56. Promise Me
PROMISE ME
Lorelei
Of course I didn’t want to cause trouble for the boy as Brock had so arrogantly called Axel. But after hearing those three little words fall from his lips my brain had short-circuited. Axel loved me? He was actually in love with me for real?
More than that, he’d offered to marry me, to jump on his private jet for a quickie Vegas ceremony just to save me from the monster I was shackled to. Damn it, there was nothing I wanted more. My heart pinched, and all the air squeezed from my faltering lungs.
His brilliant blue eyes seared to mine, as if he was searching the darkest depths of my soul. There was so much hope, so much promise in that gaze.
God, when Axel looked at me like that, I believed him.
But his wedding ring wouldn’t save me now. It would only condemn him to a much darker fate. I didn’t care about Axel’s past sins. He didn’t deserve to spend the rest of his life in prison. So with my heart shattering into a million pieces, I drew out a long breath and peeled my body from his.
But not before I mouthed the traitorous words I couldn’t keep back a second longer, “I love you, too.”
I spun away before I could see the flash of hope in his burning gaze because it would devastate me. “I’m coming,” I snapped at Brock.
His mouth twisted into a satisfied sneer, and it was all I could do to keep my fingers clenched at my sides instead of wiping that sadistic smile off his face with my fist. I marched right past him and disappeared into the sea of elegant tuxedos and glittering ballgowns.
The slap of quickly trailing footfalls across the marble forced a groan through my clenched teeth. Brock’s hand wrapped around my upper arm, hauling me toward him.
“I don’t know what the hell has gotten into you, Lorelei, but it’s time you learned your place.”
“Fuck you,” I snarled, catching the attention of Copper Cove’s esteemed mayor.
The ruddy-faced man whirled around, silver brows gnarled and eyes wide.
Ignoring his curious stare, I wriggled out of Brock’s grasp while he floundered.
“Excuse me, Mayor, it’s that time of that month, and I just can’t seem to control my mouth. ”
Weaving between the throng of Copper Cove’s most elite residents, I quickened my pace, desperate to get away from my stalker.
“Lorelei!” Brock’s angry hisses followed me deeper into the crowd.
Picking up the voluminous skirts of the over-the-top gown Brock had bought just for this occasion, I wished I could kick off my heels and run straight out of the gala or better yet, the country club pool. Cocking my head over my shoulder, I hazarded a quick glance.
Brock was only a few couples behind, his measured steps more controlled than my wild, frenzied ones.
When I swung my head back around, I ran straight into a set of broad shoulders, hugged by a bespoke dark jacket. “Oh, sorry,” I mumbled.
Conrad Vanderhart spun around, bright blue eyes a mirror-image of Axel’s, meeting mine.
“Don’t you dare apologize, Lorelei. You can bump into me any day.
” An indulgent smile tipped up the corners of his lips, and the panic from a second ago started to recede.
His gaze lifted over the top of my head, and a hint of darkness carved into his features before he schooled his expression.
“As a matter of fact, since my wife abandoned me on the dancefloor in search of champagne, would you do me the honors?”
He dipped into an elaborate bow, and a ridiculous giggle erupted from my lips.
The heavy footfalls had stopped behind me, but I could still feel Brock’s scathing glare boring into the back of my head.
“I would love to.” I returned his bow with a dramatic curtsy of my own.
Axel’s dad’s arm laced around my waist, his hold ever so proper, keeping a good distance between us.
As he led me into the familiar steps of the waltz, I caught a glimpse of Brock over his shoulder.
I heaved in a sigh of relief as I found him trudging back to our table then reluctantly sliding into the seat beside my father.
Maybe after the dance, I could find a way to slip away somehow.
“How have you been, Lorelei? My wife keeps begging Ax to bring you by the house again.”
I barely suppressed the look of shock from spreading across my face. Axel hadn’t told them we’d broken up?
“It’s just been crazy busy lately,” I muttered lamely.
“I bet. I must say Axel’s hasty proposal kind of threw us for a loop.” His sharp eyes met mine. “Deb insists she saw it coming, that she’d never seen our son so smitten, but it all just happened so quickly.”
I snagged my bottom lip between my teeth, hating to lie to this kind man who actually cared about his son.
“I’m not saying I’m not happy about it, Lorelei.
Deb’s right, I’ve never seen Axel like this.
My son has a good head on his shoulders so if he thinks this is the right thing to do, I’m fully behind him.
” His gaze lifted over my head again, and without following his line of sight, I knew they were fixed on Brock.
“I want to help you, both of you, in any way I can. But if you’re not honest with me, there’s not much I can do. ”
My head bounced up and down, indecision warring in my chest. “I just want to protect Axel,” I whispered.
“Protect him from what?”
I sucked in a breath, the weight on my shoulders boring down on me. I hated carrying this secret, but I couldn’t just admit the truth to his father. He seemed like he would be supportive of anything, but murder?
“Secrets,” I finally whispered a long minute later.
His brow furrowed, darting eyes piercing mine.
“I love your son, and I would do anything for him,” I continued. “Even something I really didn’t want to do, just to keep him safe.”
Mr. Vanderhart’s head slowly dipped, the wary expression softening into a smile. “Don’t you worry about a thing, Lorelei. You do what you do best, making my son the happiest I’ve ever seen him, and I’ll take care of the rest. Okay?”
Hot tears pricked my eyes, unexpected emotion forcing me to swallow down the lump in my throat. “Thank you.”
