Chapter 69
CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE
I’m gambling that my dare will get Axel to come inside, and I’m praying it doesn’t. What the hell is wrong with me?
Being around Axel is intoxicating in a dangerous way. He’s always one step away from doing something insane, and now that I know he won’t do anything that’ll piss Gage off, I feel safer. Because he loves Gage. Truly, deep down, he loves his brother.
Also, guilt is eating at me, and the living room smells unbearable. You can smell it in the bedrooms now. Cleaners will never find the source, and Gage doesn’t deserve this.
You know who does? Fucking Axel. Infuriating, dickish, hot Axel.
Hot? I hate that I think he’s hot. But of course I do.
He’s handsome in exactly the same way his brother is, only Axel has a hint of danger that I find, against all logic, intoxicating.
I know he won’t touch me, no matter how much he wants to, and that makes heat run through me.
Which confirms that I am, in fact, incredibly fucked up.
Also, I was just in bed with Gage, and now I’m drooling over his brother? Fuck me.
I grab the spray bottle I’ve filled with cleaning products and start spritzing the couch before I hear the sliding glass door open.
A mix of elation and fear fills me. Axel comes inside and stands silently behind me. The skin on the back of my neck tingles, but I just say in a bored tone. “I need the curtain rod.”
“Where’s Gage?”
“Sleeping.” At least, I think he is. I didn’t check. I wanted to. Wanted to see how he’s doing. Find something to make fun of him for.
I can feel the blood tingling through my thighs. That monster is back chasing me. This can only end one way for me: heartbreak. My job is up soon, and even if he likes me, Gage will eventually grow tired of me. I’ll become just another hole to use when he feels like it.
I just want to scream at the monster to shut up. To shut the fuck up and let me live in peace.
Axel doesn’t move.
“Curtain rod.” I motion at it, grabbing a wad of paper towels.
For a second, I think Axel is going to argue with me. Then, he lifts a delicate eyebrow and shakes his head, muttering as he grabs the rod.
“Careful! Don’t tip it.” I’m sure the shrimp has rotted to a nice juice at this point. Although maybe I could get him to dump it all over himself…
“What the fuck?” Axel hisses as the smell explodes, and I jump to catch the wad of grey goo that falls out of the end of the rod.
I try to hold in a gag. Then Buddy comes jumping at me, trying to lick the end of the rod.
“No!” I try to hold the towels away while I hold Buddy by her collar. She can lunge too close, and I hiss, handing the wadded-up shrimp towels to Axel.
“Fucking–” He grabs at them, but not before they topple to the ground.
I yank Buddy back. “Throw it away! Outside.”
Axel looks pale for a second. Then I see the thoughts rolling in and recognize the second he thinks about turning this on me.
Oh god. Instead of scaring me, his challenging look just makes me want to fight harder. I’m going to poke the bear. Because I can. Because he deserves it.
I raise an eyebrow. “You’re going to fucking throw it away.” I may be shorter than Axel, bending low to hold Buddy, but I still do my best to look down my nose at him.
A mean smirk crosses Axel’s face, making goosebumps run across my arms.
Then, Axel drops to his knees beside me. He lifts a hand, and I flinch, but he only brushes away hair that had fallen into my face. Gently. Then he runs a finger down my cheek, and god, if I’m not turned on by it.
Axel talks low, leaning in, “At a certain point, I’ll think you’re asking for it, brother or not.” His breath brushes my neck. “Don’t tempt me, little bird.”
Goosebumps run up and down my arms. He looks at them and smirks. Then, gently, he runs his hands across them. “Your lust feels so pretty.”
Then he gets up and stalks out of the house.
I have a second to catch my breath.
Fuck. I got caught up in… him. Just like I do with Gage. Just as soon as I think that though, I realize it doesn’t matter. I’m leaving. None of this matters.
That sobers me. I try to get my body to calm down because I’m not done with my task. I’ll be damned if I leave the house without at least cleaning up the mess I made.
When Axel comes back in, I throw a rag at him. “I'll spray, you wipe.” My thumb is getting better. Still sore, but I have a lot more movement now. I spray enough cleaner on the couch that it’ll be wet to sit on. But I need to get as much milk out as I can.
I expect Axel to say something. To keep flirting. But he doesn’t. He just gets to work beside me, silently cleaning.
“You’re leaving today,” Axel says. It’s not a question.
I glance at him, a little startled. How the hell did he know that? Is he going to try and stop me?
There’s a glint of mania in Axel’s eyes, then he goes back to the couch.
“You’re a coward for leaving.”
The accusation cuts deep. I jerk back. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me, little bird.” His voice is quiet. Soft.
Anger fills me, and my cheeks get hot. How dare he? I’m my own person. I’m allowed to go and do whatever I want, especially if that means leaving a place I was forced to stay in.
Slowly, I suck in a breath. “You know, you act like some meathead who only wants to get his dick wet, but I think, deep down, you’re just a scared little boy.”
Axel freezes, and I know I’ve hit something sensitive. He watches me, and I see his tongue moving along his teeth behind his closed lips. “Makes two of us, huh?” Then he drops his rag and steps away. Just in time for Gage to walk in, sans shirt.
“Oh. Hey.” He narrows his eyes at Axel, who tenses.
Axel’s trying to throw on his mask with a joking smile, but I see how thin it is. He doesn’t want Gage to see the real him.
Too bad. If he’s gonna call me out on leaving, I’m gonna call him out on his bullshit. I throw a blinding smile at Gage.
“Axel was just offering to stay. He’s gonna help clean, then have lunch with us.”
I hear Axel make a sound of disagreement. Gage frowns for a second but then says, “Oh. Okay. Sounds good.”
And Axel shuts up. Like I knew he would.
“I'll get something started.” Gage moves to the kitchen.
I throw a triumphant grin at Axel, who glares at me in return. Then, I send him a wink and get back to cleaning.