Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
Axel
I wake up wrapped around Tara. For the first time in forever, all is right in my world.
Since I don’t want to wake her, I have a long time to think about everything that happened yesterday and how quickly things did a one-eighty.
Walter is still in the kennel, which breaks my damned heart, but the woman I love is in my arms.
Given the choice, things worked out in my favor, but I wish I could help those dogs find homes and Norah save the shelter. Ideas come and go as Tara sleeps, some sticking and helping me form a game plan.
Once I work out those issues, my thoughts turn to Tara.
I breathe her in, inhaling the strawberry scent of her shampoo and the lingering hint of sex in the air.
Last night was a reunion of the best kind.
After that first time, we fell asleep. I woke her at three with my face in her pussy and my name on her lips, and after an explosive orgasm where I thought she pulled out all of my hair, she greedily returned the favor.
I came harder than I ever have in my life, and I grin at the memory.
I don’t know how I convinced her to trust me, and as she stirs, I’m worried she’ll wake up and regret that she gave herself to me in the deepest way. I made myself clear that I want everything, and I wasn’t kidding.
She rolls until she’s facing me, and her lashes flutter open, her brown-eyed stare as enticing as my morning coffee.
“Hey,” she says, one side of her face on the pillow as she meets my gaze.
“Hey.” I brush long strands of hair off her cheek. “Sleep well?”
A pleased, sated smile takes hold. “Really well.”
“No regrets?” I have to ask.
She places her finger over my lips, stopping the question. “Not one.”
I blow out a relieved breath. “I need to know what changed your mind.”
She sighs and places her hand over my chest. “You asked me to trust you with my heart. You wanted everything, and I knew if I walked away, I was going to be alone. Worse, I’d be without you again.”
I see the sheen of tears in her eyes before she blinks them away. I never want to see her sad or hurting.
“I knew my mother had loved and lost my dad, and she’d moved on. There was a lesson there I was finally willing to see.” Her fingers draw circles on my skin. “So I opened my eyes. I needed to get over my fear of loss and abandonment, or I’d lose you. And I couldn’t let you go again.”
I’ve heard what I need to. There is no going back. For either of us. I kiss her hard, my mouth parting her lips, my tongue making itself at home.
I’m not sure how long we lay locked and lost in each other, but when she breaks the kiss and comes up for air, I look her in the eyes.
“I love you, Tara. I’ll be with you even when I’m not, and I’ll never be gone long.”
Her smile lights up everything inside me. “I’ve made my peace with what I thought were our differences. I fell in love with a boy who wanted to be a famous rock musician, and I’m still in love with the man who achieved his dream.”
I grasp her wrist. “I’m going to make all of your dreams come true, too.”
“You already have.”
* * *
Tara
A week later, the sun shines overhead, a gift from above on the day of an outdoor concert. The band tests their instruments, which have been tuned and left ready for them on stage.
Axel has made miracles happen. He arranged for the Original Kings to play a benefit concert to raise money for Norah’s Ark in order to keep the shelter open and get some of the pets adopted.
While he has his plan, I have mine. I went behind his back and took care of something very important before it was too late, and I have a surprise waiting for him when he comes off stage. From the moment of his return, he’s been all about giving to me. It’s time I do something for him.
Norah joins me at the moment the band strikes their opening chord. Around us, the Kingston family mingles with each other, excited to see Dash in his element. Just like I can’t wait to see Axel in his.
Watching him play, sweat gleaming on his strong muscles, his talent on the drums bordering on legendary, I can’t be prouder.
I would have been a fool to push him away, and I am so grateful I came to my senses.
When it comes to loss, the past is difficult to overcome, but this man and the life we can have together are worth it.
Later, after the band plays their final encore and Dash encourages the crowd to donate to the shelter and to adopt, not shop, the guys lay down their instruments and walk off stage to a standing ovation. Well, the audience is already standing anyway, I think, smiling.
“Tara?”
I turn at the sound of my name. A woman who resembles the Kingston siblings and has to be their mother walks over to me.
“Hi. I’m Melly Kingston.”
“Hello! I’ve heard so much about you.” I smile at the other woman. “Axel has told me how you’ve treated him like family since he joined the band and his sister married Dash. It’s so good to meet you in person.”
Melly meets my gaze. “Can we hug? I feel like you’re family now, too.”
I hug the woman who has treated Axel like a son.
“I’m glad you two are together now,” Melly says. “It wasn’t that long ago he was climbing the walls, wondering how to convince you he was serious about you.” Melly’s warmth makes her impossible not to like.
“Well, we had our challenges,” I admit. “Mostly mine.”
“But she came to her senses, and now they can live happily ever after,” a familiar voice says as my mom wraps an arm around my shoulders.
I turn and kiss my mother’s cheek. “Mom, this is Melly Kingston.” I perform the introductions, and the women start talking. “If you two don’t mind, I have something important I need to do.” I leave them alone, sensing the two will get along well.
