Finally, he broke the blissful silence first. “Are you all right? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“Oh, I’m better than all right. I never knew it would be like that.”
“Are you sure? I was harder than I wanted to be. I lost control,” Axel said with worry in his voice.
I simply smiled.
He brushed some of the loose hair away from my face. “You’re everything.” He paused, and then kissed me on the forehead. “You are mine.”
I silently nodded in response.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
GOODBYE TO THE DARK
QUINN
I WOKE up to the sound of Axel in the shower. I looked at the disheveled bed and smiled with the memory of the night before. It seemed like every time Axel and I had sex, it was better than the last. I would think I had the best sex of my life, only to feel that way the next time. “Absolutely amazing” would be an understatement. He was so attentive, so loving, and he demanded in bed in a way that only Axel could do. God, I loved this man.
The water stopped, and shortly after the bathroom door opened. Axel had a towel wrapped around his waist. His muscular chest looked mouthwatering with the drops of water dripping down to his perfect abs. He looked happy with a huge Cheshire grin. He leaned against the doorframe and just gazed at me.
“You’re gorgeous. You make me so happy, seeing you lying in my bed.” He made his way to the edge of the bed and bent down to place a kiss on my forehead. “Get up and get showered. I have a surprise today.”
“A surprise, what?”
“Get up and get ready and you’ll see,” he answered. He softly ran his fingers through my hair before simply stating, “I love you.”
I tried to get ready as quickly as I could. I absolutely loved surprises. Obviously, he had something in mind to do today. The weather was lovely outside, so I was able to put on a nice summer dress. Axel loved when I wore dresses, stating it was because he had easier access. I smiled to myself, remembering how I had been nervous that I didn’t look “cool” or “hip” enough for him. I loved how Axel loved me for me. I gazed at my reflection in the mirror and felt pretty. Axel had a way of making me feel beautiful. Ever since being with him, my self-esteem had grown by leaps and bounds. He did wonders for my ego. He allowed me to feel confident about my womanly curves, comfortable with my natural beauty. Every part of my body now seemed sensual and desirable. I was a confident and elegant woman.
I walked into the kitchen to find Axel finishing up the last details of the breakfast we had left unfinished only hours before. He had made a fruit salad and strawberry scones. He had already set the table complete with red roses in a vase in the center. The sliding glass door was open, letting in the warm, fresh air, and I could hear the birds chirping outside. Everything seemed so romantic, so special, like a love story.
“My, my, I never knew you could be so romantic. A girl could get used to this type of treatment,” I lovingly teased as I walked over to kiss him on the cheek.
“You deserve nothing but the best.” He took a step back so he could take a full look at me. “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on. Look at you! I’ve never been so blown away by someone as I am with you.”
I blushed and made my way to the table. Axel followed with the rest of breakfast and sat across from me. He raised a champagne glass filled with mimosa and silently toasted.
I took a bite of the scone. “Mmmm, this is good! You’re quite the baker.”
Axel laughed before he admitted, “It’s from a box.”
“Well, I like it anyway. Thank you for going through so much effort. I love you for it.”
“I love you, too, Quinn Sullivan.” He said my name with a huge smile on his face. He had such a boyish charm when he wanted to.
We sat and ate in silence for a while, just enjoying being in each other’s presence and taking in the wonderful morning. The breakfast, the morning, and the man were perfect.
Axel finally stood up and lifted me out of my chair and hugged me tight to his chest. “I’m so lucky to have you.” He lifted my chin so I looked into his eyes. “Get your shoes on, sweetheart. I have something to show you. Your surprise.”
The whole way in the car I kept pestering Axel to tell me where we were going. He would simply smile and lightly pat my knee, not giving in to the onslaught of questions. We drove for quite some time along a beautiful curving road. The trees leaned over them from all sides. They created a tunnel, with the clear blue sky peeking between the leaves. I stared into the dense forest, taking the time to reflect. The past few weeks had been a whirlwind of love and passion, but also scarred with intense darkness.
Lost in such deep thought, it took me a moment to realize Axel had pulled over onto the side of the road. I turned to him, about to ask why he stopped, when I saw that he was staring straight ahead. His jovial mood was replaced with seriousness. I followed his gaze to a two-story wooden cabin overlooking a cliff.
I stared out into the canyon below and took in the beauty. The view from where the cabin stood was magnificent. There was something magical about the setting behind the house. The trees looked so full of life. The small creek far below glistened, and the expanse of open air seemed all-powerful.
“Who lives here? Who are we visiting?” I asked in confusion.
“I’m not telling you yet. It’s a surprise,” Axel teased as he got out of the car and walked around to open my door.
Axel reached for my hand and led me to the front porch without saying another word. When he reached the front door, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. Instead of knocking, he inserted the key and opened the door. Before I could protest, he softly pulled me inside. I looked around cautiously and noticed the cabin was completely empty.
I looked around again at the empty house and asked, “Why are we in a vacant cabin in the middle of nowhere?”
Axel smiled and took both of my hands into his. “It’s ours. I bought it so we could have a place that is one hundred percent ours. Not my loft, but a brand new house—a home, our home—filled with only our memories.”
Speechless, I just stood in place, stunned with the realization that I was inside our new home.
“I hope you like it. I promise the only decision I make is the house, but you can decorate it however you choose. You can do whatever you want to make it ours. Do you like it?” Axel asked nervously.
I wrapped my arms around Axel’s neck and looked into his eyes. “I love it! I love you! I love everything!”
“Come on, let me show you around,” Axel said as he grabbed me by the hand to lead me through the house.
He began by showing me all of the rooms. He walked into one room in particular, stopped, and faced me with a smile.
“I was thinking about this room for your office. It has the best view of the canyon,” Axel suggested with a huge grin.
I opened my mouth in shock. “What? My office? What do I need an office for?”
“You’ll need a quiet place to concentrate while you work on your book. Really explaining my life won’t be an easy task,” Axel explained.
“I told you I wasn’t going to write the book.”
“And I’m telling you to. Your grandmother was right. Quinn Sullivan is too special of a name not to see it in print. And I think a biography may be a great way of closure for me. A way for me to walk away and never look back. My drug dealing days are over. I don’t want to walk back into another club for as long as I live. I want you to write my story.”
“Oh, Axel. Are you sure?”
“Yes. No more drugs. No more partying. No more nightlife. Those days are over. We start over completely.”
I nodded. “I agree. Let’s start over. Let’s say goodbye to the dark.”
He laughed and a twinkle lit up his eye. “No more vampire hours.”
“No more vampire hours,” I agreed.
“It might not be easy breaking away.”
“But we wi
ll figure it out together.”
He grabbed my hand and softly pulled me into an embrace. I could hear his heart beat against his chest. We stayed like that for a while. We took the time to just let everything sink in.
He turned me gently so I faced him. He lowered his lips, softly pressing them to mine. He pulled away and stared deep into my eyes.
“I love you. I love you more than I imagined possible. When I’m with you, I feel a love stronger than I thought could exist. I finally found what I longed for. I found you,” Axel passionately declared.