6. Sami
Chapter Six
SAMI
I wake up the next morning from the deepest sleep that I’ve had in months. I open my eyes slowly and blink against the brightness, awareness creeping in as I register the unfamiliar bedroom around me.
For a moment, I’m completely disoriented.
This isn’t my lumpy mattress or scratchy discount-store sheets. This is a cloud. A ridiculously comfortable, expensive-smelling cloud that cradles my body like I’m made of glass.
I’m in Axel’s bed.
The events of last night crash into my consciousness like a tidal wave.
The bar. The ride. The expensive Italian food. The hot shower that turned into so much more. My body instantly reminds me of everything that happened, a delicious soreness between my thighs that makes my cheeks flush hot with the memory of his mouth, his hands, his body claiming mine.
I’m completely naked under these sheets. I run my fingers over the fabric, marveling at the softness against my skin. Everything in this room costs more than my entire apartment’s contents combined.
A movement to my right catches my attention.
Axel is sitting in a leather armchair by the window, fully dressed in jeans and a Highland Rye t-shirt with a laptop balanced on his knees. He’s watching me, those dark eyes tracking my every movement with an intensity that makes my stomach flip.
“Morning, Kitten.” His voice is a low rumble that vibrates through me. “Sleep well?”
I clutch the sheet tighter against my chest, suddenly aware of how vulnerable I am. “What time is it?”
“Almost ten.” He closes his laptop and sets it aside, giving me his full attention. “You were sleeping so peacefully that I didn’t want to wake you.”
Ten o’clock. I’ve never slept this late, not even on my days off. A flash of panic hits me.
“I need to call work. My shift?—”
“Already taken care of.” He stretches his long legs out in front of him, completely at ease while my world tilts on its axis. “I called your boss this morning. You have the next two days off.”
My mouth falls open. “You did what?”
“You needed the rest.” He says it like it’s the most normal thing in the world to rearrange someone’s work schedule without asking. “And I need time with you.”
The casual way he says it stuns me into silence.
I’ve known this man for less than twenty-four hours, and he’s already making decisions about my life. The craziest part is how a small, traitorous part of me likes it. Likes being taken care of. Likes being claimed as his.
But I’m not about to tell him that.
“You can’t just call my boss and change my schedule.” I push myself up to sitting, keeping the sheet firmly in place. “I need those shifts. I have bills.”
“I’ll be taking care of your bills from now on.”
This is exactly what I’ve spent my entire life avoiding: being financially dependent on someone else. I left Connecticut specifically to escape that kind of control.
“Look, Axel. About last night...” I gather my courage, needing to address the elephant in the room. “I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. I wasn’t trying to take advantage of your generosity or trade... services for a place to stay.”
Axel’s expression darkens instantly.
He rises from the chair in one fluid motion and stalks toward the bed. The movement is so predatory, so intensely male, that my breath catches.
“Is that what you think happened?” His voice drops dangerously low as he sits on the edge of the bed, close enough that I can feel the heat radiating from his body. “That you seduced me for a roof over your head?”
“No, I just—” I struggle to find the right words. “You’ve been so generous, letting me stay here. I don’t want you to think I’m using you.”
“You aren’t just some one-night stand, Sami,” He growls. “You’re mine. I fucking want you.”
“But how can you be so sure about this?” I gesture between us. “About me? We just met yesterday.”
His smile is slow and confident. “Some things you just know.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only answer that matters.” He cups my face, his thumb tracing my bottom lip. “You’re my woman. Nothing you say or do will change that.”
Warmth blooms in my chest, spreading outward until my entire body feels like it’s glowing. I’ve never been anyone’s before. Never been claimed with such absolute certainty.
“You can’t just decide that.”
“I already have.” His gaze drops to my lips. “And so have you. Your body knows it, even if your mind is still catching up.”
He’s right, and that’s the most terrifying part.
My body responds to him in ways I’ve never experienced before. One look, one touch, and I’m ready to surrender everything. Twenty-four hours ago, I didn’t even know his name. Now I can’t imagine not being here, not feeling his hands on my skin.
“This is crazy,” I whisper the words, more to myself than to him. “Normal people don’t fall this hard, this fast.”
“Good thing we’re not normal, then.” He smirks, leaning closer until his lips brush against mine. “Tell me you don’t want this, Kitten. Tell me you don’t want me, and I’ll stop.”
The challenge hangs between us. All I have to do is say the words, and he’ll back off. I know he will. For all his possessive declarations, Axel isn’t the type to force himself where he’s not wanted.
But I do want him. I want him with an intensity that scares me.
“I can’t tell you that.” The admission costs me something, a piece of the independence I’ve clung to so fiercely. “But this is a lot to process.”
He studies my face, his expression softening slightly. “I know it’s fast. But that doesn’t make it any less real.”
His certainty is like a gravitational force, pulling me in despite my reservations. How can he be so sure? How can he look at me, ordinary, struggling Sami Holland, and see something worth claiming so completely?
“What if this is just a fling for you?” I ask him. “What if you wake up tomorrow and realize I’m not what you want?”
Axel’s laugh is low and dangerous. “That’s not going to happen.”
Then his lips capture mine in a kiss that makes my entire body ignite.
His hand slides up my bare thigh, pushing the sheet away until I’m completely exposed to him.
There’s something so primal about the way he looks at me, like I’m a feast and he’s been starving his whole life.
I should feel self-conscious, lying here naked while he’s fully dressed, but the hunger in his eyes makes me feel powerful instead.
“I want you again,” he growls against my mouth. “I need to be inside you.”
My body responds instantly, heat pooling between my thighs despite the soreness from last night. One touch from him and I’m ready, willing, desperate.
