Chapter 1 #2
He wasn't moving and she tried to stop but ended up tripping over one of her clogs. "Shit!"
An arm caught her around the waist and for the second time in one night she was pressed up against a hot and hard chest.
"Axl?"
"Don't you know how to walk?"
Maile put her hands up between them. Or she tried to.
Fucking Axl had what felt like an iron band around her.
"Dude! Let me go!"
There seemed to be a moment when his arm was tighter around her and then, when it was almost painful to breathe, he let her go.
Her whole body sagged in relief and then she got a good indrawn breath.
"What the hell!"
Half his mouth lifted in a smile. "What exactly are you asking?"
"You grabbed my bag!"
His laugh sounded more like a snort. "I told Pallas I'd help you."
Her lips twisted and she felt her frustration reaching a breaking point. "You don't need to treat me like a baby."
"Baby?"
If her arms weren't trapped between them, she would have punched him in the eye for his tone of voice.
"You said you came to babysit me. I'm a full-grown woman, Cameron Cox." She squared her shoulders at him and the hold of his arm loosened.
Nodding in satisfaction she twisted her shoulders and sidestepped, freeing herself from his hold.
"And I can get my own damn bags!"
To prove her point, she stepped around him and pulled up the handle on the bag he'd pulled from the carousel and move it closer to the conveyor belt.
She turned her head to the side to look at the other bags coming her way.
She felt like Axl had moved up to stand beside her.
She didn't dare to turn and look.
But she swore she could feel him.
Like a big ol' wall of asshole standing beside her.
She watched the bags come at her on the belt. Big hard sided luggage. Soft bags. The usual packing taped wrapped coolers and plain cardboard boxes with Sharpie marker names on the sides.
Frowning, she swore she saw the same bags come around a second time.
"What the fu-"
"Maile? Hey... Maile?"
She turned around toward the sound and saw U'ilani Velasco coming her way.
"Hey! What's up?" Maile grinned at her friend. "Didn't get enough of me in Vegas?"
U'ilani tossed her head and then shook it, her dark and glossy hair swishing around her shoulders. "Never."
Maile gave her a hug. "Here. A big ol' hug after hours on a plane... enjoy the gross!"
Her friend laughed and squished her right back. "You get my gross, too!!"
"Ewww..." Maile loosened her hold and leaned back "Gross!"
U'ilani rolled her eyes. "We're both sooo mature."
Maile heard a snort of laughter at her side and turned her head enough to glare at Axl. "Shut up, you bit oaf!"
U'ilani lifted a brow at her and leaned in. "Who's this? Your man?"
Maile reared back, her jaw falling open. "Bite your tongue! Eww!!!"
U'ilani's eyes widened. "No?"
"Hell, no!" Maile enunciated the two words clearly. Very clearly. "Pallas sent him to get me. Kawehi's not feeling all that hot."
U'ilani nodded slowly. "Is it the baby?"
Maile nodded. "All I can say is I'm going to be a very cool aunt. I don't think I'd want to go through stuff like she is."
Shaking her head, U'ilani gave her a half-smile. "You might change your mind later."
"Nope." Maile gave a resolute shake of her head. "I want to be the cool aunt and do all kinds of cool stuff, fill the kiddos with pounds of sugar and then BOOP, drop them off and let my cuz deal with the fallout."
U'ilani scoffed softly at that. "I guess I can see that. You were an only child. Our family has eight kids."
Maile heard Axl choke beside her.
She reached out an arm and hit him in the gut.
"Hey!"
"Shut up, fuzzball."
She wasn't looking at Axl, but U'ilani's eyes widened before she turned away.
"Anyway," her friend looked like she was trying not to burst out laughing, "Shawn pulled your bag off the carousel along with ours. I offered to bring it over to you and, uh... see the big guy Shawnie was talking about."
Maile turned her head to look at the 'big guy' and saw Axl grinning.
Maile glared at him when he turned to look at her. "You look like you ate shit."
U'ilani laughed and then proceeded to nearly choke on that laugh.
Maile moved over and gave her a few pats on the back until she got herself under control.
"He's a brute, but if he did something really stupid Kawehi's man is his boss. He'll kick his ass."
U'ilani stepped back and held up her hands in surrender. "As long as you're safe with him..."
"You mean, is he safe with me?" Maile snorted a laugh.
"Uhh..."
Maile looked own when U'ilani put her hand on Maile's arm.
"Are you really okay?" She slanted a sideways look at Axl. "If not, Shawnie can drive you home."
Maile froze at the sound of a growl at her side.
She turned slowly and when she looked up at Axl's face, she saw how red his complexion was.
"What's up with you?"
Axl reached past her and grabbed the handle of her suitcase. "You ready to go?"
She heard his tone and her jaw tightened up.
Maybe it was fanciful thinking, but she felt like her expression was really close to his. 'That's probably pissing him off.'
"Yeah. I'm good."
U'ilani made a gesture with her hand, like an old phone handset. "Call if you need us."
"I've got it."
Somehow as Axl rolled off her suitcases, grumbling his words, the wheels sounded extra loud on the concrete floor.
Maile leaned in and pressed a kiss on U'ilani's cheek and then the other. "Really, he's an ass, but Pallas would end him if he did anything. Don't worry."
U'ilani nodded. "Okay. As long as you're sure." She turned her head, looking back at the carousel.
Maile could see Shawn standing with the rest of the Velasco family. Shawn gave them a big bright smile and lifted his chin, tossing his highlighted hair back from his face.
She shook her head. "Tell Shawn to dial back the testosterone a little. I doubt the women and some of the men down here could resist."
Maile lifted her hand and waved her fingers at him.
Then she rolled her eyes and walked away.
She met up with Axl at the sliding doors and tried to ignore the big, blustery exhale of breath.
Tried.
And failed.
"What is it? Planning to huff and puff and blow the house down?"
He turned, leaving the suitcases in place, and leaned in until their noses were almost touching. "I wouldn't mind if you wanted to blow something." He lifted a brow and gave her a smirk. "I've got room in my truck if I push my chair back."
Maile snorted. "For what? You and your ego?" She put her hands up bracing her fingers on his chest and hated that a man that asinine had a chest that amazing. "There's not enough room for both of you behind the wheel."
She started to walk toward the curb.
Maile heard a rather colorful string of curses behind her.
Before she reached the curb, a hand clamped down on her shoulder, fingers digging in to stop her.
"I had to park."
She felt her mouth turn down at the corners, tight and probably unappealing.
Not that she was trying to impress him.
Hardly.
The hand lifted and she turned, surprised to see that Axl had both suitcase handles in one hand.
She pursed her lips and sighed. "Lead on, Cameron."
Maile saw the way his shoulders tensed as he drew in a breath.
Then his head dropped forward an inch or two as he separated the handles of her suitcases so that one was in each hand.
Then he looked her in the eye and smiled.
He fucking smiled!
"Try not to trip on the way to the parking lot, 'kay?"
He didn't even wait for her to snark back, he just walked toward the crosswalk.
She followed behind him, wondering how hard it would be to plant the bottom of her foot into one of his buttcheeks.
Realizing she didn't want to strain a hamstring, she left it alone.
For now.