After a few more twirls across the gleaming parquet, the soft tune melted away. Axel’s dad released me, holding me out to arm’s length. Luckily, he’d maneuvered us to the opposite side of the dancefloor, far from Brock’s psychotic glare.
Mr. Vanderhart performed one last twirl, spinning me right into a familiar firm chest.
“Thanks for taking care of my fiancée, Dad.” Axel’s citrus-laced, musky scent enveloped my senses as those piercing blue eyes raked over me.
“Anytime, Ax. You better not let this one wander far. She’s a hot commodity.” With a smile, his father set a path across the dancefloor moving in a direct line toward my father’s table.
An entourage of waiters in black tuxes swooped around, conveniently blocking us from Brock’s view. As Mr. Vanderhart marched away, the mad thumping of my heart began to settle. I drew in a breath, taming my nerves.
“You didn’t think our discussion was over, did you, blondie?” Ax’s lips brushed the shell of my ear. “Now let’s go somewhere private so I can finish what I had to say.”
“I can’t,” I blurted, the words like knives, carving at my insides.
“No one will know. Relax.” The sea of tuxedo-clad waiters moved in unison, like a curtain of flesh and blood as Ax steered us toward a service door.
As soon as we were through the swinging door, the wait staff dispersed throughout the back corridors of the country club.
“Thanks, guys.” Axel called out as the half dozen staff members took off.
“You arranged for that?”
He shrugged before taking a step closer, pinning me against the upholstered wall. “I guess I just needed a few days to lick my wounds after you broke up with me. After everything we’ve been through, did you really think I would just walk away from this?”
“I—I don’t know what to say.”
“How about those three words you mouthed to me before you let that asshole take you away a few minutes ago?”
My breath caught, heat surging up my neck and all the way to the tips of my ears.
“Let me refresh your memory. It started with an I and ended with a you.” A cute smirk pursed his lips. “I said it first actually…”
My heart staggered on a beat, warmth flooding my veins. “Oh, did you? I don’t think I remember the exact words. Maybe you can remind me?”
He leaned in close, his lips a heartbeat away from mine. He inhaled deeply, as if he were memorizing my scent.
“I said I love you, Lorelei, and I fucking meant it. There’s no more pretending here.
In the past few months, you’ve become everything to me.
And I’ll be damned if I’ll just sit here and let Brock Haversham take what’s mine.
Because you, Lorelei Battenberg, are mine.
” His lips devoured mine with the intensity of a raging storm.
His fingers curled into my hair, fisting the long strands, tilting my head to deepen the kiss.
He ripped his lips away for an instant, eyes wild.
“Never run away from me again, do you understand?”
I nodded, my body shifting into autopilot.
“Now, I’m going to fuck you right here in the middle of this hallway, and I don’t give a shit who sees because I want everyone to know you’re mine.
And once I’ve had you coming all over my cock, you will tell me what the fuck is happening with Brock and why the hell you think you need to protect me.
” His hand skimmed up the inside of my thigh, finding my panties.
“This pussy is mine, mine to fuck and mine to protect, not the other way around. Do you understand?”
My head bobbed again as his hand dipped beneath my billowing gown and he began to run his finger across my drenched thong. He shoved the flimsy silk aside, and I made quick work of his belt buckle and slacks. His cock sprang free, already rock-hard.
A groan rumbled in my throat at the sight of him. Only a few days, and already I’d missed him so much. It wasn’t just the mind-blowing sex, but the comfort of feeling him inside me. I’d never felt so connected, so adored and complete as when he filled me with his cock.
He ran his free hand down my ass, lifting my thigh to hook it onto his hip. Baring my pussy, he angled himself at my entrance. “Are you ready for me, baby?”
“Mmm, yes,” I groaned.
He teased my clit with his cock, running his thick head across my slick entrance. His eyes met mine, wild with lust but also something deeper. That damned L word that had ruined me. How could I protect him now? “Promise me you’ll tell me everything?” he growled.
“I promise, Axel, please, I just need you inside me. Now.”
“Deal.” He thrust his hips, filling me to the hilt and a rush of pleasure raged through nerve endings I didn’t even know existed. “Oh, fuck, Lore, you feel so good.” He drove deeper, his finger circling my clit as he plunged harder, faster.
Since we were in the middle of a pretty public corridor, back of the house or not, a quickie was necessary. Which wouldn’t be a problem because I was already teetering on the edge of sanity with each pump. I reached between our bodies and stroked his balls, earning a groan of approval.
“I missed you so much,” I rasped against his mouth as he ravaged my lips.
“Me too, Lore.” He nibbled on my bottom lip, snagging it between his teeth. “Now be a good girl and come on my cock already.”
His hand moved from the back of my head to my breast, and he teased my nipple into a hard peak. The rush of sensations consuming my body was too much.
“I love you,” he panted against my lips. “Those were the three words I wanted to hear out loud.”
“Right…” I murmured before capturing his lips once more. “I…”
He thrust again, and my nails dug into the back of his neck.
“Love…”
His finger drew wicked circles around my clit, driving me closer to the edge. Heat prickled through every inch, and my eyes rolled back.
“You, Axel!” I moaned as the orgasm rocked through me, my head falling back. An explosion of pure pleasure throttled my veins, filling me with warmth from the base of my spine down to my toes.
He fell next, his warm cum spilling down my leg as he let loose with a feral growl. “You’re mine, Lorelei. And I’ll do whatever it takes to keep it that way.” His lips brushed my forehead as tremors of raw desire vibrated through our bodies. “Mine, forever.”