“You were saying?” Talia asked, pulling away from his embrace.
He looked at her, a puzzled expression on his face. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I’m done,” she replied curtly.
She pushed her way through the crowd, aiming for the garden. But she was stopped in her tracks when she was yanked back. “Axel, don’t—” she began, but her words were cut off by his lips on hers.
The kiss was passionate from the start. She ran her fingers through his hair; his hands felt amazing on her breasts, and she moaned in pleasure. His hands moved to her ass, pulling her closer, and when she felt his hardness against her, she instinctively moved closer to him.
But then she pushed him away, slapping him hard across the face.
He didn’t seem to be affected. “Talia,” he said, his voice low.
She rolled her eyes and walked back inside. Her mind was racing.
“May I dance with you?” a voice asked.
Talia turned to see a stranger standing in front of her. “Of course,” she replied, taking his outstretched hand. Now, she was swaying with the stranger in the middle of the dance floor.
“You look very beautiful,” he said.
She was pulled back into his arms. “Thank you,” she replied.
“I would like to see more of you,” the stranger said.
“For what?” Talia asked, her voice sounding distant.
“Well for business and…” he trailed off.
She could tell he was nervous. She pulled back a bit to look at him, and his eyes widened when she made eye contact.
A blush spread across his cheeks. She laid her head on his chest, enjoying the sound of his rapidly beating heart.
“If you want me to stop, just…” he began.
“No, carry on. I’ll tell you when we’re done,” she interrupted.
He nodded and continued to dance with her in his arms.
She sighed. This was supposed to be a straightforward night, but now it was anything but.
“Can I cut in?” a voice asked.
Talia froze.
“Do you want to let him dance with you?” the stranger asked.
“It’s been a while since I’ve held you,” he said.
“Hey to you too, London,” she replied.
“Can I say I’ve missed you?” he asked.
“After all this time?” she countered.
“Yes, I’ve thought about you all the time,” he confessed.
“I’ve missed you too,” she admitted.
“I don’t mean it in a brotherly way,” he clarified.
Talia sighed. Should she play dumb or face it head-on?
“You do know that I was Axel’s ex-girlfriend,” she reminded him.
“I know,” he replied.
“So?” she prompted.
“The important part for me is the ‘ex,’” he said.
Talia shook her head. “Do you really think that Axel will allow this?” she asked.
“Axel doesn’t matter. This is about you and me,” he insisted.
“What do you mean Axel doesn’t matter?” she asked, her voice rising.
“As I said, I’ll protect you with all I have,” he promised.
“It’s not that simple,” she protested.
“Do you love him?” he asked.
Talia’s heart pounded in her chest. She didn’t know the answer, and it left her feeling confused. So she said what she desperately wanted to believe. “No.”
“Then give us a real chance,” he pleaded.
She could hear the desperation in his voice. He had cared for her so much, but she had moved on. The realization made her heart ache. “London…” she began.
“Just give us a try,” he urged.
“I—” she started, but he cut her off.
“I didn’t mean to pressure you,” he said.
“I know,” Talia replied, and she meant it. The dance ended, and she joined a group of potential clients. She smiled, laughed, and engaged in conversation, but her mind was elsewhere.
Bingo. She spotted Axel and London talking. She made her way over to them, and when she stood in front of them, they both looked at her, puzzled.
“Yes,” she said.
They both looked confused.
“Let me clarify, of course,” she said. “I’ll go out with you, London.”
She pulled out her business card and handed it to London. “Excuse me, gentlemen,” she said before leaving.
She was in her car, driving back to her place, when she noticed a car following her. She got out of her car and entered her house, but before she could close the door, Axel barged in. She wasn’t surprised. In fact, she had been expecting him.
He slammed the door shut. “Do you really think that I’m going to let you fuck London!?” he shouted.
“What?” she asked, taken aback.
“You do know that when you date someone, you end up fucking them, right!?” he continued.
“This has nothing to do with you,” she retorted.
“It does. You’re my wife!” he yelled.
Her temper flared. “No, I’m not!” she shot back.
“I haven’t signed any divorce papers!” he countered.
She shrank back a bit. “Well, legally we are. Not emotionally,” she said quietly.
“Then what the fuck was that!?” he demanded.
“What?” she asked, confused.
“By the garden, I wanted you, and you wanted me back!” he accused.
“Sexual attraction is one thing. Besides, I was drunk,” she defended herself.
“Don’t use that bullshit excuse!” he shouted.
“It’s true,” she insisted.
“I don’t just want you for sex, Talia. I want to be with you. I can wait as long as it takes, but I won’t be made a fool of!” he declared.
“How am I making you a fool?” she asked.
“Word spreads,” he said.
“So this is about your reputation?” she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Axel looked at her, his gaze intense. She felt a chill run down her spine. He was eerily calm.
“You’re my breath, and I won’t allow it,” he said.
“What do you mean?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“You and I both know,” he said.
Her eyes widened. “You wouldn’t,” she said, her voice shaky.
“Yes, not even London can stop me from getting to you,” he said.
“So you’re really going to dispose of someone who is your brother just for me?” she asked, disbelief coloring her voice.
“I won’t have to, but if this happens between you two, then you would have left me no choice,” he said.
“Axel, y—” she began, but he cut her off.
“Nothing you say will make me stop. There’s no way that I’ll let him take you from me. From the moment I saw you, I knew you were mine,” he said.
“I’m not a possession,” she protested.
“You’re not, Talia. That’s why I would go to the depths of hell to be with you,” he said.
She shivered. “Maybe you’re just obsessed with me?” she suggested.
“Yes, I love you to hell, Talia,” he confessed.
