Page 31 of Total Obsession

We stopped in front of my new home. I'd given Axe my address when I'd received it from Sarah. I just didn't think he'd remember it better than I could. "Will you do the honors?" he asked. "I'll admit, the front desk let me in the building so I could at least start to get things organized, but they wouldn't let me up to your new place," he said with a wink.

I fished the key that Sarah had sent me from my pocket and held it up to the door. It wasn't a standard lock key. More like a cross between a remote and a credit card. The door made a noise and then opened slightly. Axe gestured that I should be the one to open the door.

I pushed the heavy black door open and stared in awe at my surroundings. The first thing I noticed was that I had one of the apartments with a balcony and beautiful sunlight was filtering in through the large windows. The entire place was already furnished with white leather sofas, black and gold accented end tables, and beautiful grey veined marble as far as the eye could see.

Thriving green plants added a pop of color to the entire place, and I felt like I wanted to faint at how nice everything was.

"Oh, this isn't bad," Axe said as he walked inside. He took the roses out of my hand and put them on the large stone kitchen island, freeing my hand up and linking my fingers with his.

We started to walk through the space. Well, he walked and mostly dragged my awestruck body. The bathroom was something straight out of a magazine, with a large soaking tub, a shower with more knobs than I knew existed, and a vanity that seemed to defy gravity.

"Isn't bad?" I repeated in disbelief. "Where have you been living?"

Although, as soon as I said that, I thought back to the jumbo jet that we'd flown to Milan in. It seemed like Axe had actually done extremely well for himself over these past few years.

He just chuckled at my response and led me into the next room.

Which just so happened to be the bedroom. It was gorgeous. A big king canopy bed with soft white curtains and gold accents was at the center, sitting on top of a super plush grey rug. White lacquer furniture blended into the walls surrounding us and there were giant floor-to-ceiling windows dotted again with beautifully maintained houseplants.

A soft chime sounded around us, and I looked at Axe in confusion.

"Door," he said immediately. "Be right back."

I made my way over to the windows and realized that the balcony actually extended out all the way into the bedroom so that if I wanted to, I could open a door, which I thought was a window, and walk outside.

I lifted the latch and stepped out onto the balcony. The crisp winter air hit my lungs and made me gasp a bit.

"Zoey?"

I turned back around at the sound of Axe's voice to see him standing there with a giant dress box.

"What's that?" I asked him.

He gave me a devilish smile. "I got you something."

"Got me something?" I asked in disbelief.

"Well, I couldn't have my woman showing up to her own party in her airport clothes, now could I?" he asked.

"Your woman?" I breathed out, trying to clarify what I had just heard.

I must have mumbled my words though because he was setting the box on the bed, and beckoning me to come closer.

I made my way over to the bed and stood next to him. I looked down at the box that had beautiful gold lettering pressed into the top. I recognized the designer. I'd, of course, worn a number of high-end dresses over the span of my career, but I'd never owned any of them, let alone had a place to wear them outside of the runway.

I flipped the box open and moved the pure white tissue paper aside. Inside was a Zuhair Murad couture evening gown. The whole thing was black and had the most beautiful beaded bodice, with draping chiffon cape sleeves and a matching skirt.

"Is this really for me?" I asked in disbelief. I knew that this dress alone cost upwards of $8,000.

"Of course," he said to me.

I spun on my heel and threw my arms around him. "Finding you has been like a dream for me," I whispered against him.

I could feel his chest heave slightly with laughter. "Why? Because I buy you pretty dresses?"

I pulled back and looked at him, my eyes wide. "Oh my God, no! That's not what I meant. The dress is beautiful, but it’s not what matters to me. I just meant that, like, I'd looked for you for so long, and then now here you are.”

"Here I am," he said, before pressing a soft kiss to my lips.

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