I head toward the stage at the same time Axel, still in his sweaty T-shirt, comes bounding toward me, obviously still amped up from the performance. “I’d say we rocked the house,” he says with a pleased grin.
“Yes, Mr. Ego, you did.”
He sweeps me into his arms and seals his lips over mine. He kisses me long, hard, and deep, and totally too much for a public place, but I get lost in him anyway.
By the time he lets me up, I’m breathless. “I love what you did for the shelter. I can’t thank you enough.”
“No need to thank me. It’s a worthy cause.” He hooks an arm around my waist. “Besides, I’d do anything for you.”
“And I’d do anything for you. Which brings me to my surprise for you.”
He narrows his gaze. “You can’t have a surprise for me. I have one for you.”
I shake my head. “Nope. You aren’t going to one-up me, Axel Forrester.”
He lifts his shirt and wipes the sweat from his face with the material.
My gaze falls to his six-pack, and I’m surprised I’m not drooling. “Stop trying to distract me,” I say.
He laughs and whispers, “We could leave now. Nobody would know.”
I shake my head. “Not yet. Surprise, remember? Come on.” As I lead him to the parking lot, I begin to explain.
“Since we are together…” We are alternating staying in the gatehouse on my family’s property and in his empty house that he still refuses to decorate.
Neither of which is ideal, but that’s a discussion for another time.
“I figured that I would add to your stability factor.”
We reach the lot where Norah and her volunteers have the puppies who are available for adoption. Nobody can just take a dog home today, but they can meet the dogs, fill out an application, and be vetted afterwards. Then someone will call them if they are approved as a pet owner.
“Stability factor?” He comes to a halt. “I thought we were past those issues.” Panic seems to invade his expression.
“We are. Relax.” I put a hand on his chest to reassure him. “This is a good surprise. I just meant that we’re living together, and I’m around to take care of a pet when you’re on tour. No upheaval involved.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You will.” I lead him around the booth and pause where a large crate sits alone with a black and white dog inside, who appeared disinterested in everything going on around him.
“Walter?” Axel asks, excitement in his tone.
The dog’s ears perk up at the sound of his name.
Smiling, I watch as Axel walks over, and the dog’s long tail begins to wag as he paws at the kennel gate to get to Axel.
“Is he up for adoption here?” Axel asks.
“He’s taken,” I say, carefully watching Axel’s face. He doesn’t seem to understand yet, and I can’t torture him another second. “Baby, open the crate and take out your dog.”
His gaze swings to mine. “You…?”
I nod.
“What about Dakota? Will they get along?” he asks, his body vibrating with contained happiness.
“Well, I’ve had them play together a couple of times this week, and I even brought Walter home to make sure there were no immediate territorial issues. They got along great. So go get your dog!”
Axel’s gaze swings from Walter, who is still pawing at the crate, to me, as if unsure of who he should hug first.
“Go!” I wave a hand toward Walter.
Axel lets his new dog out of the crate and drops to his knees, Walter immediately nuzzling his head into Axel’s stomach.
I step behind the makeshift tables and booth and pull out a leash from a box. Walking over to my man and our dog, I clip the leash onto Walter’s collar, one I’ve already gotten for him.
“My mission here is complete,” I say, handing him the leash.
Axel rises to his feet. “But mine isn’t. I told you I have a surprise, too, remember?” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a key.
I wrinkle my nose in confusion.
“In case you think I don’t listen, you need to know that I do.
You wanted stability. A house. Kids. A future.
I don’t know about you, but I want to have you to myself for a bit before we have kids.
I plan to marry you, so don’t worry about that.
But I refuse to live in your mother and stepdad’s gatehouse, and my rental isn’t right for us.
So I took it upon myself to change our living situation. ”
I narrow my gaze. “You did … what?”
“I bought a house that you’re going to decorate. Or get help decorating. Whatever. In other words, I also took care of our stability situation.” He grins, obviously pleased with himself.
I fling my arms around his neck and kiss his cheek over and over.
“You don’t care that you didn’t see it first?” he asks warily.
“I trust you, remember? It’s not my parents’ house, it’s not your empty house…”
“It’s on the beach on the other side of Xander’s.” His grin widens, and I can’t help but chuckle.
Xander’s reaction will be something different, I’m sure. “How did you manage this in under a week?” I ask.
Laughing, he says, “Let’s just say I made the owner an offer he couldn’t refuse. And they were so happy, they agreed to move out by this weekend.”
My eyes open wide. “That must have been some offer.”
He waves a hand through the air. “It’s just money. I have it, and I can spend it. And now we have everything we ever wanted,” he says, pulling me close.
“All I ever wanted was you.” I’m just glad I realized it in time.
“Back at you, baby.”
Walter noses his way between us, seeking attention, and we both lean down to give it to him. I have a feeling this will be a permanent way of life from now on.
And I couldn’t ask for anything more.
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