Page 32 of Brooke
Her lungs stopped working. That had to be it. Because suddenly she wasn’t breathing. She was just staring at Axel as he leaned his elbow on the countertop and studied her.
“A spiral is the most dynamic of all the shapes—representing perpetual motion, growth, and yet great mystery. Quite captivating.”
“That’s our Brooke,” Dean said, rising from his barstool and coming over to put his arm around her shoulders. “You seem to have nailed us, and Axel, well…”
Suddenly, she was terrified he was going to finishing his sentence withAxel nailed you.
“I don’t know about you, but I need a drink after all that woo-woo shape stuff,” Madison said, a gusty sigh rushing out. “Not that it wasn’t great. Thanks, Brooke. Seriously. But who wants a pre-dinner cocktail? Before we chow and jump into Drink and Divulge?”
Brooke heard the affirmative murmurs from her roommates, but she could only stare at Axel. His blue eyes gleamed with some brand of his own mystery, and she fought the urge to slump back against the back of her barstool.
“I think we’re going to do very well together, Brooke,” he said, his deep voice grounding her back into her body. “Evenbetter than I imagined, and trust me, that was already very, very good.”
She tried to smile, but her mouth wouldn’t completely work. The corners lifted with effort as she sat there numb with shock. All her mind could hold on to was the way he’d summarized her.
She was a spiral.
CHAPTER
SEVEN
How was she going to survive Drink and Divulge?
Her emotions were still jangly—even after the one cocktail everyone had agreed to have together with the Thai food they’d ordered. The scent of ginger and hot pepper filled her senses along with Axel’s personal scent, which made her insides tighten as much as his massive masculine presence.
She’d remained seated on a barstool next to him in the kitchen, brushing his side when she shifted to reach for something or talk to her roommates—because he really was a big man—which only increased her sexual tension for him. And now they were going to get even more personal. More personal than the revelations during her mood board. Whoa! She wished she could call a postponement to get herself back to her normal, but everyone was having a great time. Honestly, she was too while the other part of her trembled with emotion as alarmingly uncomfortable as the hot Thai peppers in her dinner.
“Pick your game drink, friends,” Dean said, returning to the kitchen after venturing into their wine cave with Sawyer.
Both men were juggling the usual assortment: a collectionof French wines and digestifs along with a couple of bottles of champagne. She held out her hand, into which Dean deposited her favorite bubbly. She’d started with champagne, so it seemed wise to continue with it.
“A bottle?” Axel murmured to her.
“You don’t have to drink out of it,” she assured him. “But it’s part of the game fun.”
“Sometimeswe drink out of glasses for the heavier stuff,” Dean added with a playful wink, setting his bottles down with a clack. “I’m for the calvados. Something about the fall air making me long for apple picking.”
“You’ll be on your ass early, Dean.” Sawyer laughed as he selected his usual cognac. “Axel, are you a heavyweight or lightweight?”
He rolled up the sleeves of his fisherman sweater, like he was preparing to arm wrestle. “I’ve been known to drink Russians under the table, so I can say heavyweight without boasting.”
Kyle gave a whistle. “Impressive. Madison is like that with tequila.”
She was cleaning up the remnants of dinner with Thea, Pierre on her shoulder. “Tonight suddenly seems more interesting.”
Axel cracked his knuckles as he and Brooke shared a measured look. “Indeed. Perhaps someone will explain the rules?”
The warmth of his body was scorching her right side. They were going on four hours together, and she’d been in the fight of her life to keep her thoughts and feelings professional. Especially when his glacier blue eyes seemed to search her soul, when he laughed deep from his belly, and when he’d shared his thoughts about her being a spiral. She still couldn’t get over how well he understood her. Shifting their decorating meeting to a discussion about preserving the house’s integrity while creating a design that reflected theircollective personalities in the shared rooms beyond their individual spaces had helped.
And God, he listened. Really listened. As though his very skin was absorbing what a person was saying. It was as intoxicating as her champagne.
“Brooke!” Madison’s call stopped her daydreaming. “Your game. Tell the man.”
She slightly turned in her barstool, trying not to inhale his scent. “Everyone gets to ask the group a personal question. If you answer, you don’t have to drink. If you don’t, you do. If no one chooses to divulge, everyone has to drink again. Double knockout of sorts. Then the person who asked the question has the privilege of asking another question.”
“What happens if everyone answers and no one drinks?” Axel asked as he reached for a bottle of cognac.
“Nothing.” Brooke laughed. “It’s rare.” The only person that usually happened with was Thea, because she always asked innocent questions, likewhat’s your most embarrassing momentorwhen was the first time you were really scared?
