16. Scarlett
It’d been a few weeks since I’d seen my father.
Axel didn’t mention him. Didn’t try to talk me into calling or texting. It was nice not to think about it, to put it out of my head and just live my life. My father didn’t contact me either…and that was a bit of a surprise.
I walked into the restaurant and found Axel on top of the bar, working on the pendant lights positioned over the surface. He was in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. There was debris on the countertop.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“The contractor put the lights on a switch, when I specifically asked for a dimmer.”
“So…you’re doing what?”
“Switching it to a dimmer.”
“You—you know how to do that?”
He wiped the sweat from his forehead then looked down at me. “Baby, I know how to do a lot more than eat and fuck.” He tightened the screws again then hopped off the counter to test the switches. “There we go.” The lighting turned bright then dark again, on a spectrum of intensity. “What do you think?”
I took a look around, seeing how much we had accomplished in a short amount of time. It was dark and chic, black marble with white streaks, definitely a sexy vibe. “It’s stunning. Had no idea you had such good taste.”
He came to me, that smirk on his face, and then gripped me around the small of my back and pulled me in for a kiss. “Why do you think I picked you?” In the middle of the kiss, he gave my ass a squeeze. “I have damn good taste.” That boyish grin was on his face as he pulled away and looked at me. “You got the menus?”
I was in a sort of daze whenever he kissed me like that, whenever he sprinkled me with affection that made my blood burn my cheeks. All the time we lost during our separation was such a waste, but at least we had what we’d always wanted now. It took me a second to shake it off before I pulled the folder from my purse. I opened the folder and showed him the document on thick cream paper.
He read it over. “Meatball lollipops…those are my favorite.” He continued to read down. “Scallops…ratatouille…I’m starving.” He turned the page and looked over the wine list. “It all looks great. I’d eat all of this.”
“I know, babe.”
He lifted his head from the menu and looked at me, a massive grin on his face.
“What?”
“You called me babe.”
“Oh.” I’d barely called him that since the first time we were together. It might have slipped out sometimes after we got married. But it’d been restrained most of the time, the affection refusing to leave my body.
“I like it when you call me that.” He gave my ass a squeeze and yanked me close, pressing a hard kiss to my mouth as an act of ownership. “Let’s finish up here so we can go home. I want that pussy on my face.” He gave my ass a smack before he walked off and headed into the kitchen.
“What do you think about Alessandra?” He sat across from me at a table in the restaurant, her résumé on the surface between us.
“She seems nice.”
“I don’t care if she’s nice. Her résumé says she has a lot of experience. Worked at a lot of good restaurants in the city.” He pulled the résumé close and glanced at it again. “I think she’d be a great person to hire all the staff and oversee everything leading up to the opening of the restaurant. You don’t want to worry about all those details all the time. I don’t either. I’m a busy man with lots of shit to do.”
“Busy man, huh?” I teased.
“You know I own lots of different businesses.”
“You’re sure home a lot…”
“Would you rather I be gone all the time?”
“Not what I’m saying.”
“And by having her run the restaurant, you can be home with me. Why do things the hard way when you can do things the smart way? When we have a family, you’re going to be grateful for the help. And right now, you can focus on what you do best—the food.”
“You make a sound argument.”
“I’m a very smart man, baby.”
I chuckled.
“What was that?”
“Nothing.”
He leaned forward in his chair, his elbows resting on the table. “You want me to fuck you right here on this table?”
“We’re right by a window.”
“You think I care?” The playfulness was gone, and he stared me down like he was the hawk and I was the prey.
I looked down at her resume. “Let’s hire Alessandra. That means we should be able to open in two weeks.”
Axel didn’t say anything.
I met his look again.
He still wore the same expression as he did before.
“We aren’t doing that here?—”
“Yes, we are.” He rose out of his chair then came around the table and grabbed the back of my chair. Then he pulled it across the hardwood floors, dragged it to the other side of the restaurant where there wasn’t a window. Comfy couches were placed against the walls, underneath the chandelier, where people could comfortably wait for their table.
“What if someone walks in?”
“The door is locked, and we’re closed for business.” He got me out of the chair then guided me to the black velvet couch, the chandelier glowing above us. He pulled off my boots then tugged at my jeans, getting me naked from the waist down. Then he dropped his pants, bringing them just below his ass. He moved on top of me, warm between my thighs, and pushed through my tightness and then sank in.