“Yes.” It comes out breathless, needy. I reach for the hem of his t-shirt, tugging impatiently. “Too many clothes.”
He pulls back just enough to yank his shirt over his head, revealing the taut muscles and intricate tattoos I explored with my fingers and lips last night. The mountain inked over his heart seems to ripple as he moves, a permanent part of him just like the mountains outside his window.
“Better?” His smirk is sinful as he leans back down, his bare chest pressing against my naked breasts.
I run my hands down his sides, feeling the solid strength of him. “Still too many clothes.”
He chuckles, the sound vibrating through me as he captures my earlobe between his teeth. “Greedy little kitten.”
Axel stands to shed his jeans, and I drink in the sight of him. He’s all hard planes and defined muscles, and his thick cock is even more impressive. My mouth goes dry with want.
Axel grins as he climbs back onto the bed. “See something you like?”
“Everything.” I giggle. “I like everything I see.”
His eyes darken with possession. “Good. Because it’s all yours, baby. Just like every inch of you belongs to me.”
He settles between my thighs, then his mouth finds mine again, the kiss deeper, hungrier. I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him closer, needing to feel him everywhere.
“I want your cock inside me again,” I whisper against his lips. “Please.”
Heat floods my cheeks. I’ve never talked like this before, never been explicit about my desires. But something about Axel makes me brave, makes me want to shed every inhibition.
I continue. “I want to feel you fill me up.”
Axel groans and his hips rock against mine. “Your wish is my command, Kitten.”
His hand slides between us, fingers finding where I’m wet and ready for him. I gasp as he circles that sensitive bundle of nerves, my hips bucking involuntarily.
“So responsive.” His eyes never leave mine as he pushes two fingers inside me, stretching me gently. “So wet for me already. Does your body know who it belongs to, Kitten?”
I can barely form words, pleasure building with each stroke of his skilled fingers. “Yes. You. Only you.”
“That’s right. Only me.” He withdraws his fingers, replacing them with the blunt head of his cock. “Forever.”
He pushes into me slowly, letting me feel every inch as he fills me completely. The stretch burns slightly, my body still new to this invasion, but the pain is nothing compared to the pleasure that follows. When he’s fully seated, he stills, giving me time to adjust.
“Look at me.” His command is soft but unmistakable.
I open my eyes and meet his intense gaze.
“I want to see your face when you come apart for me.” He begins to move, slowly at first. “Want to watch you break around my cock.”
His words should shock me. Twenty-four hours ago, they would have. Now they send a thrill racing through me, heightening every sensation. I grab his shoulders, nails digging into his skin as he increases his pace.
“You’re mine, Sami.” Each word punctuated by a thrust. “Say it. Tell me you’re mine.”
“I’m yours.” The admission falls from my lips without hesitation. In this moment, it’s the absolute truth. “All yours, Axel.”
His rhythm falters for just a second, my words affecting him more than I expected. Then he’s moving faster, harder, one hand sliding beneath me to lift my hips, changing the angle until he hits a spot that makes me cry out.
“That’s it, baby.” His voice is strained with the effort of control. “Be as loud as you want. I love all those pretty sounds you make. They turn me on so fucking much.”
I’m beyond words now, beyond thought. There’s only sensation—his body moving in mine, the delicious friction, the building pressure that threatens to consume me. My entire world narrows to this moment, this man, this all-encompassing pleasure.
“No one will ever make you feel like this.” His words are a brand on my soul. “No one will ever know your body like I do. You’re mine to protect. Mine to pleasure. Mine to keep.”
Something inside me shatters at his words. I come with his name on my lips, my body convulsing around him, wave after wave of pleasure washing over me. He follows immediately, his release triggered by mine, his body tensing as he empties himself inside me.
Inside me.
The realization hits me like a bucket of ice water.
Again. We did it again without protection. Panic rises in my throat as Axel collapses beside me, pulling me against his chest.
“Oh no.” I press a hand to my mouth. “We didn’t use anything. Again.”
Axel’s arm tightens around me. “I know.”
“Aren’t you worried?” I push up onto my elbow to look at him. “What if I get pregnant?”
His expression surprises me. Instead of concern, there’s something like satisfaction in his eyes.
Something almost... hopeful.
“Would that be so terrible?” His fingers trace lazy patterns on my bare back. “Having my baby growing inside you?”
I stare at him, completely stunned.
“Are you serious right now? We’ve known each other for a day.”
“Some things you just know.” He repeats his earlier words, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Some people are meant to be together. Some things are meant to happen.”
“This is insane.” I shake my head, trying to make sense of his reaction. “Most guys would be freaking out right now.”
“I’m not most guys.” His smile is gentle but certain. “And you’re not some random hookup, Sami. You’re the woman I’ve been waiting for.”
“Why me? Out of all the women you could have had, why did you pick the broke waitress from The Summit? Was I just convenient? The right place at the right time?”
Something shifts in his expression, a decision being made. “You weren’t convenient, Kitten. You were necessary.”
“That curse Ruby mentioned,” I whisper. “The Fit Mountain curse. Is it real?”
Axel smiles, pulling me back against his chest. “One look, and a mountain man knows. That’s what they say.”
“And you knew? Just from seeing me at the diner?”
“I knew.” His voice is absolute certainty. “And now you know too, don’t you?”
The scary thing is, I do. Despite all logic, despite every self-preservation instinct, despite knowing him for less than a day—I know. This connection between us isn’t normal. It isn’t rational. But it’s real. As real as the mountains outside his window, as real as his heartbeat beneath my palm.
“Yes,” I admit softly. “I know.”