Chapter 43
Chapter Forty-Three
Axel
This was not how I expected this evening to go. Hoped for it, made a wish on every damn star I saw that it might happen. But not what I expected at all.
After that first frenzied coupling against the wall, I carry Jade to the bed, laying her down on it while I undress, her green eyes never leaving me.
Once I’m naked, I slide the high heels from her feet, kissing the arches then working my way up her calves, along her sleek thighs.
I want to bury myself in her, want to tell her everything that’s in my heart.
Want to make her come, over and over, moaning my name. Want her to never leave me.
I love her.
It doesn’t matter whether or not she loves me.
This is something soul deep, something I’ll always carry with me.
I thought Jade was a storm, smashing through every barrier I’d built around myself.
But storms are followed by rainbows, by gleaming skies.
By a world renewed. And that’s how I feel about Jade.
I lower myself to the bed, bracing myself above her, wanting to draw out this moment.
She smiles, her golden hair spread across the white sheets, jewels gleaming among the tangled strands as though she’s a mermaid, tossed ashore.
Her green eyes darken as I lower myself between her legs, her arms coming around me.
“Axe,” she whispers, her warm breath on my skin, “I need to tell you something.”
“Yes?” I dip my head, kissing her. I just want to fuck her again, but her next words drive everything from my head.
“I love you.”
“What?” I lift my head, pulling back. I feel as though I might explode, emotion swirling through me, too big for one heart to contain. But it’s not just one heart, now. It’s two of us.
I sit up, pulling her to me, a tangle of silken limbs and soft curves in my lap. She looks worried and I realise, like an idiot, that I haven’t responded. At least, not the way I want to. I take her face in my hands, amazement running through me that this beautiful, brilliant woman loves me.
“I love you too,” I say. “So much. And I was a fool to let you go. I’m so sorry, Jade.”
She says nothing, lashes lowered over her green eyes, and I swear I can feel it, how much I hurt her. I can’t bear the thought of it. “I was an ass, at the hospital. And before that, about Myles. I should have trusted you. I just—”
“I get it,” she says, still not looking at me. “You’ve had your trust broken before.”
“So have you,” I say, feeling even worse.
“And yet you still opened your heart to me. Gave me everything you had and more, and I threw it back at you the moment things got tough. I came here tonight, came to see my parents, brought the Black Axe, all for you. I couldn’t have done any of it without you.
Not a damn thing. You blew into my life, Jade, and you changed everything.
And then I let my fear drive you away, instead of facing up to it.
But I’m here now, Jade. I’m here. And I swear, I will spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you.
Can you ever forgive me?” I wait, my arms around her, an ache in my chest at the thought that I might break us again, because of my own stupidity.
She looks at me, finally, the whole world in her green gaze. “Yes,” she says. “I forgive you. But…”—her eyes darken, like storm clouds gathering—“I need you to promise me something.”
“Anything,” I say. “Just tell me.”
She kisses me, a soft brush of her lips. I taste salt, and realise she’s crying. “Don’t ever leave me again.”
“Never,” I say, my arms tightening around her, fear and relief tumbling through me at the fact she’s here, that I didn’t lose her after all. “I’ll never leave you again. I’ll … I’ll travel with you. We can get a place, and I’ll go back on the circuit, start making boards for people and then—”
“You don’t have to do that.” She’s half-laughing, half-crying, as she kisses me again. “Not unless you want to. I can come home to you, whenever you want. The island needs you to be there.”
I stare at her for a moment, smoothing my thumb down her satiny shoulder, falling into her green gaze. “Did you just say home?”
She flushes, biting her lip, and it’s all I can do not to throw her down on the bed and have my way with her. Her hand comes to my cheek. “You’re my home, Axel. And wherever you are, that’s where I want to be.”
God. I can’t speak for a moment. I hold her close, tears prickling my eyelids.
“In the hospital,” I say, my voice catching in my throat.
“When I was… When I was unforgivably cruel to you— No, I was,” I continue, as she tries to protest. “You asked me whether we had a world together. I was wrong, when I said we didn’t.
You are my world, Jade. My everything.” I take her face in my hands.
