Chapter 25
First Date
Saturdays were made for brunches and first dates. However, dear Axel, they were not made for that green-eyed devil, Jealousy. Who is Blaze? I can't be sure, but there seems to be some history between him and Scarlett. #Deepdive
Scarlett
Waking up to an intense view of caramel eyes is not terrible at all. I cover my mouth and laugh. Axel smiles and tries to take my hand away. This is the first morning that he hasn't had practice since we started staying together.
"I've already brushed my teeth." Axel says. He knows my very rational fear and I can’t believe he brushed his teeth before me!
Screaming into my hand, I jump off the bed.
Axel captures me in seconds. He snuggles me close around the middle, laying his head on the side of my neck.
Clumsily, we make our way to the bathroom.
Sometimes, Axel's intense nature can make me feel like I'm being burnt by the sun, but in moments like this when he's being needy, my heart tightens in my chest, and breathing is damn near impossible.
How can someone so intimidating be this cute?
It's like little by little, Axel gives me a glimpse of the young boy he once was before the hurts of this world got to him.
I love these sweet occasions when he's not being so guarded.
Brushing my teeth proves to be very difficult because he won't stop making faces at me in the mirror. His arms are still tightly encased around my jiggly belly. "I was thinking maybe I should take you on a date."
I spit out my mouthwash. "Are you asking or still just thinking?"
Axel chuckles. He's in a very good mood this morning. Great sex will do that. "That was actually me asking."
I turn in his arms, not wasting an opportunity to tease him. "Was it, though?"
He rolls his eyes. "Give me a break. Never been on a real date before. But...will you please do me the honor of accompanying me to brunch?"
I am smiling because, yeah, brunch and the Adonis before me are definitely two of my favorite things. "Why Axel Creed, I'd love to." He picks me up and swings me around the bathroom. "Put me down, you oaf! I'll break you."
Putting me down, Axel grabs my chin, making me look at his stern face. My big bad wolf is not happy and I'm embarrassed. I didn't mean to say those words aloud. "Don't you ever say that again?" I nod, but he's not satisfied. Axel puts pressure on my chin. "Say it, say you won't."
"I won't." I'm breathless and more than just a little light-headed.
He brings my mouth to his and kisses me thoroughly until little stars line my vision. "I may have to take that statement back if this is how you punish me."
He pushes me up against the bathroom counter roughly. Yes, please. Making my plush body burst into passionate flames. "I wouldn't recommend that."
It takes all my courage, but I stare at him without looking away.
"Why?" I sound breathy. Putting me in a chock hold, he pushes my neck to the side. Axel’s tongue replaces his fingers with caresses that throw gasoline on the fire burning inside me. I moan out loud as he lightly bites a tender part of my flesh. I’m literally melting.
"I don't think you're ready to know the answer to that question yet." He finally answers.
He's probably right. Subject changes are my specialty, but we will come back to this conversation. "Where are you taking me after brunch, Hot Stuff?"
"Anywhere you wanna go, Red." He grins.
"Anywhere, huh? That's very brave of you." My expression matches his.
Axel nips my earlobe, making me want to purr like a cat. "Answer me while I'm feeling generous."
Thinking is impossible because he's grinding up against me. "How about you take me to some local bookstores?"
"You know I have a jet at my disposal, and we could go to Paris or London until Sunday afternoon." He replies.
"I assumed as much, but I can't take you to those places, and you'll never hear me ask you something I can't do equally.
Plus, I love books and haven't really had the chance to do a good book crawl since being in Austin.
" My words end in a shrill because the thought of being surrounded by that much romance and smut is exciting.
He kisses my forehead. "A book crawl?"
"Yeah, you go to a few bookstores and scour the shelves for the best deals. Then buy them all. It's the best, but it may be boring for you. We can do something else if you want?" Disappointment hits me in the gut.
"No, that sounds like a perfect date to me, actually." He tries lifting my shirt, but I kick him out of the bathroom. He's got to help Jaxon and Toby with something, and I need to start planning for our date.
Texting Jared seems like the perfect thing to do.
Me: First date vibes over here! What do I wear? Going to brunch, then doing a book crawl.
His reply is instantaneous.
Not a Basic Bitch: You let him see that money spot yet?
I roll my eyes and laugh.
Me: Yes! And his dick is big and beautiful. Like, my Hoo-Ha is fragile right now. But focus! I need an outfit.
Not a Basic Bitch: Sneak a picture, you dirty whore!
Those dark mom jeans with the massive rip on the left side.
They make your ass look positively dangerous!
Pair it with the tightish white open-shoulder shirt you have, the one with the teal polka dots.
Wear it with some dark brown sandals. You'll be comfortable but still fashionable.
Me: That's perfect. What did I ever do without you?
Not a Basic Bitch: You almost died from all the boredom!
Me: Accurate depiction!
After some much-needed pampering, I place my long hair in a ponytail and dress in the outfit Jared told me to.
I put on light makeup with clear lip gloss.
Axel doesn't make me as nervous as he used to, but going on a date with him is still nerve-wracking. Axel arrives to get me and I’m appreciating that his hair in that sexy man bun. He looks delectable.
The restaurant we are eating brunch at is named A Taste of Louisiana.
It's super busy, making our wait forty-five minutes, which is fine, but I'm starving.
The restaurant is near the waterfront, and Cajun music can be heard on the outside speaker.
The smells coming from the kitchen are delicious and are making me a little homesick.
