I had no home to go back to.
No job.
Nothing.
Where was I even going to live?
I pulled back from his body and chewed my lip in thought. It didn’t help that the bed was so soft and expensive. I was used to my crappy mattress, used to lying on the floor.
Finally, after I couldn’t fall back asleep, I grabbed two pillows and tossed them onto the floor next to me, then I pulled one of the throw blankets from the bed.
Once I was settled on the carpeting, I was finally able to relax a bit. Worry still plagued me, but at least I wasn’t wrapped up in Ax. I shivered. The only problem was the floor was colder than I had realized. I tugged the blanket tighter around my body and closed my eyes.
Two seconds after they closed, cloth rustled behind me and the mattress shifted, and then footsteps shuffled across the carpet. Ax’s warm body joined mine; the comforter from the bed fell on top of both of us. He pulled me into the cocoon of his warmth and kissed the top of my head. “I couldn’t care less about the middle, Ames… I just want to be by you.”
Unshed tears stung my eyes as I clenched them shut, my breathing uneven as I tried to keep myself from sobbing against his chest.
“Sleep.” He kissed my head again. “I’ve got you.”
I woke up to the sound of Ax yelling into his phone. Rubbing my eyes, I yawned and then managed to find my way out of the massive amount of covers and down the hallway.
A spread of more food than I’d ever seen in my entire life was on the table; hot coffee was already poured for me. Ax continued yelling, but pointed to the seat.
Not wanting to argue with someone who was so clearly against mornings, I went to the table and fought the urge to clap my hands in excitement.
Toast! Jam! Sausage! Bacon! I could seriously have died happy in that moment, and I even had orange juice. I didn’t appreciate things like that until I suddenly couldn’t afford them. Until that first day I went to the store and couldn’t buy orange juice because it was out of my budget.
I reached for the juice with one hand then grabbed my coffee with the other.
“Double fisting?” Ax sat down across from me and tossed his cell onto the table; it landed with a clatter.
“Who was that?” I set down both drinks then bit into a piece of toast and stifled a moan as the raspberry jam hit my tongue. I closed my eyes in ecstasy, licking my lips then took another bite.
Pretty sure I finished the entire piece of toast with my eyes closed. When I opened them again Ax’s mouth was open, his face flushed, and he was staring at my mouth.
“Do I have something on my face?” I reached for the napkin and wiped across my lips while Ax pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a pitiful noise I could only assume was irritation.
“Nah.” He swallowed, looking away. “Just enjoying the show.”
“Show?”
“Eat something else.”
I frowned. “You’re weird.”
“More toast?” He offered. “Jam?”
“I think…” I looked around the table as he took a sip of coffee. “I’ll eat the sausage.”
Ax choked on his coffee then started pounding his chest. “Sorry, wrong tube.” He ran his hands over his face and cursed, then reached for his coffee again. “And to answer your question, it was Sergio.”
“Oh.” I looked down at my plate, pushing the sausage around with my fork. “How is he?”
“Cranky as shit.” Ax laughed. “But he’s my brother, so I can’t really kill him even though the idea has merits… at times.”
I smiled. “Like when?”
“Like when he rescued you then put you in foster care.” Ax spoke so softly I almost didn’t hear him. “Like when he kept my best friend from me. I’m not blaming him. I take full responsibility, but let’s just say he’s lucky he still has both legs and a tongue.”
“Graphic.” I poked the sausage with my fork and lifted it to my lips. Ax leaned forward, watching my fork like he was a cat and I was holding his only toy. I moved it in front of my face, his eyes followed, completely captivated. I bit slowly into the meat, letting my teeth sink in. His eyes hooded as he watched me chew. I wasn’t sure if he was just really tired or for some reason found me eating breakfast fascinating. My last bite was the juiciest, causing some of the grease to run down my chin.
Ax shot to his feet, his knees banging against the table. “I uh, I’ll be right back.” He walked down the hall like I was chasing him with a knife and slammed the door to the bathroom.
I shrugged and finished my breakfast.
When Ax came back ten minutes later, his face was visibility relaxed but his hands were still clenched tightly at his sides. He held out his hand. I took it and stood.
“I won’t ask again.” He cupped my face. “I won’t demand it, I won’t ask it, I’ll try my damndest not to think about it. I won’t kiss you until you ask me… a second time.”
“A second time?”
His mouth collided against mine, his fingers pushing past my chin and diving into my hair, tugging me closer to his warmth. I gasped when his tongue entered my mouth. I could taste him, I wanted more. I flung my arms around his neck, he grunted his approval and then let out a moan when I opened my mouth wider, our teeth almost colliding against each other.
His hands moved down my back, resting just above my butt. I wiggled a bit, it was all the invitation he needed to push up the cotton shirt and touch my skin.
I felt every fingertip as they grazed my hipbones.
His kiss turned less frantic as he sucked on my tongue, and rocked me back on my heels, creating some distance between our scorching bodies. Ax tilted his head, nipping my lower lip before biting down and giving it a little tug. It sent a thrill all the way down to my toes.
Ax’s mouth was like hot velvet, every time our lips touched it felt like a caress, I shivered as he deepened the kiss one last time then pulled back.
His chest heaved. Eyes dilated, he whispered near my mouth, “That was going to be your eighteenth birthday present, me keeping you warm, keeping us warm, showing you that I wasn’t ever just your friend, Ames. I wanted to be so much more… I still do, but you don’t trust me and I don’t blame you. So, that’s it. I won’t kiss you again, I won’t attack you with my mouth, I’ll try not to fantasize about the way your tongue felt against mine — I’ll wait. Until you ask me, I’ll wait.”