Page 48 of Double Standards
Axel, you really need to get laid.
“After his last stunt, I wouldn’t put it past him,” Cassie replies quietly, her voice heavy with exhaustion and something close to frustration.
My mind drifts back to our walk last week—the fierce determination in her eyes as she stormed out of her apartment, the flicker of sadness when she mentioned the fight with herroommate. She hadn’t shared much, but I knew it was connected to me. And here she is again, shielding me, taking shit from some other prick on my behalf.
“Makes me want to fucking ki?—”
Before I can finish, her hand shoots up and clamps over my mouth. I freeze, staring at her in shock.
“You can’t say shit like that,” she whispers fiercely, then pulls her hand away and hurries to close the door, leaving me standing there stunned.
I don’t think she’s realized I’ve stopped talking about Daniels—the way my thoughts are slipping out before I can catch them.
She fumbles nervously with the lock, strands of hair falling over her face and probably blocking her view. I can’t help but chuckle softly, then step over to click the lock shut for her.
Suddenly, she pivots, pressing her back and palms firmly against the door.
“Well, whatcanI say?” I murmur, arching a brow.
“Nice things,” she shoots back sarcastically, but the edge of nervousness beneath her words betrays her, especially as she notices how close I am.
I take another step forward. Her breath catches, shallow and quick. There’s barely any space left between us—only the faint rise and fall of our chests holding us apart.
“What kind of nice things?” I ask, gently tipping her chin up with my finger, allowing me to look deep into those emerald pools. I could get lost in them for hours—the way innocence mingles with that smoldering fire, framed by dark lashes that flutter nervously as she swallows her anxiety.
“Well,” she clears her throat, “saying you want to kill someone when you’re already on trial for murder isn’t exactly on the list.”
I have to give her credit, she’s quick on her feet, sharp as ever. She handled herself just like this before court.
“Trigger’s right,” I murmur, dipping my head close to her ear. “You’re dangerously hot when you’re feisty.”
There’s an audible gulp, and from the corner of my eye, I catch the subtle bob of her throat as she fights the urge to gasp. The sound stirs something deep inside me—something I’m aching to hear more of. Determined, I make it my mission to coax another response from her.
“How’s that for nice?” I murmur, letting the words hang heavy between us as I lean in, trailing my nose through the soft strands of her hair. She smells like chocolate and coconut—warm, intoxicating—a velvet richness that floods my senses and tightens the grip on my pants.
She makes no move to pull away. Instead, her back arches just a fraction, pressing her chest closer to mine. I can tell she’s as caught up in this electric closeness as I am, especially when her hands reach up and clutch the lapels of my suit jacket, holding me just as firmly as I’m holding her.
“Axel,” she breathes out, a warning threaded through her voice. But it’s barely there, just a sliver of resistance that only makes the rest of her desire burn brighter beneath the surface. It’s a fire I’m eager to unravel, to explore.
“You’re fierce,” I whisper, lowering my head so my nose traces the sharp curve of her jawline before sliding back to the sensitive skin just below her earlobe. “Relentless. Irresistible.”
Her breath hitches, and I press my lips softly against that tender spot. I can feel the tremble of her pulse beneath my mouth; it pulls a slow, satisfied smile from me, hidden beneath the curtain of her hair.
“I might just get myself into trouble more often, if it means I get to watch you like this,” I murmur against her skin, letting my lips graze her flesh with delicate, teasing strokes.
“You’re just saying that to get what you want,” Cassie counters, her voice a fragile attempt to create distance. But her hands betray her words—fists tightening on the lapels of my jacket, pulling me closer, anchoring me to her like a magnet. Every second that passes, her body speaks louder than her words.
“Two things you should know about me.” My lips barely brush the delicate column of her neck as she instinctively tilts it further into my touch. The heat of my breath fans across her skin, soft and intoxicating. “One: I never lie.”
My hands slide down to her waist, fingers wrapping around the curve of her stomach without hesitation. She doesn’t resist—not even when my thumb drifts to the bare skin, tracing slow, lazy circles. Her chest rises and falls with quickening breaths, theswell of her breasts pressing against my body, exposed and vulnerable. I feel her leg twitch against mine, a silent confession to the heat building between us.
She’s fighting it, this desperate need for friction, for release—and I’m not about to give her that easy satisfaction. No. This isn’t about a quick indulgence or a hollow conquest. This is something deeper.
“And the second?” Her voice catches on a nervous gulp, and I pull back just enough to see the flicker of disappointment flash across her features. Her hands slacken on my jacket, hesitant now. Her cheeks flush, skin glowing in the low light; and those full lips, slightly parted, trembling as she licks them nervously. My eyes trace the action.
“I always get what I want, Cassie.” My voice drops to a low, dangerous murmur, the kind that leaves no room for doubt or denial. Yet, even with that certainty hanging in the air, she doesn’t back down.
I reach up, gripping her neck firmly, the strength in my hand matching the intensity in my gaze. My thumb drags over those soft, glistening lips, spreading the sheen of saliva, making them even more tempting. Perfectly shaped and inviting. And when she breathes my name, it spills like a prayer between us.