I sucked in a harsh breath through my teeth at the forceful entrance, but then I moaned the rest of the way, loving the feeling of his fat dick inside me. Whoever said size didn’t matter was full of horseshit. His big dick hurt sometimes, but damn, it felt incredible.
He released a sexy moan when he was fully sheathed, holding himself above me on those muscular arms, claiming me in the new restaurant that he’d bought for me. “You’re always wet, aren’t you?” He started to thrust inside me, making the side of my head bump into the velvet cushion every few seconds.
My hands slid underneath his shirt to feel his strong abs below the soft skin, to feel his hard pecs above that. My nails started to claw as he pounded into me, and this man made me want to come already. “For you, I am.”
He gave a sexy moan and pounded into me harder. “Fuck, baby.”
We got back the time we lost.
Axel seemed to abandon his work obligations to spend all his time with me. We had breakfast together in the mornings, worked out together in his personal gym, and sometimes we would take a bath together afterward, just soaking in the tub without saying much. We’d make love in the middle of the day and then fall asleep. Instead of eating at home, he would take me out to a restaurant I might enjoy.
There were times when I didn’t think about my father at all, because he made it that easy. I suspected that wouldn’t be the end of things with my father, and if it wasn’t, I was grateful he’d chosen to give me space.
Axel sat across from me at the restaurant, the sleeves of his collared shirt pushed to his elbows, his jawline clean because he’d shaved that morning. He grabbed the wine bottle and refilled his glass before he took a drink. Our silence was spent with his focused stare looking at me like I was the only person in the room.
I was lucky to have a husband look at me like that. A damn fine husband who could have any woman he wanted…but who chose me.
He swirled his glass and took another drink. “You look beautiful tonight.”
“Thank you, but you already said that.”
“Did I?” he asked, smirking slightly. “Nervous?”
“You always make me a little nervous.”
“I meant the restaurant.”
“No, I’m excited.” It had taken me a long time to realize that it was my dream, that it was where I belonged…not pushing drugs on the street like a criminal. “It’s hard to believe I had that other life. I’m ashamed I was ever involved in that lifestyle.”
“Ashamed is a strong word.”
“It’s not my place, and I should have known that sooner.”
“But if you had, you wouldn’t have met me, and that would be a tragedy.”
“Yes, it would be.” Every man before Axel felt like a boy. A teenage boy who wouldn’t know a real woman if she punched him in the face. “Speaking of which…you’ve been home a lot. Are you still working with my father?”
He shook his head. “I bowed out.”
“You did?”
“I told him he could have it. You’re the only thing I wanted anyway.”
My heart tightened in warmth. “What about Theo?”
“I tried to get him to bow out too, but he refused. So I guess they’re business partners now. To be honest, haven’t really talked to either of them about it. It’s not my place to be involved anymore.”
“I can’t pretend I’m not pleased with that answer.” I didn’t want Axel involved in that world anymore. I didn’t want him working with my father. I wanted us to live lives above the table, paying our taxes and obeying the laws…except for public indecency.
“I said when I settled down, I would leave that life.”
“You said when you have a family.”
“And I do have a family. You’re my family, baby.” He looked at me with that intense gaze, like I was truly the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to him.
When he said things like that, my body went hot and cold at the same time, and my mouth became parched. “You’re my family too, babe.”
The waiter brought the food a moment later, serving us our hot dishes. These last few weeks together of drinking and eating had made my clothes feel a little tight, even with the gym sessions. But it was hard not to celebrate like it was our honeymoon.
“A lot of people are coming tomorrow.”
“You think?”
“All of our reservations are booked up. Walk-ins will be disappointed.”
“People don’t show up for reservations all the time.”
“Oh, they’ll show up for these. According to the papers, this is the hottest restaurant in town.”
We’d had food critics come to the restaurant for a special four-course meal prepared for them and a guest. I had been in the kitchen with the rest of the cooking staff, helping them make the dishes for our guests. All of the reviews were glowing—and that definitely fueled interest. “I’m not going to be able to sleep tonight.”
“Good,” he said after he took a bite. “Because I have other plans anyway.”
Dinner started at five in the evening, and since I wasn’t working in the kitchen, I got to wear a black cocktail dress and heels, diamonds around my neck and in my lobes. The kitchen staff was ready, the waiters were ready for their tables, and the low lighting with the music had given it the vibe of a club.
Axel was the most dressed up I’d ever seen him except on our wedding day, in slacks that hugged his tight ass nicely and a black collared shirt that fit his chest and shoulders well. His black wedding ring matched his attire. “Here we go, baby.”
