Page 42 of Velvet and Valor
Part of me knows that this can’t last. The despair will be back, sooner or later. It’s a creeping thought that threatens to overrun the soft moment of bliss we’ve just created. It’s not like we canmake love twenty-four hours a day. As tempting as that thought might be.
For now, though, I’m going to allow myself this illusion of peace. This temporary armistice for the war that wages inside of me. June is a tremendous diplomat, negotiating this truce. Leaving aside everything else, I owe her so much for this.
And I always pay my debts.
11
JUNE
The sound of gulls and breaking surf greets me as I drift into the realm of the waking. A smile stretches my lips as warm memories of last night pool in my mind’s eye. When I first met Axel, I thought he was good-looking, but that didn’t mean I planned on sleeping with him. His immature attitude and constant irreverence created the image of a boy more than a man, soldier background be damned.
But Axel’s not as one dimensional as he apparently wants people to think. There’s depth there. Substance. I feel like he can take care of things…not to mention take care of me.
A soft giggle escapes my lips. Yeah, he took care of me last night, all right. I should be so lucky as to be taken care of more often. For the first time in what feels like forever, my first thoughts upon waking weren’t about work. Maybe I’ve been so focused on my career and getting our studio off the ground, that I forgot how to live?
I try to tell myself it isn’t true. I’ve dated! I date all the time…No, not really. My girl-boss vibe puts a lot of men off. But Axel doesn’t seem to mind.
Speaking of Axel…I roll over and stretch my arm and leg out, hoping to snuggle up to him. Instead, all I find is an empty mattress. I sit up and peer around with sleep-heavy eyes. Where is he?
The bathroom is empty, as is the kitchen. The beach house doesn’t take long to search. Axel’s car is still parked outside, so if he left, he did so on foot.
For a moment, panic threatens to seize me. What if something happened to Axel? But that doesn’t make any sense. Why would Moorcrock and the people he represents take Axel, but not me?
Then it hits me: beach house. A can of surfboard wax on the kitchen counter. Duh!
I slip on one of Axel’s shirts, which comes to the middle of my thighs, and step outside onto the patio. The pacific rolls in with a decent swell, the sun scintillating off its rising and falling waves. I spot a lone surfer paddling out past the breakers, his blonde hair shining in the sun.
Axel lets one of the waves pass, then gears up for the next, larger one. He switches from a prone position to standing in one, sinuous movement that’s so smooth I can’t believe it. Axel shoots along the shimmering blue wall, his body standing out in stark relief against the backdrop. I should have brought my phone, because it would make a fantastic photo.
Axel’s pretty good, though maybe not pro level. He falls off the board a couple of times, but overall, he is impressive. What’s even more impressive, though, is when he spots me and comes up out of the water.
Axel emerges from the sea, at first only his head and shoulders are visible. Slowly, his torso reveals itself in all its fearful symmetry. Jesus. Fucking. Christ. You could grate cheese on those abs!
Then he comes further onto shore, and the water level dips below his waist. His tiny trunks leave little to the imagination, and I’m as mesmerized by the sinewy pillars of his thighs as anything.
Maybe it’s the water, making him glisten like a swimwear model, but my god I want to touch him right now.
“Good morning, Gorgeous,” Axel says, coming up to me and leaning over to press his warm mouth on me. I slap an arm around his neck and pull him in tighter, even though he’s soaking wet. I love the way he tastes. “Did you miss me?”
“No, not at all.”
We share a secret smile, and then head back into the beach house, his arm around my waist. Then the hand drops down and grabs my ass. I squeal, then leap back and slap him firmly on his.
“Where’s my breakfast, bitch?” I ask.
Axel laughs so hard, his face turns red, and he almost can’t stand up. I beam a smile. It’s sexy when a guy thinks you’re funny. Like, for real and not just faking it to get into your pants. If Axel is faking this, he deserves an Academy Award.
“I can whip us up something,” Axel says when we get back, opening cabinet doors and staring. “Hmmm. Um, well…I have some pasta…”
I pick up my cell phone and give him a look.
“What’s the address here?”
Axel cocks an eyebrow.
“Here,” he says. “Use my phone. Just in case.”
“Just in case what?”
