Page 36 of True Blue

“I can assure you I am not a beard, though I won’t claim to be completely straight.” Axel pulls me back, away from Christopher. “Come on, Blue. I think your mom wants a photo.” I glance around, finding Mom deep in discussion with Paul and a few other people, but let Axel take my hand and pull me away as Christopher’s angry eyes watch us escape.

Axel continues walking the edge of the dance floor, avoiding everyone and heading straight for the food and drinks area. He grabs an unopened bottle of champagne off the back of the table and then heads toward a door with a sign next to it showingstairs. I glance around, making sure no one is watching and catch Mom’s eyes as she watches us disappear.

The stairwell echoes with our footsteps as we enter and close the door behind us. My pulse races as I lean against the wall and watch Axel, waiting for him to say something.

“How the fuck do you get this wire shit off?” He pulls at the cage around the top of the bottle, and I step forward, pushing his hand out of the way and twisting the intertwined wires until they’re loose enough to pull off. I can feel Axel watching my face as I do it and ignore him.

I lean back, holding the wire cage, and watch him rip off the foil and place his thumbs under the head of the cork. My hands come flying up to protect my face as he points it away and starts to squeeze it off. A loud pop ricochets off the concrete walls and I laugh as I look back, seeing the foam pouring down the sleeve of his bright blue button down.

“Fuck,” he mutters, laughing a little with me. “Thought you might need a little bit of fun and a break from all that, but half of this just went all over me.”

My laughter dries up, eyes meeting his as he holds the bottle by the neck and stares at me, dripping wet and totally at ease. “You don’t want to ask about what Christopher said?”

He shrugs, taking a sip from the champagne before holding it out to me. “I don’t care what you did while you were with that prick. I know who you are, Blue. Nothing someone else tells me would change my mind about you.”

I take the champagne bottle from him and gulp down a mouthful before passing it back. “I kissed Bentley.” He pauses, the bottle halfway to his lips and blinks, before bringing it the rest of the way to his mouth and chugging a little more than before.

“We slept together,” he says, and my mind instantly conjures up the image of Axel and Bentley tangled up together. My mouthgoes completely dry at the image and heat flares in my veins. “Well, sort of. I sucked him off and then he let me fuck his face. So, just oral really.” The image changes, Bentley on his knees while Axel grips the back of his head and pumps his hips into his mouth. My stomach clenches and I take a shaky breath, trying to keep my reaction off my face.

He watches me for a moment, eyes molten, before passing me the bottle. I take it and pour more champagne down my throat, trying to cool the new fire growing inside me.

“So, you guys hooked up and now you're not speaking?”

He nods.

“Was it bad?”

Axel sits down on the stairs next to me, running his hands through his hair. “No, it was kind of amazing actually. But I think he wanted it to be a one-time hook up.” He looks up at me. “And then he did that shit with Cassie like the next day and I just got even more pissed because that night fucking meant something to me, and I don’t think it meant anything to him.”

I feel the need to soothe him. Letting it lead me, I sit down beside him, leaning my head on his shoulder and passing him the champagne. He takes it and swigs, wrapping an arm around my back and resting it against my waist on the other side.

My head pops up as what he just said hits me. “Wait, you guys hooked up after Mira’s party?”

He nods, looking down at me. I laugh breathlessly, expecting to feel hurt that he tucked me into bed then went to his room and fucked Axel but the only feelings that bubble up are warm. I still can’t clear the images of them entangled, suddenly imagining myself in between, and I rub my thighs together to try to alleviate the ache that’s started in my core at the thought.

“When did you two kiss?” he asks, starting to rub my side and passing me the champagne.

I wave off the bottle and he sets it down on the step next to him. “Two weeks ago. The night I broke up with Christopher.” I peek over at him, but he just stares back with the same heady look as before. “We ended up sitting next to him and Cassie out on their date at a hibachi place and I needed to get away from the table because watching the two of them together while Christopher was annoying me was making my blood boil. So, I went outside to scream out my frustration and he followed me and cornered me, and we argued.” I can hear my voice getting hysterical, but Axel just watches me falling apart and keeps rubbing my side. “And then I don’t know what happened. We kissed. And I realized I needed to break up with Christopher.” I turn away and bury my head in my hands, trying to ignore the comforting feel of Axel’s hand moving over me.

“Bentley Marshall really did a number on both of us, huh?” He chuckles humorlessly.

I bleat out a laugh too. “I was really worried that you were going to be mad if you found out.”

“To be honest,” he says, hand stopping on my waist. “The idea of the two of you together is hot to me.” I look up at him, eyes wide again. “Oh, come on Blue. You have to know I’m attracted to you. I've never been described as subtle before.”

I laugh, tendrils of sparks unfurling in my chest. “No, I kind of figured that out. But that’s why I thought you’d be mad.”

“Are you mad I hooked up with Bentley?”

“No,” I say instantly, realizing how deeply true the answer is. “To be honest, I find the idea of you two together kind of hot too.”

He smirks, fingers digging into the side of my dress. “Interesting,” he murmurs, eyes trailing down to my mouth. “I really want to kiss you right now.”

“Who’s stopping you?” I murmur, leaning forward.

He surges in, lips meeting mine as he pulls me forward. My eyes fall closed as his other hand comes up and cups my jaw, tilting my head to where he wants it. His tongue meets mine and the sparks in my chest blossom into full blown fireworks, fizzling out to my fingertips. I grip the front of his shirt in both hands, pulling him closer as I nip his lower lip. He groans, fingers sliding from my jaw to the back of my head and gripping my hair. I moan when he grabs a handful and tugs lightly, breaking the kiss and staring up at the ceiling. He trails his lips down my throat, biting my pulse point when he reaches it and I cry out, the move drenching my underwear.

Axel chuckles, pulling back and looking into my eyes. “As much as I love where this is going, maybe a stairwell at your mom’s campaign event isn’t the best place for us to get together?”

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