Chapter 15 Stella
FIFTEEN
STELLA
I was moving slowly this morning, despite getting up early. I hadn’t slept well last night. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the fire or being sexually frustrated around Axel—and now living with him temporarily. Most likely, it was a combination of both.
Whatever the reason, I slept terribly and finally gave up on sleep around six in the morning.
After lying there restlessly for another hour, I decided to just shower and get my day started.
But then Axel came into his kitchen without a shirt on, and I forgot what I was supposed to be doing.
Two burned slices of toast later, I was trying to distract myself by cleaning up his kitchen when he stopped me.
“Stella, you don’t need to clean my place.
” I heard the words he said, but I was too focused on his bare chest in front of me.
He had on a pair of sleep pants and slippers, but I couldn’t tell you what they looked like or even what color they were because my eyes were only interested in the chiseled body in front of me.
The lustful thoughts in my brain must have also been written all over my face, because Axel took his thumb under my chin and lifted my gaze up to his.
“My eyes are up here, Stella,” he teased me, smirking the whole time.
I knew he didn’t think I was ready to move forward yet, but I disagreed. My new plan I had come up with in the shower had been to keep telling him—and showing him—that I was, in fact, ready.
Plan “Get Axel Naked” had now commenced.
I met his gaze but moved my hands to his chest. They slowly roamed over his hot skin and highly sculpted body, but my eyes never looked away from his.
“Stella.” There came his low warning, which I chose to ignore.
Instead, I lifted up on my tippy-toes and leaned in for a kiss. Not just a soft, cute kiss. Nope, I went all in. A kiss that would tell him I wanted more and was ready for it.
I searched for his tongue with desperate need. At first, he was stiff and I was the one in control, but then he finally moved his hands, grabbing the sides of my head and taking over. This was not a gentle kiss—it was greedy, raw, and real.
I pressed my body impossibly closer to his, feeling his hard dick pressed against my lower stomach. I had just started to move my hands south toward the promised land when a loud ring broke through my focus.
Axel pulled back and reached over to grab something on the kitchen counter.
“Hello,” he said, and I realized he was answering his cell, which had been the catalyst for breaking up my wonderful make-out session.
Stupid cell phones.
“Yeah, that works. Okay. Thanks.” He ended the call and set his phone back on the counter.
I stood there, still breathing a little heavy from our kiss as he took a step forward, closing the gap once more. He didn’t kiss me though, just put his hands on the back of my head.
“As much as I would love to continue this right now, we need to get ready, because your insurance agent will be there soon,” Axel reminded me. “The faster he can get done, the faster the crew can get their work done.”
I sighed, knowing he was correct. But I really wanted to continue making out with him instead. Alas, I had a kitchen fire and water damage problem to fix first.
Tonight.
I told myself that tonight, I would make it happen so we could get right back to where we left off this morning.
An hour later, we had just gotten to Scandinavian Sweets. Axel and I met the insurance claims adjuster, along with Terrence and his crew. Thankfully, the insurance agent was quick, and within the hour, Terrence’s crew was able to get started.
Luna had come around back and let me know that Isabel, Drake, Nell, Travis, and Milo had arrived and to meet everyone up front when we were done talking with Terrence.
Axel walked me around and told me he would be in the parking lot taking some phone calls with a few former colleagues from his days in the Swedish Army, but that we would drive together over to his office when I was done.
When I walked into the dining area of the bakery—where no damage had occurred—it was to see Luna, Milo, Isabel, and Travis all talking quietly.
All eyes turned to me as I walked in, and I quickly scanned everyone’s faces.
Milo was clearly pissed, running his hand over his face. Isabel and Travis were looking at me with sympathy, and Luna was in best friend mode, trying to take control of the situation so I didn’t have to.
“What?” I asked the room, which had gone eerily quiet, but the tension was still thick in the air.
“He’s worried about you,” Luna said, nodding to Milo.
“We all are, dear,” Isabel said.
“I don’t think you should stay here at your place. I think you should stay with Luna or me,” Milo said.
