Page 83 of Bound By Temptation

Lord save me. Yeah, I was in trouble. Shaking my head, I asked him, “So what Milly said about being together seven years. That you had the tattoo. I’ll go with that.”

Ax ran his nose over my cheek. “You go with whatever you want. Know you’ve been with me. Know that I never thought you’d give me a sliver of a chance, and I’m not lettin’ go of you. Now, enough of the heavy. Let’s have fun.”

Yes. We really needed to move on. “Please. And I’ll be the winner.”

I smiled wide, held his hand, and we started walking.

His warmth had that hard shell I’d put around my heart cracking and breaking.

He didn’t know, but I stole one of his shirts and had worn it to bed over the years. I still had it.

I’d never let him go over the years either.

29

AX

Her laughter was everything.Even when she smashed her bumper car into mine and caused mine to stall, which was hilarious to her.

I gave as good as I got, but she had a thing about running from me and then sneaking up on me. It seemed to be a pattern with us.

One that was breaking. No more being away from each other. This was it. Her and me.

“Bring it in!” Came over the loud speaker just as I plowed into Indie.

She gasped. “You AxHole!”

I burst out laughing and headed into the lane and parked.

Moving quickly, I gave Indie my hand, which she took, and helped her out of the car. Wrapping my arm around her shoulders, I pulled her to me tightly as we walked away from the ride. “AxHole? What the fuck, Indie?”

“Yep. That’s what I call you when you piss me off which is like all the time.”

“You should get that tattooed on your ass. My Axhole. That way I can claim it.”

She stopped in the middle of the walkway, and I pulled her to the side quickly before a bunch of teenagers ran into her.

“No way in hell I’m getting that tattooed on me. Never. NEVER!”

I kissed her hard and pressed her back to the metal trailer we’d just come out of, my hand going to her back and under her shirt. Pulling away, I whispered. “Right here is where I’d put it.” I brushed her skin, and she shivered. “Then I’d have you wear your shirt up so every motherfucker who saw it would know that you’re mine.”

Indie rolled her eyes. “New topic! Here, fishy fishy!”

She pulled out of my arms and began to walk away. I grabbed her hand and held it the entire way to the fish bowl game.

We’d already done the rides minus the tilt-a-whirl.

Now it was time for me to win.

“Come and try your luck!” the man inside the tent said as we made our way to the side of the square table. “You wanna win this beautiful lady a beautiful beta fish?” he asked.

“Hell no. I’m gonna win him one.”

“Right. Keep tellin’ yourself that,” I said back, handing the man the cash. We’d play until we won. It was our challenge. When we were together, she told me about her siblings challenge at these things. Since I didn’t want her to puke, I upped the ante.

People thought throwing a ping pong ball in a small hole to get a fish was easy. Fuck no it wasn’t. Even with perfect aim, if it hit the water just right, it would bounce out. It’d probably cost me a hundred bucks for a small fish, but I didn’t give a fuck then and sure as shit didn’t give a fuck now.

“Smile,” Indie said, holding her phone in front of us with the fish in the background. I smiled as she snapped the picture.

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