Page 26 of Bred By the Mercenary

With a newfound sense of courage, I nod, ready to face the day and whatever else comes my way. Jessi’s right—life is fast, and sometimes, you just have to go with it. And maybe, just maybe, going with it this time means embracing a future with Daxton.

Speaking of the devil, he comes strutting into the locker room.

“Am I interrupting something?” There’s amusement in his voice.

Jessi glances up at him. “Morning, Boss. I got places to be…” She makes her exit, but not before giving me a sly look, poking her tongue into her cheek in a teasing gesture of giving head as she passes by Daxton.

I stifle a chuckle as she disappears.

Daxton moves to my side, his hands on his hips. In a swift motion, he lifts me, sets me on the table, and positions himself between my legs.

“What if someone walks in?” I ask, staring over at the door, expecting someone to walk in on us.

“Don’t care. I’m the boss, and you’re mine,” he says confidently. “Besides, looks like you already told Jessi.”

I shrug, slightly embarrassed. “Well, to be fair, she’s my bestie. She won’t say anything.”

“I have a gift for you,” Daxton suddenly mentions.

I’m taken aback, stiff in my seat on the table. “Why?” I’m not used to people giving me random gifts.

A warm smile spreads across his face as he hands me a small velvet pouch from his back pocket. Curiosity piqued, I untie it and pour out a golden chain into my palm. Dangling from the chain is a masquerade mask pendant intricately designed and adorned with pink stones.

“Oh, wow… this is gorgeous. You got this for me?” I ask, shaking slightly to receive such an expensive necklace.

“It’s to remember how we met, how much you’ve influenced me,” he explains, his gaze locked on mine. “And the pink diamonds are a reflection of your beauty.”

“Wait, these are real diamonds?” I can’t hide my shock, but excitement bubbles inside me as he gently helps me put the necklace on. The chain feels cool against my skin, and it sits perfectly as the pendant nestles just at the top of my cleavage. “I really love this!” I throw my arms around his neck, and he hugs me tightly. Before I know it, I’m kissing him, igniting a blaze between us.

I soften against him, unable to get enough of him.

You deserve everything, Amelia.” Daxton smiles, his eyes shining with something that looks a lot like pride. “Every time you wear it, I want you to think of this moment, think of us.”

At this moment, with Daxton, everything feels right.

“I have more surprises. I made dinner plans for us tonight, a harbor cruise.”

“Sounds wonderful. Never been on one, so this is going to be fun,” I reply, genuinely excited. I’ve always been the one to organize all dinners and events with my exes. None of them surprised me.

Daxton studies me, the corners of his mouth curling upward in a sexy way that has me almost pinching myself that this is real.

“You look beautiful today, you know that? I want to know—what are your three favorite foods?”

“Okay, that’s random.” I think for a moment, surprised by the question. “Well, I absolutely love sushi, a good old-fashioned cheeseburger, and... tiramisu.”

He grins at my response, his eyes twinkling. “That’s a good mix.” Without another word or explanation of what he’s up to,he leans in and kisses me, a soft yet passionate moment that leaves me breathless.

“You have no idea how hard it is for me not to bend you over this table,” he whispers. “To fuck that sweet little pussy of yours, to breed you so hard.” His breaths quicken, and I’m doing the same, my nipples pebbling at the thought of his promise.

“Maybe later,” I suggest because I’ve lost control around him.

With a wink, he says, “I’ll hold you to that.” Then he strolls out of the room, and I’m left sitting there, a sense of desire washing over me.

Maybe the universe is finally being nice to me and letting things go my way.

For the rest of the day, the bar is a whirlwind of activity, everyone rushing around to keep up with the demands of the night. Among it all, Daxton is behind the bar, working alongside the rest of us. There’s something incredibly adorable and grounding about seeing him there, not shying away from the hard work.

I find myself watching him, the way he interacts with the staff and patrons, his laughter mixing with the clink of glasses and the hum of conversations. The more I watch him, the more I realize I’m falling for him, hard, yet a voice in my head cautions me not to rush into things, to take it one step at a time.

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