“Or me,” Isabel also offered, but she had two kids and her husband at home, and I would never want to put them in danger.
“It’s okay,” I told them. “I’m not staying here. The police helped set me up somewhere.”
It wasn’t a total lie. But Axel had insisted I not tell anyone, so I would hold to that as best I could. I just hoped they couldn’t see through my lie of omission.
“What did the police say exactly about this whole thing?” Nell asked.
“They said it’s likely someone who has been to my bakery before and knew where the cameras were because they knew how to avoid them all,” I informed them. “It’s going to make it harder for them to find the person who did this.”
“I think we know who did this, even if the cops won’t admit it,” Milo grumbled.
“Let the cops do their job, Milo,” Luna said.
“I would if they would take their heads out of their asses and just arrest Braden. There’s no way it’s anyone else,” he argued.
“Enough, you two,” I shot back, rubbing my forehead with my fingers as the beginnings of a headache formed.
Before I went any further, I had to ask. “Just out of curiosity, have any of you been in the riser room?”
“The what room?” Drake asked.
“The weird broom closet out back where all the pipes are,” Luna explained.
“Why would we go in there?” Nell asked.
“Never mind.” I didn’t feel like explaining because, at the same time, it meant I would practically be accusing one of them of being complicit in the fire, even indirectly.
“We can all work some extra shifts if you need to step back for a few days once we re-open,” Isabel told me.
“I appreciate it, but I’m okay,” I told them. “I’m going to work from Axel’s office for the next few days on paperwork so we can be ready to go next week.”
“That’s a good idea,” Isabel said. “I like that he is with you and you can be safe.”
“He’s done a bang-up job protecting so far,” Milo grumbled quietly, but I still heard it.
“Milo, shut the fuck up,” Luna snapped.
“Sorry. I’m just worried about you,” Milo said, looking chagrined.
“I know, and I really appreciate it. All of you,” I told them. “We just have to let the police do their job.”
“You can lean on us, you know.” Travis’s comment was gentle, but it was a reminder that I worked with wonderful people, and perhaps I needed to do a better job of not shutting them out.
“I will,” I assured him—and hopefully the others—as I put my hands on Milo’s and Isabel’s shoulders, since they were standing at each of my sides. “Getting Scandinavian Sweets back up and running is my top priority, and then I promise I will reach out if I need any of you.”
I turned to face Milo and Travis, smiled at them, and thanked them. “The insurance company will cover all our salaries and wages, so you all will still get paid for the hours you would have worked this week. Enjoy the next few days off, and hopefully we will be back to normal next Tuesday.”
I hugged everyone goodbye and made my way out to Axel.
He was standing by his car, staring at his phone, but when I walked out, his eyes lifted and locked on to mine.
I went straight to him, and whatever he saw on my face must’ve been enough—he pulled me into a big hug and held me there for a few moments.
After that, we got into his car and headed to the Ranger Shield office for the day.
On Friday, we met with Terrance, who told me they were confident they would be finished up tomorrow. The inspectors were all set to come out first thing Monday morning to give the all-clear, and I was so happy to put this all behind me and re-open.
Axel had set me up at a desk next to Ruthie and Cat for the week, which was great, but those ladies were talkers.
It made it hard to get things done, between conversations with them and returning calls to Terrence, my insurance company, and my bank because I wanted to see if I could defer my loan payment for this month because of the fire.
What I hadn’t had time for the last few days was unwinding or decompressing—not the way I really wanted to.
I was looking forward to that tonight. I knew one way I could de-stress, and it involved Axel. I just needed to get him on board with my plan.
We ordered takeout for dinner, and it was delivered at the same time we arrived at his loft.
“Go ahead and drop your bag off and unpack, and I will sort all the food,” Axel said as we walked into his unit.
Terrance had given me the all-clear to go back to my apartment and grab more clothes. Technically, I should be able to return to my place tomorrow night, but Axel wanted me to be prepared just in case there were delays, so he’d told me to pack a few days’ worth instead.
After dropping my bag off in the guest bedroom and freshening up, I made my way to the kitchen, where we ate our Chinese food.