them, a few years ago. Now they want back in. But I won’t sell.
” He pauses, his grey gaze on me. “So when the land came up next door, they put in a bid. Used my name, as though I somehow gave them my blessing.”
Holy shit. This is not what I imagined. “I’m so sorry.”
What a betrayal. I understand how it feels, to be let down and used like that. You don’t get to choose your family, but you still have to put up with their shit, or leave. I get more of an idea now why Axel might have chosen to live here.
“Yeah. I’ve had to do a lot of distancing myself from their bid with the council. I’ve made my position very clear. I’ve also tried to approach them directly about it.”
“And?”
He sighs, sagging against the headboard. “And … they like making money. This is a great opportunity for them to do that.”
I wrap my arms around Axel’s warm chest, dropping a kiss on his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” I say again.
“They didn’t want me to be a surfboard shaper.
” Axel sounds reflective. “They wanted me to follow them into the family business. Hated telling people what I was doing, treated it like it was some sort of rich-boy hobby, something I was doing until I was ready to step into a ‘proper job’. Then, when I got good at it, they suddenly wanted to tell everyone. They loved all the celebrity around it, people like Myles Brandon, all that crew. I think they were even trying to get him to invest here at one point, build a hotel with them.”
“Myles? I know him, and his wife. They’re lovely people, though, so I don’t… Um … sorry. I don’t mean your family aren’t lovely. I don’t know them.”
“They don’t sound that great, do they?” His arms tighten around me.
“And they’re not bad. I can understand them, in a way.
But they don’t understand what it means to me to live here, or how the island works, what makes it so special.
They still don’t even understand why I don’t make surfboards anymore.
Not when it made me so much money. Or why I won’t come home. ”
“Isn’t this your home?” I want to know too, but I can’t ask him. He’ll tell me when he’s ready.
One corner of his mouth curves. “Yeah. It is.” He kisses my brow. “I knew you’d understand that.”
“What an impossible position for you to be in. I guess they don’t get that, either.”
“They don’t. My father keeps talking about how it’s ‘an opportunity’ for me.
That I can open up this place to take in the overflow when the hotel gets booked out.
Because it will, of course. You’ve seen what it’s like here.
” His mouth twists. “But the last thing I, and this island, need is a massive hotel and a huge influx of people.”
“Who owns the land right now?”
“It belonged to an old guy, lived here all his life. I think he wanted to build a house there for his kids, but he never had any. He honoured the cave for what it was, and took care of it for future generations. When he died, he left it to the island. To the collective. Thinking, I suppose, that it would continue to be taken care of. Not sold off.” Bitterness sits in every word.
I can feel it in my chest, sour like acid.
“So he wouldn’t have wanted a hotel there.”
“No. My parents tried to buy the land off him, back when they owned this place. But he wasn’t interested. It’s why they were happy to let this plot go to me. It’s not really big enough for the kind of huge resorts they like to build. But next door is.”
I swallow. “I can’t buy it,” I say. “Not at the moment. I don’t have enough cash, though you can have what I do have. I’ll speak to the bank, see if they’ll give me a line of credit or something. Or I can—”
“This is not your problem to solve,” Axel says, gently. “I’m sorry if I made you feel like it was. I’m going to speak to the banks again myself.”
“What about…” I pause, unsure how to say it. “I mean, your cabins are so nice and…” Axel comes from a wealthy family. Surely he has a trust fund or something. I don’t know how to ask that, though. He seems to read my mind.
“My family money? Yeah, I had a trust fund. But I cashed in most of it to buy this place, which my parents are well aware of. I made good money, shaping boards, and had a decent amount of savings, but I ploughed a lot of it into building the cabins and the main house. I thought … I was building a life, you know? Now I just live off the interest on what’s left, and the occasional board I sell.
Which isn’t enough to pay for the land next door. ”
“Axel.” I put my hand to his chin, turning his face until he’s looking down at me. His eyes are dark, lines etched in his beautiful face. My heart aches for him. “If I can do anything, or think of any other way to help, I will. There has to be a solution.”
He caresses my cheek, softly, his gaze darkening further. “I know. And I can’t lose hope. I won’t, not when I’m with you.”
I lean on him, breathing in his spicy bonfire scent, wishing I could think of some way to take the hurt from his eyes. And with that comes another realisation.
Axel Black is definitely not my rebound. He is something far deeper, stronger, than that. He might be what I came here for.
