Page 5 of Anyone And You

Axel stepped up behind me, his shoulder against my back. His hand grazed the top of my hip, and I swallowed at his proximity.

“Sink them before I punch this idiot for robbing you,” he said.

“You can’t expect me to concentrate with you so close, Axel,” I managed, and I wasn’t exaggerating.

A scoff left him, and he settled at my side. “Better?” he asked. The glint of amusement was back, and I felt a jagged breath leave me at the sight of it.

“For now,” I said. I readied my stance again and once more tossed the rings. Every time I landed one, Axel made a grunt of approval, and I could see him glaring at the attendant from the corner of my eye. When I had five rings left, he uncrossed his arms and braced his palms onto the barrier.

“Let’s go, princess,” he said, his gruff way of cheering me on.

“Five to go—can she do it? Let’s see, folks—“

Axel’s grip tightened on the wood at the sound of the attendant’s voice, but I tried to ignore it and land the last few.

One—two—three— We had a few people watching now. Axel gave me a high-five; his gruff voice and small celebration must have caught people’s attention. I felt my face light up at him actually getting into this, though I knew it was to spite the ever-watchful attendant.

“Two more,” he said, getting antsy at my side. “You got this.”

My stomach knotted at his assurance, and I bit my bottom lip in concentration.

One in.

Axel clapped his hands twice, shifting from foot to foot.“Come on, princess,” he said under his breath.

I aimed and let the ring go. It landed on one in the middle and circled the rim of the glass, making both of us clench our fists as we waited on it to fall one way or the other. I grabbed Axel’s arm when it started to sink. I had won. I had—

The attendant stuck his poker into the sea of glasses and began gathering the rings.

“Too bad, too bad,” he said. “Better luck in the next round for that one. Pick a prize from the front row, little lady.”

“What—“ I couldn’t believe it. Fucking—

“I believe the lady won,” Axel said, stepping up in front of me.

“Sorry, friend,” the attendant said. “Last one didn’t fall. Too close. How about one more round? Five out of ten, and she wins the raccoon.”

Axel lunged across the barrier. Rings flew off the poker as Axel grabbed the attendant by the collar and yanked him forward. My heart jumped into my throat at the rage in Axel’s eyes, the white of his knuckles on the attendant’s shirt.

“The way I see it,friend, is that her last ring sank, and she won,” Axel practically snarled. “Give her the fucking raccoon before I come over this barrier.”

Shit.

I was ready to pin him against any wall I could find and beg him to fuck me until I lost control and forgot my name.

“Okay, okay,” the attendant said, his hands up. “Let me down.”

I realized then that Axel had picked him up off the ground. He slowly let the man down, the man’s shirt creased from the fist Axel had taken of it. Axel released him and gave the man two pats on his cheek.

“The fluffy one,” Axel said as I wrapped my hand around his arm.

“Axel, you don’t—“

“No one takes your smile away,” he said upon meeting my eyes.

I didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how to look away. Hemeantit. My hand tightened around his forearm, the only way I knew how to respond.

The attendant hesitantly reached for the stuffed animal and took it down from the rafters. Axel’s gaze tore from mine, and he snatched the raccoon from the attendant’s grasp.

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