Page 4 of Anyone And You

“If I ever decide to do that,” he began, his voice gruffer than usual. “You’ll wish you’d chosen your desires more carefully.”

“You’re not the first man to threaten me with a good time, Axel,” I said, ignoring the loud thumping of my heart.

“No,” he agreed. “But I’d be the last one you remember.”

He released me abruptly, and I staggered off balance, catching an amused glint in his eyes. But it was gone within the next second, and I was left contemplating whether or not I’d imagined it.

I straightened my sweater and choked my desire down into the smallest corner of my being before saying, “Who knew such a crab could have a dirty little mouth like that?”

Something of a chuckle sounded from him as he shook his head. Barely a laugh, but something more than what I’d ever heard from him, though a lasting smile didn’t accompany it.

“Games,” he said. “Let’s see how the princess plays.”

CHAPTER FOUR - DES

PRINCESS.

He’d called me that name a few times before, after I’d called him sunshine once. But right then, I wasn’t sure I cared that he meant it condescendingly. It suddenly sounded so cocky on his tongue, as if he knew what that word might do to me.

Asshole.

I caught up with him in a few strides and tucked my arm into his once more. We passed the other vendors, the food trucks, and the stage where bands were already playing. There was a popular local band poised to play at 9pm that night and were slated until the fireworks began later. I wondered if their music was what Axel was into, though from what I’d heard coming out of his apartment, he was usually into rock music.

Rows of fluorescent lights caught my gaze ahead, along with lines and lines of gaming booths—everything from ring toss to the one with the fish bowls. Axel paused at my side and looked around.

“Which one?” he asked.

“I’m very tempted to watch you hit that bell—“ I said, only half teasing. Watching him strike the target with that giant mallet and break the bell at the top would be the highlight of my night.

Axel eyed me sideways, and I couldn’t tell if he was amused or not. “You want the big bear, don’t you?” he asked, jerking his chin to the largest teddy bear I’d ever seen hanging over the game’s bell.

“Maybe later,” I said before looking around. “For now, let’s do ring toss,” I decided. “I’m decent at that one.”

The attendant at the ring toss booth looked the most bored out of all the attendants there. He was lazily calling attention to the game, twirling a few rings on his fingers as he did, and when we approached, he gave us a judgemental once over.

“Ten rings for the lady, ten rings for the lady,” he said as I took out a few dollars to give him.

Axel stood at my back and watched over my shoulder. I hadn’t played the game in a few years, but the competitor in me was determined to win this.

“Which prize are you looking to win?” Axel asked me.

I glanced up at the stuffed animals hanging from the top of the tent. “The blue raccoon,” I said.

“Three games, lady,” the attendant said. “You’ll need to win three games.”

“That’s three times the cost of that stuffed animal,” Axel said.

“Hey, I don’t make the rules, friend—Step right up, step right up—“

Axel blew out a breath and shook his head. I laughed. “You hate these games, don’t you?”

He shifted his feet and hugged his arms to his chest, obviously irritated by the attendant. “Not when they’re fair,” he said. “Make sure you win, princess.”

I settled into my stance and then let the rings fly one by one. Each ring hit its target, and when I won the first round, I clapped excitedly and started to reach for a few dollars more for the next game.

“I got it,” Axel said as he stopped me. He fleshed out money to the attendant, practically shoving it in his hand. “Two games,” Axel told him.

“Big spender, big spender,” the attendant called out. “Alright. Two more games for the pretty little lady—“ He placed the rings in a bucket and handed it to me.

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