The doors opened, and fifteen minutes later, people started to show up for their reservations. Alessandra had done a great job preparing the restaurant for its opening weekend because everything seemed to be in place. People were taken to their tables, and the waiters were there to serve them water and present the wine list.
Axel recognized some of the guests, so he greeted them with his charisma and dashing smile. Sometimes, he introduced me to them, saying I was the head chef and the culinary designer for that evening’s meal.
Time passed, and soon it was a madhouse, lots of walk-ins that had to be turned away because the reservation list was booked solid—and everyone showed up for dinner.
Axel stared at me, that grin on his face.
“What?”
“Just waiting.”
“For…?”
The smile remained, arrogance in his eyes. “For you to admit I was right.”
I immediately broke eye contact, afraid he was going to say I told you so.
“That your hole-in-the-wall would have been a mistake.”
I looked out the double glass doors to the people mingling outside, wearing their coats because it was still chilly at the beginning of spring.
“Come on.” His arm moved around my waist. “Say it.” His hand inched to my ass.
I swatted it away. “We’re in public.”
“Either say it now, or—” he pulled me close and spoke into my ear “—I’ll make you say it tonight when we get home, with my dick in your mouth.” His big hand grabbed on to my ass.
I pushed his arm away and stepped aside.
He grinned. “I hoped that would be your answer.”
More people filed into the restaurant and were led to their tables. Others got comfortable on the velvet couches, the place where Axel had fucked me several times and we’d had to dab the sex spots dry to get rid of the stains. Waiters presented them with flutes of champagne as they waited, and hors d’oeuvres were presented on silver trays.
A line formed next to the hostess stand, and once a couple stepped aside, I saw a familiar face behind them.
My father stood there dressed in slacks and a collared shirt, his assistant at his side in an evening dress. The hostess spoke to him, but his eyes were on me like there was no one else in the room.
I was frozen in place, caught off guard that he had decided to come to my restaurant for dinner. I hadn’t expected that, but I should have, because it seemed like exactly something he would do. Unable to recover myself, I only met his look.
Axel approached him but didn’t greet him with a handshake. “I hope you have reservations because we have no availability for walk-ins. It’s a packed house tonight.”
“I made reservations as soon as the system was open.” He looked at Axel briefly before his eyes switched back to me. “Congratulations, sweetheart.”
I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know what to do. So I turned around and headed to the bathroom.
When I came out moments later, Axel was nowhere to be found. He was no longer greeting our guests at the front.
When I looked into the dining area, I found his muscular back facing me. He sat at a table across from my father, the two of them locked in deep conversation under the mood lighting. My father’s assistant looked at her phone like the conversation didn’t concern her.
I was annoyed my father was there. But I was more annoyed that Axel had chosen to sit with him rather than stand with me. I looked out the double doors and did my best to pretend I didn’t feel betrayed. Greeting people and forming connections out of thin air wasn’t my strongest suit. With me, it would just look awkward and forced, so I chose to stand there and stay quiet.
Moments later, Axel came back to my side. “It looks like your father and his assistant are an item.”
I ignored him.
“Baby?”
“We’re having our grand opening right now. Why are you talking to him?”
His playful eyes suddenly hardened. “Just saying hello.”
“Hello to the man who threatened to kill you?”
“Baby, he’s your father.”
“He’s an asshole for showing up here on my big night. Instead of letting me have this moment, he had to make it about himself.”
“I think he just wanted to support you.”
“He could have supported me when I asked for a loan—but he hesitated.” I looked out the window again.
His arm moved around my waist. “Baby, it’s okay.”
“We’ve had such a nice night together…and then he ruins it.”
“He didn’t ruin it. He just wanted to have dinner and support you.” He moved in front of me, blocking my view of the window and the guests who were waiting for their tables. “Forget about it, alright? It’s done. He’s over there having dinner with what’s-her-name, and you’re here with me.”
“You weren’t here with me when you walked over there.”
His eyes flicked back and forth between mine. “I just wanted to say hello. It’s called manners.”
“You owe him nothing, and you know it.”
“He’s my father-in-law. While I don’t hold him in the highest regard, he’s your family, and he’s still important to you, whether you admit it or not. I don’t want you to have this hate in your heart. It’s the same hate my parents carry—and it’s aged them decades. The past is gone. It’s been resolved. Try to let it go.”