Chapter 12
”Come on, Creed, you seriously believe this place is hidden? Looks like every other piece of beach to me.”
I can”t help but crack a smile at Sasha”s remark, even as the muscles in my shoulders tighten like coiled springs. ”Trust me, it”s not on any tourist map. It”s our own slice of the world for a while.”
Her steps fall in sync with mine as we navigate the trail leading to the cove. It”s been my sanctuary, a place where I can let down the guard I”m paid handsomely to keep up. The irony isn”t lost on me.
She sidesteps a fallen branch, her movements graceful despite the uneven ground. ”Your ”own slice of the world”? That”s almost poetic for a guy who barks orders like it”s his second language.”
”Hey, I read Hemingway,” I retort, feeling the corner of my mouth twitch upwards. ”Doesn”t mean I”m soft.”
”Never said you were.” There”s a warmth in her voice that wraps around me, steadying the storm inside.
The sound of waves crashing against the shore grows louder as we approach the cove. The sea”s rhythm syncs with my racing heart—a symphony of anticipation and dread. With each step, I”m peeling back the shell I”ve spent years forging.
Sasha stays close, her presence a silent anchor in the swell of emotions threatening to capsize me. She doesn”t push or prod; she just waits. It”s unnerving and comforting all at once.
We reach the cove, and the world falls away—the only reality now is the sand beneath our feet and the relentless sea before us. My pulse hammers in my ears as I turn to face her.
”This place...” My voice trails off as I search for words that won”t betray too much. ”It reminds me of... simpler times.”
Her hand finds mine—a lifeline thrown across turbulent waters. Her touch is light but sure, grounding me enough to continue.
”I can”t help but think back to the last moments with my team, before everything went wrong. We were making fun of each other while waiting for our orders, never knowing it would be the last time we”d all be together.”
”The guilt is like a constant weight on my chest, a reminder of the lives lost under my command. I keep replaying that day in my head, wondering if I could have done something, anything, to change the outcome,” I continue.
Sasha moves closer, her shoulder brushing against mine in a silent gesture of support. “Axel, you”ve been carrying this burden alone for far too long. But you don”t have to anymore. I”m here, and I want to help you shoulder this weight, in whatever way I can.”
It”s strange how simple words can dismantle years of fortified walls. Her hand in mine feels like absolution—like maybe I can lay down some of this burden at last.
”I”ve been trying not to,” I admit, my throat tight with unshed emotion. ”But it”s damn hard when it feels like you”re dishonoring their memory by moving on.”
”We honor them by living, Axel,” she whispers against the sound of waves—a balm to soothe a soul long tormented by ghosts of war.
“Moving on doesn”t mean forgetting them or dishonoring their memory, Axel. It means living the life they fought for, the life they would have wanted for you. It”s okay to find happiness and peace, even in the face of such loss.”
I nod slowly, allowing myself this moment with her—allowing myself to feel something other than guilt and duty. Here in this hidden cove, with Sasha by my side, I start to believe that maybe there”s a chance for redemption after all.
Sasha”s gaze locks onto mine, her eyes like open books, spilling secrets without a single word. I”ve always been shit at reading people, but with her, it”s like I”m fluent in a language I didn”t know I understood.
”Your turn,” I say, nudging her gently with my shoulder. ”What”s got you pacing floors at night?”
She laughs, a soft huff that dances across the evening air. ”Where do I start? The paparazzi hiding in my bushes or the fact that my last relationship made me feel like I was just another accessory to be shown off?”
I grunt in understanding, my fists clenching at the thought of anyone using her like that. ”Sounds like the guy was a grade-A asshole.”
”He was,” she agrees, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. ”But it”s more than that. It”s... losing myself, you know? Becoming what everyone else wants instead of who I really am.”
The raw honesty in her voice slices through me. She”s laying it all out there—her fears, her scars—just like I did. And damn if that doesn”t make me respect her even more.
”You”re one of the strongest people I”ve ever met, Sasha,” I say, meaning every word. ”Anyone who tries to dim your light is in for a hell of a fight.”
Her smile in response isn”t just grateful, it”s relieved. Like she”s been holding her breath waiting for someone to see her for who she truly is.
We sit in silence for a while, the kind that”s comfortable rather than awkward. It”s strange how two people with such different lives can find common ground on a pebble-lined shore under the stars.
”Thank you,” she whispers after a moment, leaning into me so subtly it might as well be an accident.
For what? For doing my job? For sitting here with her? There are too many possible answers and not enough words.
Instead of speaking, I wrap an arm around her shoulders—a protective gesture that feels as natural as breathing. She fits against me like she”s meant to be there, and for a wild second, I imagine what it would be like if this was our normal.
But hell, life isn”t a fairytale, and we”re just two people with more baggage than an airport carousel.
”You don”t have to thank me,” I finally murmur into the silence between us. ”We”ve all got demons. Might as well face them together.”
I chuckle, the sound getting swallowed up by the crash of the waves. ”You know, for a pop star, you”re not half bad at this whole ”being human” thing.”
Sasha rolls her eyes, but I catch the corners of her mouth twitching up. ”Gee, thanks, Creed. I”ll take that as a compliment, coming from Mr. ”I-Can-Kill-You-With-a-Thought.””
Her jab hits its mark, and I playfully narrow my eyes at her. ”Careful there, or I might just have to show you a move or two.”
She stands up, brushing sand from her legs, and takes a step closer. ”Promise?”