This bar and grill is actually on my list to review for the Austin City Limits column for the school news site.
When we're seated, we scour the menu and settle on shrimp and grits, and Axel orders us some beignets to try as an appetizer.
"I'm very impressed with this Louisiana cajun-inspired menu.
" I fidget with my napkin. Axel looks so hot.
Not jumping his bones is becoming near impossible.
Is it normal for a girl to just want to have sex all the time?
He gives me a wink. "I thought you might be. One of the guys on the team told me about this place. He said it was good."
I put my hands on my hips. "We shall see. I'm a harsh critic regarding the food from my home state."
Staring down at my plate, I'm apprehensive to taste this delicious-smelling dish. Axel taps the table with his fingers. "Ummm Scar?
"Yes, sir?" I ask while still staring at my food.
"Why are you looking at your food like who did it and why?"
I give him a look. "Because I'm from Louisiana, and if I don't like this dish, I will consider it a declaration of war against us."
He laughs. "I've realized that Southerners get very hostile regarding their food." Yeah, Axel being from New York City, he wouldn't understand. "Let that be a lesson to everybody who has the nerve to mess with our heritage of homemade deliciousness."
Axel smirks. "Can you cook?"
"Not as good as Jake. Can you?"
He looks mortified. "Let's just say I tried once and almost burnt down the fearless house."
My giggle comes out more like a snort. "Oh, I can't wait to ask Jaxon or Toby about that."
He snickers. "They'll never tell you where all the bodies are buried.
" Rolling my eyes because bullshit. Finally, gathering up the nerve, I take my spoon and mix the concoction together.
This is the first time I've ever tasted shrimp and grits with white gravy on top.
Tasting my spoon, I can't help the sound that comes out of me.
It's pure heaven. Axel grabs my knee under the table.
"Make that sound again, and I won't be able to stop what my hands do to your body. "
He doesn't mean that, does he? We are literally in public with people surrounding us. It's one thing to have sex in a secluded part of a parking lot. I squeal when his fingers dig firmly into my flesh—heat pools between my thighs. I whisper gently. "Axel, we can't do that here."
"Why, because it's making you wet?" He bites his lower lip. I don't say anything but nod my head in agreement. He digs his nails into my skin, which only makes me wetter. Then Axel's hand soars higher until his index finger runs up and down my slit through my panties.
I thrust into his touch. He smiles in my hair. "So fucking wet, Wallflower." He continues his assault until our phones go off at the same time. He leans over and stops when he sees the message that Blaze has sent me. "Who the fuck is Blaze?"
Oh shit. "One of my best friends."
He picks up my phone and shows me the message.
Blaze: What's up, beautiful?
His look is deadly, and I can feel the fury as it exudes off of him. "Axel, I won't lie to you. Blaze is the only other guy I've had sex with. We were never an item, just friends, and I didn't want to come to college a virgin."
"Have you told him about us?" He fumes.
"No, but I haven't talked to him since we started going out," I admit.
"Tell him now." Axel demands.
"Okay." That's so random.
"Fucking now, Scarlett." He slides my phone closer to me with his eyebrow lifted.
I pick up my phone and type.
Me: Hey! On a date with my boyfriend. Ttyl.
Axel looks over my shoulder the entire time I'm typing. He seems to be satisfied with my message. "You should probably know that he plays for LSU. Y'all will play them in a few. That's probably why he was messaging me."
He lifts an eyebrow. "Blaze Renfro?"
"The one and only." I shrug.
His smile doesn't reach his eyes, probably because the evil glint is in there instead. "Oh, I can't fucking wait."
"Axel Creed, you can't hurt him!" Panics start to settle in my chest.
He taps the table. "Sure."
This isn't good. Axel needs time to cool off before we broach this topic again.
He pays the tab, and we're on our way to do our book crawl.
I prefer local bookstores to chains, and Austin doesn't disappoint on that front.
As we arrive at our first one, I head straight for the smut Booktok section.
He follows close behind me and only laughs when I try to shoo him away.
I have to bite my lips to keep from laughing when his eyes about bulge out of his head as he reads some of the contents of the dark romance I'm holding.
"What the hell are you reading? And better yet, why am I not reading it with you?
This is fucking awesome, babe!" I kiss his upturned lips but can't reply because I'm already lost in the story.
He takes the book from my hands and places it in our carry bag.
I cut my eyes at him, but he holds his hands up in defeat.
Leaning in close to me, he whispers, "We're doing that scene together.
" That's all Axel says as he casually walks away.
My chest beats frantically. Axel takes me by the hand as we approach the next aisle.
"I've always loved looking at you when you read a book, the way your cheeks blush, the way you smile. I can't wait to witness that up close."
Confusion hits my senses. "You've never been around me as I've read a book."
He laughed. "But haven't I?” Axel lifts his brow in a challenge.
I bury my head in his chest. "You really are my stalker?"
He backs me up against a bookshelf. "I can neither admit nor deny any such thing.” He places his hand firmly on my throat and kisses me. People come our way, so we jump apart and laugh. Then, we browse the shelves for what seems like hours.
By the time we leave, it's too late to make it to another bookstore, but for every book I picked up and showed interest in, he put it in our bag and wouldn't let me pay for any of them.
Axel is sweet, but also a crazy fucker that stalked me, that literally hacked into the school server to get my school schedule, but I can't help but love every single thing that he did for me, because sometimes wallflowers do get the guy.