Page 62 of Some Like 'Em Burly
“Sorry.” Candles thud against the table as I leap to my feet and rearrange them, suddenly desperate for something to do with my hands. “Hey, did you want coffee? Pablo gives the vendors discounts.”
“Jem.”
“Just don’t ask for any kind of flavored syrup or he’ll charge you double as punishment. He’s a coffee purist.”
“Jem.”
I pause, holding a thick beeswax candle that smells like orange blossom. It’s heavier than it looks, and hey, maybethat’swhy my whole body is trembling.
“Is that true?” A big finger hooks in the waistband of my jeans, drawing me close to Axel’s side, and I let him pull me wherever he wants. You’d better believe I let him. “Did you really want to buy another day with me?”
I give a lopsided shrug, becauseduh.Obviously.
“As your bodyguard?” Axel presses. “Or as more?”
My throat is tight as I swallow, then set the candle down with a dull thump. It’s not where it’s supposed to go, and now the whole table looks messy, but I can’t think straight. Can’t focus beyond the ringing in my ears.
This is where I should be brave. Axel saw off my stalker; I should be able to confess my feelings to him. Right?
But I’m so, so tired of summoning my courage. Not just in this, but ineverything.Is life really supposed to be such a battle all the time? Because I’m exhausted, worn so thin, and I’m only in my twenties. When I think about the decades of loneliness and toil ahead, I could lay down and weep.
“Okay,” Axel says, and his deep, rumbly voice is so soothing. “Okay, princess.” He’s rubbing at my hip, drawing me closer soI’m pressed against his side, soaking up his warmth like a sad little sponge. “Why don’t I go first?”
My nod is wobbly. Axel makes a low noise, then tugs me all the way down into his lap, wrapping me up in his arms.
“Well, first off, you’re the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen with those big, brandy-colored eyes.”
A bristly mouth kisses my neck, and all at once, I turn to a puddle of goo. The tension bleeds from my muscles, and I’m sprawled on my bodyguard’s lap, panting with relief, because he’skissingme again. Thank god.
“When you came out of the bathroom in that clingy little top and those booty shorts, I nearly had a heart attack. Never popped a boner so fast in my life.”
I laugh weakly, tilting my head so Axel can drag his mouth along my jaw.
“Second, you’re a fighter. You’ve set up this stall all alone, you’ve provided for yourself and been your own boss, and when Peter the prick—” Axel spits his name like it tastes bad “—caused problems for you, you came up with the solution. That’s a survivor right there. You know how much I respect that, Jem?”
He squeezes me closer and I gasp, squirming in his lap. Thank god there are no customers at this end of the market yet, or we’d be putting on a real show.
“Y-yes,” I say.
“Good.” A scarred hand slips under my sweater, splaying over my bare ribs, and this new hold is so possessive that my belly twists. “Then you know I’m not playing around when I tell you this: youneverhave to pay for my protection again. You never have to worry about whether you can afford to have someone at your back. Okay? Because I’m there, I’m yours, and whether you want something romantic from me or not—”
Laughing giddily, I spin around on Axel’s lap and kiss him square on the mouth. Of course I want something romantic. I want this man in my bed, my world, mylife.
A groan reverberates out of Axel’s chest, tingling into my palms. And he’s kissing me back, hot and whiskery; he’s gripping my hips and grinding me down against his bulge. The sights and sounds and smells of the market fade away, and there’s only the two of us, moaning into each other’s lips, desperate to get closer. Grinding on each other and making a scene.
When we finally break apart, we’re both flushed, breathing hard.
“A day off,” Axel grinds out, urging me up off his lap. “We’re both taking a day off. Come on, let’s close down your stall.”
“Okay, but—”
“I’ll buy every fucking candle on that table if you let me take you home,” Axel says, and he sounds so pained that I burst out laughing. That’s not what I was arguing about, but it’s fun to play along, hemming and hawing as we pack up and pull the metal grate back over Melted Hearts.
“Jem.” Axel catches my hand once we’re standing in front of the closed stall, both still pink-cheeked from all those kisses. “You never have to worry about going hungry again. You know that, right?”
I press my lips together, fighting a smile, and god, I’m so happy I could float up off the ground. Not because of what Axel’s offering me—though I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a huge relief to be on a team for once, rather than a solo player—but because he’s talking about the future. Long term.
“Just now,” I say, “I wasn’t gonna argue about closing down the stall. I was just thinking…”