She’s crying again, and I kiss every tear away, lowering her back onto the pillows.
“I love you so much,” she whispers, her green gaze on mine. “Can we stay in this hotel forever?” She grins, but it’s shaky, and my heart clenches again at how I hurt her, how close I came to losing her forever.
“I love you too,” I say. “And, while this hotel is very nice, maybe we’d be better off getting a place of our own here.
Your brother isn’t too far away, is he? And I should probably check in with my family once in a while.
We don’t have to stay on the island full-time.
” Something I’ll manage once I’m out of here.
With Jade at my side, I know I can do it.
“But I want to stay on the island!”
“You really want to live there with me, away from all this?”
“Hmm, let me see. Perfect waves, a gorgeous house, an idyllic island, and you. I think I could make it work.” She giggles.
“What about you? Don’t you have a place of your own? I can’t believe I’ve never asked you that.” There’s still so much to learn about Jade, it might take a lifetime to do it. I’m okay with that.
“Not really. I rented an apartment for a while, but I travel so much it was easier to just rent a storage space for my stuff. I crash with friends or at Jasper’s whenever I have some downtime.”
“Hmm. So, island life it is, then?” I kiss along her jawline, breathing in her soft floral fragrance, while at the same time sliding my fingers in between her legs. She’s so wet, so warm, pushing against my hand. My cock twitches in response. “So what do you want to do now?”
She gasps, her head going back. “Shut up and fuck me, Axel.”
I oblige.
Jade
Axel is here.
His arms around me, his mouth on mine. It’s everything I ever wanted. I never want to let him go again.
He’s still inside me, both of us panting as we come back down, his sexy bonfire scent tantalising my nostrils. I run my hands down his back, over his muscular ass, returning his kisses, soft and slow. I think I’m in heaven.
An insistent buzzing noise is coming from somewhere. I blink, looking around. Axel lifts his head.
“Is that your phone?”
“Shit.” I realise I just ran out of a function where I’m supposed to be an ambassador.
Myles had even asked me to help him announce the silent auction winners.
And I’m supposed to be staying with him and Zara.
Double shit. I guess when I saw Axel I just went on autopilot. I have no idea what time it is.
“Where is it?” Axel pulls out of me, lifting himself off the bed. He pads across the room to where I dropped my dress near the door. My bag is underneath it; I must have grabbed it on the way out of the function, I guess. It’s all a blur.
Except for him.
Axel brings the bag back to the bed, dropping it next to me, then lies down. His hand slides along my hip as I roll over, undoing the little satin pouch. It was my phone buzzing. I have several missed calls, all from Zara.
I call her back. She picks up on the first ring.
“Jade! Are you all right? I saw you talking to Zach and then you were gone, all of a sudden.”
“I’m so sorry. I just—”
“Hang on.” I can hear Myles talking, a rumble in the background, then Zara squealing about something.
When she comes back on the phone she’s giggling.
“So, Myles wants you to know that you won the Black Axe board in the auction. He also wants to know if you and Axel are free for dinner tomorrow night. Oh my god, I’m so sorry, Jade.
I didn’t realise. Myles has been making the rounds and I guess he saw you both leave but didn’t get the chance to tell me and—”
“Zara, it’s fine. I should have let you know I was leaving.”
“You absolutely should not have. I get it, believe me.”
“I might not make it back to your place tonight, though.” A warm hand cups my breast, and Axel kisses the side of my neck. “Actually, definitely not.” I can hear Myles talking again. It sounds like he’s asking Zara to get off the phone.
“Myles is telling me to leave you in peace.” Zara is breathless with giggles. “I’m just… We’re both so happy for you, Jade. We’ll see you tomorrow night, okay? Love you.”
“Love you too,” I say, my heart full as I end the call. I put the phone down and roll back into Axel’s embrace.
“Dinner tomorrow, huh?” He grins, kissing the tip of my nose.
“If you’re okay with it?”
“Of course I am. Although, that doesn’t give me a lot of time to do everything I want to do with you.”
“It doesn’t?”
“Not really. So, you might have to come home with me.”
I think of blue water, of an endless golden beach. Of this man, beside me. “When do we leave?”
“Whenever you like.”