Page 1 of Blinded By Loyalty

Prologue-Axel

Four months ago…

I BARRELED INTO her apartment with one thought: kiss the fuck out of her. After all the months watching Simone, fighting my desires, I’d finally cracked after dealing with the stress of the breach at St. James Investments. But it was Miranda’s abduction and Will getting shot that made me lower my guard and throw caution to the wind.

Life was too fucking short. I’d known it for years.

Today I was doing something about it.

There she was, my goddess. Fresh-faced with her long brown hair up in a messy bun. My damn chest squeezed the air out of my lungs as I stalked toward her.

“Oh my God! What are you doing here? You didn’t even knock.” Simone leaped off the sofa and backed away from me. Surprise, or maybe fear, was etched on her beautiful face as I continued toward her. “Jesus Christ, Axel. What are you doing?”

“What I’ve wanted to do since the first time I saw you.”

I cupped her cheeks and crushed my mouth to hers. She shook her head, but at the same time she opened her mouth, welcoming my tongue. She tasted so damn good. Fresh and clean with hints of cucumber on her tongue. I swung an arm around her waist and tugged her against my body.

Finally, after months of lusting after Simone, I had her in my arms. She felt fucking spectacular. Toned and warm, her full breasts pressed to my chest. Jesus, I wanted to rip her T-shirt and leggings off her lithe body and worship every incredible inch of her.

But I wouldn’t. I wasn’t here to fuck her, though my balls ached something fierce. I wasn’t entirely delusional. I knew if I ever got inside her sweet pussy, I’d be done for. There would be no walking away from her.

Her hands went on my chest to push me away, but I wouldn’t retreat. I wouldn’t release her. I devoured her mouth, our tongues curling and lashing. I could hear her inhaling me as I did the same to her. Her teeth scraped across my bottom lip, sending an electric bolt down into my rock-hard cock. She wasn’t gentle biting and nibbling as she ravaged me.

Simone whimpered and rubbed herself against me. Holy hell, I wanted her more than I’d ever wanted anything or anyone. Even more than Jennie.

I moaned in disbelief at how goddamned delicious Simone’s mouth tasted. Finally, after almost seven months, she was in my arms. And it was just like I imagined it would be… perfect.

She was perfect. Pity I could never have her.

While I was lost in her luscious mouth, she found the strength to push me back.

“What the hell, Axel?” She pressed her hand to her chest, breathing in gallons of air and exhaling. “You can’t come barging into my apartment like a mad man. How did you get through security and my locked door?”

I dangled the spare key I had made and let her snatch it from my grasp.

“You are freaking insane.” Probably more than she knew. “I’m going to call the police.” She snatched her cell phone off the coffee table.

I didn’t budge.

“I will. I’ll call them and tell them you attacked me.”

I drank her in one last time, memorizing the gentle slope of her nose, her delicious full lips, and high cheekbones. I filled my nose with her scent, cucumbers and melon. She was all I’d ever need. It split my heart open, knowing she’d never be mine.

Reaching my arm out, I ran my thumb across her lower lip. Her eyes softened, absorbing mine. She was so damn gorgeous and sweet, so damn irresistible.

Taking a slow step, I closed the gap between us and lowered my mouth to hers. She didn’t balk or flinch. I gave her a chaste kiss, holding my lips to hers, searing hers to mine. Then I did the most difficult thing I’d ever done in my life. I stepped back and strode toward the door.

“Where are you going? What the hell was that?”

I kept walking, not turning to look back. I knew better. If I stopped, I would never leave. This was for the best for her.

But it would be hell for me.

“Axel, wait. Axel!”

1 Simone

The day of Miranda’s baby shower…

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