Axel
I rub shampoo into Jade’s long fall of hair, massaging her scalp, my touch firm. She purrs, leaning her head back, her perfect tits sticking out.
We’re in the shower again. I offered to run her a bath, as I never use the tub and the thought of her lying in it, rosy nipples teasing the soapy water, was making me hard.
But she reminded me of the stitches in her leg.
The dressing will hold up under the shower, but not for a prolonged soak. I guess that fantasy will have to wait.
My hands slide down over her slippery body, cupping her breasts and teasing the hard peaks.
“Axel! That’s not my hair.”
“I’m sorry.” I take my hand lower, across the soft patch of hair at her groin. “That better?”
She makes a little moaning sound, her legs parting slightly, allowing me access. I cannot get enough of her, can’t seem to do anything except touch her, kiss her, fuck her. She seems to feel the same way.
“Fuck.” She groans as my finger slides inside her. “I’ve got soap in my eyes.”
Shit. Okay, that’s probably not that sexy.
I slip my finger out and grab the showerhead to rinse her hair, smoothing the soap from it, rubbing conditioner through the long locks.
I rinse it clear, twisting it into a rope as I wring the water from it.
And all the while my cock throbs with the need to be inside her again.
I am truly unleashed, but this is something wilder than I’ve ever experienced before.
I release Jade’s hair and she bends forward, tilting her hips against me, bracing her arms against the shower wall. She glances back over her shoulder, her lush mouth parted.
She doesn’t need to say anything. Without a word I thrust inside her once more. The storm is well and truly upon me, and I don’t want it to end.
A while later we sit on my veranda, wrapped around each other on the wicker couch. The only reason we’re not still screwing is that Jade insisted we have something to eat. Plus, I think we both need a minute to catch our breath.
Jade is wearing one of my T-shirts. And that’s all.
It barely covers her ass, her long legs bare.
I’m in shorts. It feels like too many clothes, but I don’t imagine we’ll be wearing them for long.
This is all happening so fast. I should feel worried, be cautious about the speed of events.
But it all seems inevitable. I can’t imagine being anywhere else, with anyone else, at this moment in time.
Jade leans her head back, resting on my shoulder.
The ocean, blue as the sky, laps at the shore.
It strikes me that I don’t mind sitting here and watching it.
Not with her. I tighten my arms, bringing her closer to me.
Her hand caresses my forearm, and it’s just a perfect moment of bliss, of connection.
“I can’t wait to get in the water again,” she murmurs, her tone dreamy.
And the moment cracks, slightly.
“Really?”
“Hmm. I want to go surfing with you. You ride me so well; I’ve no doubt you’re a master in the waves, too.” There’s humour in her tone, but I’m not laughing.
“I don’t surf.” The words take an effort. But images tumble through my mind, threatening this perfect bubble we’ve created.
“You don’t?” She pushes against my arms and sits up, turning so she can see my face. “You live in surfing heaven, and you’re telling me you don’t go out and catch these waves?”
“No.”
“But you’re a shaper! How do you understand the boards so well, if you’re not—”
“I don’t surf anymore.” I emphasise the last word.
Jade chews her lip, her brows coming together. Emotions flicker across her expressive face. I can almost see her thinking, feel her concern for me. My chest aches. But I need to be so careful here. What we’ve built is so new, so fragile. I don’t want to smash it to pieces.
“Uh, so maybe we could just go for a swim and—”
I shake my head. “Don’t swim either.” Please don’t ask me, my mind begs.
She’s still biting her lip. “Okay. All right. Uh, so what else can we do together?”
“Well.” I pull her towards me, feeling like a coward.
I don’t want to break this dream, not yet.
I don’t want her to know what I did. I’ve already shared more with her than I have with anyone, since I decided to step away from the world.
But there are some secrets that run too deep.
“I could take you around the island some more. There are other places to see, an artisan community, more restaurants and beaches. Lots to explore.”
“Hmm.” She’s soft in my arms, her green eyes darkening as she leans in to kiss me.
“Exploring the island sounds like fun. But I think I need to explore Axel more, first. If you’re up for it.
” One of her hands comes to my dick, palming it, cupping my balls through my shorts.
She takes my lower lip between her teeth, pulling it gently.
“I can’t seem to stop wanting you, Axel Black. What have you done to me?”
“Whatever it is, you’ve done the same to me,” I say, my fingers slipping between her legs. She’s so wet, hot against my hand. I take in a short breath. “Fuck, Jade. I want you, so much.”
“Then take me,” she says.
So I do.