The air shifts between us, heavy with something more than just banter. I can feel the pull—an invisible thread tugging me towards her with an urgency that”s damn near impossible to resist.
”Is that a challenge?” My voice drops lower, rough with desire I can”t cloak.
”Maybe.” Her voice is a whisper but it rings loud in my ears. There”s a dare in her eyes, a fire that matches my own.
I stand up to meet her gaze fully, closing the distance until we”re inches apart. ”You”ve got guts,” I admit, and there”s respect laced through every word.
She tips her chin up defiantly. ”You”ve got issues.”
I snort because she”s not wrong. ”Never claimed otherwise.”
The tension coils tighter between us, a live wire sparking with the possibility of what could happen if we let it.
Then I say screw it.
My hand slides around her waist, pulling her flush against me. Her breath hitches, and there”s no mistaking the look in her eyes now—raw desire that mirrors my own. I can feel the heat of her body seeping through her thin sundress, igniting a fire beneath my skin.
”I”ve wanted to do this since the moment I saw you again,” I confess, my voice low and rough with need. My lips hover over hers, close enough to feel her rapid breaths mingling with mine.
”And here I thought you were all business,” she teases back, but her voice is breathy, laced with anticipation.
”All business goes out the window when it comes to you,” I growl, my hand tangling in her hair, tilting her head back slightly. ”You”re the only thing that matters right now.”
And then, I close the remaining distance, our lips finally colliding in an electrifying kiss. The contact feels like a bolt of lightning straight to my core. Her lips are soft, pliant, molding perfectly to mine as if they were made for this moment.
I deepen the kiss, my tongue tracing the seam of her lips, seeking entrance. She parts them with a soft moan, and I delve inside, tasting her, consuming her. It”s intoxicating, the way she responds to me, her tongue dancing with mine in a sensual rhythm that sends my blood rushing south.
Her hands roam over my back, nails digging into my shoulders, pulling me impossibly closer. I groan into her mouth, my own hands skimming down her sides, mapping the curves of her body like I”m committing them to memory.
We”re both drowning in this sea of need and desire, lost in the feel of each other, in the heat that threatens to consume us both. It”s not just physical, though—it”s a connection, an understanding that runs soul-deep.
I break the kiss, trailing my lips along her jaw, down the column of her throat. She tips her head back, giving me better access, and I take advantage, nipping and suckling at the sensitive skin. Her gasps and whimpers spur me on, each sound stoking the fire burning within me.
”Axel,” she breathes, my name falling from her lips like a prayer and a plea all at once.
I lift my head, meeting her gaze, and the desire I see there nearly brings me to my knees. Her eyes are dark, pupils blown wide with want, and I know mine must mirror hers.
”Sasha,” I murmur, cupping her face in my hands, my thumbs brushing over her kiss-swollen lips. ”You have no idea what you do to me.”
She leans into my touch, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment. ”I think I have some idea,” she whispers, her voice heavy with promise.
And God, I want to explore that promise, to lose myself in her completely. But not here, not like this. When I make her mine, I want it to be in a bed, where I can worship every inch of her body the way she deserves.
So, with a Herculean effort, I step back, putting some space between us. She looks up at me, frustration and disappointment warring in her eyes.
”Axel…?”
I take her hand in mine, bringing it to my lips and pressing a kiss to her palm. ”Believe me, Sasha, there”s nothing I want more than to continue this. But when we take that step, I want it to be perfect. I want to take my time with you, learn every curve, every sigh, every shiver. And I can”t do that here, not the way I want to.”
Understanding dawns in her eyes, and she nods, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. ”I get it, Axel. And you”re right. When we do this, I want it to be special, too. Something we”ll both remember.”
I pull her into my arms, resting my chin on top of her head. ”It will be, Sunshine. I promise you that.”
We stand there for a moment, wrapped in each other”s embrace, the heat between us simmering just beneath the surface. It”s a promise of what”s to come, a tantalizing glimpse of the passion we”ve just barely begun to explore.
Finally, Sasha pulls back slightly, looking up at me with a mixture of wonder and desire. ”That kiss, though... damn, Creed. You sure know how to make a girl weak in the knees.”
I chuckle, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. ”The feeling”s mutual, believe me.”
She shivers slightly at my touch, and I know it”s not from the cool night air. The tension between us is palpable, a living, breathing thing that threatens to consume us both.
But we both know that tonight”s not the night. As much as we might want to give in to the fire between us, we understand that some things are worth waiting for.
As we start walking back toward the safe house, Sasha slips her hand into mine, our fingers intertwining like it”s the most natural thing in the world. The silence that stretches between us is comfortable, filled with a sense of anticipation and shared understanding.
”You know,” I say after a while, glancing down at her, ”being with you like this, it feels...”
”Right,” she finishes for me, squeezing my hand gently. ”Like it”s exactly where we”re meant to be.”
I nod, marveling at how she always seems to know what I”m thinking, what I”m feeling. ”Exactly.”
We reach the safe house, and as we step inside, there”s a sense of something shifting between us. I lock the door behind us, the click of the bolt echoing in the stillness of the room. Sasha turns to face me, her eyes dark and full of promise.
“Goodnight, Axel, and thank you for sharing a piece of you today,” she says softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Goodnight, Sasha… and thank you.”
As we head to our separate rooms, I feel a sense of peace wash over me. For the first time in longer than I can remember, I”m not just enduring the night; I”m looking forward to the dawn.