“I gave my notice to the Protectors,” he said quietly.
“Gave your notice?” I wasn’t sure I understood that phrase. “Does that mean…?”
“It means I gave them my letter of resignation, with sixty days’ notice because I can’t just leave without warning.”
I couldn’t have been more shocked if he’d grown wings and flew off into the night, and I was fairly certain my mouth was hanging open. “Wh-why?”
“Because there’s nothing more important than you, Solange. I chose them over you because I took an oath and felt I had to, but I won’t put us in a position where I’ll ever have to do it again. If you’ll have me, I’ll leave the Protectors in two months and we can move to the U.S. I can get a job at a security firm I know in Las Vegas and we can get married and start a life there.”
“What makes you think I want to marry you?” I demanded, though my eyes had puddled with tears and I was rooted in place, my eyes locked on his.
“Because you love me.” He reached out a hand again, though it was tentative this time. “May I touch you, Solange?”
Tears slipped down my cheeks and somehow, I nodded, my body betraying me even though my brain was screaming no.
“I’m so sorry, baby.” One of his big, warm hands cupped the side of my face and I closed my eyes, reveling in his touch.
I’d missed him so much.
I was battling a thousand different emotions right now, but his touch trumped everything else.
He was resigning from the Royal Protectors.
He was choosing me.
How was this even possible?
“I love you,” he continued. “I never thought anyone would get this close to me, make me want to change, to move beyond the darkness in my past, to be a husband and maybe even a father. But you did. Without you, nothing else I do means anything. Not my job, not my friends, not the money I make. Nothing. I love you as much as I need you, Solange. You’re the light that fills my dark-ass soul. Before you, I was slowly letting it consume me because I thought there was no cure for what ailed me, but it turns out there is. Love. That’s all it took and that comes from you.”
“Axel…” I couldn’t think of a response. I was too busy crying and trying to come to terms with the disparate emotions raging through me. “You can’t…”
“Can’t what? Leave the Protectors? Already turned in my resignation.”
“But…” I was so confused. So angry. So fucking in love with him. The weeks we’d been apart had changed nothing and the longer he continued to touch me, the weaker my resolve to walk away.
“I’ll never put anyone or anything before you, ever again. You and me, baby. Forever.”
“You…promise?”
“I’ll swear it in blood if you want me to.”
I could only stare. There was so much sincerity in his eyes, so much love, I almost didn’t recognize him. The man before me was humble, regretful, and just as in love with me as I was with him. It was practically written in the deep recesses of his soul, that’s how brightly it shone out at me.
He was leaving the Royal Protectors.
For me.
I couldn’t fathom what kind of sacrifice that had to be for him and I clutched him tighter to me, pulling on his shirt as if afraid he would try to escape.
“I need you,” I whispered against his mouth, breathing heavily.
“I know, baby.” He kept kissing me.
“Now,” I hissed.
He moaned, deep in his chest, his breath catching a little. “Babe, we can’t—”
“Now,” I repeated, sliding my hand down to cup his erection.
“Honey, we’re on a public beach and—”
“You haven’t left the Protectors yet—you have your badge.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement as I ran a hand up under his shirt. I didn’t know why it was so important that he make love to me, right here and now, but it was, and I wouldn’t be able to truly breathe until he did.
Our mouths stayed firmly attached as he backed me over the sidewalk and onto the sand, one arm around my waist.
“Solange, honey, are you sure—” He tried again, but I wasn’t having it. I’d been without him for more than a month and he wasn’t going to put me off another second. Not now that I had him back.
“Yes.” I motioned to the abandoned lifeguard tower. “There.”
“You’re crazy,” he chuckled, tugging me in that direction.
The tower itself was locked but we went up the ramp to the ledge that led to the locked door, and with the wooden building protecting us from both the wind and prying eyes of tourists on the street, he made short work of unzipping my jeans. Our mouths came together again almost frantically as he unzipped his slacks, his erection springing free. He pushed me against the wall and I stepped out of my jeans. I wasn’t wearing panties and he simply lifted me off my feet and set me right on his cock. I closed my eyes as I slid down and the world slipped away.
42
Axel
It felt like I’d just slipped into her soul instead of her body. We were on a public beach, where anyone could potentially see us at any time, but all I saw was her. Those big blue eyes boring into mine, even in the darkness. Those plump red lips parted, on the verge of crying out. Her slender throat, bare for me to suck on. And suck I did. Her neck, the underside of her chin, her ear, and then back to her lips, where I sucked on her tongue like it was mine.
Like she was mine.
I thrust up so hard she grunted, even as her pussy clenched around me and she tilted her hips to take me deeper.
“Fuck, baby, I’ve missed you.”
“Say it,” she whispered, pressing her forehead to mine.
“Say what, beautiful?”
“That you love me.”
“I fucking love you.” I slowed down a little, pausing to kiss her again, swiping my tongue against hers and digging my fingers into the soft globes of her ass.
“I need you to say it over and over,” she panted. “Until I believe it.”
“I love you.” I thrust in and out, repeating the words every time I bottomed out, watching her face as she slowly let herself go. It was beautiful, the passion lurking there as I made love to her.
Out of nowhere, she convulsed around me, a soft cry escaping her lips as she climaxed. I was right behind her and once I could think again, I looked down into her face. God, she was gorgeous.
“I haven’t heard you say you love me too,” I said after a few minutes. I was still inside of her and she was clinging to me, legs wrapped around my waist, as if she’d never let go.
“I said it first,” she murmured. “Back before you were ready to say it back.”
“You did,” I agreed. “But it would be nice to hear it.”
“I love you.” She kissed me softly this time, her lips a whisper against mine. “More than anything.”
“We should get our clothes back on,” I said, glancing around. “I still have my badge but if we get hauled in and I have to call Sandor because I just had sex on the beach, I’ll never hear the end of it.”