Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
Emersyn
I stared up at the taller, older, sexy as sin mountain man and wondered what the hell I was even doing.
Axel looked better than his pictures, older and more defined, more muscles and tattoos now. The pictures must be old, but who would pose as him and even give me his address to go to? Or a close enough address, anyway. Maybe it’s someone he knew. But then, who was I talking to? An Emersyn too?
My brain hurt trying to figure it out. I wanted what I came for. The future, the love, the marriage, the commitment. Yet the guy in front of me only wanted a date for a family wedding.
Why bother with any feelings if only to end up hurt in the end?
“I don’t care anymore. Not if it means getting to taste you.”
Axel’s voice rumbled through me. A flash of desire so hot and so powerful sparked between us and my panties flooded.
But no.
I refused to be hurt.
“I can’t fuck around with my heart like that, Axel. And I won’t. It’s not fair.”
Axel closed the space between us even more. His closeness made my body hum. It came alive in ways I’d never felt before and wanted more of. “I’m not asking you to.”
“Then what are you talking about? I think we should cut our losses, call it a fluke, and move on.” I turned to go when his hand landed on my arm, and a bolt of lightning flew through me.
Why does he make me feel that way?
What is he doing to me?
“You feel it, don’t you?”
“Feel what?” I played dumb.
“The spark between us, the chemistry. It’s combustible.” Axel’s eyes were dark and molten with passion. “Do you feel it?”
I swallowed hard and nodded.
“Maybe the mix-up turned out to be a blessing in disguise.” Axel reached up and cupped the side of my face with his large bear paw of a hand, the skin calloused and rough.
“Maybe you can’t handle a girl like me. I mean, we are strangers, after all.”
“Let’s fix that, shall we?” Axel took the cart’s handle from my grasp and pulled it further into the entryway. He closed and locked the door behind us. “Are you hungry?”
“Very.”
“Good. Follow me.”
Axel showed me around his cabin before we settled in the kitchen. He poured me a glass of wine before opening a can of beer for himself. “I can make us some sandwiches?”
“Sure, I’d love one. I love to cook. I love to see the pleasure on people’s faces as they devour my food. But put me in a restaurant and I’d choke. It’s more of a hobby than anything else.”
“You’ll have to show me some tricks. I’m tiring of canned and frozen food.”
I chuckled. “I bet. A good way to get better is to experiment. You’ll learn along the way and see how flavor profiles work together and what you like best.”
“Flavor profiles? Now you’re talking a foreign language.”
“Like when you’re telling someone who doesn’t know cars how to replace transmission fluid?”
“Yeah, like that.”
“Flavor profiles are flavors blended together to give a unique taste you like. Once you figure out some, you can easily come back to them.”
“Got it. I like simple, nothing too complicated like some of those cooking shows.” Axel said as he pulled out the ingredients for bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches.
“I love watching the competition ones. You can definitely learn from them.”
“Makes sense. I’ll check some out.”
“So, what do you do for work? Did you have a job lined up here in Appleridge?”
“I grew up a few towns over from here and I do freelance writing which gives me a lot of freedom as far as scheduling and location. As long as I meet my deadlines and have wi-fi connected to my laptop, I’m good to go.”
Axel placed a plate in front of me with a large sandwich on it surrounded by chips. “Thank you.” I smiled and he shot me a wink that sent my heart into overdrive.
“I moved here when I was five, my sister only two. It was a small cabin by the lake, a perfect size for our family. To this day, my mom likes to ask me when I’m getting married.
She’s a bit much at times but all she wants is to see her kids have kids and start a family.
” He sat across from me with his sandwich.
Our conversation continued as we ate and discovered more about each other.
His loud, chaotic job left him tired most nights, seeking the peaceful quiet of his own. I could easily tone myself down, as I got carried away a lot, but I could be respectful of his needs.
Would he be respectful of mine?
After we finished eating and cleaning up, we went for a long walk, the cool breeze gentle and calming against my skin.
“So, you wouldn’t mind helping me out with this date situation I’m in?”
I laughed. “No, I wouldn’t mind, but you need to promise me something.”
Axel eyed me suspiciously. “Go on.”
“You fill me in on all the family gossip at your cousin’s wedding.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “That’s easy. I thought you were going to say something a lot more challenging.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know, maybe don’t fall in love with me or something.”
“And that’s a lot more challenging because?”
Axel looked away and when he turned back towards me, his eyes burned with a raging fire of want and need. “I think the answer is obvious, Emersyn.”
He stepped forward and placed his hands on my hips. My body jolted in reaction to his touch.
Our breaths mixed as he leaned closer. “Can I kiss you?”
Yet Axel didn’t wait for an answer. He saw my quick nod and he took what he wanted.
And what he wanted was me.