Page 31 of Mister Stark

His demeanor quickly changed, and the old dominant daddy was back.

“You’re the one who made me get on this stupid elevator.” I snapped back as my eyes glared at him and I stepped closer.

“And you’re the one who snuck into my life when it was great without you.” He argued as he licked his lower lip and his teeth played with it out of frustration. “You bring out the monster, me.”

“Why do you have to be so cruel?” I asked with fury. “I don’t know how you ever had a son. How could any woman put up with you?”

Suddenly, his eyes went blank. His shoulders slumped and all the fight left his body. He repeatedly blinked his eyes, and the color drained from his face.

I stood there stunned by the drastic change in him, and the elevator remained silent. We became lost in the silence as he just stared at me and me at him. Our staggered breaths were the only thing I could hear.

But then his shattered voice broke through.

“Dylan’s mom died when he was two.” Daxon admitted and his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. “A drunk driver hit her and killed instantly.”

He left me in disbelief and tears came to my eyes, but I blinked them away. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know...”

“How could you know?” Daxon said as he squinted his eyes and shook his head. “Dylan doesn’t like to talk about it.”

“I tried to ask him about his mother, but he always changed the subject.” I admitted and touched his cheek. “He was so young; it must have been hard. You would’ve had to raise him all on your own.”

He looked right at me as soon as my hand touched his skin and he laid his hand over mine. “It was unimaginable. The pain, grief and not just mine, but my son’s.”

His touch was intoxicating, and within this moment, it was just us. We weren’t stuck; he didn't trap me; we were just together. Lost in this emotional memory that I just wanted him to heal from and pull him out of the loss he has felt all this time. Losing his wife and the life he could’ve had with her.

But she was gone.

He must’ve felt it too, because his eyes reverted to his icy-cold self and he pushed my hand away. “I swore off love. It only ends in disaster. I never want to face that again.”

Suddenly, a gasp escaped me as the elevator kicked back into action and Daxon looked at me with distrust. His eyes seared into me until it stung and his guard was back up. A wall he put up between himself and happiness.

For that brief moment, I saw a man who loved someone so much it hurt and I never thought it could be from him. He let me in and tossed me back out. It made me understand him even more. It made me see how calculated he could actually be.

The elevator dinged for the main floor and brought me back to reality. The one where he hated me and I couldn’t stand him. He finally brought a newfound truth to light, and the reality of it would bring aftershocks. I felt it deep inside.

I got off the elevator as Daxon’s cell phone rang and he looked at the screen. He grabbed my hand and stopped me in my tracks. His urgency made me ponder who it could be.

“This is Daxon.” He said as he got straight down to business and locked eyes with me. “Yes, I understand, and it’s a pleasure to be doing business with you.”

The phone call was brief and cut straight to the point. Daxon hung up, but his eyes remained locked on me. He didn’t let go of my hand as his thumb pad stroked my palm and made me weak. This back and forth with him had me dizzy and I couldn’t see straight. Let alone think right with him around.

“We got the Brava deal, and it’s all thanks to you.” He admitted as he squeezed my hand and pulled me back inside the elevator. “Your mishap on his yacht made him close the deal.”

His words shocked me. The business deal went through because of my accident. Mr. Brava doesn’t want any backlash. Poor business on his yacht would make the front-page news. He couldn’t have that.

I smirked with pride. “He probably just didn’t want me giving him a bad name after he felt me up on his yacht. It wouldn’t look good in the tabloids.”

Daxon chuckled, but let his hand fall. “I’m glad you’re okay, princess.”

He walked off the elevator without a glance back, and the doors clamped together. I couldn’t move as his words registered and coursed right through me. His hot and cold behavior had me twisted up in knots.

But I went back to my room and would give Dylan the good news.

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